DEEP DIVE
The Undertaker Picks His Best WWE Matches
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Few figures in pro wrestling are as recognizable as the Undertaker.
Standing 6’ 8", clad in a death-black trench coat (and purportedly possessed of supernatural powers), he cuts a terrifying figure, even by the colorful standards of the WWE.
He’s one of the all-time greatest figures too. The Undertaker has held the WWE championship belt seven times, maintained “The Streak” of 21 consecutive WrestleMania victories, and headlined some of the most cinematic, hell-raising matches in the company’s history. Throughout his incredible 30-year career, he’s never been less than a main-event draw.
The Undertaker—who outside the ring is the quiet, thoughtful Texas native Mark Calaway—retired from wrestling last summer. “It’s humbling to look back and see what we were able to accomplish,” he says. “It puts things in perspective to hear that people appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears that you put into performing.”
We asked the Undertaker to walk us through some of his most memorable matches—all of which you can stream in Peacock, the new streaming home of all things WWE.
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 25, 2009)
“I’ll put WrestleMania 25 up against anything. It really was magic. Shawn can work with a broomstick and make it look good, and fortunately I’ve always had really good chemistry in the ring with him. It was in Houston. We’re both from Texas. Shawn entered the ring by descending from the heavens, and I ascended from the depths of hell. And we were both at the point in our careers where it was like, ‘All you have to do is be Shawn, and all I gotta do is be Undertaker.’ I don't posture or brag about a match, but that’s one of my proudest accomplishments.”
Undertaker vs. Triple H, with Michaels as guest referee (WrestleMania 28, 2012)
“To this day there’s never been a better false finish—the people in Miami lost their minds when I kicked out. That was one of those moments where you feel that they’re totally invested in what you’re doing, like you’ve got them right on the edge of their seats. And obviously the end of that match, where the three of us came together after four years of beating the crap out of each other, signified the end of an era. It was a special moment in all of our careers.”
Undertaker vs. Hulk Hogan (Survivor Series, 1991)
“When I wrestled Hogan for the title, that’s when I figured out, ‘OK, I’m on a different trajectory now.’ The first few years were me trying to figure out the character and how it’s going to play out. This was different than anything else I had experienced in the business at that point. I still wasn’t quite sure, but I felt it was the beginning of something really special.”
Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy (Ladder match, Monday Night Raw, 2002)
“I remember getting to the arena and being pitched a ladder match. I was like, ‘Uh, you know I’m 6’ 8" and 320 pounds, right?’ [The Hardy Boyz] had already set the bar so high with all their crazy flying off the ladders, but that’s just not what I do. I grab a chair and beat you with it. But the contrast between Jeff’s style and mine turned out really, really well. And it moved Jeff to a different plateau on the roster.”
Undertaker vs. A.J. Styles (Boneyard match, WrestleMania 36, 2020)
“When we started, we figured WrestleMania would be in the ring, but COVID stuck its ugly head in. I didn’t have the vision of how this was going to turn out. We’d done ‘Buried Alive’ and boiler-room brawls and different theme matches, but nothing to this level of detail—everything down to the film it was shot on.
It took forever to do. I cut my arm open trying to put it through that windshield five minutes into the taping. We had to stop so I could get all the glass picked out.
But the final product made history, and maybe lent itself to a new way to do certain matches in the future. That said, we need our live audience back. The guys have been working without an audience for so long that when we do get them back, they’re going to really put on a show.”