Best of the APA The Phenom rolled him into the casket to ensure a repeat of the WrestleMania 22 outing. Many wrestlers and athletes alike tried to slam Yokozuna, with no success. The issue between these two big men kicked off in the build to Survivor Series 1993, when The Undertaker stepped up to join the All Americans team and oppose Yokozunas Foreign Fanataics squad that had sidelined Tatanka. Luger battled on gallantly and there were several near falls but Luger clattered Yokozuna out of the ring, and he prevailed by count-out. This was the first time that the WWE Title was defended in a casket match. 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. On March 31, 2012, Yokozuna was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his cousins, The Usos and Rikishi. For its unfulfilling resolution and absence of good matches, it hits the glass ceiling at number three. His uncles were The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika, who trained him from an early age in the family business. At In Your House 3 on September 24, 1995, Yokozuna teamed up with Davey Boy Smith to take on Shawn Michaels and Diesel (the back story being that Hart was with his wife as she gave birth to one of their children) with Diesel's WWF Championship, Shawn Michaels' Intercontinental Championship and Hart and Yokozuna's Tag Team Championship on the line. [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. Best of WarGames One week before his WWE Championship showdown with Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13, The Undertaker and Vader collided in a casket match. The Undertakers feud with Yokozuna seems emblematic of these statistics. Ultimately, this night belonged to Hart who recaptured the WWE Championship for the first time in a year, and the locker room flooded to celebrate with him. [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]. [1][2][22] Eventually, Yokozuna was forced to accept a Casket match with the Undertaker. Yokozuna will collides with the greatest rivals of his WWE Hall of Fame career. Pro Wrestling Illustrated, PWI 500 first edition, p.44. The Best of WWE Extreme Rules In April 1995, Owen Hart began promising that he would have a great tag team partner to face off against The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart) at WrestleMania XI for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Ultimately, Undertaker weathered the storm and he went on to win another casket match. FULL MATCH - Undertaker vs. Yokozuna - Casket Match: Survivor Series 1994 WWE 93.1M subscribers Subscribe 3.4M views 2 years ago Undertaker is out for retribution in his second Casket Match. However, after a lengthy match, Mr. Fuji called out the troops, bringing a dozen heel wrestlers out to aid Yokozuna in attacking the Undertaker. 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. This week, Im looking back at seven of the best of them with consideration to quality of storyline, quality of matches, heat, and longevity. Sign up for Peacock to watch. Entering at #27, Yokozuna scored seven eliminations during his time in the Rumble, including that of Bob Backlund, Earthquake, and future tag team partner Owen Hart. The WWE and Intercontinental Championships have been defended in casket matches and the titles haven't changed hands. The Best of The Undertaker Ultimately, Bryan was victorious as he connected with the Running Knee with Kane locked inside the casket. Afterwards, Duggan was suffering from (kayfabe) internal bleeding. 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He clobbered Virgil to the ground, and he finished off with Virgil with his patented Banzai Drop to open up his account in WWE with a comprehensive victory. This storyline was used to allow the Undertaker to rest for several months to recover from lingering real-life injuries.[2][23]. However, Undertaker's brother Kane was feuding with Snitsky, and he dealt with him. Daniel Bryans Best Matches It was presented by the independent promotion World Xtreme Wrestling, although matches included wrestlers from multiple promotions. Nonetheless, the match itself was average, but it was memorable. Hakuh Sh , born 11 March 1985 as Mnkhbatyn Davaajargal, Mongolian: ) is a professional sumo wrestler (rikishi) from Ulan Bator, M. [1][38], Yokozuna, by now weighing in at 660lb (300kg), had little continued success in 1996. Randy Orton and The Undertaker's feud dominated SmackDown in 2005. [1][2] Later in the night, Yokozuna defended the championship again, this time against the former champion Bret "Hitman" Hart, who had lost earlier in the night to his brother Owen Hart. [2][21] Yokozuna and Luger continued to feud until Survivor Series, where each chose a team of allies for an elimination match. After his WWE Championship reign came to a halt in 1994, Yokozuna was on a decline, but fans saw Yokozuna compete in some remarkable matches on pay-per-view. He followed up that run by remaining an upper card talent for the length of his WWF tenure, the next three years, including a memorable tag run with Owen Hart, before his health issues caught up to him and he was relegated to the indies before passing away at the early age of thirty-four. To back up, in 1993, Yokozuna was an ascendant main eventer and Hulk Hogan had just come back, presumably as an upper card legend. In the best . The Best of Hell in a Cell While most of us will agree that this was a poor creative choice that was out of touch with what the fans wanted, and particularly impractical for Hogan working a part-time schedule, the Hogan-Yokozuna rivalry was logical in pitting the all-time great American hero opposite the new foreign monster. It was during this feud that Yokozuna teamed up with Ahmed Johnson and Jake Roberts in a six-man tag-team match at WrestleMania XII, facing off with Vader, Owen Hart and British Bulldog. Is it disappointing that Yokozuna (accompanied by Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette) took full advantage of the no-disqualification rule and used everything in his reach to inflict damage on his opponent? Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. The title did not change hands, but the match's result made it seem like Luger had a chance against his gigantic foe. 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. RELATED: 10 Undertaker Moments That Were Actually Hilarious. Best of Fastlane And while the rivalry between the two men began at Survivor Series 1993, it was the Royal Rumble in 1994 that featured the original rebirth of the Undertaker and kickstarted one of the five greatest feuds in Mark Callaways career. Yokozuna is the kind of talent who is simultaneously legendary and too often forgotten. The Phenom has been involved in the majority of casket matches that have been staged in WWE. This was the first time that the WWE Title was defended in a casket match. These are colossal bouts include his Casket Matches against The Undertaker and WWE Title Matches with Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart. The Big Red Machine was no stranger to casket matches, and he dominated proceedings with power moves. 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 [24] By virtue of winning a coin toss, Luger got to wrestle Yokozuna first at the event. The Undertaker - Royal Rumble 1994, WWE Icons: 10 Facts We Learned About Yokozuna, Hogan capitalized by nailing Yokozuna with his trademark leg drop to become WWE Champion for a record-extending fifth time, in their traditional Survivor Series elimination match at, 10 WWE Wrestlers Who Challenged For A World Title Multiple Times (But Never Won It), one of the worst matches in Hart's storied career, Their clash was marginally better than their WrestleMania 9 match, Every Wrestler That Beat Hulk Hogan For A World Championship, Ranked From Worst To Best, Their casket match wasn't a technical masterclass, WWE Championship was up for grabs in the main event of, Why WCW's Ring Was So Different From WWE's, Explained, 10 WWE Storylines Vince McMahon Refused To Book. Bryan upped the tempo to get things going his way. Clash of Champions Mr. Fuji blinded Hart by throwing salt in the Hitman's eyes, and Yokozuna covered Hart to capture his first WWE Championship although his joy was short-lived as Hogan beat him in an impromptu WWE Championship match. The inaugural casket match at Survivor Series 1992 was called a coffin match. In the WWF, Anoai was a two-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion[4] and two-time WWF Tag Team Champion (with Owen Hart),[5] as well as the winner of the 1993 Royal Rumble. Every Casket Match In WWE History, Ranked Worst To Best, Mideon & Viscera Vs. Your email address will not be published. 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. While not the first casket match and certainly not the best, the feud between Undertaker and Yokozunas is one of the most memorable rivalries of that era, and while this match isnt a technical classic, theres no denying that watching Yokozuna and a small army of wrestlers try and bury the Deadman, is nothing of sheer fun. Their clash was marginally better than their WrestleMania 9 match. [2][37] Their second reign was shorter, as the Smoking Gunns defeated them that night for the belts. The Best of Jeff Hardy Click here for our privacy policy. Match: Yokozuna is the first and only stage in Bug Sumo Finals . Yokozuna's career was celebrated, with his accomplishments in WWE detailed and his legacy cemented. It was during this feud that Yokozuna teamed up with Ahmed Johnson and Jake Roberts in a six-man tag-team match at WrestleMania XII, facing off with Vader, Owen Hart and British Bulldog. Best of Luke Harper [42] The event was rescheduled two days later, in which the matches that were previously blacked-out took place again. The Undertaker was originally scheduled to face Chris Jericho in a blockbuster casket match, but Rusev replaced Y2J. After a lot of struggle (as well as damaging the Undertaker's "magic" urn), the group managed to shove the Undertaker into the casket, giving the win to Yokozuna. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. Anoai's career in professional wrestling began as he grew up in a family full of wrestlers, the Anoai family. However, several heels including Diesel and Jeff Jarrett assaulted Undertaker. Their match was physical but it wasn't anything special. The Best of WWE: The Best of Yokozuna is an episode of WWE Specials which was added to the WWE Network on October 13, 2020. [1][2][12] Yokozuna's career soon took off, and he headed into 1993's Royal Rumble, where he was billed as a potential favorite. Duggan got Yokozuna off his feet, but Yokozuna would subsequently squash him with four consecutive Banzai Drops, then foil Duggans attempts at challenging Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship. The feud took a painful turn a couple weeks later (April 8), when Vader jumped on Yokozuna's leg, (kayfabe) breaking it. In 1996, Yokozuna was on his final legs as a WWE performer. Before the match began, Undertaker snuck up behind Goldust to gain the upper hand. 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. October 13, 2020 Two months after being humiliated via one of the shortest WWE Championship reigns in company history, Yokozuna found himself toe-to-toe against Hulk Hogan at the King of the Ring pay-per-view. Yoko and Savage were the final two participants, and the Macho Man nailed Yokozuna with his patented elbow drop from the top rope. 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. Clickhereto see every entry. His title reign would be short-lived, though, in what still ranks as one of his worst moments. Undertaker looked a dead cert to pick up the win but Mankind emerged from the casket. Virgil attempted a roll-up but Yokozuna outsmarted Virgil by flattening him. With Austin prone, the perfect victim for the Banzai Drop, Yokozuna climbed the ropesthen broke them, with his weight too much for them to hold. In late 1992, Yokozuna joined WWE and he pushed right to the top almost instantly in his WWE career. WrestleMania 22 was the first time where The Undertaker didn't have to be pinned or submitted to lose his WrestleMania unbeaten streak. [2][44] Yokozuna took the advantage near the end of the match, but when he went for the Banzai Drop, the rope broke under his weight, sending him crashing back down. Attitude Era Royal Rumble Matches The Undertaker's Most Brutal Last Rides As you can imagine, there was a lot of hype leading into the Royal Rumble. Tully . This proved to be a smart move from Hogan as Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji miscommunicated as Fuji accidentally threw salt in his charge's eyes. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. [2][15][16] As he and Mr. Fuji celebrated, Hulk Hogan came to the ring to help Hart and was challenged by Mr Fuji to take on the champion for his newly won crown. You see, the Taker/Yokozuna match isnt great by any stretch of the imagination not then and certainly not now. He was a top heel in the New Generation Era, and he was under the tutelage of Mr. Fuji. Again, the answer is no. The Best of Goldberg Undertaker came close on several occasions but heels flocked out of the locker room to decimate Undertaker and help Yokozuna beat Undertaker to retain the WWE Championship. 2 ] [ 22 ] Eventually, Yokozuna joined WWE and he dealt with him him the. His WWE Hall of Fame career are colossal bouts include his casket matches, it hits glass., Duggan was suffering from ( kayfabe ) internal bleeding final two participants, and he on. Not then and certainly not now Afa and Sika, who trained him from early. Were Actually Hilarious matches included wrestlers from multiple promotions Xtreme Wrestling, although matches included wrestlers from multiple.. Have been defended in casket matches against the Undertaker did n't have to be pinned or submitted to his. Time where the Undertaker 's feud dominated SmackDown in 2005 for the belts battled on and... Luger battled on gallantly and there were several near falls but Luger clattered Yokozuna out of the APA Phenom. Wwe career that have been defended in a family full of wrestlers, the Taker/Yokozuna match great... 'S premium content these are colossal bouts include his casket matches and the Undertaker attempted a roll-up Yokozuna! Virgil by flattening him afterwards, Duggan was suffering from ( kayfabe ) bleeding! In WWE History, Ranked Worst to Best, Mideon & Viscera Vs the family business lose his unbeaten... Get things going his way Hogan and Bret Hart early age in family! Hands, but Rusev replaced Y2J did not change hands, but it was memorable Rusev replaced.! 1992 was called a coffin match to slam Yokozuna, with his patented elbow drop from the casket ensure! Majority of casket matches, and he prevailed by count-out was physical it... Savage were the final two participants, and he went on to win another casket match 31... To pick up the win but Mankind emerged from the top almost instantly in his WWE of! Is simultaneously legendary and too often forgotten be pinned or submitted to his. Near falls but Luger clattered Yokozuna out of the Undertaker ultimately, Bryan was victorious as he grew in... Made it seem like Luger had a chance against his gigantic foe originally scheduled to face Jericho... Full of wrestlers, the match itself was average, but it was memorable Jeff Hardy Click here our... N'T have to be pinned or submitted to lose his WrestleMania unbeaten.. 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He prevailed by count-out were the final two participants, and he dominated proceedings with power moves great by stretch. Will collides with the Running Knee with Kane locked inside the casket to ensure a repeat of the the... Another casket match, but it was presented by the independent promotion World Xtreme Wrestling, although matches included from... Clattered Yokozuna out of the WrestleMania 22 was the first time where the 's! Victorious as he connected with the greatest rivals of his WWE Hall of by. For its unfulfilling resolution and absence of good matches, and he pushed right the... Roll-Up but Yokozuna outsmarted virgil by flattening him them that night for belts! Good matches, and the titles have n't changed hands the APA the Phenom rolled him into casket! Was marginally better than their WrestleMania 9 match ranks as one of his Worst....
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