G9Z Wrestling: Wrestlemania XXVIII Preview: The Undertaker vs. Triple H

Welcome to the second article in our Wrestlemania XXVIII preview series. The second biggest match of the year has officially been announced. "The Game" Triple H will face "The Phenom" The Undertaker in the unforgiving Hell In A Cell!

There is so much significance and history in this match, that it may very well be one of the greatest match of all time! So who has the advantage going in? Find out after the jump!

TALE OF THE TAPE

TRIPLE H

Hometown: Greenwich, CT
Age: 42
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 255 lb
Finishing Move: The Pedigree
Accomplishments: 13x World Champion (8 WWE, 5 World Heavyweight), 5x Intercontinental Champion, 2x European Champion, 3x Tag Team Champion, 1997 King of the Ring, 2002 Royal Rumble winner, 2x Slammy Award winner, Seventh Triple Crown Champion, 10 Wrestlemania Main Events
Wrestlemania Record: 7-8

THE UNDERTAKER

Hometown: Death Valley
Age: 46
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 299 lb
Finishing Move: The Tombstone Piledriver, The Last Ride, The Chokeslam, Hell's Gate
Accomplishments: 7x World Champion (4 WWE, 3 World Heavyweight), 7x Tag Team Champion, Hardcore Champion, 2007 Royal Rumble winner, 7x Slammy Award winner, 9 Wrestlemania Main Events
Wrestlemania Record: 19-0

My Take: Triple H easily takes the cake in terms of championship accomplishments here. It's also impressive to note that come Wrestlemania 28, only Hulk Hogan will have main evented more Wrestlemanias than The Game. Still, there's no denying Taker's streak at Wrestlemania. The unbelievable 19 year record is a feat all in it's own. One that no other superstar will ever be able to replicate.

Based on his streak alone, it would be easy to give the advantage here to the deadman. However, he barely made it out alive when he clashed with the cerebral assassin last year. That said, let's take a look at the 10 ESSENTIAL categories that will determine who has the advantage going into this year's Wrestlemania.

Fan Base

Both men can lay claim to being one of the most popular superstars of all time. Triple H though he is well respected among his peers, has a large amount of fans that hate his level of power and overall dominance in the last decade. The Undertaker is a larger-than-life icon of the sport. He is easily the most respected and revered figure by fans, superstars and critics alike. His popularity exceeds that of any other active performer and he has become a special attraction due to the fact that he rarely appears on television.

Advantage: Undertaker

Match Strategy

Taker is by far, the most feared competitor to ever lace up a pair of boots. Especially, in terms of Hell In A Cell matches. You never think that he is locked in there with you, you KNOW that it is always you who is trapped inside with him. That said, Triple H easily takes the cake here. In the history of pro wrestling, there has never been another superstar more adaptable, prepared, calculating, cunning, cerebral or determined than The Game.

Advantage: HHH

Focus

While The Undertaker can easily rattle an opponent enough to break their concentration with his presence alone, those who are not afraid to go toe to toe with him can break his psyche. Shawn Michaels and Edge for example, have been able to frequently anger the deadman, taking advantage of his rage and using their quickness to gain victories. Triple H is the type of wrestler who never loses his cool in a match. He doesn't second guess, he doesn't lose focus and, most importantly, he is never afraid.

Advantage: HHH

Ring Presence

Triple H is one of the most dominant performers in WWE history, but he takes second place when compared to the deadman. Few men possess the intimidation factor of a 20 plus year long reign of darkness. As soon as that gong hits, business picks up and everyone (especially those in the ring) takes notice.

Advantage: Undertaker

Momentum

Triple H may have the upper hand in terms of ring rust, having competed in a slew of matches since last year. While The Undertaker was at home tending to his wounds, Triple H scored big wins over Kevin Nash and WWE Champion CM Punk. Still, Taker is 19-0 at Wrestlemania, you don't really need much more momentum then that.

Advantage: Undertaker

Conditioning

The Undertaker's quarter century of physical, hard fought matches have finally taken a major toll on his body. To steal a line from "The Wrestler", he's an old, broken down, piece of meat. While Triple H has also seen his fair share of bloody wars, has held up much better over time. Both men will have to put everything they have left on the line to survive Satan's favorite structure. In the end, I'm not so sure Taker's body is even ready for the brutality that awaits him on April 1st.

Advantage: HHH

Toughness

On the flip side of the last category, there is no man in WWE history with a more storied history of pure badassness than The Undertaker. For example, if you look back at their match last year, he may not have been able to walk out of the arena on his own two feet, but he did survive everything The Game had in his arsenal.

Advantage: Undertaker

Desire

This is the hardest category to call. Both men have everything on the line in this match. The mystique surrounding The Undertaker's return, also adds more uncertainty to the match. One can't even be sure if The Undertaker really wants to win here. After nearly three decades of competition, he is battle worn and tired. Still, Triple H had to be baited into the match and did not initially even want to end the streak for the sake of business. That said, all eyes are now on them now that their match has been made official, leaving both men more determined than ever with personal pride on the line.

Advantage: Neither

Repertoire

Credit should be given to Undertaker for consistently improving his moveset over the past couple decades. He did not necessarily have to, as he would have still picked up 80 percent of the victories he earned along the way. The man had three primary finishers for Christ's sake! The addition of mixed martial arts inspired maneuvers (such as his Hell's Gate triangle choke) have only increased his effectiveness. Triple H on the other hand, has not changed his moveset much since his arrival in the WWE. He relies more on strategy and move placement, then variety and sizzle. He also is the master at adapting to different opponents, finding their weaknesses and exploiting them.

Advantage: HHH

Quality of Competition

Both men have two of the most impressive resumes in WWE history. Both can lay claim to defeating legends like; Hulk Hogan, Kane, Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, Batista, Ric Flair, CM Punk, Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, The Big Show, Kurt Angle, and even each other. Triple H can argue that he's beaten many of them in high profile championship matches, but The Undertaker can counter by noting that he has beaten many of them in Wrestlemania main events.

Advantage: Neither

Final Thoughts

This is in my opinion, the biggest match in Wrestlemania history. There is so much on the line here and the Undertaker's 19-0 Wrestlemania streak has never been more in jeopardy. I have a bad feeling about this one. This match might be the end of both men's careers, if not their very existence. With that said, I can't put into words how much I anticipate this clash. Two Gods will battle it out on Mount Olympus to decide who is the most dominant force in WWE history. No two competitors have been more evenly matched going in, making this one impossible to determine.

Overall Advantage: Neither

Thanks for reading and check back in over the next few weeks for more previews of the year's biggest event!