Friday, April 03, 2009

Wrestlemania XXV Preview and Predictions: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

This match is the main event to me!

When you mention “the streak” to wrestling fans, they know exactly what you are talking about. The Undertaker is now 16-0 at Wrestlemania and will put that phenomenal record on the line this Sunday against the man known as “Mr. Wrestlemania,” Shawn Michaels.

The W.W.E. saved their best work for building this match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, one that we have not seen in a decade. The build has been so good, that I can’t imagine how they could put someone over in the future as a possible spoiler of ‘Taker’s streak.

The Undertaker doesn’t need the streak and Michaels doesn’t need to beat The Undertaker, because both men are so well-established. Still, there’s been talk the last couple of years that the W.W.E. would end the streak, but that they wanted to have Undertaker lose to a wrestler that was on the cusp of stardom and needed that extra boost.

Both of these men have put on outstanding performances at Wrestlemania in recent years with Michaels ending Ric Flair’s career last year, while The Undertaker brought out the best in Batista two years ago and also engaged in a highly entertaining bout last year against Edge.

The way wrestling is today, this is as close the W.W.E. can come to an epic match along the lines of Hulk Hogan-Andre The Giant. I believe this match should go on last and that a Michaels’ victory would make Wrestlemania XXV and put it in the archives as a special one.

I’m a proponent of ending the winning streak of The Undertaker because I just can’t see how there will ever be anyone else that is as believable as Shawn Michaels (I'm also a fan of H.B.K. so maybe I'm biased). We’ve seen on W.W.E. television over the last several weeks that Shawn Michaels is inside The Undertaker’s head and perhaps has his number. The Undertaker hasn’t been able to show up HBK on t.v. and has never in his illustrious career scored a victory over “The Showstopper.”

Michaels, with plenty of help from his friends, defeated The Undertaker in a “Casket” match 10 years ago. That match saw Michaels legitimately hurt his back. He would later be out of action for four years due to back problems.

I know that “the streak” is incredibly marketable for the W.W.E., but all things must come to an end. It may be wishful thinking, but I’m going with Shawn Michaels to steal the show in front of over 70,000 at Reliant Stadium and put an end to "the streak."

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