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. Kane chokeslammed Triple H, and he stuffed him into the casket. The Phenom dominated the match, and Rusev was frightened when he rolled onto the casket. Their battle was brilliant, and both had excellent chemistry together against each other. On that night, his weight became the centerpiece of his match. In the 1994 Royal Rumble match, the last two competitors, Lex Luger and Bret Hart, fought and eliminated each other simultaneously. 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. Best of Money in the Bank: Part 2 In the best . [54], Teaming with Owen Hart and departure (19951998). The finish was bogus as Luger pushed Perfect, and Perfect abused his power by disqualifying Luger for pushing him which allowed Yokozuna to retain the WWE Championship. [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. It also changed the course of history in Michaels' wrestling career as his back caught the back edge of the casket which led him to miss four years of action after WrestleMania 14. NXTs Most Defining TakeOver Matches [2][31][32] Following the match, Jim Cornette stated, "Michael Jordan's back and so is Yokozuna", in reference to Jordan's first return to the NBA. Sign up for Peacock to watch. Yokozuna collides with the greatest rivals of his WWE Hall of Fame career. Best of The Rock Triple H lost the match which was the first casket match to take place on SmackDown. Virgil attempted a roll-up but Yokozuna outsmarted Virgil by flattening him. Yokozuna was unable to pass a physical required for professional wrestlers by the New York State Athletic Commission. There have been numerous casket matches in WWE over the years, with some better than others. 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. The WWE and Intercontinental Championships have been defended in casket matches and the titles haven't changed hands. Unable to make the most important pay-per-view main cards, it was a fall from grace from a Superstar so integral to the goings-on in WWE. Drew McIntyres Road to the WWE Championship The Best of Survivor Series On May 16, 1994, Earthquake beat Yokozuna in the only (worked) sumo match[27] until WrestleMania 21, between The Big Show and an actual yokozuna, Akebono. Although the Yokozuna character was portrayed as a champion sumo wrestler, Anoai never competed as an actual sumotori. This feud makes the cut for the memorable, if unsavory images of these two engaged in sumo combat, as Yokozuna faced his one believable rival in that context, and went on to decimate him after the match. Business was at hand here, and the Supreme Fighting Machine had one of the best matches in his career. The Best of Hell in a Cell Undertaker got the upper hand in his quest to regain the WWE Championship. RELATED: 10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About The Undertaker. 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. Best of John Cena It was presented by the independent promotion World Xtreme Wrestling, although matches included wrestlers from multiple promotions. 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. Best of Rob Van Dam [45] He made his final WWF appearance at the 1996 Survivor Series, still going after Vader, however he only briefly entered the match illegally and it ended with all remaining wrestlers being disqualified. [2] He wore a mawashi as part of his ring attire, but wore long tights underneath the loincloth, something that Vince McMahon and Yokozuna's own cousin Rikishi later felt wasn't needed and that he should've worn the traditional mawashi without the tights to expose his buttocks. The Undertaker was noticeably limping in this bout, and Rock's arm had a brace on it. Aiden English got his nose involved in proceedings, but Undertaker sealed both men's fate by dumping them into the casket. Undertaker incapacitated Henry with Hell's Gate, and the World's Strongest Man was bleeding from the mouth. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. [18][19] Soon after, Hogan left the WWF to pursue other interests, which left Yokozuna and Fuji to claim that they had ended "Hulkamania" (to wit, that would be Hogan's last appearance in the WWF for nine years). Yokozuna had an incredible WWE career, and he is a two-time WWE Champion.RELATED: WWE Icons: 10 Facts We Learned About YokozunaYokozuna had several noteworthy feuds throughout his career but he was at his peak in 1993. Yokozuna was bidding to become the first heel to walk out of WrestleMania as WWE Champion. When fans look back at the early to mid-1990s, few Superstars towered over the New Generation of WWE the way the massive Yokozuna did. [39], Yokozuna returned at In Your House 8: Beware of Dog to wrestle Vader. Big Show was standing on the ramp and he was selling a throat injury. Standing in Yokozuna's way was Bret Hart, and they closed out WrestleMania 9 in a mediocre WWE Championship match. Now relive the best, worst and most outrageous moments in the iconic career of one of wrestling's most remarkable big men. (Something Rikishi himself would later do. The Best of SummerSlam Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1997 WWF WWE Playmates Yokozuna Ahmed Johnson Grudge Match Wrestling Figures WCW at the best online prices at eBay! Best of nWo However, a photographer appeared on the apron, and he flashed a fireball in Hogan's face. The Undertaker - Royal Rumble 1994 Yokozuna defended the WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the 1994 Royal Rumble. One week before his WWE Championship showdown with Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13, The Undertaker and Vader collided in a casket match. The Undertaker's uninspiring rivalry with King Mabel finally came to an end in a casket match in the final WWE PPV of 1995. Vader gets the nod for the number four spot, though, because of the unspoken build that went down in 1993. Yokozuna's career was celebrated, with his accomplishments in WWE detailed and his legacy cemented. After Fuji accidentally threw salt in Yokozuna's eyes, Hogan came through with the win and captured his fifth WWF Championship. This is a list of all sumo wrestlers who have reached the sport's highest rank of yokozuna.It was not recorded on the banzuke until 1890 and was not officially recognised as sumo's highest rank until 1909. Celebrating "The Bad Guy", Scott Hall Let us know what you think in the comments section. SummerSlam Classics The Best of Yokozuna This all paid off at WrestleMania 10, when Hart not only got back into the title picture but wound up in the main event opposite Yokozuna again. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Match: Yokozuna is the first and only stage in Bug Sumo Finals . The Undertaker and his former tag team partner Big Show were opponents in a casket match at Survivor Series 2008. However, after a lengthy match, Mr. Fuji called out the troops, bringing a dozen heel wrestlers out to aid Yokozuna in attacking the Undertaker. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. His uncles were The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika, who trained him from an early age in the family business. Copyright 2022 TIlt Magazine. Yokozuna defended the WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the 1994 Royal Rumble. February 27, 2023 Monday Night RAW results, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, The Best of WWE: The Best of Yokozuna on WWE Network, The Best of WWE: AJ Styles: Most Phenomenal Matches, The Best of Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Best of United States Championship Matches, Drew McIntyres Road to the WWE Championship, Halloween Havoc's Most Hellacious Matches, Forever Flair: Ric Flair's Defining Matches. The Undertakers feud with Yokozuna seems emblematic of these statistics. Every Casket Match In WWE History, Ranked Worst To Best, Mideon & Viscera Vs. The Rocks Most Electrifying Matches That was the last word many of WWE's top Superstars heard when they faced the imposing Yokozuna. A monster heel, he embarked on a series of squash victories, including a memorable one against Virgil at the 1992 Survivor Series, before arriving at the 1993 Royal Rumble match as a heavy favorite to win the popular gimmick match. The contest would be Yokozuna's last significant match on television. When The Undertaker returned, it was only fitting the two would pick up where they started, and they staged a Casket Match rematch at Survivor Series 1994 to blow off their issue with Taker putting away Yokozuna with the aid of Chuck Norris to keep interloping heels at bay. Yokozuna looked fitter, and he put on a decent performance. Their clash was marginally better than their WrestleMania 9 match. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It was an emotional night but one that ensured the story of the super heavyweight would live on in the annals of WWE. It was the only way to move a man of Yokozuna's size. He was largely dominant over the WWF main event scene for the length of 1993 when, after just a few months on the roster, he won a Royal Rumble, won two world titles (one at WrestleMania, one over Hulk Hogan) and held the strap for half the year. [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. Yokozuna defeated Bret Hart to win the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania IX, capitalizing on Mr. Fuji throwing salt in the eyes of The Hitman to score the pinfall victory. [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. 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. Free shipping for many products! Editors Note: This article is part of anongoing series. The mammoth competitor cashed his ticket to WrestleMania IX, and eventhough it was a monumental occurrence, what played out in Las Vegas' Caesars Palace put him on the wrong side of history. 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 . Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Goomba Stomp and Tilt Magazine. 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 WWE: AJ Styles: Most Phenomenal Matches Managed by Mr. Fuji, Yokozuna debuted on the October 31, 1992 edition of Superstars with his then new gimmick of a stereotypical sumo wrestler, who competed under the Japanese flag; though the WWF tactfully acknowledged his Samoan roots. The feud took a painful turn a couple weeks later (April 8), when Vader jumped on Yokozuna's leg, ( kayfabe) breaking it. This was one of the worst matches in Hart's storied career. 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. 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. Afterward, Paul Bearer gave Undertaker a hammer and nails to seal Kamala's fate. The two then brawled The One and Only Ricochet To celebrate, he held a "Bodyslam Competition" aboard the USSIntrepid, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, on Independence Day. The Best of Mick Foley 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. [25] To obviate the risk of outside interference, both title matches were scheduled to have special guest referees. 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. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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 Luke Harper Wrestling as Kokina, he defeated Ron Neal. RELATED: 10 Undertaker Moments That Were Actually Hilarious. [49] The last major appearance for Yokozuna was at October 1999's Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view. The WWE Championship was up for grabs in the main event of SummerSlam 1993, and Yokozuna defended the gold against Lex Luger. Even today, some 24 years later, the decision ranks as one of the worst in WWE history for all the bad it did to Hart, Yokozuna and the company's attempt to push forward with its New Generation initiative. The Undertaker - In Your House 8: Beware Of Dog, 1996, The Undertaker Vs. Chavo Guerrero - SmackDown (10/31/08), The Undertaker Vs. Mark Henry - WrestleMania 22, The Undertaker Vs. Big Show - Survivor Series 2008, The Undertaker Vs. Kama Mustafa - SummerSlam 1995, The Undertaker Vs. Yokozuna - Survivor Series 1994, Daniel Bryan Vs. Kane - SmackDown (1/29/15), The Ortons Vs. By the time his career in WWE was over in 1996, he had been at the top of the industry, traveled the world as the top dog in Vince McMahon's company and established himself as a locker-room leader. Nonetheless, the match itself was average, but it was memorable. He briefly tagged with Crush, another Mr. Fuji charge. The contract Luger had signed for the match, as orchestrated by Yokozuna's new spokesman and advisor James E. Cornette, stated that if he did not win the championship, he would not get another shot at the title. On an August 17, 1992, episode of Prime Time Wrestling the Samoans (soon to be the Headshrinkers) made their debut. Tevon is a big fan of professional wrestling, who has followed wrestling since the Attitude Era. Jim Cornette also joined the Yokozuna camp as his American spokesperson. They destroyed the casket, and the pair could not be separated. Stream WWE on. Although, the inaugural Casket match at Survivor Series 1992 saw the opponent have to be pinned first before they could win the match. However, instead of a stretcher, a real forklift had to be brought to carry Yokozuna out on that edition of RAW. He then vanished. [2][22], Yokozuna's next challenger was The Undertaker. At WrestleMania 10, Yokozuna pulled double duty, and he put the WWE Championship on the line against Lex Luger, who was co-winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble match. 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? 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. 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. During the match, Hart came to the ring, only to be pinned by Diesel. Anoai's career in professional wrestling began as he grew up in a family full of wrestlers, the Anoai family. Their casket match wasn't a technical masterclass but the match was tons of fun to watch. All rights reserved.Click here for our privacy policy. That my friends, is great storytelling, something lacking in wrestling these days. Perfect had a closer look at proceedings as the special guest referee. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. How would you rank Yokozunas rivalries? Undertaker and Kamala were on opposing sides of the ring in this bout, and the Ugandan Giant was deathly afraid of Undertaker. After dropping the belt, Yokozuna's main event status began to fade away. 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. Nonetheless, he had his moments and his solid rivalries. RELATED: Dustin Rhodes' 10 Best Matches, According To Cagematch.net. Halloween Havoc's Most Hellacious Matches 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. Luger vs. Yokozuna was largely paint-by-numbers booking, with the super strong American hero going after the foreign menace, and all signs suggest the WWF intended to crown Luger at WrestleMania until the fans started cooling on him, and it became apparent Bret Hart was at least equally over (not to mention significantly better in the ring). Undertaker was the favorite once more, and he imposed himself on proceedings. The 1994 Royal Rumble featured a Casket match for the WWE Championship between Yokozuna and The Undertaker. Without their help (although Irwin R. Schyster did successfully interfere on Yokozuna's behalf), Yokozuna could not win and eventually ended up locked inside the casket. Nevertheless, Undertaker was representing the Corporate Ministry in his casket match with The Rock. SALVATORE SINCERE vs. ALEX "THE PUG" PORTEAU: (WWF Superstars, March 9th 1997) * OH MY GOD WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED THIS MATCH HAD HAPPENED?!? However, Shawn Michaels emerged from the casket, and he nailed Triple H with Sweet Chin Music. Neither booking nor work rate were top-notch in the period between Hulkamania and Attitude, when Yokozuna was in the limelight. For the second time in 1994, The Undertaker and Yokozuna were opponents in a casket match. [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. However, when Luger went for the pin, Perfect occupied himself with the unconscious Fuji and Cornette who were still lying on the ring apron. WrestleMania 22 was the first time where The Undertaker didn't have to be pinned or submitted to lose his WrestleMania unbeaten streak. Yokozuna was powerless, and Hogan capitalized by nailing Yokozuna with his trademark leg drop to become WWE Champion for a record-extending fifth time. 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. 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. The Undertaker - No Mercy 2005, Shawn Michaels Vs. 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. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. [14], At WrestleMania IX, Yokozuna wrestled against Bret Hart for the WWF Championship. [2] Wrestling as a Samoan superstar, he was managed by Sheik Adnan El Kassey. Best of Mankind 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. [24] By virtue of winning a coin toss, Luger got to wrestle Yokozuna first at the event. In the night's marquee match, Yoko overcame a spirited onslaught by The Hulkster and benefited from a fireball attack by a Japanese photographer to regain his title. 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. The Undertakers kayfabe record of success with WWE is nothing if not unique. The Best Raw Matches of the Decade 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. Yokozuna got tired, and the match finished prematurely. And though the feud figured into the main event picture and started with the WWF Championship at stake, The Undertaker never actually put his hands on the gold during this time. ECW Barely Legal 25 A significant weight issuehad doomed his on-screen presence and relegated him to inconsistent programs. Yokozuna: Bio. Moreover, Show finally made his way down to the ring and he pummeled Undertaker. Theres little argument that Lex Luger was Yokozunas most famous rival, and I was tempted to push him all the way to the top of this countdown, just like the WWF pushed him all the way to the top of the card the summer of 1993. [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. [17] At King of the Ring, Yokozuna, whose weight had already increased from 505lb (229kg) to 550lb (250kg), challenged Hogan for the title. As they celebrated afterwards, however, a mysterious figure appeared on the Titantron, looking like the Undertaker inside the casket. However, fans were heavily backing Undertaker, and he remained unbeaten at SummerSlam with a fine win. In the rematch, Vader defeated Yokozuna. The Best of The Undertaker Daniel Bryans Best Matches The Yokozuna Memorial Show was held in Allentown, Pennsylvania in November 2001, shortly after the first anniversary of Anoai's death. Until then, yokozuna was merely a licence given to certain zeki to perform the dohy-iri ceremony. 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. Few Superstars have made as quick an impact on WWE as Yokozuna did in his first six months with the promotion. Bryan upped the tempo to get things going his way. The Best of Keith Lee Undertaker looked a dead cert to pick up the win but Mankind emerged from the casket. It became something of a dream match to speculate on what would happen if these two collided in the ring, and I specifically remember debating who was more deadlythat a childhood friend at the time was sold on Yokozuna at a hundred-plus-pounds heavier, while I backed Vader for his more aggressive style and agility (he may have used it sooner, but 1993 was when I first saw him pull off a moonsault). Best of WrestleMania: 1990s The win was the culmination of a considerable push that began in a day and age whenWWE was desperately seeking a main event heel it could program against the likes of Savage, Bret Hart, Tatanka, Crush and The Undertaker. Agatupu Rodney Anoai (October 2, 1966 October 23, 2000) was an American professional wrestler. 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. Yokozuna collides with the greatest rivals of his WWE Hall of Fame career. This was the first time that the WWE Title was defended in a casket match. 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.
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