The Undertaker's 24 WrestleMania Matches Ranked - From Worst To Best

As Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, the two greatest in-ring performers of the WrestleMania era, stared one another down at the opening bell Shawn mimicked ‘Taker’s throat slit gesture. His religious beliefs practically mandated that he had become a career babyface - but in order to succeed in his dual quest of ending the Streak and saving his career, he had to channel the loathsome brat of old.

It telegraphed what was a sublime composite performance. There was little chance that Michaels wasn’t going out - which diluted the drama just enough to render the sequel one notch below the original - but he ensured that we were going to see him, warts and all, one last time.

That drama was enhanced considerably by ‘Taker’s sublime selling. He feigned a terse pain, when he landed an early Old School, and it was just subtle enough to cast doubt within the audience. Michaels then channelled career rival Bret Hart by honing in on ‘Taker’s knee, sliding in to the ring to cut off his suicide dive with a nasty-looking shop block. The narrative of the match exposed that the injury was a work, but the conviction with which it was sold was enough to drive it home.

Michaels then echoed his awesome match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21 by wrenching ‘Taker in the ankle lock, fusing strategy with a career retrospective of brilliance. Towards the finish, ‘Taker and Michaels, intimately aware of one another's repertoires, rolled out a glorious exchange of counters, the best of which saw the Dead Man reverse Michael’s springboard turning moonsault into a Tombstone to the outside.

It wasn’t even the best Tombstone of the match; ‘Taker tolled the bell on Michaels’ career with a vicious jumping variation of it.

Only a master could have delivered it safely, and he was that.