The Undertaker's 5 Greatest WWE Rivals

After close to 30 years as WWE's resident "Man in Black", The Undertaker appears to have finally hung up the brimmed hat and duster for the final time. At age 55, "The Phenom" need do no more to solidify his place among the company's (and the industry's) all-time greats, a mythic figure that combined the chilling aura of a classic horror movie monster, the shadowy heroics of Batman, and the galvanized gunslinger swagger of Clint Eastwood.

But Undertaker needed more than aura and image to truly became a legend - he needed compelling rivals. Through his three decades with WWE, The Undertaker has fought in many high-profile matches,  against opponents worthy of standing across the ring from him. Some of 'Taker's nemeses have had more lasting power than others, continuing to pop up as nuisances, perhaps going so far as to try and imperil his vaunted WrestleMania streak.

So who *are* Undertaker's all-time greatest rivals? It's a challenging list to put together, so in order to do it, you only choose from the cream of the crop.

After close to 30 years as WWE's resident "Man in Black", The Undertaker appears to have finally hung up the brimmed hat and duster for the final time. At age 55, "The Phenom" need do no more to solidify his place among the company's (and the industry's) all-time greats, a mythic figure that combined the chilling aura of a classic horror movie monster, the shadowy heroics of Batman, and the galvanized gunslinger swagger of Clint Eastwood.

But Undertaker needed more than aura and image to truly became a legend - he needed compelling rivals. Through his three decades with WWE, The Undertaker has fought in many high-profile matches,  against opponents worthy of standing across the ring from him. Some of 'Taker's nemeses have had more lasting power than others, continuing to pop up as nuisances, perhaps going so far as to try and imperil his vaunted WrestleMania streak.

So who *are* Undertaker's all-time greatest rivals? It's a challenging list to put together, so in order to do it, you only choose from the cream of the crop.

5. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold just edges out Triple H, Batista, and a few others for the fifth spot, on the merit of the build to their clash at SummerSlam 1998, dubbed "The Highway to Hell". The two anti-heroes' occupation of the same spaces on Raw and pay-per-views made for compelling drama.

Later dust-ups between the two (including an attempted embalming, and unmotivated Austin kicking around in 2002) were admittedly less fun. In prior instances, there existed a certain magic whenever Austin and Undertaker squared off, two proud Texans that refused to budge.

4. Kane

For seven years, heavyweight brutes tried standing up to Undertaker, with few ever looking like his equal. That changed when previously-unseen half-brother Kane emerged from the fire, imbuing the usually-unmoved 'Taker with feelings of confusion and dread.

Some of their matches and storyline moments may have been rather hokey (the put-on ghoulish got a little excessive at times), but generally, when you think of one, you think of the other. Through the on-and-off storytelling, Kane and Undertaker became forever intertwined.

3. Brock Lesnar

Understandably, mentioning Lesnar to an Undertaker fan today conjures up many hard feelings. Maybe the WrestleMania streak should've never died, or at least ended at the hands of a true up-and-comer. That said, Lesnar vs. 'Taker at its best was captivating war.

The two Hell in a Cell matches (13 years apart, no less) spilt gallons of blood, and may well represent the best brawls of a humanized, superpowers-curbed Undertaker. The streak-ender match was understandably lacklustre, but the other bouts more than make up for it.

2. Mankind

We'd grown accustomed to Undertaker vanquishing a bunch of one-note heavyweights like some Ghoul of the Month Club. That's why it was such a pleasant surprise when Mick Foley came along, and immediately stuck a razor-sharp thorn in Undertaker's side.

In sanitized times for the company, Undertaker and Mankind had some truly brutal bouts, including the first Boiler Room Brawl, as well as the first Buried Alive match. Once the Attitude Era rolled around, and the two wound up inside Hell in a Cell...well, you know what happened.

1. Shawn Michaels

It's kinda hard to displace this one. In the late nineties, it was disrespectful Shawn against resolute punisher 'Taker, leading to a Hell in a Cell bloodbath that remains the gold standard of match type. Little did we know there were more "five star" matches to come.

More than a decade later, the two clashed as babyfaces with storied legacies at WrestleMania 25, with Undertaker barely salvaging his streak in a genuine all-timer. The following year, Michaels wagered his career in a match of comparable quality, and went out with a bang.