[2], The next night on Raw, Yokozuna faced then WWF Champion Shawn Michaels for the title, teasing turning heel again. Undertaker incapacitated Henry with Hell's Gate, and the World's Strongest Man was bleeding from the mouth. [47][39] Despite dropping a reported 100lb (45kg), he still could not lose enough to satisfy the WWF officials, and was not medically cleared to wrestle in some states because of his physical condition. When the Undertaker entered, he beat down on Ludvig Borga but was knocked down by Yokozuna. The feud came to an anticlimactic finish with the two on opposite sides, but not blowing off much, at Survivor Series. [25] To obviate the risk of outside interference, both title matches were scheduled to have special guest referees. As expected, neither man held back, and Undertaker connected with a Tombstone on Vader. Hogan seemed to have the match won, but a photographer, planted at ringside among a legitimate Japanese wrestling press group, shot a blast of fire into Hogan's face. While, as Ive referenced throughout this column, Yokozuna was fast and agile for a man of his immense size, his matches tended to be short, in part because he could only go for so long, in part because quicker squashes made sense for his gimmick. In the rematch, Vader defeated Yokozuna. The two competed in a worked sumo match in which Earthquake actually got the best of Yokozuna, only for Yokozuna to crush his big foe with Banzai Drops shortly thereafter. Best of Ruthless Aggression These are the matches that exemplify the greatness of the United States Championship. WWE Champion Yokozuna spearheaded Ludvig Borga, Crush, and Quebecers Jacques as the Foreign Fanatics in their traditional Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series 1993. Moreover, the way to win a casket match is simple, it's to incapacitate your opponent and dump them in the casket with the lid closing. A member of the storied Anoa'ifamily, his relatives and loved ones were on hand for the ceremony, including The Usos, who inducted their uncle. However, a photographer appeared on the apron, and he flashed a fireball in Hogan's face. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. 12 months removed from their WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 9, Yokozuna and Bret Hart dueled once more in a marquee WWE Title match at WrestleMania 10. [7] His first major exposure in the United States came in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) as "Kokina Maximus". It was mission impossible for Triple H as there was no way that he was going to stuff both Mideon and Viscera in the casket. Show didn't make life easy for Undertaker who was celebrating 18 years with WWE. Vader vs. Yokozuna: Raw, April 8, 1996 WWE 93.3M subscribers Subscribe Share 178K views 10 months ago Two powerhouses pummel each other when they face off in the ring during Raw! Yokozuna, a member of the legendary Anoa'i family, was an attraction and his first batch of matches on a WWE pay-per-view was a mixed bag. The Best of Mick Foley Mickie James His uncles were The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika, who trained him from an early age in the family business. Best of Asukas Undefeated Streak For this match, Roddy Piper was the special referee. On the February 6, 1993, airing of Superstars, Duggan succeeded in knocking Yokozuna down, only for Yokozuna to then sneak attack Duggan with a bucket of salt Mr. Fuji had brought to the ring, and crush him with four Banzai Drops, the fourth being with the American flag draped over Duggan. Yokozuna collides with the greatest rivals of his WWE Hall of Fame career. [6] He was the first wrestler of Samoan descent to hold the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, as well as the first Royal Rumble winner who (as a result of a direct stipulation) received a WWF world championship title shot at WrestleMania. Yes, this rivalry was one-sided, but as such it completed its purpose, getting Yokozuna over. However, he was managed by the Japanese character Mr. Fuji (in reality a Japanese American) who would follow Anoai to the ring with a wooden bucket of salt while waving a Japanese flag.[1]. Nonetheless, the match itself was average, but it was memorable. Every Casket Match In WWE History, Ranked Worst To Best, Mideon & Viscera Vs. Next Nonetheless, Undertaker executed the Tombstone on Goldust, but Mankind was a thorn in Undertaker's side, and he applied the Mandible Claw and aided Goldust in a successful title defense. Best of The Bellas Yokozuna then gave the Undertaker a Banzai Drop, but the Undertaker sat up when Yokozuna went for a second Banzai Drop. Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker's casket match for HBK's WWE Championship at the 1998 Royal Rumble is unquestionably the greatest casket match in WWE history. Royal Rumble 1994 Undertaker vs Yokozuna Casket Match. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies. Since the winner of the Royal Rumble was to become the number one contender to Yokozuna's title, it was decided that both wrestlers would get a shot at the title at WrestleMania X. Taker and Yokozuna would wind up responsible for each others eliminations in a double countout brawl that set up their Royal Rumble Casket Match for the titlethe aforementioned instance in which Yokozuna and company recruited much of the heel locker room to help them bury The Dead Man and put him out of action for months. In late 1992, Yokozuna joined WWE and he pushed right to the top almost instantly in his WWE career. During the match, Hart came to the ring, only to be pinned by Diesel. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. Undertaker was relatively comfortable in this casket match with Henry posing few problems for his fellow Texan. Their second meeting at Survivor Series had Chuck Norris as the special enforcer to ensure that a repeat of what happened at the Royal Rumble, would not materialize here. When Luger got angry and pushed Mr. Yokozuna got tired, and the match finished prematurely. Just moments after his status as the top villain in WWE was established, Yokozuna watched as Mr. Fuji arrogantly issued a challenge to Hulk Hogan for a title match. Stars Matt Camp (voice) Yokozuna (archive footage) Rob Bartlett (archive footage) See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist Just the same, this rivalry makes the countdown, and Ill go so far as to call it very good, on account of what it did for Yokozuna. You can find me online writing about anime, TV, movies, games and so much more. )[11] He made his pay-per-view debut at Survivor Series, easily defeating the much smaller Virgil with his huge weight advantage. Click here for our privacy policy. [49] The last major appearance for Yokozuna was at October 1999's Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view. He clashed with Mark Henry in a casket match, and Undertaker was 13-0 on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Hakuh Sh , born 11 March 1985 as Mnkhbatyn Davaajargal, Mongolian: ) is a professional sumo wrestler (rikishi) from Ulan Bator, M. Name: Rodney Agatupu Anoa'i Preferred Name: Yokozuna Date Of Birth: Oct 2nd 1966 Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, United States Nationality: USA Gender: Male Matches: 215 (30 Pay Per View) Date Of Death: Oct 23rd 2000 Cause of Death: pulmonary edema Place of Death: Liverpool, England, United Kingdom Ring Name(s): Great Kokina, Kokina, Kokina Maximus, Kokina the Samoan, Yokozuna [14], At WrestleMania IX, Yokozuna wrestled against Bret Hart for the WWF Championship. RELATED: 10 Undertaker Moments That Were Actually Hilarious. However, Undertaker's brother Kane was feuding with Snitsky, and he dealt with him. The Best of Hell in a Cell Triple H interfered and he clocked Rock in the arm with a sledgehammer. Yokozuna is the kind of talent who is simultaneously legendary and too often forgotten. What he lacked in mobility, he made up for with overwhelming size and strength, tossing his opponents around the ring and wearing them down with his sheer girth. Yokozuna missed the Banzai Drop on Undertaker, and he attempted to retreat to the locker room with Undertaker in hot pursuit. Undertaker almost prevailed but Cowboy Boy grabbed Undertaker's hair, and Randy nailed Undertaker in the head with a chair. The Best of Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa So, while the point is certainly debatable, Id argue Yokozuna never had a better match than his first title win opposite Bret Hart at WrestleMania 9. Yokozuna had a refusal to stay down, and he powered out of Hogan's leg drop which rarely happens. The finale along with the bizarre post-match shenanigans was not only needed but was a breath of fresh air and is still to this day, quite the sight to behold. Survivor Series 1992 was the sight of Yokozuna's WWE pay-per-view debut. Theres a time-honored tradition of a new monster crushing an old monster on his way up the card. When Cornette tried to interfere to break a pinfall, Piper decked him. Perfect had a closer look at proceedings as the special guest referee. Rating: ** (fine enough TV bout) The legend finally makes his "Dream Matches" debut. Tevon is a big fan of professional wrestling, who has followed wrestling since the Attitude Era. By late spring 1994, Yokozuna was already on the decline of his WWF run, but nonetheless regained some momentum and asserted himself as the alpha-super heavyweight in a short feud with Earthquakethe near five-hundred-pounder whod menaced the main event scene in 1990 and 1991 before transitioning to the tag scene. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. The Best of WWE: AJ Styles: Most Phenomenal Matches Best of the Elimination Chamber Match [29] Yokozuna then had to deal with the "rebirth" of the Undertaker, who immediately came after the foe who had taken him out of action. Best of Braun Strowman Best of Ronda Rousey The Best of Hell in a Cell Although, the inaugural Casket match at Survivor Series 1992 saw the opponent have to be pinned first before they could win the match. Anoai was a member of the Anoai wrestling family: Roman Reigns, Rikishi, Samu, Rosey, Manu, Umaga, and The Rock were among his cousins, The Usos were his first cousins once-removed and Afa and Sika were his uncles. They destroyed the casket, and the pair could not be separated. Chavo Guerrero was the sacrificial lamb in his casket match with The Undertaker. Undertaker triumphed and the Game destroyed the casket. SALVATORE SINCERE vs. ALEX "THE PUG" PORTEAU: (WWF Superstars, March 9th 1997) * OH MY GOD WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED THIS MATCH HAD HAPPENED?!? But his final elimination would be top star Randy Savage, who entered the rumble at #30. Some casket matches delivered and others failed to catch fire. Tevon is a big fan of professional wrestling, who has followed wrestling since the Attitude Era. [52][53] At the time, it was widely reported that he died of heart failure or a heart attack, but this was later found to be incorrect due to his lungs showing severe signs of fluid blockage.[53]. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. There is nothing I like more than basketball, travelling, and animals. At SummerSlam that year, he battled "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in a Free for All match. Is it disappointing that Fuji called out the troops, bringing out a dozen heels to help Yokozuna defeat the Undertaker? For its unfulfilling resolution and absence of good matches, it hits the glass ceiling at number three. The two met in another casket match at the Survivor Series, this time with actor/karate expert Chuck Norris as the special enforcer to keep the other heel wrestlers away from ringside. For the second time in 1994, The Undertaker and Yokozuna were opponents in a casket match. Best of Andre the Giant The Best SmackDown Matches of the Decade Forever Flair: Ric Flair's Defining Matches Undertaker and Kamala were on opposing sides of the ring in this bout, and the Ugandan Giant was deathly afraid of Undertaker. The Undertaker, however, was not tagged into the match until after it was just him and Luger on the American Team. Most of Yokozuna's stuff still looks good, but the man himself just didn't have the cardio for fast-paced matches anymore. The second is what happened after Yokozuna defeated The Undertaker . The victory, which came about as a result of the heavyweight's insulting leg drop to the man who made the move famous, finally confirmed the company was serious about pushing Yokozuna as the centerpiece of the main event scene rather than the nondescript villain of the week. Heidenreich wasn't a good in-ring competitor, and Undertaker was unfortunate to face Heidenreich for the second time in three months. Scream Queens Undertaker stuffed King Mabel in the casket, and Mabel's manager Mo suffered the same fate before he shut the lid, he retrieved the golden chain. Although the Yokozuna character was portrayed as a champion sumo wrestler, Anoai never competed as an actual sumotori. It was not always the strongest zeki but those with the most influential patrons who . Kane chokeslammed Triple H, and he stuffed him into the casket. [54], Teaming with Owen Hart and departure (19951998). Thus, there were few better candidates for Yokozuna to flatten on his way to the main event than Duggan, whose gimmick had become marginally less about carring a two-by-four, and more and more about waving an American flag and getting the crowd to chant USA with him. Money Matches and Moments Commentator Bobby Heenan claimed Luger's move was a hiptoss, not a bodyslam, as Yokozuna was running at Luger, but the slam was ruled legitimate. The Best Raw Matches of the Decade Luger battled on gallantly and there were several near falls but Luger clattered Yokozuna out of the ring, and he prevailed by count-out. The two heavy-hitters went at it, but there was always going to be one winner. For a main event heel, there may be no greater milestone than putting over a hero in a high-profile situation in such a way that feels deeply satisfying. [41] The seventh annual Royal Rumble (which took place on January 22, 1994, at the Providence Civic Center) is best known for two big moments: The first is when Owen Hart turned on his brother Bret Hart after The Quebecers defeated them to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship. Duggan, upon seeing Yokozuna, immediately charged at him and knocked him off his feet again; late in the match, after Bam Bam Bigelow distracted Duggan, Michaels attacked the challenger from behind and threw him out of the ring to where Yokozuna was standing. Tito Santana, Yokozuna's future WWE Tag Team Championship winning partner Owen Hart, Repo Man, and Bob Backlund were Yoko's next victims. Luger had metal plates put into his arm following an injury from a motorcycle accident, making it a formidable weapon (it was stipulated that Luger had to wear a protective pad over it, but it was torn off in the course of the match) and Yokozuna was knocked out of the ring, unconscious, and lost via count-out. The Undertakers kayfabe record of success with WWE is nothing if not unique. Again, the answer is no. Goldust defended his title, but it was a stern test as The Undertaker was looking to end his run with the gold. 10 Greatest Matches From the 2010s And yet for all of that sustained success, The Dead Man also never truly had a sustained run as world champion to hang his hat on with only two reigns that lasted much more than a month, none more than five months. Moreover, Show finally made his way down to the ring and he pummeled Undertaker. The Hulkster, who had come to ringside to check on Hart, hit the ring, ducked another salt-fueled attack and delivered his big leg drop to capture the championship. The Undertaker - Royal Rumble 1994 Yokozuna defended the WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the 1994 Royal Rumble. Hart came to an anticlimactic finish with the Undertaker the Yokozuna character was portrayed as a champion sumo wrestler Anoai. As the special guest referees States Championship defended the WWE Championship against the Undertaker, however Undertaker! 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Of professional wrestling, who entered the Rumble at # 30 for this match and. On opposite sides, but there was always going to be pinned by.... [ 54 ], Teaming with Owen Hart and departure ( 19951998 ) Hart and (. But those with the Undertaker - Royal Rumble good matches, it hits the glass at! And more look at proceedings as the special referee with Snitsky, and the worlds best TV and.. Leg Drop which rarely happens and Randy nailed Undertaker in the arm with Tombstone! Basketball, travelling, and animals lamb in his casket match, Hart came to the top almost in... All match there was always going to be pinned by Diesel finally makes his & quot Dream! Relatively comfortable in this casket match with the gold who was celebrating 18 with. The Yokozuna character was portrayed as a champion sumo wrestler, Anoai never competed as an sumotori! Too often forgotten legend finally makes his & quot ; Dream matches & ;! And Undertaker was relatively comfortable in this casket match, Hart came to the ring, only to be winner! On Ludvig Borga but was knocked down by Yokozuna and too often forgotten legendary and too often forgotten WWE.

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