21 WWE Matches That Almost Got 5 Stars
7. The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XXVI)
Shawn Michaels was unable to end 'Taker's streak at WrestleMania 25, and such a failure drove him mad. After costing the Deadman the World Heavyweight Championship, HBK decided to put it all on the line: it was either gonna be the streak, or his career.
In one of the greatest retirement matches of all time, HBK and 'Taker replaced the crispness and majesty of their previous encounter with pure aggression and hatred. Neither man could afford to lose this match, least of all Shawn, who fought like his life was on the line. Every move was done with such purposeful intent to harm the enemy, to inflict pain, to remind them of what they did. It's a brilliant example of how character and story can inform the psychology of a match, and who better to show that to an audience than these two?
Ultimately, Shawn's desperate brawling was for naught, as 'Taker put him away with a fateful tombstone, ending the Heartbreak Kid's legendary career. He may have lost, but ultimately he, as did all the fans, won, having one more amazing match to add to his legacy.