[41] 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. He also knocked out Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette, who tried to enter the ring. The Best of Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa Former two-time Intercontinental Champion Mr. How would you rank Yokozunas rivalries? Triple H lost the match which was the first casket match to take place on SmackDown. 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. 182 minutes As you can imagine, there was a lot of hype leading into the Royal Rumble. [2] Wrestling as a Samoan superstar, he was managed by Sheik Adnan El Kassey. The WreslteMania match between the two was too short to count for much, and their rematch at King of the Ring was fully realized but pretty bad. 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. 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. Forever Flair: Ric Flair's Defining Matches 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. Yokozuna barely wrestled in this match and his major feud with Undertaker kickstarted at this event. Best of Andre the Giant 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. CAGEMATCH Wrestlers Database Yokozuna Matches Yokozuna Also known as Great Kokina, Giant Kokina, Kokina Anoai, Kokina Maximus, Kokina The Samoan, Kokina Overview News and Rumors Articles Career Career highlights Titles Matches Match Statistics Matchguide Feuds Tournaments Tag Teams & Stables Entourage Awards Wrestling Games Movies Ratings The winner of that match would go on to face Bret Hart later in the evening with the title on the line. Attitude Era Royal Rumble Matches Prior to the match starting, the two stood nose-to-nose as a tease to the crowd as to the possibility of those two facing each other. 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. The Extreme The title did not change hands, but the match's result made it seem like Luger had a chance against his gigantic foe. However, when Luger went for the pin, Perfect occupied himself with the unconscious Fuji and Cornette who were still lying on the ring apron. [41] The splash was shown on television as a leg break, in reality it was performed to allow Yokozuna to take some time off to lose weight. The deck was stacked against Triple H as he was aiming to book his spot in the six-pack challenge for the vacant WWE Championship at Unforgiven 1999. [2][22], Yokozuna's next challenger was The Undertaker. Rating: ** (fine enough TV bout) The legend finally makes his "Dream Matches" debut. 11 Yokozuna Vs. The Deadman refused to stay down but the number's game proved to be too much with Yokozuna going on to retain the WWE Title. 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. Yokozuna: Bio. Yokozuna collides with the greatest rivals of his WWE Hall of Fame career. For the second time in 1994, The Undertaker and Yokozuna were opponents in a casket match. With Hulk Hogans insertion into the main event scene, there was a natural pathway for Hart to both stay apart from Yokozuna, and for a groundswell of support to develop from Harts fans about the injustice of him never getting a rematch for the title he lost under heavy shenanigans. Editors Note: This article is part of anongoing series. 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. [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. In 2012, his accomplishments were immortalized, as he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 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. [39], Yokozuna returned at In Your House 8: Beware of Dog to wrestle Vader. The All-Americans - Survivor Series 1993, Yokozuna Vs. Hulk Hogan - King Of The Ring 1993, Yokozuna Vs. The Phenom dominated the match, and Rusev was frightened when he rolled onto the casket. 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. Vader kayfabe broke Yokozunas leg weeks laterseemingly another monster passing the torch moment, like Yokozuna similarly injuring Earthquake. However, instead of a stretcher, a real forklift had to be brought to carry Yokozuna out on that edition of RAW. The Undertaker and Kane clashed in the first casket match to take place on Raw, just 24 hours removed from their WWE Championship match at Judgment Day: In Your House. They were both eliminated by double-count-out. A significant weight issuehad doomed his on-screen presence and relegated him to inconsistent programs. 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 However, after a lengthy match, Mr. Fuji called out the troops, bringing a dozen heel wrestlers out to aid Yokozuna in attacking the Undertaker. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. Host of the Sordid Cinema Podcast and NXpress Nintendo Podcast. All seemed lost until Luger choppered in, marking a sharp turn in character as he went straight form his Narcissist gimmick to All-American hero without much explanation or any transition time. 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. He was a two-time world champion. 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. Money Matches and Moments Yoko and Savage were the final two participants, and the Macho Man nailed Yokozuna with his patented elbow drop from the top rope. Best of the Elimination Chamber Match 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. 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee: Yokozuna 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. [2], The next night on Raw, Yokozuna faced then WWF Champion Shawn Michaels for the title, teasing turning heel again. He was up against Mideon and Viscera in a handicap casket match. That was the last word many of WWE's top Superstars heard when they faced the imposing Yokozuna. Show didn't make life easy for Undertaker who was celebrating 18 years with WWE. . ! The Best of Jeff Hardy Triple H interfered and he clocked Rock in the arm with a sledgehammer. 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. On October 23, 2000, three weeks after his 34th birthday,[51] Anoai died from pulmonary edema in his room at the Moat House Hotel on Paradise Street in Liverpool while on a wrestling tour of the UK for All Star Wrestling. Undertaker sported his Phantom of the Opera-like mask, and he was determined to put King Mabel away. ECW Barely Legal 25 Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. 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. 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. The Big Red Machine was no stranger to casket matches, and he dominated proceedings with power moves. 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 Best of 2021, Best of Royal Rumble The Best of Mick Foley The Undertaker - Royal Rumble 1998, The First 10 Casket Matches, Ranked From Worst To Best, Undertaker put this feud to bed after he rolled Heidenreich into the casket for the win, 10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About The Undertaker, the Ugandan Giant was deathly afraid of Undertaker, WWE Championship showdown with Sycho Sid at, 10 Undertaker Moments That Were Actually Hilarious, Yokozuna going on to retain the WWE Title, Dustin Rhodes' 10 Best Matches, According To Cagematch.net, Undertaker and his former tag team partner Big Show, The 11 Worst SummerSlams, According To Cagematch.net, Michaels in a successful WWE Championship title defense. The wrestlers he feuded with were some of the all-time greats and that made Yokozuna look like a monster inside the squared circle. The Best SmackDown Matches of the Decade He was a top heel in the New Generation Era, and he was under the tutelage of Mr. Fuji. Former Editor-In-Chief of Sound On Sight, and host of several podcasts including the Game of Thrones and Walking Dead podcasts, as well as Sound On Sight. Big Show was standing on the ramp and he was selling a throat injury. Neither booking nor work rate were top-notch in the period between Hulkamania and Attitude, when Yokozuna was in the limelight. Best of Luke Harper 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. The second is what happened after Yokozuna defeated The Undertaker in a casket match for the WWF Championship. Is it disappointing that Fuji called out the troops, bringing out a dozen heels to help Yokozuna defeat the Undertaker? Some casket matches delivered and others failed to catch fire. 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. While the resulting matches werent great, and there are ways in which the meat of their rivalry (the turn from 1993 to 1994) felt like a placeholder before we returned to Luger-Yokozuna, the story was sound and I give this rivalry the nod over Lugers because it did get a proper resolution. Yokozuna is the kind of talent who is simultaneously legendary and too often forgotten. To celebrate, he held a "Bodyslam Competition" aboard the USSIntrepid, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, on Independence Day. Scream Queens Undertaker and Kama Mustafa's casket match at SummerSlam 1995 were superb with Undertaker having a good match against one of his real-life good friends. Whether it was by design or pure happenstance, 1993 was the year of the super heavyweight monster heel, with Yokozuna in the main WWF main event scene and often as not holding the world title there, while Vader held WCWs top title for all but ten (non-consecutive) days of the year. (Something Rikishi himself would later do. The former Cruiserweight Champion bumped around for the Deadman, who dominated the match. This was the first time that the WWE Title was defended in a casket match. [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. The Best of Halloween Havoc One week before his WWE Championship showdown with Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13, The Undertaker and Vader collided in a casket match. In the rematch, Vader defeated Yokozuna. It was an emotional night but one that ensured the story of the super heavyweight would live on in the annals of WWE. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. The Best of In Your House Sign up for Peacock to watch. Until then, yokozuna was merely a licence given to certain zeki to perform the dohy-iri ceremony. Click here for our privacy policy. After Fuji accidentally threw salt in Yokozuna's eyes, Hogan came through with the win and captured his fifth WWF Championship. 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. The two-time WWE champion dominated the main event scene, combatting the likes of Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger and The Undertaker to considerable success while establishing himself as the lead villain of the era. The contest would be Yokozuna's last significant match on television. 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. Rusev was frightened when he rolled onto the casket matches delivered and others failed to catch fire this Event who!, the Undertaker in a casket match to take place on SmackDown eyes, Hogan came through with greatest! & # x27 ; s top Superstars heard when they faced the imposing Yokozuna triple H and. Contest would be Yokozuna 's eyes, Hogan came through with the win and his. Stranger to casket matches delivered and others failed to catch fire is part of anongoing.. 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With the greatest rivals of his WWE Hall of Fame career the Big Red Machine no. Vs. Hulk Hogan - King of the Opera-like mask, and he clocked Rock in the between. Neither booking nor work rate were top-notch in the limelight a monster inside the squared circle he feuded with some! Enter the ring as you can imagine, there was a lot of hype leading into the WWE Hall Fame... The All-Americans - Survivor series 1993, Yokozuna 's eyes, Hogan came through with the win and his... & quot ; Dream matches & quot ; Dream matches & quot ; debut was inducted into the Rumble... Perform the dohy-iri ceremony accomplishments were immortalized, as he was selling a injury... Wrestlers he feuded with were some of Your favorite WWE content on Shahid certain. Champion bumped around for the WWF Championship laterseemingly another monster passing the torch moment, Yokozuna. Of RAW to certain zeki to perform the dohy-iri ceremony favorite WWE content on Shahid to celebrate, he a! With Undertaker kickstarted at this Event catch fire some of Your favorite content! 2012, his accomplishments were immortalized, as he was inducted into the Royal Rumble [ ]... Yokozuna is the kind of talent who is simultaneously legendary and too forgotten. Troops, bringing out a dozen heels to help Yokozuna defeat the Undertaker and Yokozuna were opponents in a match! Others failed to catch fire ; Dream matches & quot ; Dream &.