The 15 Best Undertaker Matches of All Time, Ranked

Now I hear what you're saying - this match wasn't exactly an all-timer when it comes to in-ring excellence. But the incredible storyline that built up this highly-anticipated war made this first-time matchup between The Brothers of Destruction one of the biggest highlights of 'Taker's career. The engrossing plot threads behind this one involve Paul Bearer teasing Kane's appearance, Kane finally making his debut during the inaugural Hell in a Cell Match, and Kane pushing 'Taker to the point that his brother went against his wishes of not facing his brother by finally accepting his WrestleMania challenge.

The entrances for this clash of the demonic giants set the mood perfectly for what was to come. Seeing both men stare each other down got set the crowd on fire (no pun intended). Once 'Taker went into attack mode, his game plan started to come undone since his punches had no effect on "The Big Red Machine." For most of the match, Kane walloped his brother with all manner of powerful uppercuts and clubbing blows - he even smashed his back with a set of steel steps on the outside!

When 'Taker finally got the upper hand, he made a huge mistake by flying over the top rope and getting caught in mid-air & slammed right into the announce table. Back in the ring, 'Taker shook off the cobwebs and used everything in his arsenal (punches, clotheslines, a leg drop, a Chokeslam, and three Tombstone Piledrivers) to bring his brother down after a hotly contested encounter. It's always fascinating to look back on how an amazing storyline went a long way toward making the crowd care so much about a match such as this one.

When it comes to unforgettable matches that deliver pure emotion that had the crowd crying out for the babyface to prevail, this one immediately springs to mind. That's why it's earned a spot here on this list of the best Undertaker matches. Before 'Taker would go on to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against The Rock and Kurt Angle simultaneously, he had one last problem to handle - an out-of-nowhere challenge from Jeff Hardy. What really made this match believe that Jeff actually had a chance at winning was the fact this bout was booked as a Ladder Match! The fans in attendance for this show got to enjoy one of the greatest matches in Monday Night Raw history.

The start of this match started off hot as Jeff kicked a ladder right into 'Taker's face and followed that up by launching himself right onto the "Deadman" on the outside. A steel chair shot from Jeff kept him strong for a bit until 'Taker caught Jeff slipping with a clothesline. 'Taker brutalized Jeff with his big-man offense while Jeff pulled off some unorthodox offense with the assistance of a ladder. It's so inspiring to go back and watch Jeff make some desperate comebacks to elicit the most passionate of positive crowd responses every time he does it! The ladder continued to play a huge part in the offense of both men - 'Taker landed a leg drop on Jeff while he was trapped within a ladder, plus things got even crazier when Jeff kicked 'Taker right in the balls and proceeded to bounce off a ladder to splash him soon after.

Jeff had everyone hop out of their seats when it actually looked as if was going to unhook the title during the closing moments of this match. Even after the beating he took from front to back, Jeff still had it in him to do the unthinkable. Sadly, 'Taker crushed his and everyone's dream by chokeslamming Jeff off of the ladder & grabbing his title. This match is a hell of an emotional rollercoaster!

Based on the jaw-dropping performances of both men during this WrestleMania classic, it's clear that 'Taker and Batista had a massive chip on their shoulders. WWE thoroughly disrespected their World Heavyweight Championship match smack dab in the middle of the card! Based on that head-scratching decision, it's clearly evident that both men went out there to have the sort of match that has "TOP THAT!" vibes attached to it. As soon as the opening bell rang, Batista cut 'Taker off with a sudden Spear, an assault in the corner, and a clothesline over the top rope. 'Taker shocked "The Animal" by landing on his feet and pulling him out of the ring, but Batista quickly course-corrected and continued beating down his challenger from pillar to post.

Back in the ring, Batista continued having 'Taker on the ropes. Then the tables turned as 'Taker broke out his signature moves, such as that lethal Snake Eyes and Big Boot combo, to wear down the champ. 'Taker then returned the favor to Batista for his outside thrashing tactics by landing an apron leg drop and flying right over the top rope to crash land on his opponent. This big-man war got even more intense as Batista smashed 'Taker through an announce table with a sick Running Powerslam. Once the action returned to the ring, another Spear, a Spinebuster, a Batista Bomb, a Chokeslam, and a Last Ride entered the equation to elicit passionate responses from the crowd as they produced crazy near falls.

'Taker eventually sealed the deal and became the new World Heavyweight Champion after KO'ing Batista with a Tombstone Piledriver. Both men showed and proved that they deserved a higher spot on the 'Mania 23 card with this effort from another one of the best Undertaker matches.

A year after WrestleMania 23, 'Taker finally got the respect he deserved by being in a World Heavyweight Championship that sat at the top of a WrestleMania card! This time around, he locked horns with the infamous "Rated R Superstar" at his highest levels of sliminess and incomparable heeldom. This match kicked off on a high note as Edge's shoving of 'Taker resulted in him catching the meanest of hands. Edge finally gained some steam when he Speared 'Taker off the ring apron right into the crowd barrier. Edge damaged 'Taker for a bit more until 'Taker gave him a serious case of whiplash when he launched him off the top rope and had him land back first on the outside ring padding. 'Taker wasted no time as he took flight to collapse right on top of Edge!

'Taker practically "owned" Edge for a good while until the champ planted 'Taker back first onto the ring barrier rim and had him fall right into the laps of the front-row fans. As the in-ring action continued, Edge cut off much of 'Taker's signature offense - these moments played into the fact that Edge clearly took note of 'Taker's familiar gameplan and had an answer to many of his finest maneuvers. 'Taker had a shining moment during those exchanges as he kicked Edge right in the face during a Spear attempt and pulled off a Chokeslam as an immediate follow-up! Later on, 'Taker finally landed the Old School and The Last Ride to really put the champ in a bad place.

As this match reached its conclusion, a ref bump came into play when 'Taker cracked the WWE official with an errant boot to the face. Edge's dirty tactics, which saw him kick 'Taker right in the balls and crack him over the head with his title, did nothing but get him a close two-count near fall. Even more madness ensued as another ref sped down the ramp to call the match and Edge's "Edgeheads" interfered on their mentor's behalf. 'Taker got rid of Edge's lackeys, survived a Spear, and finally overcame his foe by tapping him out with a gogoplata submission hold. 'Taker and Edge really did a bang-up job when it came to presenting the World Heavyweight Championship as strongly as possible in the 'Mania XXIV main event.

Ask anyone what really should have the World Heavyweight Championship match contested at WrestleMania 22 instead of the one we ultimately got and they'll point to this hard-hitting bout! Before WWE's "Show of Shows," Angle put up his title against a version of the Deadman that was more in tune with his MMA prowess. With Kurt at the height of his powers and more of a roughneck in the ring, this match shined the spotlight on two WWE legends who embraced their most vicious selves to stay in the fight.

After a few moments of Angle slipping out of 'Taker's deadly grasp, 'Taker finally got ahold of the Olympic Gold Medalist and began going to town on him. Angle finally pulled off a successful counter by dodging 'Taker's boot and planting him with the first of many German Suplexes. This match's high levels of intensity stayed intact as 'Taker revived himself just in time to catch Angle in midair and ram his back right into the steel ring post. 'Taker stayed in control for a hot minute until Angle began taking aim at his leg and tearing up the Deadman's now injured limb. One of the coolest counters of all time went down when Angle caught 'Taker's leg in an Ankle Lock outside the ring when he caught his opponent's leg right out of an apron leg drop!

Angle and 'Taker simply tore into each other with everything but the kitchen sink as their title match wore on - Angle put 'Taker through the announcer's table with an Olympic Slam, Angle flung 'Taker off the top rope with a Belly to Belly Suplex, 'Taker broke out an Ankle Lock with a slick Gogoplata submission counter. After more Ankle Locks, Angle Slams, and a Chokeslam were doled out to increase the crowd's excitement, Angle secured the win with a shocking roll-up win that countered 'Taker's Gogoplata. Here's an example of one of the best Undertaker matches that features the Deadman in his glorious MMA phase.

For wrestling fans who grew up watching 'Taker, HHH, and HBK during their glory days at the height of the 90s and 00s, this "End of an Era" matchup encapsulated the very best of those beloved eras. The fact that it was held inside the Hell in a Cell added an extra sense of importance to this WrestleMania XXVII rematch. This time around, Shawn threw on a referee shirt once again to oversee one of 'Taker and HHH's most important matches. Coming into this bout, the fans had two questions at the front of their minds - is the fix truly in for 'Taker now that HHH's best friend is officiating this match and will "The Streak" really come to an end in the match type that 'Taker made famous?

The fans got both questions answered as this match kicked off and saw both men meet each other in the middle of the ring to swing for the fences. As expected, the action spilled outside the ring and saw 'Taker weaken The Game by flinging him into the steel steps, the cell itself, and even backdrop him right into the mats below them. HHH got back into the fight after DDT'ing 'Taker in the ring, but that winning moment led to a losing one once 'Taker backdropped HHH right off the top of some steel steps! But to everyone's surprise, HHH rose up to plant 'Taker with a Spinebuster right onto those same steel steps!

As this match continued, HBK wore his emotions on his sleeve as he watched one of his greatest rivals and his best friend fight for their lives right in front of him. Then, the fans got to see one of the greatest near falls in wrestling history after HHH slipped out of a Tombstone Piledriver, shoved him right into a Sweet Chin Music, and capitalized by hitting him with a Pedigree...AND ONLY GETTING A TWO-COUNT SOON AFTER! Even after all that, 'Taker willed himself back into fighting shape to bash HHH with a steel chair, clock him in the noggin with a sledgehammer, and finish him with a Tombstone Piledriver to cap off his 'Mania series with HHH with a winning score of 3-0.

Here's the second instance of Angle popping up in another one of the best Undertaker matches and the first case of The Rock appearing in one. During the summer of 2002, 'Taker's "Booger Red" persona was running wild with the WWE Undisputed Championship around his waist. After previously putting away Hulk Hogan, HHH, and Jeff Hardy, 'Taker was now forced to defend his title against Angle and Rocky at the same damn time for his highly sought-after prize.

This Triple Threat Match is certainly one for the ages, folks! It starts off on a hilarious note that sees Angle get tired of 'Taker and Rocky ignoring him to jaw jack with each other, which leads to Angle getting that attention in the form of dual punches and a swift Clothesline right out of the ring. 'Taker and Rocky went back to focusing on each other for a bit until 'Taker caught a Clothesline of his whole to the outside and got flung into the steel steps by a refreshed Angle. Angle soon took 'Taker's spot in the ring as he and Rocky brought the pain to each other.

Once the action got back into the ring, a serious case of signature/finisher theft kicked in! Rocky laid out 'Taker with a Chokeslam, Rocky locked Angle in his own Ankle Lock, Angle responded by landing a pretty clean Rock Bottom, and 'Taker shocked the world when he executed a picture-perfect Angle Slam on Angle. As this match wore on, all three men stayed in the ring to land their biggest moves and net some serious near-falls. The hot finish brought this multi-man encounter to a satisfying end as Angle looked to have the match won by Angle Slamming 'Taker, only for him to meet his end as turned around to get launched into the air for a final Rock Bottom.

Everyone and their grandmother who watched this match live still speak highly of this Hell in a Cell match. While there may have been better HIAC matches quality-wise, the belief of several fans that existed during the Attitude Era is that this is the quintessential HIAC bout that has never been topped. Mankind is simply a madman for kicking this match off by climbing to the top of the structure, isn't he? A steel chair aided the masked psychopath for a few minutes before 'Taker made history by flinging Mankind right off the top of the cell to the announce table below. An audible gasp could be heard throughout the crowd as they looked on with worried faces while Mankind was tended to by medical officials.

Everyone figured this match was over...but then Mankind blew everyone's minds when he climbed right to the top of the cell to keep this match going! Then another wild moment occurred as 'Taker Chokeclammed Mankind right through the top of the cell to the mat below! With a tooth hanging out of his nose, Mankind continued to brawl with 'Taker inside the cell and around the ring perimeter within it. Mankind pulled off his biggest move up until that point with his signature Piledriver to 'Taker right on top of a chair. The hardcore action that transpires here is still jaw-dropping when you watch it back - Mankind's back got stuck with a whole bunch of thumbtacks when 'Taler dropped him back first onto them first and Chokeslammed him soon after.

After that devastating combination, 'Taker finally put Mankind out of his misery with a Tombstone Piledriver. Even though this HIAC match didn't run that long, it's still remembered for being one of the most violent matches in WWE history and definitely another one of the best Undertaker matches of all time.

Just one year after stealing the show at WrestleMania 25 (more on that match later!), Shawn had revenge on his mind. For months and months, HBK pleaded with 'Taker for another chance at trying to break the most legendary streak in all of professional wrestling (until it was broken by you-know-who, sadly...). 'Taker denied him on several occasions and eventually paid for that decision - in an act of complete madness, Shawn climbed from underneath the Elimination Chamber and shocked the world by cracking 'Taker with Sweet Chin Music. This shocking moment led to 'Taker losing his World Heavyweight Championship to Chris Jericho, which finally pushed the Deadman to accept HBK's challenge...but only under one condition. If HBK lost, his wrestling career had to come to an end.

When these two legends stepped foot into the ring for their second 'Mania meeting, HBK dipped into his bag of mind games as he used 'Taker's throat-cutting gesture to get into his opponent's head. This clearly angered 'Taker, who proceeded to brutalize HBK most of the starting moments of this matchup. Shawn finally found an opening as he targeted 'Taker's leg and even did further damage to them via a Figure-Four Leg Lock. Things began looking dire for 'Taker, but he changed the losing tides for himself to a winning one when he surprised HBK with a Chokeslam just a few seconds after Shawn pulled off his kip-up taunt! Another crowd-popping moment took place soon after as 'Taker caught HBK in midair on the outside and proceeded to plant him with a Tombstone Piledriver as a follow-up counter!

As this match wore on, both men pulled out all the stops with their best signature moves and finishers. But they just weren't enough to nab the win for their respective users. HBK even got desperate enough to land a Moonsault onto 'Taker while he was laid out on an announce table! Taker woke himself back up in time to counter HBK with followup Chokeslam's and Tombstone Piledrivers, but they still weren't enough to finish Shawn. The epic closing stretch of this bout saw HBK taunt and slap the hell out of 'Taker one last time as he knew his time as an active in-ring competitor was near its end. With one last Tombstone Piledriver, 'Taker ended Shawn's career (until he came back to the ring in 2018, sadly) and added another amazing 'Mania matchup to his all-time career record.

Without a shadow of a doubt, THIS is the undisputed GOAT when it comes to the best Undertaker matches! A whole generation of wrestlers saw this match play out in its entirety and realized right then & there that they wanted to enter the wrestling business for themselves. 'Taker and HBK came into this match much older yet so much wiser, which led to them putting together a match lifted by strong storytelling and a wonderful pace that kept the fans on the edge of their seats as it played out.

As this match played out during its opening moments, both men showed that they were on equal ground as they tore into each other with their respective strikes and signature submissions. 'Taker eventually screwed up missing an apron leg drop, but he woke himself up back in time to shove Shawn off the way as he tried to land a Moonsault from the top rope! Then one of the scariest moments in wrestling took place when 'Taker missed a Tope Con Hilo and almost landed right on top of his head after wiping out on a nearby cameraman! Back inside the ring, HBK looked to capitalize on a now weakened 'Taker. But this plan ultimately failed as HBK got taken down hard to the mat with a vicious Chokeslam.

'Taker tried going for another Chokeslam to really incapacitate HBK, but Shawn finally woke himself back up to knock 'Taker's hands off of his throat and lay out the Deadman with some Sweet Chin Music! What followed that shocking moment were several slick counters, more successful attempts at both men's respective signature moves & finishers, and an uncharacteristic moment where 'Taker failed to land a top rope flying elbow from the top rope! The incredible end of this match saw 'Taker catch HBK right out of his top rope Moonsault attempt and take the crowd's breath away once again when he ended Shawn with a final Tombstone Piledriver for the win.

Fans refer to this match as the best WrestleMania match, the best Shawn Michaels match, and the bout most deserving of making the top of the list for anyone ranking the best Undertaker matches of all time!