Wrestlemanias 25 through 28 offered us a multitude of fantastic moments, but the compilation effort put forth by The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Triple H throughout those four shows is quite possibly the crowning achievement in WrestleMania history.
The story wasn't completely original. Superstars had been trying to end The Undertaker's WrestleMania undefeated streak for years. But the execution of the four-year adventure was flawless.
A heated good-versus-evil enactment between Michaels and The Undertaker heading into WrestleMania 25 kicked off the proceedings. Michaels' unsuccessful pursuit to end the streak resulted in what many experts cite as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, WrestleMania matches of all time. It certainly stole the show and transitioned nicely into WrestleMania 26.
The match was so good, they did it again and the stakes were raised. If Michaels lost the rematch, it would be his last. The daunting task of matching the quality of the previous year's gem was achieved. For the second straight year, Michaels and the Undertaker stole the show in what would be the final match Michaels would ever perform in as a competitor -- a WrestleMania moment in itself.
Despite the incredible memories and extraordinary moments created, the saga was only half over. Michaels' in-ring career was officially over, but his longtime best friend, Triple H, was looking to step up to the plate and try to achieve something Michaels could not.
Triple H and The Undertaker met at WrestleMania 27 in a no-holds-barred match. While Triple H did not successfully end the streak, the two did something that The Undertaker and Michaels did the two years prior: They stole the show.
The match was a wonderful display of grit and determination, illustrating Triple H doing everything in his power to put the dead man down, but he got caught in the Hell's Gate submission with a sledgehammer in hand -- too weakened to use it -- and slowly tapped out.
The grand finale of this epic masterpiece was billed as the "end of an era," and appropriately featured all three men. Triple H once again attempted to end the streak at WrestleMania 28 in a Hell in a Cell match, with Michaels as the guest referee.
After the grueling battle full of desperation, near falls and phenomenal storytelling -- culminating with another win for The Undertaker -- one of the most rewarding WrestleMania moments took place. Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker assisted an exhausted and defeated Triple H out of the ring and up the ramp, turned to the audience and embraced, showing the genuine respect, emotional toll and sense of accomplishment for the magnificent works of art they were able to construct.