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The Undertaker is considered one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. He's also one of the most respected legends ever, so it was surprising to hear that The Deadman and fellow Hall of Famer felt disrespected by a major decision by the company in 2009.
One of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history was the first encounter between The Phenom and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 in Houston, Texas. The two living legends put on a show in front of more than 72,000 people and in their home state as well.
The Heartbreak Kid and The Undertaker rewatched their legendary match in a recent episode of WWE Playback on YouTube. The Demon of Death Valley recalled being told that the bout would be third on the card. He and Michaels looked at each other, feeling disrespected before ultimately being put in sixth.
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"I think originally we were on third, and then we got moved to, what, (sixth)? I'll never forget the eye contact. There was not a word said. There was eye contact between us and were were like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ There's 80 years of experience here, a few (WrestleMania) main events. … That’s how you think of us? Now we’re pissed," The Undertaker said. [1:42 - 2:39]
The initial decision got the two legends so riled up that they put together one of the greatest matches ever. It also led to a long, continuous story that ended at WrestleMania 28, when The Phenom beat Triple H inside Hell in a Cell with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee. This was billed as the "end of an era."
Jake Roberts knew The Undertaker was a special talent early on
In the early days of The Undertaker's WWE career, he was an ally with Jake "The Snake" Roberts. However, it was short-lived, and they even fought at WrestleMania VIII, with The Deadman coming out victorious.
Speaking on the Six Feet Under podcast recently, Roberts revealed that he had a feeling early on that The Phenom was a very special talent.
"From the get-go, Mark (Calaway) had something special, and I think that’s one of the reasons that I hooked up with him," Roberts said. (H/T Inside the Ropes)
Roberts' instincts were dead on as The Undertaker turned into the greatest character created in WWE history.
