4. vs. CM Punk (WrestleMania 29)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN5XVQRyDic By 2013, "The Streak" had such a reputation for incredible installments that talk began of The Deadman hanging up his wrestling boots. It was not until four weeks prior to WrestleMania 29 that he made his first TV appearance of the year. CM Punk set a different tone than previous opponents. HBK, Triple H, and Randy Orton had solely focused on handing Taker his first Mania loss, while Batista and Edge defended their World Championships. Punk made it personal. He made it very personal. Stealing the famous urn, by then carrying the "ashes" of the recently deceased former Deadman-manager, Paul Bearer, Punk set out to psychologically outsmart the Taker in a manner not seen since Bearer, himself, turned on The Phenom and sided with the deranged Mankind in 1996. Punk did well to build the rivalry. He had four weeks to make himself look like a viable threat to Taker's "Streak" and entice the audience to want to spend a record amount of money to watch The Deadman give him his comeuppance. Mission accomplished. On a card also featuring matches such as The Rock vs. John Cena 2 and Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H 2, Taker and Punk stole the show. The audience in Met Life Stadium was electric, thoroughly engaged in the story being told. Punk had seemed the least likely "Streak" breaker in recent memory, but by match's end, he had the world convinced that he would be able to do what no one else had done. He seemed to have a mental edge, using the "power of the urn" as a cerebral reminder to Taker that, indeed, he did have the audacity to not only steal the urn, but to pour its "contents" all over The Deadman in the final week leading up to WrestleMania. Everything that Punk did during the match seemed to beg Taker to do his worst. Subsequently, of all the "Streak within 'The Streak'" matches, Punk vs. Taker was the best example of the old school, classic pro wrestling tale. In an era where it has become increasingly difficult to suspend disbelief to allow ourselves to get wrapped up in a combat drama between men in tights Punk and Undertaker reminded the world of how to invest in a simple story of good guys vs. bad guys.
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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