The Undertaker's 25 Greatest WWE Moments

16. The Undertaker Shows Respect To Steve Austin - SummerSlam 1998

By winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XIV, Steve Austin ushered in an era of such popularity for WWE that, ultimately, the company ended up driving its competition out of business. Still, while Austin was red-hot, WWE decision-makers recognized that WCW had the edge when it came to star power and name recognition. Therefore, when the company needed a marquee match for SummerSlam 1998, Austin was pitted against the second most popular star in the company - The Undertaker. Thus, the "match of the century" was born. The Undertaker-Austin feud was complicated by interference from Kane and Mankind, but the result was compelling television - and while Undertaker sometimes found himself receiving boos for antagonizing Austin, he still kept his integrity, acting as a fan favorite throughout the program. When the match rolled around, The Undertaker did everything he could to seize victory and the title - except for compromise his morals. When Kane came down to the ring with an eye for helping his older brother, Undertaker refused the assistance. In the end, Austin caught the Phenom with a Stunner to secure victory and retain his belt. Coming to, The Undertaker rolled out of the ring, grabbed the WWE Title, and respectfully handed it to Austin. There was a new top bad-ass in WWE, but that title would never be out of The Undertaker's line of sight.