The Undertaker and WrestleMania were once synonymous with each other. The Phenom worked WWE’s Biggest Show of the Year on 27 different occasions. The record remains intact to this day. His former opponent Triple H stands behind him with 23 WrestleMania events to his name.
Taker’s storied WrestleMania career saw him defeat some of the biggest names in this business. His streak remains one of the most coveted accomplishments in sports entertainment. The former Deadman has competed a the highest level at the sporting extravaganza.
However, he’s been part of some of the most underwhelming matches at WrestleMania as well. Let’s take a look at The Undertaker’s 5 Worst WrestleMania matches.
Vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 33)
Vince McMahon had The Undertaker lose his streak to Brock Lesnar (a decision I will resent till my last breath) at WrestleMania XXX. I believe the streak should’ve never been broken. What’s far worse is that the legendary Phenom would suffer another loss on the big stage three years later.
The Undertaker collided with Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 33. WWE, somehow, were under the impression that beating Taker in his yard would get the Big Dog over with the fans.
Boy, how wrong were they!
Also, I may be in the minority but The Undertaker never had a classic WrestleMania main event except for his brilliant WrestleMania XXVI outing against Shawn Michaels. The WWE Hall of Famer always fell short of putting a classic in all the WrestleMania main events (except for Mania 26, of course) he worked.
The Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man (WrestleMania 15)
The Undertaker and Big Boss Man collided in the penultimate match at WrestleMania 15. Both men squared off inside the Hell in a Cell. Fans expected solid action, given Undertaker’s history inside the demonic structure.
However, what they got was an overproduced gimmick match with arguably the most controversial ending to a WrestleMania match. After the match, Undertaker hung the Boss Man from the top of the cage with a noose. It was in poor taste then and hasn’t aged well either.
Taker and Boss Man couldn’t get the best out of each other that night.
Vs. King Kong Bundy (WrestleMania XI)
There isn’t much that can be said about this match. It’s slow. King Kong Bundy is way past his prime. The Undertaker’s old-school gear is cool. Taker’s outfit might just be the only good part of an otherwise awful match.
Both men spend the most amount of time exchanging restholds, kicks, and punches. Take struggles to lift his much heavier opponent but fails. So he goes for a much weaker clothesline. The move gives him the win.
Vs. Giant Gonzalez (WrestleMania IX)
WrestleMania IX stands as arguably one of the worst WrestleMania events of all time. Tatanka versus Shawn Michaels set the course for a solid show. The tag team match between The Steiners and The Headshrinkers was good as well.
In-ring quality, however, drastically dropped with each successive match. The worst match of the night came when The Undertaker collided against Giant Gonzalez. This bout was poorly structured, with one of the worst headlocks on display.
Taker was still years away from becoming a bona fide WrestleMania star, and his outing exposed his flaw as a rookie performer. The Phenom would get better inside the squared circle with each passing year.
The Undertaker vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 34)
Imagine training hard for a WrestleMania dream match only to find out you’re squashing your opponent in a matter of minutes. This is exactly what Vince McMahon told The Undertaker prior to his match against John Cena at WrestleMania 34.
The story goes that The Undertaker didn’t like how his WrestleMania match with Roman Reigns from the year prior went down at all. Taker wanted redemption and he hoped for it at WrestleMania 34.
WWE had John Cena carry the feud in the build-up to the match. Taker didn’t show up until after Cena destroyed Elias. Big Match John had to run from the crowd all the way to the back to get his ring gear.
I thought the lead-up was quite creative and helped sell the hype. That being said, what good is a build up if the payoff fails to deliver. Taker versus Cena was truly awful. The match was over before it began.
Honorable Mentions
- The Undertaker vs. Big Show & A-Train (WrestleMania XIX)
- Vs. Kane (WrestleMania XX)
- Vs. Sycho Sid (WrestleMania 13)
- The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XXX)
Also read: Triple H’s 5 Worst WrestleMania Matches
