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Over the years, not many Superstars have been as synonymous with a WWE pay-per-view as The Undertaker has been with WrestleMania. Such is the aura surrounding The Deadman, the fans eagerly wait for his appearance at the Show of Shows each and every year.
However, owing to health issues, The Undertaker wasn’t a part of WrestleMania 35, which fueled rumors that The Phenom had indeed run his course as a WWE Superstar. Yet, the past year has seen The Deadman return to action and he is now primed to face AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36.
Unsurprisingly, the potential match-up has generated an enormous amount of hype, considering The Undertaker’s return to the Grandest Stage of Them All and the upward trajectory The Phenomenal One has charted since his arrival in the WWE.
Thus, as the latest edition of WrestleMania inches closer, the time seems ripe to go down memory lane and relive The Deadman’s previous five encounters at the PPV and chalk out a ranking for the same.
Without further ado, here is a look at them.
#5 The Undertaker vs John Cena (WrestleMania 34)
At WrestleMania 33, The Undertaker had been decimated by Roman Reigns and the former left his coat, gloves, and hat inside the ring, thereby hinting at retirement.
However, once WWE teased a return with a cryptic video of The Deadman on the 25th anniversary of RAW, many waited with bated breath hoping for the veteran to make one final bow inside the squared circle.
And, their wishes were granted when The Phenom appeared at New Orleans to dispatch John Cena's challenge. Though the outcome was one the WWE Universe longed for, the route to that result left a lot to be desired.
If the company had intended to pit the two behemoths against each other, they could’ve done a lot better, both in the build-up of the match and the match itself. However, nothing of the sort materialized and The Undertaker, despite a grand entrance at the PPV, ultimately squashed Cena inside three minutes.
Predictably, the fans’ appetite wasn’t whetted as they returned home having watched a squash match between two of WWE’s greatest performers. And, that, above all, seemed the gravest injustice, especially because it concerned The Deadman and Cena.
#4 The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 33)
At WrestleMania 30, The Undertaker’s legendary streak was broken by Brock Lesnar as the Beast Incarnate wrote himself into WWE folklore. However, months later, The Deadman was back at it and he embroiled himself in a couple of tense rivalries at WrestleMania 31 and 32.
Hence, several expected The Phenom to keep racking up wins at The Showcase of the Immortals, this time against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33. However, the WWE decided to book The Undertaker for another defeat at the PPV as The Phenom succumbed rather meekly to The Big Dog.
Reigns delivered a string of Superman punches and Spears as The Deadman was put down at WrestleMania for the second time in four years. Though the result might’ve signaled a changing of the guard, the nature of the defeat for The Undertaker seemed a bit of an anti-climax, considering the aura and the fear he has conjured over the years, especially at WrestleMania.
And, to cap those aspects off, 'Taker, despite seemingly indicating at impending retirement, returned a year later to silence Cena, thereby raising more eyebrows over the nature of the booking of his match against Reigns.
#3 The Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt (WrestleMania 31)
Just a year after The Undertaker had been humbled by Brock Lesnar, WWE decided to pit The Deadman against Bray Wyatt in a match that a clash of two supernatural Superstars.
Though The Deadman didn’t appear prior to Wrestlemania 31, he produced a solid display at 'Mania to show the WWE Universe that he still had some gas left in the tank.
The encounter was characterized by several wonderful moments with both Superstars going toe to toe with each other and not backing down. The match was paced perfectly, meaning that The Undertaker barely showed any signs of slowing down.
The contest produced perhaps one of the greatest WrestleMania moments in history when The Phenom sat up while Wyatt stared right back while doing the creepy Spider Walk.
The pair then exchanged a couple of memorable glances before the match proceeded towards its finish, wherein The Undertaker reversed Sister Abigail and delivered a Tombstone Piledriver to extend his record at the PPV to 22-1.
#2 The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania 30)
At New Orleans in 2014, the rivalry between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker was the marquee one heading into WrestleMania 30 as the company looked to make it their biggest PPV ever.
The match also seemed congruous to the occasion and the outcome had a long-term impact on the way both Superstars functioned. The Deadman, post the encounter, started featuring intermittently whereas The Beast Incarnate embarked on a stellar run, thereby firmly establishing himself as the most dangerous Superstars in the WWE.
As for the match itself, the spectacle suffered a tad, in light of the early concussion The Phenom suffered. Thereafter, the tempo was a bit slow and the contest seemed to drag on ever so slightly.
However, the conclusion and the resounding nature of Lesnar’s victory added another layer of beauty to the whole narrative with the thousands in attendance left stunned as the referee's hand completed the three-count.
And, it seemed fitting that the man to end The Undertaker’s sensational streak at WrestleMania was Lesnar.
#1 The Undertaker vs Shane McMahon (WrestleMania 32)
Ahead of WrestleMania 32, Vince McMahon looked set to present Stephanie McMahon with the Vincent J. McMahon Legacy of Excellence award. However, Shane McMahon returned to gatecrash the party and outline his ambitions to get the company back to where it belonged.
Subsequently, Vince booked a match between his son and The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell, with a win Shane O'Mac allowing him the opportunity to control RAW. On the other hand, if The Undertaker lost, he would never get to compete at WrestleMania again, the stage that he's been synonymous with for decades.
The match ebbed and flowed as Shane looked to counter The Deadman’s physicality with his speed and striking. In fact, the contest produced several enthralling moments, with the former performing a Coast to Coast from one end of the ring to the other.
Yet, the most telling moment arrived when Shane jumped off the top of the cell, only to miss his mark. The Undertaker did the rest and stretched his streak to 23-1 at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
While Shane failed to win the match and gain control of RAW, the daredevilry reminded the WWE Universe just what he is capable of inside the squared circle. Club that with a match against The Phenom, and you have a spectacle that will be remembered for a long, long time.
