WWE history: Why Brock Lesnar will go down as The Undertaker's toughest opponent ever

The Undertaker- the one name that sends shivers down the spine of WWE Superstars, the one name that evokes the utmost respect in the WWE Universe, the one name that has become synonymous with WWE’s biggest event of the year- WrestleMania.

‘The Phenom’ has seen it all and done it all. In an unprecedented career spanning almost three decades, The Undertaker has taken souls and buried them. Legends and icons have tried to get past the 'Deadman', but just became victims in the process.

The biggest names in the industry have fallen in front of ‘The Phenom’. The likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, John Cena, Batista, and Hulk Hogan have tried to dethrone The Undertaker, only to fall to the ‘Deadman’.

But then, for every rule, there is an exception. For all the dominance that The Undertaker has had over the other Superstars, there was one man, who stood like a thorn. A man that even the "Greatest Of Them All" could not conquer-Brock Lesnar.

Ever since his return to the WWE in 2012, Lesnar has decimated some of the biggest icons of the industry. John Cena got a pounding of a lifetime at Extreme Rules from Lesnar, Randy Orton was busted open at SummerSlam, and the match had to be stopped, Lesnar broke Triple H’s arm, and pummel the Big Show at the Royal Rumble. He had conquered it all.

The only one left for him was The Undertaker...

In 2014, at WrestleMania 30, two of WWE’s most dominant Superstars went toe to toe at WWE’s biggest event. The Undertaker gave the match everything he had- Choke Slam, Tombstone, The Last Ride, the running leg drop. But then, nothing worked.

And then, Lesnar delivered a third F5 to The Phenom, and 3 seconds later, the unthinkable happened. For the first time in over two decades, The Undertaker’s shoulders were counted down onto the mat at WrestleMania. At first, the fans could not believe it. They were in a state of absolute shock. And, for the first time, The Undertaker was made to appear mortal.

Lesnar became the ‘one’ in 21 and 1…….

15 months later, Brock Lesnar was ripping apart Seth Rollins at WWE BattleGround. He delivered a thunderous F5 to Rollins, and just as he was about to become the Champion, the gong struck….

And The Undertaker appeared in the middle of the ring, to exact revenge on the man who had taken everything away from him. He delivered a low blow, and two Tombstones to ‘The Beast’.

The two icons met for the second time at WWE Summerslam. The match was again vicious and hard fought. Both men gave it everything they had. The Undertaker went for the Hell's Gate, Lesnar reversed it, and locked The Phenom in the Kimura Lock. In a rare sight, The Undertaker tapped out. Yes, the referee did not see it, and The Undertaker delivered a low blow, and went on to win the match.

But then, Lesnar made Taker tap out!

Again, these two men locked horns for the final time inside ‘Hell In A Cell’. Lesnar stretched ‘The Deadman’ to the limit. Both men were busted open inside the cell, hitting each other with everything they had, and in the end, Lesnar delivered a low blow to ‘The Phenom’ and scored a pin fall victory over him.

If we take a look at all the superstars the Undertaker has faced at Wrestlemania, you will see that most of them were hall of fame material. The WWE ensured that Taker's streak was indeed a legitimate one as he never shied away from a challenge.

The Undertaker was in fact older than most of his opponents and still managed to dominate them once they were inside his yard. But Lesnar was cut from a different cloth. He came with an agenda and did that and much more. When many superstars refused to break the streak owing to backlash and respect for the Undertaker, Lesner took no prisoners and agreed to get the job done.

He took the Undertaker to the limit and unleashed unbelievable damage on the phenom that would make any wrestling fan writhe in pain. It was just uncomfortable watching what Lesnar did to the Undertaker and he did that on more than one occasion.

Once the match was over, we had to admit that Lesnar was better and despite WWE being a kayfabe filled setup, Lesnar's win felt real.

Yes, for all the dominance that The Undertaker had in the WWE, for all the Superstars he destroyed over the years, there was one man who revealed the mortal side of The Undertaker to us. The one man whom The Undertaker could not conquer- The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar.

And that is why, without a shadow of a doubt, Brock Lesnar will go down as the toughest opponent that The Undertaker has ever faced, and a force that the Undertaker could not tame.

For, as Paul Heyman very beautifully said- "The Undertaker will be compelled to live with a legacy of dominance over everybody else, except the man who took everything away from him- Brock Lesnar"