[2][20], At SummerSlam, Yokozuna, now weighing in at 568lb (258kg), and the newly reborn patriot Luger fought it out for the WWF Championship. Undertaker put this feud to bed after he rolled Heidenreich into the casket for the win. 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. Yokozuna won on account of his manager Mr. Fuji throwing salt in Harts eyes to set up the finish. In the process, Yokozuna and his finisher were established as killers, and Yokozuna was geared up for higher tier patriotic threats over the year to follow. Halloween Havoc's Most Hellacious Matches All rights reserved.Click here for our privacy policy. Kane chokeslammed Triple H, and he stuffed him into the casket. Best of WrestleMania: 2010s However, Undertaker's brother Kane was feuding with Snitsky, and he dealt with him. In late 1992, Yokozuna joined WWE and he pushed right to the top almost instantly in his WWE career. After several run-ins, Yokozuna left Cornette and began a short stint as a fan favorite. The Best of WWE: AJ Styles: Most Phenomenal Matches The Yokozuna Memorial Show was held in Allentown, Pennsylvania in November 2001, shortly after the first anniversary of Anoai's death. Best of Asukas Undefeated Streak Best of nWo Neither booking nor work rate were top-notch in the period between Hulkamania and Attitude, when Yokozuna was in the limelight. RELATED: The First 10 Casket Matches, Ranked From Worst To Best. Required fields are marked *. Undertaker almost prevailed but Cowboy Boy grabbed Undertaker's hair, and Randy nailed Undertaker in the head with a chair. In pinning Hogan to not only take back the title but send him packing from the WWF, Yokozuna got all the more over as an unstoppable force, and his second reign arguably marked the official point at which the WWF moved on from Hulkamania, into the new generation that would ultimately give way to Attitude. Afterwards, Duggan was suffering from (kayfabe) internal bleeding. These are the matches that exemplify the greatness of the United States Championship. This was the first time that the WWE Title was defended in a casket match. The title did not change hands, but the match's result made it seem like Luger had a chance against his gigantic foe. Nevertheless, the match flowed better than their Rumble match, and Undertaker turned the tables with a victory over the former two-time WWE Champion. The reigning WWE Champion managed to contribute to one elimination by taking out Scott Steiner with a leg drop. After the debacle at WrestleMania 9, Yokozuna had the chance to regain the WWE Championship from Hulk Hogan at the inaugural King of the Ring event in 1993. When the Undertaker entered, he beat down on Ludvig Borga but was knocked down by Yokozuna. 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. Mr. The answer is no. All four competitors were fan favorites at the time, and seeing them all in the ring together was considered a dream match. [7] His first major exposure in the United States came in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) as "Kokina Maximus". Free shipping for many products! Few Superstars have made as quick an impact on WWE as Yokozuna did in his first six months with the promotion. 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. 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. In the 1994 Royal Rumble match, the last two competitors, Lex Luger and Bret Hart, fought and eliminated each other simultaneously. He also knocked out Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette, who tried to enter the ring. Best of 2021, Best of Royal Rumble At WrestleMania, Yokozuna, now weighing in at 641lb (291kg), was revealed as his partner, and the team managed to defeat the Gunns and win the WWF Tag Team Championship. [2][46] For a second time, Yokozuna went to his home in Los Angeles to lose weight through exercise and dieting, being replaced by other wrestlers on a late November tour of the United Kingdom. The factors included Yokozunas sheer size and dominancehe was bigger than anyone else, and it became a challenge to simply take him off his feet, then to body slam him, let alone hope to defeat thim. 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. Cowboy Bob was past his prime here, but the Ortons worked as a cohesive unit. 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. [33] The two would remain champions for several months, defending against teams like the Allied Powers (Lex Luger and Davey Boy Smith),[34] the Smoking Gunns,[35] and others. Best of Ronda Rousey It was the only way to move a man of Yokozuna's size. "Banzai!". ECW Barely Legal 25 Read more from Mike Chin at his website and follow him on Twitter @miketchin, The Magnificent Seven, WWE, Yokozuna, Mike Chin. 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. Air date 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. 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. 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. Show didn't make life easy for Undertaker who was celebrating 18 years with WWE. The contest, the most ludicrous and outrageously booked in WWE history, saw Yokozuna benefit from the assistance of 10 other Superstars to defeat The Deadman, shoving him into a casket as the spirit of the enigmatic competitor poured from an urn and into the Rhode Island night. 11 Yokozuna Vs. This was the first time that the WWE Title was defended in a casket match. Standing in Yokozuna's way was Bret Hart, and they closed out WrestleMania 9 in a mediocre WWE Championship match. The Best of WWE Extreme Rules The match occurred at Royal Rumble, where all the odds looked to be in the Undertaker's favor. 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. 10 Greatest Matches From the 2010s The Best of WWE: AJ Styles: Most Phenomenal Matches The Best of Goldberg NXT's Most Defining TakeOver Matches Stone Cold's Hell Raisin' Moments The Best SmackDown Matches of the Decade The Best Raw Matches of the Decade The Best of Money in the Bank The Undertaker's Most Brutal Last Rides Kevin Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. [1][2][22] Eventually, Yokozuna was forced to accept a Casket match with the Undertaker. The Undertaker and his former tag team partner Big Show were opponents in a casket match at Survivor Series 2008. Undertaker is out for retribution in his second Casket Match against Yokozuna at Survivor Series 1994 featuring Special Guest Referee Chuck Norris: Courtesy of WWE Network.WWE Network | Subscribe now: http://wwe.yt/wwenetwork\r---------------------------------------------------------------------\rFollow WWE on YouTube for more exciting action!\r---------------------------------------------------------------------\rSubscribe to WWE on YouTube: http://wwe.yt/\rCheck out WWE.com for news and updates: http://goo.gl/akf0J4\rWatch WWE on Sony in India: http://www.wwe.com/SonySportsNetwork\rFind the latest Superstar gear at WWEShop: http://shop.wwe.com\r---------------------------------------------\rCheck out our other channels!\r---------------------------------------------\rThe Bella Twins: https://www.youtube.com/thebellatwins\rUpUpDownDown: https://www.youtube.com/upupdowndown\rWWEMusic: https://www.youtube.com/wwemusic\rTotal Divas: https://www.youtube.com/wwetotaldivas\r------------------------------------\rWWE on Social Media\r------------------------------------\rTwitter: https://twitter.com/wwe\rFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwe\rInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwe/\rReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/RealWWE\rGiphy: https://giphy.com/wwe\r------------------------------------\rWWE Podcasts\r------------------------------------\rAfter the Bell with Corey Graves: https://wwe.com/afterthebell\rThe New Day: Feel the Power: https://wwe.com/feelthepower\rUncool with Alexa Bliss: https://wwe.com/uncoolwithalexa Undertaker's Most Bone-Chilling Matches Their casket match wasn't a technical masterclass but the match was tons of fun to watch. Agatupu Rodney Anoai (October 2, 1966 October 23, 2000) was an American professional wrestler. The feud took a painful turn a couple weeks later (April 8), when Vader jumped on Yokozuna's leg, ( kayfabe) breaking it. The Best of Yokozuna Kevin Owens' Biggest Fights You see, the Taker/Yokozuna match isnt great by any stretch of the imagination not then and certainly not now. The Best SmackDown Matches of the Decade The All-Americans - Survivor Series 1993, Yokozuna Vs. Hulk Hogan - King Of The Ring 1993, Yokozuna Vs. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. A significant weight issuehad doomed his on-screen presence and relegated him to inconsistent programs. Yokozuna was firmly locked-in as the top heel and The Undertaker was on his way to becoming a top face. The Undertaker - Royal Rumble 1994 Yokozuna defended the WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the 1994 Royal Rumble. Adam Coles Undisputed Best The match itself may have left fans wanting more, but the overall spectacle is impressive, technically astounding, and emotionally resonant seriously, I was devastated as a kid watching Mr. Fujis army destroy one of my favourite wrestlers. He was a top heel in the New Generation Era, and he was under the tutelage of Mr. Fuji. [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]. Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. Now relive the best, worst and most outrageous moments in the iconic career of one of wrestling's most remarkable big men. Not only was Yokozuna forced to accept the first of their two Casket matches, but once it was revealed that the unstoppable Yokozuna had a fear of coffins, The Undertaker used that knowledge to gain a psychological advantage over the big man. Triple H interfered and he clocked Rock in the arm with a sledgehammer. Please help us serve you better, fill out our survey.Use of this site signifies your agreement to our terms of use. [39] He competed in the 1996 Royal Rumble match, managing to eliminate Bob Backlund, King Mabel, and Swat Team member #2 before being tossed out by Shawn Michaels, the eventual winner. The Undertakers feud with Yokozuna seems emblematic of these statistics. The WWE and Intercontinental Championships have been defended in casket matches and the titles haven't changed hands. Vader kayfabe broke Yokozunas leg weeks laterseemingly another monster passing the torch moment, like Yokozuna similarly injuring Earthquake. [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. Best of Womens Evolution 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. The Best of Jeff Hardy Tevon is a big fan of professional wrestling, who has followed wrestling since the Attitude Era. As always, my personal opinion weighs heavily. Before he could celebrate, Yokozuna watched from the floor in awe as Undertaker appeared on the video screen and then rose from the dead and into the sky, not to be seen for eight months. The Intercontinental Championship was contested in a casket for the first time at In Your House: Beware of Dog. Remember WWE Hall of Famer Yokozuna on his birthday by reliving his biggest wins!WWE Network | Subscribe now: http://wwe.yt/wwenetwork\r---------------------------------------------------------------------\rFollow WWE on YouTube for more exciting action!\r---------------------------------------------------------------------\rSubscribe to WWE on YouTube: http://wwe.yt/\rCheck out WWE.com for news and updates: http://goo.gl/akf0J4\rWatch WWE on Sony in India: http://www.wwe.com/SonySportsNetwork\rFind the latest Superstar gear at WWEShop: http://shop.wwe.com\r---------------------------------------------\rCheck out our other channels!\r---------------------------------------------\rThe Bella Twins: https://www.youtube.com/thebellatwins\rUpUpDownDown: https://www.youtube.com/upupdowndown\rWWEMusic: https://www.youtube.com/wwemusic\rTotal Divas: https://www.youtube.com/wwetotaldivas\r------------------------------------\rWWE on Social Media\r------------------------------------\rTwitter: https://twitter.com/wwe\rFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwe\rInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwe/\rReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/RealWWE\rGiphy: https://giphy.com/wwe\r------------------------------------\rWWE Podcasts\r------------------------------------\rAfter the Bell with Corey Graves: https://wwe.com/afterthebell\rThe New Day: Feel the Power: https://wwe.com/feelthepower\rUncool with Alexa Bliss: https://wwe.com/uncoolwithalexa His title reign would be short-lived, though, in what still ranks as one of his worst moments. He also spent some time in Mexico, learning the craft and gaining the experience necessary to be a star in the sport. The WWE Championship was up for grabs in the main event of SummerSlam 1993, and Yokozuna defended the gold against Lex Luger. 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. In terms of it being a pure cinematic spectacle, the match had everything going for it including a thunderous crowd standing and cheering at the edge of their feet; an animated Vince McMahon overselling the supernatural angle on commentary; a slew of special effects including green smoke escaping the from the urn that was taken from a helpless Paul Bearer; and even a disappearing act courtesy of The Undertaker who vanished from the casket only to reappear on the Titan Tron, and ascend like a messiah-like figure to the top of the stadium. Standing 6'4" and weighing nearly 600 pounds, the Japanese sumo wrestler squashed legends like Bret "Hit Man" Hart, The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan on his way to becoming one of the most dominant WWE Champions . The Best of In Your House [2][21] Yokozuna and Luger continued to feud until Survivor Series, where each chose a team of allies for an elimination match. By WrestleMania 10, Yokozuna had run his course as world champ, and handing the title back to Hart was ideal final chapter to that angle, and his on-again off-again rivalry with Hart. You can find me online writing about anime, TV, movies, games and so much more. Their battle was brilliant, and both had excellent chemistry together against each other. Yokozuna knocked Duggan to the floor and nailed him with a leg drop, then rolled his unconscious body back into the ring as payback for the earlier attack. The Best of Alexa Bliss This was an underwhelming match between the brothers. However, outside interference from Kane aided Michaels in a successful WWE Championship title defense. He was billed as the biggest Samoan wrestler ever[8] and given credit for breaking Greg Gagne's leg and ending his career.[2].