What's the story?
Former WWE referee Marty Elias has an interesting story about the match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Elias revealed the tale on the latest edition of The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast.
In case you didn't know...
Elias, who now works for Lucha Underground as a Senior Official, was with WWE for a number of years prior to finally breaking into the top level of referees. Elias was the assigned referee for the HBK vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania 25, which is still regarded to this day as one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time.
The heart of the matter
Elias made the following comments when discussing the bout:
"I laugh because you said it wasn't the Main Event, that match was actually only supposed to be 15 minutes and they were originally supposed to be third on the card for that show. I remember being told that and us sitting in there. It was me, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Pat Patterson and Michael Hayes and when Michael Hayes told Shawn and Taker that we were third and we only had 15 minutes, it was something that needed to be changed."
Here’s what he went on to say:
"One of the things I will say is that after that match, Shawn and I came through the curtain and we walked through and everybody is clapping and everybody is giving a standing ovation and Hurricane Helms was standing right there and I'll never forget what he said. He said something like "oh my God, if there is a mercy rule in pro wrestling right now they might as well pull the mercy rule because nobody is going to follow that". It should have been the main event and I always tell people it was the main event."
What's next?
This match will forever live on in the minds and hearts of wrestling fans as one of the best displays of professional wrestling the world has ever seen. It will continue to be replayed on a daily basis through the WWE Network and beyond, with Marty Elias continuing to bask in the glory of his part in the match - and rightly so.
Elias looks set to continue his work with Lucha Underground for the foreseeable future.
Sportskeeda's take
It's great to be reminded of this match from time to time because it defines everything we all love about sports entertainment. The drama, the passion and the unbelievable action that HBK and Taker showed that night will never be forgotten and that's how it should be.
Obviously, some people tend to disagree when it comes to the quality of a high profile match, but in this instance, it's pretty hard to argue against it. After all, there's a reason that the sequel at WrestleMania 26 was considered a step down despite being phenomenal in its own right. Truly wonderful stuff and a great tale from Elias.
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