10. vs. Randy Orton (WrestleMania 21)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV7XPk7rERk "The Streak" was merely a historical footnote before Randy Orton made his intentions clear to be the first man to defeat Undertaker at WrestleMania. It was, arguably, never in greater danger. In 2005, Orton was coming off an ill-fated babyface turn that took him from "sure fire top star for the next decade" to "huge main-event bust." With John Cena and Dave Batista coming on strong in his stead, Orton needed to do something monumental to keep up with his fast-rising peers. In making a storyline out of targeting "The Streak," Orton ensured himself a golden opportunity. Though Cena and Batista competed for their first respective World Championships on the same night, Orton's battle with Undertaker did not take a substantial backseat. Despite the incredible chance to wrestle Taker at WrestleMania, Orton still appeared relatively despondent, noticeably flubbing on a few of the key spots in the match. Much as he had with Ric Flair in 2002, The Deadman pulled Orton figuratively up by his boot straps and carried him to one of the most memorable bouts of "The Streak." The moment in which Orton countered Taker's Chokeslam into the RKO was one of only a handful of truly legitimate near losses in The Deadman's WrestleMania career. Most of his matches have always featured a palpable aura of inevitability no matter what happened, Taker was going to win at WrestleMania. The bout with Orton felt a bit more unpredictable. WrestleMania 21 was a night of "next steps" for many of the stars that came to define the last several years of WWE history (Cena, Batista, Edge, Rey Mysterio, and Orton). The event was ripe with possibilities of better established stars taking the fall to usher in a new era. Orton seemed as likely, on the night of, to defeat Taker as anyone in "The Streak's" 21 year history. It was not epic, as some of the later "Streak" matches would be, but Orton vs. Undertaker is like one of the old Batman movies from the mid-1990s. On a random day, it is more than worth a watch.
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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