10 WWE WrestleMania Matches That Had To Follow Something Infamously Terrible

4. The Undertaker Vs. Triple H Following Michael Cole Vs. Jerry Lawler (WrestleMania XXVII)

COLE LAWLER TRIPLE H UNDERTAKER WMXXVII
WWE

But now for something nice about Triple H, because this encounter was something of a lifesaver on a show that had more than the prior debacle working against it.

Following that needless dragging out of a programme that could have ended at precisely the right moment, 'The Game's second attempt to end The Undertaker's WrestleMania unbeaten streak was a welcome continuation of the longer form story being told between the two men and the recently-retired Shawn Michaels.

'HBK's loss the prior year sent him packing for good (sort of), with a WrestleMania XXVI sequel almost as masterful as their iconic original one year earlier. Hunter wasn't traditionally one for bringing crowds back into things on shows of this scale, but he did with an Atlanta audience battered and bruised by the hugely disappointing announcer brawl one match earlier.

When this delivered, it delivered huge. It's not the easiest on rewatch - the pair over-egg things despite noble efforts to sell the scars of war - but the heat spots in the moment were melting faces off up to and including a legendary Tombstone pinfall tease from a dominant 'King Of Kings'.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett