The Undertaker’s 10 Best WWE SmackDown Matches
6. Vs. John Cena - SmackDown (24 June 2004)
Long before they were having two-minute squashes on the 'Grandest Stage Of Them All', The Undertaker and John Cena were putting on some darn good shows on SmackDown. Their best, however, came in the summer of 2004 after Paul Heyman abducted Paul Bearer (and the Urn) and manipulated 'The Deadman' into attacking the good guys. Cena took exception to this and thus, the pair met in the main event of the go-home show before the Great American Bash.
Their match told a rather compelling story as the young upstart Cena did his best to overcome the focused Undertaker, while 'The Phenom' demonstrated his loyalty to Paul Heyman by illegally using a steel chain to help him pick up the victory. 'Taker was dominant for the most part and that really complemented the story that surrounded the match's inception.
The action was solid throughout and, as this was long before Cena got sloppy in the ring, 'The Doctor Of Thuganomics' held his own against the legend and, unlike their clash 14 years later, he looked incredibly strong in defeat.
A thrilling main event with complete investment from the audience, this was the epitome of a perfect Ruthless Aggression era match. Those were the days.