There may not be two men more recognizable in WWE history than "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Undertaker. They were staples of the Attitude Era and their impact is impossible to duplicate. They shared the ring many times in classic battles that many fans remember fondly. They feuded over the WWE Championship as if their lives depended on it.
There have also been matches between them that have fallen short of the mark. Let's take a look at five matches in their rivalry that fans need to see and five matches that are hard to watch.
10 Best: Winner Take All
Stone Cold's heel turn in 2001 received backlash from fans at that time, but it's hard to argue that Austin did not do a good job of being hated. The Undertaker teamed with his brother Kane to take on the Two Man Power Trip of Austin and Triple H at Backlash 2001 in a tag team match where the WWE, Intercontinental, and Tag Team titles were all on the line.
Mr. McMahon interfered and nailed Kane with a sledgehammer, setting up the Pedigree for the win. The Brothers of Destruction would feud with Austin and Hunter for the rest of the spring.
9 Worst: Undertaker VS. Angle & Austin
Matches like this handicap match on the November 8, 2001 edition of SmackDown prove why Austin's heel turn gets criticized. Austin and Kurt Angle had hilarious segments outside of the ring during this time, but they did not have a good outing in the ring on this episode.
The two leaders of The Alliance were scared of "The American Badass" as if they had never wrestled him before. The Undertaker won the match with a roll-up after Angle and Austin conked heads. This match did nothing to improve the build of the Survivor Series match that would happen 10 days later.
8 Best: No Holds Barred
One month after their tag team match at Backlash, Austin and The Undertaker squared off in a No Holds Barred match at Judgement Day 2001. This match was electric as the two men fought all over the arena. There were a few times that fans were certain that The Undertaker was going to take Austin's WWE title.
Undertaker ducked a wicked Austin chair shot that hit Mr.McMahon. The boss fell like a ton of bricks. In the end, Triple H nailed Undertaker with a sledgehammer and Kane could not save his brother.
7 Worst: Austin & Bradshaw VS. NWO & Undertaker (Raw 2002)
This match was one that both men would like to forget. A heel Undertaker teamed with Scott Hall & X-Pac of the NWO to take on Stone Cold and Bradshaw, who was a relatively new single star. The match Bradshaw's home state of Texas, but it appeared that he wasn't yet ready for the big time.
The match was predictable and boring. Austin & Undertaker fought outside the ring while the NWO was with Bradshaw between the ropes. Bradshaw nailed X-Pac with a Clothesline From Hell for the win. This match was quite random. Austin and Undertaker not being involved in the finish made the match even more confusing.
6 Best: SummerSlam 1998
This match was not the best match that these two men ever had, but it definitely had the best buildup. The slogan for the main event of SummerSlam 1998 was the "Highway To Hell" and they delivered a grueling WWE Championship match.
This was a rare face vs. face match that was successful throughout. Austin low blowed Undertaker before hitting him with the Stone Cold Stunner. The Madison Square Garden crowd loved every second of it. Undertaker and Austin exchanged respect in the middle of the ring as Taker anointed Austin as the top guy in the industry.
5 Worst: First Blood (Fully Loaded 1999)
The main event of Fully Loaded 1999 supposed to be simple as both men tried to make their opponent bleed. However, the stipulation only made the match unorganized and hokey. Mr.McMahon had to be disappointed by this match in both WWE's world and in the real world because this match was a total disappointment.
Both men worked the entire match by using strikes to the head. The match was full of outside interference, but one unnecessary interference, in particular, made this match sloppy. X-Pac interfered and kicked The Undertaker in the face while "The Deadman" was holding a video camera. Austin got the win after he nailed his opponent with a chair shot.
4 Best: Raw June 28, 1999
This match was not a technical masterpiece, but it was a true phenomenon. Austin defeated The Undertaker to reclaim the WWE Championship in the most viewed wrestling match in the history of cable television. The highest-rated Raw match ever drew a staggering 9.5 rating.
WWE was taking over the world during this time. They had fully upended WCW in the Monday Night Wars and everyone was watching them take over. The 9.5 rating means that approximately 10.72 million viewers tuned in on this night. It is safe to say that pro wrestling might never reach this level of popularity ever again.
3 Worst: Over The Edge 1999
Over The Edge 1999 was hindered by an awful finish and other circumstances. Shane McMahon fast counted Stone Cold as The Undertaker beat his foe with underhanded tactics. This match finished abruptly and its slow tempo did not allow it to build excitement.
The fans were exhausted. They did not react well to the match because they witnessed a horrible tragedy earlier in the show. Austin, The Undertaker, and the McMahons performed professionally, but the Owen Hart accident was a horrible lasting memory for everyone who was watching in the building and at home.
2 Best: A Cold Day In Hell
At In Your House: A Cold Day In Hell, both of these men were on the cusp of brilliance. Stone Cold recently turned babyface and The Undertaker was embarking on what would be the greatest title reign of his career. The two titans were on a collision course that WWE fans clamored for in 1997.
The match was a back-and-forth brawl that was full of action. The Undertaker gave Stone Cold a Tombstone Piledriver before this match happened and before Austin's career-altering neck issues. WWE knew at this time that these two men were going to be at the top of their new Attitude Era campaign.
1 Worst: Backlash 2002
The final match between these two legends was a letdown. Ric Flair was the special guest referee and he could not even save this train wreck. The competitors were unable to gain any momentum. The finish of this match was odd and unfulfilling.
The Undertaker finished Austin with a lackadaisical Chokeslam and Flair made the three count without seeing Austin's foot on the bottom rope. The fans booed uncontrollably at what they saw. The Undertaker would go on to win the WWE Championship the following month, while Austin left the company due to creative frustrations.