Tag: The Undertaker

20 best WWE matches of all time: Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, John Cena and more

Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker and Kurt Angle are among the WWE superstars with multiple matches on this list.

Rankings of the best anything are always tricky, definitely subjective, and absolutely a lot of fun. When it comes to the best WWE matches of all time, however, there’s also another factor: There’s just so many of them.

Consider lists of the best movie or TV series. Yes, there are a ton of each over the years. But in any given year, there are maybe dozens of movies to consider, and great TV shows tend to last for several years, even in the modern streaming age.

WWE goes nonstop every tear, putting matches on Raw and SmackDown weekly and holding bigger premium live event cards monthly. That’s hundreds of new matches annually, and while some are unquestionably more significant than others, each one is a separate performance with its own unique context.

Just narrowing that list of potential candidates down could be a Herculean effort, but we found a way to reduce the work and make the resulting list pseudo-scientific at the same time. We came up with a formula that incorporates both Cagematch ratings and the Wrestling Observer’s star ratings to give each of the greatest WWE matches ever their own score.

The end product has a satisfying cross-section in terms of both types of matches and chronology, as it includes bouts from 1994 up through this year. Certain names appear multiple times — you’d expect nothing less from the likes of Shawn Michaels, for instance — but there’s also nice variety in terms of who made the cut overall.

And while we certainly have our own opinions about where certain matches should fall in the top 20, we decided to let the rankings remain where the numbers said they should fall. After all, debating lists like this is part of what makes being a pro wrestling fan so much fun. Where possible, we’ve included the full video of the match so you can relive them as you go.

Without further ado, here are the best WWE matches of all time, working from 20 up to No. 1.

Chris Jericho regrets not having WWE PPV match with the Undertaker

It’s hard to believe that Chris Jericho never faced the Dead Man one-on-one at a WWE PPV, but it’s true.

Chris Jericho has been involved in wrestling for over three decades, and one could say he has done it all. He spent three years in WCW, about 20 years in WWE, and was among the first wrestlers to join AEW, facing top stars along the way on the biggest stages while headlining classic, memorable feuds.

Here’s one surprise: Despite all Jericho has accomplished in wrestling, he never faced The Undertaker in a singles pay-per-view match. They competed in an Elimination Chamber match and had a singles bout SmackDown, but never went head-to-head on a pay-per-view. Jericho recently called “one of the biggest misses in WWE history” on his latest episode of Talk is Jericho (h/t Cageside Seats).

“We had a great match on SmackDown … and when I came back through the curtain, I remember he was just sitting in a chair with his straps down. And he was just like, ‘Yep, that’s money.’ And I was like, where have you been all my life?”

“Undertaker and I never f–king had a pay-per-view match! Just this one match, ‘cause he was always on SmackDown when I was on Raw, vice-versa. Every time we crossed paths it was always great. I actually even won the title from him once in Elimination Chamber. But we never had a singles pay-per-view match and feud. And to me that’s one of the biggest misses in WWE history, because I know we would have had a great story and a great angle.”

Jericho and Undertaker were indeed frequently divided during the brand split, but Raw and SmackDown stars wrestled in cross-brand matches at WrestleMania or Survivor Series. Something could have happened and made for a headlining feud, like a title vs. title match or just two top stars tearing down a 50,000-seat arena.

Instead, wrestling fans, and Jericho, will dream about what could have been.

UFC champ Israel Adesanya on WWE future: ‘Definitely, that’s something I’ll try’

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya said he’d “definitely” give WWE a try during an interview after UFC 276.

Brock Lesnar. Ronda Rousey. Israel Adesanya? The reigning UFC middleweight champion might join those other well-known former champs in WWE sometime down the road.

Following the fifth successful defense of his 185-pound title via unanimous decision over Jared Cannonier at UFC 276 on July 2 in Las Vegas, Adesanya was asked by BT Sport about his Undertaker-inspired ring walk and the fact that WWE’s Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Paul LeVesque (a.k.a. Triple H) were in the crowd at T-Mobile Arena — not long after WWE’s Money in the Bank event finished up at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Adesanya revealed that not only was he a big WWE fan as a youth, he’d like to give sports entertainment a shot in the future.

“Definitely, that’s something I’ll try my hand at later on,” Adesanya said. “Just for fun. I’m not saying it’s going to be a full-time job, but I’m definitely going to jump in the WWE, or something along that line, just for the entertainment factor.”

He added that he grew up jumping off couches and even broke his arm attempting a shooting star press.

Adesanya’s UFC 276 ring walk not only featured The Undertaker’s instantly recognizable entrance theme, but also had the champ sporting a wide-brimmed hat and carrying an urn with Cannonier’s name on it. When he stopped near the octagon, he raised his arms and the arena lights came up, a trademark of the WWE icon. The Undertaker shared his appreciation for the tribute after this show.

If the 32-year-old Adesanya does pursue a WWE stint after his MMA days are through, he’d be just the latest in a long line to make that jump. Lesnar and Rousey have achieved some of the greatest success among ex-UFC stars, but even less accomplished fighters are seeing the appeal of sports entertainment, including ex-UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem, who is headlining the debut WES show on July 9, and Bellator’s Valerie Loureda, who recently signed with WWE.

The Undertaker enjoyed UFC champ using his entrance

The Undertaker gave his personal seal of approval to Israel Adesanya’s UFC 276 walkout, complete with the Deadman’s music, hat and urn.

In the history of professional wrestling, there might be no walkout more iconic than The Undertaker’s. It’s dark, it’s brooding, it’s ominous — and it’s exactly what Israel Adesanya felt heading into UFC 276.

And so, for his own walkout on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Adesanya used The Undertaker’s music on his way to the octagon and recreated the WWE Hall of Famer’s walkout. The slow walk to the cage was complete with Adesanya wearing a wide brim fedora and carrying an urn with Jared Cannonier’s name on it before defending his title.

Afterward, Adesanya got the approval of The Undertaker himself.

“The long walk many opponents know and fear … congrats @stylebender!” he tweeted.

The Undertaker, whose real name is Mark Callaway, got a kick out of the whole thing.

“I thought it was great!” he told Ariel Helwani. “He’s not only a great fighter, he’s an awesome entertainer as well! Tyson Fury gets knocked down & sits up like the UT and Adesanya uses my walkout! Pretty damn cool!”

Making the scene more surreal was the fact that WWE’s Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H were sitting cageside on a rare night when UFC and WWE went head to head in Las Vegas as WWE’s “Money in the Bank” event took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena across the street.

After his relatively easy unanimous decision win over Cannonier, Adesanya explained the inspiration for using The Undertaker’s walkout. He said he was listening to a WWE playlist with some of his favorite wrestler songs from the “Attitude Era” of the late 90s/early 2000s, and it was The Undertaker’s music that spoke to him.

“I’m an artist. It just works,” Adesanya said. “… As I was sitting down feeling it on Tuesday, it just made sense.”

Adesanya shouted out the UFC’s event operations team for embracing his idea by making the arena go dark, using black light and fog, and illuminating the arena when his hands went up — all Undertaker walkout trademarks.

“I said all week: This feel’s like WrestleMania,” Adesanya said. “Who’s undefeated at WrestleMania? The Undertaker. And I had been feeling dark all week.”

The Undertaker was undefeated at WrestleMania at 21-0 until Brock Lesnar shockingly broke “the streak” in 2014 at WrestleMania 30 — but still, Adesanya’s point stands.

This story first appeared on MMA Junkie. Be sure to visit MMA Junkie for all your coverage of UFC, Bellator and more, and follow @MMAJunkie on Twitter.

UFC champion does full Undertaker homage during ring walk at UFC 276

The UFC middleweight champion showed some love to a WWE legend by coming out with a familiar entrance theme and accessories at UFC 276.

With Money in the Bank and UFC 276 taking place on the same night in Las Vegas, it seemed only fitting that they’d have some influences on each other. UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya took that idea to its logical extreme when he made his ring walk to face Jared Cannonier.

Adesanya, a known pop culture aficionado, entered T-Mobile Arena to the famous entrance theme of The Undertaker. But he really took it up a notch by sporting a hat similar to the glory days of The Deadman, and carried in an urn with Cannonier’s name on it.

Adesanya may have taken at least a little inspiration from the homage, as he successfully defended his middleweight title by relatively wide unanimous decision.

The tribute to The Undertaker wasn’t the only time WWE references or personalities made appearances at UFC 276. Jessica Rose Clark, who fought on the undercard, came out to “Sexy Boy,” Shawn Michaels’ legendary theme. And a contingent that included Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and Pat McAfee was shown in the crowd after Money in the Bank ended.

WWE legend on sidelines for Broncos-Cowboys game

WWE’s Undertaker made an appearance at the Denver Broncos-Dallas Cowboys game

One of the all-time greats in sports entertainment took in a football game on Sunday.

The Undertaker was prowling the sidelines before the Dallas Cowboys played host to the Denver Broncos.

Prior to becoming an elite pro wrestler, The Undertaker was better known for his basketball prowess than football.

He attended Waltrip High School, where he was a member of the football and basketball teams.

In 1985, he enrolled in Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, where he majored in sport management and played as a center for the Rams in the 1985–1986 season.

Sports entertainment also appeared — on the field this time — in another game — as the Bills’ Stefon Diggs represented All-Elite Wrestling with his cleats.

Watch: The Undertaker’s Final Farewell after 30-year WWE career

The Undertaker says he is finished wrestling, 30 years to the date when he made his WWE debut

A WWE legend bid adieu to sports entertainment and the wrestling ring Sunday night as the grand finale to Survivor Series. The Undertaker said, “My time has come to let The Undertaker Rest in Peace.”

The Dead Man debuted 30 years ago to the date, at the same event on Nov. 22, 1990.

He made his one-on-one debut Dec. 15, 1990.

The Undertaker is a seven-time world heavyweight champion in WWF/E, having held the WWF/E Championship four times and the World Heavyweight Championship three times.

See a preview of WWE’s five-part documentary series on The Undertaker

This is going to be epic.

While basketball fans have been losing their minds over ESPN’s Bulls documentary series “The Last Dance,” wrestling fans have been awaiting the release of a five-part series on WWE icon The Undertaker. On Sunday, the first chapter of “Undertaker: The Last Ride” will premiere, which focuses on the final years of one of WWE’s most enduring and influential characters.

The series will feature interviews with several WWE stars who were central to The Undertaker’s career, including his wife, Michelle McCool, Mick Foley, Edge, Triple H and Vince McMahon.

The five-chapter series will begin on Sunday, May 10th, airing after the conclusion of the upcoming Money In The Bank PPV at around 10:00 p.m. ET. Subsequent chapters will be released on demand each Sunday starting at 10:00 a.m. ET, through Chapter 5 on June 21st.

Here’s a preview of the first chapter, which chronicles the build up to The Undertaker’s match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33.

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WWE fans react to the epic Undertaker-AJ Styles boneyard match

The boneyard match was one of the best WrestleMania matches of all time.

Earlier this week, we ranked the greatest WrestleMania main events of all time. After Saturday’s Night 1 of WrestleMania 36, there may be a new GOAT. The Undertaker and AJ Styles capped the first night of WrestleMania with a mysterious “boneyard match,” a vague stipulation that was never defined before the show, which left fans guessing as to what could happen. The result was absolutely unbelievable.

The boneyard match didn’t take place inside the WWE Performance Center, and instead was staged in a foggy graveyard. WWE has tried its hand at these type of cinematic outdoor matches in recent years after the Hardy Boyz found great success with The Final Deletion, but never quite nailed the execution. The boneyard match, though, was a masterpiece.

The match opened with a hearse arriving to the Undertaker’s theme music, but Styles popped out of a casket instead and called out The Undertaker. The Deadman arrived on a motorcycle in a throwback to his biker character. With the help of a surprise group of druids, Styles got the upper hand and was about to bury The Undertaker alive – but Taker teleported from out of a grave to turn the tide, and later chokeslammed Styles off the roof of a barn. It was glorious, and I’m not sure how WWE could possibly follow this on Night 2.

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