100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
17. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania XXVI)
There's probably no right or wrong answer when choosing between back to back WrestleMania epics put on by Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker in 2009 and 2010. OK, in truth there's no right or wrong answer when deciding on the greatest matches ever full stop - there's always going to be a touch of subjectivity to topics like that. That's unavoidable.
Rest assured that both bouts are on the list. You surely knew that'd be the case anyway. Shawn vs. 'Taker at both 'Mania's XXV and XXVI became timeless wonders whilst they were still in progress. That really speaks volumes about how great their respective performances were across both shows. It's the second one that falls first though.
Shawn's retirement match (at least until a clanger of a decision to wrestle again, admittedly for a beefy payoff, in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel 2018) had extra added narrative weight. That might give it the edge to some over the first match, but...boy, it's a challenge to split hairs between them!
By 2010, Michaels was furious that he hadn't been able to end 'Taker's winning run. He goaded 'The Deadman' into another bout, then slapped him across the face during it. That'd ultimately prove to be one legend's downfall and another's boon. Undertaker romped towards 18-0 as Shawn waved goodbye to his fanbase for the second time.
This time, it was on his terms. Michaels seemed content with his original run and a 2002-2010 renaissance that had maybe even topped his sprint in the 90s. There aren't enough adjectives in the world to put these guys over. They produced something special.