1. vs. Shawn Michaels (25th Anniversary of WrestleMania)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDl5oiTW9_I There have been several 5-star matches in the modern era of professional wrestling. Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat and Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin immediately pop to mind as shining examples. Yet, has there ever been one better than Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV? No better story has ever been told on the 20'X20' canvas. It was the masterpiece. When Undertaker dove over the top rope expecting to collide with Jimmy Snuka's son (dressed as a cameraman) and, instead, met the lightly padded floor, violently and head-first, it gathered the collective emotions of every person watching WrestleMania and held them tight until "17-0" flashed brightly across the entrance set's TitanTron. Ironic that it was the son of Taker's very first Mania opponent who failed to catch him and, ironic it also was, that it was The Deadman's music officially signaling the end of the ride that brought the crowd back to the reality that Taker did not actually meet the official end of his existence when he crashed and burned onto the floor in a heap. Every moment from the time that Taker lay nearly lifeless on the black mat surrounding the ring until he caught Michaels in mid-moonsault and gave him a second Tombstone Piledriver for the three count was a roller coaster an unbelievably gripping performance that will stick with all who watched it for the rest of their lives. It will be talked about to kids and grandkids in the same breath as the greatest sports moments in history. To some, it has been compared to a fine wine. Maybe, after the first sip, not everyone concurred that it was one of the finest ever. Just take another sip or two, though, and it is likely that most people will come around to agreeing that it is one of the greatest (if not THE definitive greatest). On his way out of Houston, his wife in the car by his side, Michaels seriously contemplated retirement for the first time, telling her that he did not think that he could ever top his match with Undertaker. It was a career-enhancing match for both Taker and HBK, putting them each on a pedestal in WrestleMania lore that others may struggle to reach. Others might have more title matches or main-events, but none of them have a match quite like HBK-Taker 1. In regards to critical acclaim on "The Grandest Stage of Them All," there is Michaels, Taker, and then everyone else.
Chad Matthews
Contributor
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
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