It wasn't pretty, but it was pretty damn good.

Make no mistake, Triple H and Undertaker did define an era in their WrestleMania bout.  This match was not about titles, or careers. For a match with so little on the line, it held so much value.

Prior to the past few weeks this match lacked the typical hype that fans had become accustomed to following two outstanding Mania bouts with WWE Hall-of-Fame inductee Shawn Michaels.

What Triple H and Taker could not make up for with in-ring prowess, they more than matched in psychology and story-telling.  From a story-telling perspective, Triple H took the Undertaker to a truly career-defining match on wrestling's grandest stage.

It wasn't a technical masterpiece. Instead of trying to replicate the magic of HBK-Taker from the years prior WrestleManias, Triple H and Taker set out to forge a new and defining legacy in the squared-circle.

They did not disappoint as these two titans clashed over the Undertaker's Mania Streak.  The story was about Triple H's desire to be "the one."  This was sold very well by a returning Jim Ross, who has always had a knack for creating a narrative in big matches.

Triple H took the Taker to the limits, utilizing tables, chairs and even the Undertaker's signature "tombstone pile-driver" in attempts to slay the "Dead man."

As Triple H pleaded for Taker to "stay down," one could feel a change in the air.  For once the Undertaker was the prey at WrestleMania. He was weak, exposed and showed his age.  The Taker looked like a legend near the end of his road, kept alive by a winning streak that will never be duplicated.

As Triple H sought to finish the Taker with the trademark sledgehammer, a desperate Undertaker caught "the Game" in the "Devil's Triangle" submission. This trademark maneuver, a gogoplata choke hold, kept "the Game" off guard and sealed another impressive victory for the "Dead man."

Unlike prior WrestleMania victories, there would be no celebration. No crowd-pleasing pose before an awe-inspired audience. Instead, the loser would walk away—the winner left laying on his back before being carried out on a stretcher.  The final chapter had been written.  

While time will tell whether the Undertaker will return, in his victory to attain 19-0, he may have given the last of who he is.  Triple H may not have ended the streak, but in his attempt he may have ended the career of the Undertaker.

The Winner: Undertaker via submission

What it Means: Triple H and Taker defined their careers in a truly memorable match. In what may have been his final stand, the Undertaker leaves WrestleMania battered, broken...and undefeated. 

ncG1vNJzZmianJqupLTEq6meqJ%2BnwW%2BvzqZmmqqknrCtsdJobW5rZ2d%2BbsPRnqqtpJWirq%2B1wGZpcGWUmrOqusinnmaZnmKys60%3D