3. The Undertaker Retires Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania XXVI
Shawn Michaels took a leave of absence after losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV, but he returned to help Triple H deal with The Legacy and to reunite D-Generation X for one last run. The duo captured the WWE Tag Team Championship and Michaels made amends with Bret Hart on Raw, but there was still one outstanding issue with which he had to deal. At Elimination Chamber, Michaels cost The Undertaker his World Heavyweight Championship in the main event, indicating that he wanted one more match with the Phenom. Undertaker agreed - but this time, he told HBK, his soul would not be enough... he demanded Michaels put his career on the line, as well. "The Heartbreak Kid" accepted, and the most anticipated rematch in WrestleMania history was signed. The two battled in a no disqualification match in the main event of WrestleMania XXVI, equaling their effort from the year before. Michaels did everything he could to win - including three Sweet Chin Music kicks and a moonsault on the announcers' table - but Undertaker weathered the storm. In an emotional scene, Undertaker demanded Michaels stay down after HBK kicked out of a second Tombstone, but the defiant superstar merely slapped Undertaker. In response, the Phenom scooped Michaels up and planted him with a jumping Tombstone, scoring the win and ending his career. After the bout, the two men embraced, and Undertaker left Michaels to enjoy the Phoenix crowd's standing ovation.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
