Best match from every WWE WrestleMania event in history

WrestleMania XXVIII

Triple H vs. The Undertaker

Okay, so we’d gotten The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels twice and The Undertaker vs. Triple H twice so the logical next step was to somehow get all three of them in there together and that’s exactly what we got at WrestleMania XXVIII as Shawn came in to referee the Hell in a Cell bout in the “End of an Era” match. Following the match the year before, The Undertaker had to be carted out while Triple H, who lost, was able to leave on his own and that was really smart as Triple H could now say that he’d come closer than everybody to ending the streak. That led him to say that he didn’t want to be the one to end it and since he was in a high-profile position now in the office, it made more sense for someone else to do it but he was eventually talked into it by Michaels and we were all set.

The entrances took forever here as the cage itself even got its own intro. I will say that having Jim Ross back on the call was the right move for this one and he got his own as well. This was an all-out brawl and ‘Taker took the edge early but Hunter fought back for a second, which only made The Deadman angry and he dominated the match for a bit with some big power spots until Triple H fought back and hit a spinebuster on the steps which really looked like it hurt. But ‘Taker quickly came back with Hell’s Gate and Trips countered that with another big slam and then started in with the chair shots, which there were a lot of them in this match. HBK had gotten involved a little bit at this point and he ended up taking a chair away from Triple H after a minute and the drama just built from there.

Triple H tried to get Shawn to stop the match but Michaels was reluctant to do so and ‘Taker certainly didn’t want that either, even when Trips brought out the sledgehammer to try and finish the job. The Deadman took a shot to the jaw but still kicked out at two and the everyone in the crowd was on the edge of their seats. And just when it’s looking like Shawn is going to call for the bell, he gets locked in Hell’s Gate himself. Triple H goes to break it up but gets hit with a kick to the groin and then he gets locked in and passes out. However, Michaels is out too so there’s nobody to stop it. ‘Taker hits a chokeslam and Charles Robinson rushes in to make the count but Triple H is up at two and Lil’ Naitch took a chokeslam of his own for his troubles. We’re set up for the Tombstone but Hunter slides out of the way and HBK hits some Sweet Chin Music on The Undertaker, who falls right into a Pedigree for an amazing two count that has the crowd going freaking crazy. Triple H tosses Shawn out and goes back for the sledgehammer but ‘Taker does his situp and goes nuts for a minute before getting another close two count and the look on Michaels’ face at his point was money.

The two exchanged blows for a minute before Triple H hit another Pedigree for a near fall but ‘Taker sat up again and reached the chair before Trips could gets to the sledgehammer and he took his turn beating on the back of The Cerebral Assassin. Now Shawn is trying to get The Undertaker to show a bit of mercy but Triple H just won’t stay down and grabs the sledgehammer for one more shot but ‘Taker blocks it and shakes his head before getting in a shot of his own after one last act of defiance from Triple H, much like Shawn had done two years earlier. After one last Tombstone, the match had finally come to an end after more than half an hour of some of the greatest storytelling in WrestleMania history. And following the match, even though we knew it was coming and still didn’t care, we watched as three of the biggest stars in WWE and WrestleMania history walked out together. Truly awesome.