8. vs. Triple H (WrestleMania X-Seven)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJYBW_YT9wM Triple H was the top heel of the Attitude Era, once all was said and done. He earned that status through the incredible work that he performed in 2000 against a wide variety of historically relevant opponents from The Rock to Steve Austin to Mick Foley to Chris Jericho to Kurt Angle. Before Taker's undefeated record earned a title ("The Streak"), it was most in jeopardy in 2001. The Deadman's "Yard" was in the middle of Triple H's "World." The Game had taken on all comers and prevailed. Visually, it may not have been, as Gorilla Monsoon once said, "an irresistible force meeting an immovable object," but it was from the historical perspective. Taker never lost at WrestleMania; Triple H was well-established as a slayer of relevant superstars. Something had to give. Though the period of Taker's career known by many as "The Biker Taker" had its critics, it was difficult to deny the stunning aesthetic quality of The Deadman riding down the massive WrestleMania X-Seven ramp on his motorcycle, Limp Bizkit's "Rollin'" providing the audio soundtrack to the sight. Motorhead's first live rendition of "Time to Play the Game" added a touch of importance to the match. It felt like a main-event. To call the match an "Attitude Era" brawl would be fair. They fought through the crowd and spent much of the match without the confines of rules thanks to an early-match referee bump. Yet, the final few minutes were as enthralling as either of them has produced in their Mania careers. Even watching the playback today, when Triple H (perfectly) cracks Taker over the head with the sledgehammer, it feels as though the course of history is changing and that, at match's end, popping the DVD out of the player and putting it back in the box will create a rift in time that finds no remaining memory of a "Streak." Such a dream ends well when Taker hits the Last Ride Powerbomb out of the corner for the win.
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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