The best of the Undertaker?

Butch Cassidy

There's a new 'Taker DVD coming out presumable spanning his career and it got me thinking what his highlights actually were? I'm trying to think of his standout moments and best matches. So far I got...



His early heel run in WWF was quite strong I thought as we was very scary (me being a kid and all). Standout matches would be debut, Snuka at WM VII, vs. Hogan for the strap and I think there were some big tag matches in there with Sid, Flair, Warrior and Hogan - they had intertwining storylines at the time.

After that when he turned face I thought he struggled. I can't really pick out anything from 92 up until his run with Mankind that is really memorable aside from the RR 96 Bret Hart match. 1998 and 1999 he was very good storyline wise and wrestling wise he did alright with Kane, Austin and I think had a good KotR match with Rock. The American Bad Ass thing was a bit iffy but when he turned heel in late 2001 his mean streak "Big Evil" run was very good with his matches gaining a new intensity.

Since the 2004 Deadman comeback he's had his ups and downs as well as bad injuries. I'd say it might be easier actually to pick out a list of v. good matches from the last 6 years rather than from the first 10. With Undertaker it always seemed that he was at his best on PPV and you didn't really get too many classics on TV - the Jeff Hardy ladder match from RAW 2002 is a must see.



Thoughts? Undertaker's best matches and moments?

Mr.Nice Guy

His matches with Michaels are perhaps his best matches but he also had a terrific match with Angle at No Way Out in 2006.

arsenallegend

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

His matches with Michaels are perhaps his best matches but he also had a terrific match with Angle at No Way Out in 2006.

He's had a good feud with Randy orton. the summerslam match with Edge in 2008 was great.

arsenallegend

Brock lesnar hell in the cell was great

also Kurt Angle, the Rock triple threat match was awesome

Smokin_Aces

I liked Wrestlemania 17 where he was up against Triple H. Not sure why but the match always sticks out in my mind when I think of Triple/Undertaker.

Degag

There was a dvd released about 5 years ago. If there is much of a difference between the two, i'll consider getting this one too.

Butch Cassidy

His three matches with Michaels are very good indeed. Though the Ground Zero one isn't really a match more of a teaser trailer for Hell in a Cell! It's sometimes a bit easy for me to write off the Undertaker as he's had some bad times. It's matches like all of those he had with guys bigger than him that left a sour taste. He was even saddled with a few Khali matches a few years ago!

Motley Crue

Bad Blood with Shawn Michaels in 97 and a Casket Match with Goldust

flahavaj

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

I'd say it might be easier actually to pick out a list of v. good matches from the last 6 years rather than from the first 10.

This sums up Taker for me tbh.

His matches up until 1996 and the Mankind feud are instantly forgettable. Thats not to say he magically transformed into a brilliant worker around 1996. Its just that the cartoonish nature of his character and the way he was booked, not to mean the general lack of focus on workrate in WWE at this time meant he wasn't reauired to have great matches and was more often than not put in with opponents who would ne't have been the best in-ring anyway.

From 1996 onwards off the top of my head you'd also have to put the HIAC matches against Mankind, Michaels and Lesnar. The Angle match at no Way out 2006 was very good. The two Micheals Mania matches are no brianers. Alos the match with Hunter at Mania 17. The Bret Match at Sumerslam (1997I think?). the Orton match at Mania was very good. And any match he ever had with Batista was great.

geeky

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

It's matches like all of those he had with guys bigger than him that left a sour taste.

:eek:

I think you're neglecting the legacy of this fine match.



For shame.

Degag

being fair to him, think of the lumps of ****e he's been given over the years

Henry
Khali
Viscera
Sid
Giant Gonzalez

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more. Hell, you could put Big Show in there because while he was a better wrestler than the above, Taker couldn't use any of his finishers on him.

Mr.Nice Guy

Degag wrote: »

being fair to him, think of the lumps of ****e he's been given over the years

Henry
Khali
Viscera
Sid
Giant Gonzalez

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more. Hell, you could put Big Show in there because while he was a better wrestler than the above, Taker couldn't use any of his finishers on him.

Yeah Heydenreich was another one.

I think that's been a problem for him. Because of Vince's fascination with the huge guys Taker often got the short straw and had to work with them. When he's in there with a more athletic guy however he rarely disappoints.

I think that probably explains why his matches have tended to be better in recent years. Less muscular, roided up freaks and more leaner, agile guys to contend with.

Bounty Hunter

his feud with Mankind (inc HIAC) and Kane (inc his intro, a mania and inferno match) will need to be higlighted as will his Ministry days as the Lord of Darkness. The build and matches against Micheals at mania will need to be shown in detail and his streak talked up. His match at NWO vs Angle should make it as should a number of other individual matches too inc higlights of his Rumble win

flahavaj

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Yeah Heydenreich was another one.

I think that's been a problem for him. Because of Vince's fascination with the huge guys Taker often got the short straw and had to work with them. When he's in there with a more athletic guy however he rarely disappoints.

I think that probably explains why his matches have tended to be better in recent years. Less muscular, roided up freaks and more leaner, agile guys to contend with.

Plus hes allowed to sell more now which means he can actually tell a story in the ring and have good, more believeable long matches. When he was in intially introduced (for the first 5-6 years actually) he was basically booked as a zombie who no sold pretty much everything. By definition it was almost impossible for him to have good matches.

Butch Cassidy

flahavaj wrote: »

This sums up Taker for me tbh.

His matches up until 1996 and the Mankind feud are instantly forgettable. Thats not to say he magically transformed into a brilliant worker around 1996. Its just that the cartoonish nature of his character and the way he was booked, not to mean the general lack of focus on workrate in WWE at this time meant he wasn't reauired to have great matches and was more often than not put in with opponents who would ne't have been the best in-ring anyway.

From 1996 onwards off the top of my head you'd also have to put the HIAC matches against Mankind, Michaels and Lesnar. The Angle match at no Way out 2006 was very good. The two Micheals Mania matches are no brianers. Alos the match with Hunter at Mania 17. The Bret Match at Sumerslam (1997I think?). the Orton match at Mania was very good. And any match he ever had with Batista was great.

The Royal Rumble '96 match with Bret was quite good I thought. Bret was on fire in his matches around then and was determined to hang on to the top spot rather than being outshone by Michaels and Taker stepped up during that one.

The One Night Only match against Bret is another one worth mentioning.

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

his feud with Mankind (inc HIAC) and Kane (inc his intro, a mania and inferno match) will need to be higlighted as will his Ministry days as the Lord of Darkness. The build and matches against Micheals at mania will need to be shown in detail and his streak talked up. His match at NWO vs Angle should make it as should a number of other individual matches too inc higlights of his Rumble win

I sometimes feel people forget that era! It was one of the biggest sources of controversy for the WWF what with the parents censor groups and all going nuts over satanism being on the TV show their 15yr old Johnny was watching!

He grew this big beard thing, died it jet black and wore some mad costume that made him look like Shredder while JR and The King takled about him looking like Lucipher. He had a great run I thought with the character but they put him up against no one interesting aside from Austin and I don't think it topped the previous year's angle.


Undertaker I think does heel very very well. As I said I liked his early days when he was a heel and destroyed Hogan. His late 1998 heel/tweener turn was great as was the satanic stuff and then in that late 2001/2002 turn he was great.

flahavaj wrote: »

Plus hes allowed to sell more now which means he can actually tell a story in the ring and have good, more believeable long matches. When he was in intially introduced (for the first 5-6 years actually) he was basically booked as a zombie who no sold pretty much everything. By definition it was almost impossible for him to have good matches.

Yeah, Taker didn't really sell anything before Mankind came along. Sure he lost matches and was taken out of action the odd time - like when Mabel squashed his face - but usually it was stuff like 10 guys interfering in the Royal Rumble casket match against Yoko. Mankind comes along and suddenly 'Taker's selling everything and they both came out of it looking great. It was the same with Kane I thought.