9. Triple H, WrestleMania X-Seven
This hastily booked, thrown-together match from WrestleMania X-Seven may not have had a great deal of build behind it but ultimately became the first truly great match of Undertaker's streak. Under the new American Badass moniker, Undertaker had become more vocal, not to mention more vulnerable, since returning from injury in May of 2000. His feud with Triple H was based on a few backstage attacks and a stupid restraining order angle involving Stephanie so to say fans were not necessarily as excited for their match as they were others on the card would not be a stretch. In his hometown of Houston and coming off of a year in which his performances were sub-par at best, Undertaker was motivated to turn in a great performance against a man who many considered the best worker in the world. The Undertaker vs. Triple H match spilled out of the ring and into the crowd following a referee bump. Fighting onto some scaffolding, the Phenom sent Triple H crashing to the arena floor with a chokeslam. Back inside the ring, the referee bumped again to allow the two Superstars to continue utilizing weapons and masking Undertaker's in-ring shortcomings at that point in his career. A couple of near-falls, most of them the product of a shot from Triple H's sledgehammer, preceded the finish in which Undertaker surprised Triple H with the Last Ride powerbomb out of the corner and picked up the pinfall victory. The match, in many ways, is an acquired taste. Anyone who looks at wrestling logically will find it completely absurd. After all, how many times can a referee be assaulted by a competitor or competitors before calling for the bell and ruling the match a disqualification? For how long can a single elbow drop incapacitate an official so that the two competitors can break every rule imaginable? Why would someone as cerebral as Triple H open himself up to the Last Ride the way he did at the finish? Fans of the brawls that helped define Attitude Era main event style will appreciate the match but those looking for a more traditional contest are likely to hate the bout. And every other Undertaker-Triple H match on this list.
Erik Beaston
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Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
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