11. The Undertaker vs. Triple H - WrestleMania XXVIII
WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta featured a first for The Undertaker at the Showcase of the Immortals: despite picking up the submission victory over Triple H, his body was so wracked with pain from the war that preceded it, he could not leave the ring under his own power. He was helped out of the ring while the loser of the match, The Game, walked out as if it was he who had scored the win. Absolutely certain that he could finish the Deadman off, he made the same mistake of challenging him to a rematch that his best friend Shawn Michaels had two years earlier. This time, the match would take place inside Hell in a Cell, Michaels would serve as the special referee and the match would be dubbed the "End of an Era." Fans rode an emotional roller coaster with all three industry icons, watching as Triple H nearly ended The Undertaker's undefeated streak. They watched with awe as The Phenom showed one more time while age is but a number, overcome a brutal assault at the hands of the Cerebral Assassin. And they sat in stunned silence with referee Shawn Michaels, watching as his last-ditch effort to help Triple H win fell just short. Despite Sweet Chin Music, Undertaker delivered a Tombstone to a defiant Triple H (echoing HBK's final stand 24 months earlier) and picked up his 20th WrestleMania victory. To really hammer home the importance of the match and moment, the three legendary stars embraced at the top of the ramp, giving one last nod to a generation of Superstars gone by.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
