At last year’s WrestleMania event one match stood out above all the rest, when Shawn Michaels took on the undefeated Undertaker in an attempt to end his undefeated streak on the grandest stage of them all, coming up short in an epic encounter.
This year HBK has been forced to put his own career on the line in order to get another chance, but will the pair be able to live up to their previous bout?
Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25
After weeks of mind games from both men HBK and Taker finally squared off at WrestleMania 25, putting on a masterclass in Sports Entertainment that saw a slew of finishers, near falls and The Deadman extend his undefeated streak to 17-0.
Following Mania both The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels took extended breaks from the WWE.
The Deadman made his return at Summerslam, bursting through the ring to attack C.M Punk, who had won the World Heavyweight Championship moments earlier.
Following his loss Shawn had to be coaxed back to the WWE by his long-time friend and DX stable-mate TripleH, who needed his help to take on Randy Orton’s Legacy.
For the rest of 2009 Taker and Michaels went about their own business, with The Deadman claiming World Heavyweight Gold for a 7th time and HBK picking up the Tag Team Championships with DX for the first time in the team’s career.
Shawn Michaels Challenges The Undertaker
With no indication that their paths would cross again, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels were awarded the 2009 Slammy for Match of the Year.
However, when he accepted the award, Michaels vowed to face The Deadman once again and learn from his mistakes.
A few weeks later HBK made a formal challenge to The Undertaker, who declined, saying he had nothing left to prove against him.
Michaels became distracted, losing a number of high profile matches including an Elimination Chamber qualifying match and a Unified Tag Team Championships match, dropping the gold to ShowMiz.
After hitting Smackdown General Manager Teddy Long with Sweet Chin Music HBK looked to have walked away from the WWE once more, but at the Elimination Chamber Pay Per View he emerged from under the steel grating and cost The Undertaker his World Heavyweight Championship.
Shawn Michaels Career Vs The Undertaker’s Streak
Having been cost the title The Undertaker decided to reconsider and agreed to face Michaels one more time at WrestleMania, but only at a price.
He told Shawn that if the match were to go ahead he would have to put something up against ‘The Streak’, and it would have to be his entire career.
HBK replied that if he couldn’t beat him at Mania then he didn’t have a career anyway, and the match was made, with the added stipulation that it MUST end in either a pinfall or a submission.
What to expect from Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI
Since the match was made both men have been implementing their own style of mind games; sending messages by showing their in-ring dominance and generally attacking each other at any opportunity.
Whether this year’s match will live up to the exemplary level set last year remains to be seen, but this will still be a showpiece match none the less.
WrestleMania usually features more than a few twists and turns, so it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility for there to be a huge turning point in this match that leaves the crowd astonished and sets this bout apart from the one at Mania 25.
Prediction: Internet talk is rife that HBK will be bowing out after this match, but then the same was said when he faced Ric Flair in a career match at Mania 24.
The Undertaker’s streak is almost sacred and Shawn Michaels doesn’t really need the credibility of bringing it to an end, so The Deadman should pick up the victory in this match.
To see what other matches are set to take place at WrestleMania XXVI and how they came about Click Here.
or
To check out more information on WrestleMania XXVI including Predictions and Live Results Click Here.
Jay Davies - Jay Davies is a 25 year old graduate of the University of Lincoln's School of Journalism, currently residing in South Yorkshire, ...
