Image via WWE
3. The Undertaker vs Triple H – WrestleMania XXVIII
A lot of people might not put this “End of an Era” match from WrestleMania XXVIII this high on the list, but this was an absolute classic that actually made you think that The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania might actually come to an end. After two previous epic WrestleMania encounters, the two men who had participated in the most Hell In A Cell matches in history went at it one more time. Throw in Shawn Michaels –whom The Undertaker had retired two years earlier– as the special guest referee and this was destined to be an instant classic.
Yes, there were a lot of things that happened in this match that were expected. There were a ton of two-and-a-half count nearfalls (that happens in all recent Undertaker WrestleMania matches), plenty of brutal spots, and of course the inevitable involvement of HBK in the match. But it was done to such perfection that it really didn’t matter, did it? Just Michaels’ facial expressions alone are enough to make this dramatic, but throw in some Sweet Chin Music that Trips turns into a Pedigree, and any wrestling fan, especially those from the Attitude Era, was marking out like crazy.
This wasn’t just one of the best Hell In A Cell matches in history but one of the best matches in The Undertaker’s storied WrestleMania career. In the end, The Deadman was able to overcome the odds and hit a Tombstone on HHH to seal the victory and move his WrestleMania record to 20-0. Some may not like what happened following the match, but watching Shawn Michaels, Triple H and The Undertaker walk up the ramp together was one of the coolest moments that a wrestling fan could witness. Amazing. And that’s not the last that you’ll see any of those three names as we move on to the top two.