Liam Hoofe ranks The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak from worst to best…
This Sunday The Undertaker will compete in his 25th WrestleMania match against Roman Reigns. While this may not be the match fans are after it is certainly an interesting one, and with rumours circulating that The Undertaker may be forced to call it a day after this match there is a very high possibility we will see Roman Reigns retire The Undertaker this Sunday night.
Now, this will be an incredibly polarising move and if I’m being honest, I’m okay with it providing Reigns turns heel in the process. Regardless of this Sunday’s outcome, The Undertaker has had one of, if not the best careers in WWE history and the phenom will be fondly remembered for generations to come.
The most lasting thing of his legacy though is the streak, and while he has had three WrestleMania matches since the last match of the streak, I felt it a more fitting tribute to look back on those legendary 21 years, and so, below is my ranking of all 21 matches that make up the iconic streak of The Undertaker.
21: Vs Giant Gonzalez – WrestleMania IX (3-0)
Man, this one stinks. Giant Gonzalez is one of the worst wrestlers to have ever stepped foot in a wrestling ring and not even The Undertaker could manage to get a decent match out of him, despite his best efforts.
Gonzalez’s immobility and lack of in ring ability are difficult to watch and the end of the match is even worse, with Gonzalez using chloroform on Taker to give The Deadman his only DQ victory.
20: Vs King Kong Bundy – Wrestlemania XI (4-0)
It was really difficult choosing between this and Taker’s WrestleMania 9 bout for the last spot. WrestleMania 11 is a terrible event and this match is just as bad.
Once again though it isn’t Taker’s fault. For the second time in three years, he was lumbered with an opponent who was immobile and the match suffers massively because of it. There is some nonsense going on around the ring concerning the urn, Paul Bearer, Ted Dibiase and Kamala, which only makes things worse as well.
The ending comes when Taker hits Bundy with a powerslam and a clothesline. An unspectacular end to an unspectacular match.
19: Vs Big Boss Man – WrestleMania 15 (8-0)
You know this match, the one that ended with a wrestler being hanged live in the ring. The Undertaker’s match with The Big Boss Man is perhaps most famous for its controversial post-match shenanigans, but the match itself is also pretty terrible.
A contender for the worst Hell in a Cell match of all time, the match completely fails to utilise its gimmick and Taker’s opponent was long past it at this point in his career. Taker bleeds a little bit, but outside of that, the match has nothing interesting happen in it at all. Add to the fact they were both heels at the time, so the fans didn’t really care, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
18: Vs Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka – WrestleMania VII (1-0)
This match will always be remembered as the one that started it all, but other than that it has very little going for it. It was a big establishing match for Taker, as the up and comer went over clean against the grizzly old vet, but all it really amounts to is a glorified five minute squash match.
17: Vs Big Show and A-Train – WrestleMania XIX (11-0)
What a disaster this one was. Taker was originally meant to be teaming up with Nathan Jones in a tag match against Big Show and A-Train, but when the company realised how terrible Taker’s proposed partner was in the ring, they changed plans at the last-minute and had a backstage assault write Jones out of the match on the night.
The match itself is pretty poor, but Taker deserves credit for carrying the whole thing by himself against two of the WWE’s bigger workers at the time. The end comes when Jones runs down and delivers a big kick to the opponents, allowing Taker to hit the tombstone and get the victory over A-Train.
16: Vs Sid Vicious – WrestleMania 13 (6-0)
Taker’s first of only three Mania main events is easily his worst. WrestleMania 13 had one of the greatest Mania matches in all time in Austin Vs Hart earlier in the card and the main event was never going to be able to get the crowd going in the way that did.
Vicious was never the most talented guy in the ring and the main focus of the match is Michaels on commentary and Bret Hart’s interruption in the match that leads to Taker’s victory.
15: Vs Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts – WrestleMania VIII (2-0)
We’re now entering the ‘well it was okay’ part of the list and Taker’s match with Jake Roberts at Mania 8 is exactly this.
It’s a perfectly reasonable match that was second on the Mania card and saw Taker continue his rise up the ranks within the WWE. Seeing him sit up from not one, but two DDTs at the end of the match is a nice moment and the rest of the match, while fast, never really does much to disappoint or inspire.
Originally published March 31, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
