More on that later.
In doing the research for these matches, I began to be curious about different star ratings under different categories. After crunching numbers and looking at different wrestlers and different pay-per-views, etc., I got curious about all of those matches that have made up the Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak2. From his first Mania match to the most recent as of this writing (his 20th, incidentally), here's what Melzter rated those matches:
Ratings from * (lowest) to ***** (highest) , with occasional special ratings ascribed to some matches.
Wrestlemania 7
Undertaker d. Jimmy Snuka *
Wrestlemania 8
Undertaker d. Jake Roberts 3/4* (three-fourths of one star)
Wrestlemania 9
Undertaker d. Giant Gonzalez *1/4
Wrestlemania 113
Undertaker d. King Kong Bundy -* (negative one star)
Wrestlemania 12
Undertaker d. Diesel (Kevin Nash) **1/4
Wrestlemania 13
Undertaker d. Sid Vicious *1/4
- for the WWF Heavyweight Title
Wrestlemania 14
Undertaker d. Kane *1/2
Wrestlemania 15
Undertaker d. Big Boss Man "DUD"
NOTE: This was a Hell In The Cell match.
Wrestlemania 174
Undertaker d. Triple H ***1/2
Wrestlemania 18
Undertaker d. Ric Flair ***
Wrestlemania 19
Undertaker d. Big Show & A-Train *1/4
NOTE: This was a handicap match.
Wrestlemania 20
Undertaker d. Kane *1/4
Wrestlemania 21
Undertaker d. Randy Orton ***1/2
Wrestlemania 22
Undertaker d. Mark Henry *1/2
NOTE: This was a casket match.
Wrestlemania 23
Undertaker d. Batista ****
- for the World Heavyweight Title
Wrestlemania 24
Undertaker d. Edge ****1/4
- for the World Heavyweight Title
Wrestlemania 25
Undertaker d. Shawn Michaels ****3/4
Wrestlemania 26
Undertaker d. Shawn Michaels ****3/4
NOTE: Michaels stipulated that if he lost this match, he would retire.
Wrestlemania 27
Undertaker d. Triple H ****1/2
Wrestlemania 28
Undertaker d. Triple H ****3/4
NOTE: This was a Hell in the Cell match. Shawn Michaels was assigned as the special guest referee.
----------
Now, I'm all about dorking out with stats. Here's the Undertaker "streak" matches, ranked from highest to lowest ranking:
4.75 - (tie x3) vs. Shawn Michaels (WMs 25 & 26); vs. Triple H (WM 28)
4.5 - vs. Triple H (WM 27)
4.25 - vs. Edge (WM 24)
4.0 - vs. Batista (WM 23)
3.5 - (tie) vs. Triple H (WM 17); vs. Randy Orton (WM 21)
3.0 - vs. Ric Flair (WM 18)
2.25 - vs. Diesel (WM 12)
1.5 - (tie) vs. Kane (WM 14); vs. Mark Henry (WM 22)
1.25 - (tie x4) vs. Giant Gonzalez (WM 9); vs. Sid Vicious (WM 13); vs. Big Show & A-Train (WM 19); vs. Kane (WM 20)
1.0 - vs. Jimmy Snuka (WM 7)
> 1.0 - vs. Jake Roberts (3/4*, WM 8); vs. King Kong Bundy (-*, WM 11); vs. Big Boss Man (DUD, WM 15)
Mean star rating (with DUD = 0): 2.4, or **2/5 ...
Jesus Harold Christ, 11 matches under the three star line. He may be undefeated, but he hasn't been bringing even his "C" game for these matches.
Highest rated title match: vs. Edge, WM 24 (****1/4)
Lowest rated title match: vs. Sid Vicious, WM 13 (*1/4)
Highest rated gimmick match: vs. Triple H, WM 28 (Hell in the Cell, ****3/4)
Lowest rated gimmick match: vs. Big Boss Man, WM 15 (Hell in the Cell, DUD)
----------
Notes:
1The Wrestling Observer Newsletter began in 1983, beginning life as a print zine. One of the first publications to cover wrestling from a more journalistic, non-carny angle, the WON covered behind-the-scenes news and reviewed wrestling from a perspective far removed from the Apter magazines, a family of wrestling magazines that covered the more "kayfabed" aspects of pro wrestling.
2The Undertaker has never lost a match at Wrestlemania. Of the twenty matches that 'Taker has participated in, he has won seventeen matches by pinfall, one match by disqualification (vs. Giant Gonzalez, Wrestlemania 9), one match by casket imprisonment (vs. Mark Henry, Wrestlemania 22), and one match by submission (vs. Edge, Wrestlemania 24).
3The Undertaker missed Wrestlemania 10 due to surgery.
4The Undertaker missed Wrestlemania 16 due to a torn tricep.
