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During his 30-plus year wrestling career, WWE icon The Undertaker has faced off against some of the greatest in-ring performers of all time.
Having been a major part of the industry for such a long period, The Deadman has faced off against various different generations of performers.
Join us as we are going to take a look at three father-son duos who faced off against The Demon of Death Valley at some point in time.
#3. WWE's Viper and a Cowboy
One of The Undertaker's greatest rivals in the mid-2000s was undoubtedly the Legend Killer Randy Orton. The pair shared an intense match at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, with Randy then burning The Deadman inside a coffin later that year.
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During their rivalry, Randy Orton enlisted the help of his Hall of Fame father 'Cowboy' Bob Orton. Despite being far from his prime, Bob did go one-on-one with 'Taker on an episode of SmackDown on September 30, 2005.
While they shared some intense moments in the ring, The Phenom and The Viper greatly respect each other. Speaking to WWE's official YouTube channel, Orton said he wants a career similar to The Deadman's.
"You know, a lot of people ask me what my legacy is going to be? I think, if we're talking specifically about WWE, specifically. My legacy will be that I will be the next guy like The Undertaker, who was the only person who never went anywhere else and had more matches, more titles and more accolades," said Orton. [H/T Wrestling World]
#2. The Boss and his boy
Two big names with whom The Undertaker had rivalries within WWE is the father-son pairing of Vince and Shane McMahon. Like many superstars, The Deadman has had his fair share of problems with the company's authority figures.
The Deadman and Vince faced off at Survivor Series in 2003 in a Buried Alive match. To the shock of many, McMahon would end up winning the match as Kane helped the boss defeat The Phenom.
One of Taker's final big matches in WWE took place in 2016, where he went one-on-one with Shane McMahon in a Hell In A Cell match at WrestleMania 32. While The Deadman came away with the win, the most iconic moment from the bout is undoubtedly when Shane jumped off the top of the cage as he attempted to hit The Phenom with a splash.
Speaking to ESPN in 2020, Shane spoke about his and Taker's friendship as well as why he agreed to face The Deadman on the grandest stage of them all.
"The whole reason for the Hell in a Cell match we had at WrestleMania 32 goes back to a couple of major factors. I had a hiatus from the company for a while prior to that. My three boys had never seen me perform live. They're the main reason I changed my life around, to be more involved in their personal lives. They had asked about me doing it again, and I figured if the right scenario ever came around, I would consider it."
Shane O'Mac continued:
"One day, I get a call from my friend Mr. Calaway [The Undertaker]. He says, "What do you think?" And I ask, "About what?" And he says, "Me and you." My gut was that I didn't want to say no, which stunned me. So I told him to run it by the boss and see what he thought. Taker called Vince. My dad called me. And the rest is history." [H/T ESPN]
#1. The American Dream and Nightmare
Another family that has been present during major moments of The Undertaker's WWE career is the Rhodes family.
In 1990 at Survivor Series, the Dream Team, led by Dusty Rhodes, faced off against The Million Dollar Team, with the group's leader, Ted Dibiase, introducing his mystery partner in the form of the debuting Deadman.
Cody has also faced off against Taker in multi-man tag team action as Rhodes and his legacy teammates, alongside CM Punk, faced off against John Cena, DX, and The Phenom on an episode of SmackDown in October 2009
Today, Cody is one of the biggest stars in WWE, and his main event status was reaffirmed by Taker in an interview with Sports Illustrated when he complimented Rhodes for stepping out of his father's shadow.
"From his first trip in, to where he is now, Cody has a much better grasp of who he is," Calaway says. "It's great to be part of a legacy in the business. Cody's dad is one of the all-time greats." Taker added: "The first time Cody came through, he was trying to figure out who he was. Now he knows. Yes, he keeps the legacy alive. His dad was 'The American Dream,' he's 'The American Nightmare'. That's cool how he's merged that." [H/T Wrestling Inc]
With his WWE career now over, The Undertaker's longevity may be the most astonishing aspect of his time in the ring, given that he faced off against various generations of wrestlers and still held his own.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
