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

When the Undertaker returned to the grandest stage, he removed his head to reveal that his long locks had been shorn. He had been cleansed from the muddied victory he won over Triple H one year earlier.

To underscore that, he flung Trips into the Cell walls with ease, reverting back to the invincible “Phenom” of old. When Triple H tried to unleash his traditional arsenal, it was in vain. ‘Taker no-sold his face buster knee smash. He was immune to anything Triple H threw at him. It was an uplifting return to the form of old. Triple H, with rewarding continuity, almost literally doubled down on his WrestleMania XXVII tactics, cracking yet more chair shots over ‘Taker’s spine.

Taker’s old ‘Mania foe and Triple H’s career associate Shawn Michaels acted as the bout’s special guest referee. Triple H implored him to call the match. ‘Taker begged him not to. Triple H, intent on ending both Streak and career, smashed him with a sledgehammer and feigned to deliver another blow to the back of his skull. When Shawn again threatened to call it, ‘Taker trapped him in Hell’s Gate. When Shawn recovered, he dropped ‘Taker with a Superkick out of anger. Triple H then ensnared him in the Pedigree. It resulted in the closest near-fall in WWE history. The conflicted agony etched on Michaels’ face was glorious. He remained one of the greatest performers in the company two years after retiring from active competition.

To cap it off, Triple H practically begged for mercy, subverting the dynamic of the two year series. ‘Taker, inhuman, did not have it within him. He planted him with a Tombstone. The Streak remained intact, his aura had been recovered.

It was a brilliant, self-referential, pseudo Triple Threat/Handicap match. WWE is all too often quick to deny its history. It’s bittersweet that one of the best matches it ever promoted did just that.