100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
2. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania XXV)
Earlier, the second WrestleMania clash between HBK and 'The Deadman' went under the microscope, and a thesaurus full of praiseworthy adjectives was hurled in its direction. That 2010 effort must be seen to be believed, and it's definitely arguable which match was better, but...it's 2009 that takes the plaudits here. These legends rolled into Houston with a mountain-sized chip on their shoulders.
Both Shawn and 'Taker admitted that when re-watching the bout together for WWE's YouTube channels. They were miffed that they'd been bumped so far down the card. Hold on: This match went on third from last at 'Mania XXV, which isn't too early. No, it isn't, but that wasn't the original plan. WWE actually wanted these guys to go on earlier than that!
This formatting insult only motivated them to show what they could do. Two wrestling geniuses banged heads and gave one another a knowing look once Vince McMahon's well-known whims started to kick in. If they were going on earlier than the main event, then they'd make it nigh-on impossible for anybody else to follow them; John Cena vs. Big Show vs. Edge and an infamously boring Triple H vs. Randy Orton headliner had no chance.
The way 'Taker plucked Michaels out of mid-air when HBK attempted a moonsault, then planted him with the Tombstone Piledriver, was beautiful. That had come after a full 30 minutes of gripping work that surely had WWE chiefs begging for a rematch the following year.
It's really cool that these heroes of 'Attitude' wanted to put on such a show so deep into their respective careers. What a show it was.