10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About The Undertaker Vs. Yokozuna Rivalry
Behind the curtain, The Undertaker and Yokozuna were real-life close friends as members of the BSK. Unfortunately, Yokozuna passed away at just 34 in Liverpool, England. The Undertaker was emotional about his friend's passing, but the pair got to work together in the '90s over the WWE Championship. The Undertaker made his WWE debut at Survivor Series in 1990 and a couple of years later, Yokozuna made his WWE debut.
RELATED: The Undertaker: Top 10 Wrestlers He's Faced The Most
The Undertaker and Yokozuna became rivals in the New Generation Era, and their feud had several twists and turns. Their matches weren't the greatest, but fans were invested in their rivalry because of Undertaker's popularity.
10 Feud Began At Survivor Series 1993
The Undertaker and the WWE Champion Yokozuna were on opposing teams in the traditional Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series 1993. The Undertaker was a member of the All-Americans alongside Lex Luger and the Steiner Brothers. The Foreign Fanatics comprised the WWE Champion Yokozuna, Crush, Ludvig Borga, and Quebecer Jacques.
The Undertaker and Yokozuna's confrontation at Survivor Series resulted in both men being double counted out. This signaled Undertaker as the number one contender for Yokozuna's WWE Championship.
9 Stipulation Shenanigans
On the December 11, 1993, edition of Superstars, it was announced that The Undertaker would challenge Yokozuna for the WWE Championship at the 1994 Royal Rumble. Yokozuna's American spokesperson Jim Cornette signed a contract, but Paul Bearer found a loophole and scheduled the match to be a Casket match, which favored Undertaker.
Cornette said that the match originally wasn't supposed to be a casket match, but Cornette said that it would be Undertaker's only opportunity at the WWE Championship whilst Yokozuna was the reigning champion.
8 Undertaker Built A Double-Wide Double Deep Casket
Due to Yokozuna's size, The Undertaker was preparing a double-wide double deep casket for Yokozuna before their upcoming Casket match for the WWE Championship at the 1994 Royal Rumble. There were several vignettes of Undertaker working on getting Yokozuna's casket ready.
These vignettes were superb with Bearer speaking in his high-pitched voice, and Undertaker cut several promos while finishing Yokozuna's casket. Yokozuna was deathly afraid of caskets, and he had no intention of going into that casket at the Royal Rumble.
7 The WWE Championship Was Defended In A Casket Match For The First Time
The WWE Championship is the most prestigious title in WWE history, and it has been defended in many gimmick matches. Yokozuna's WWE Championship title defense at the Royal Rumble was the first time that the WWE Championship was defended in a Casket match.
RELATED: 10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About Royal Rumble 1994
This was also the first Casket match not to feature a pinfall finish as Undertaker and Kamala's match at Survivor Series 1992 featured a pinfall before Undertaker placed Kamala into the coffin and hammered it shut.
6 The Undertaker's Final Match For Seven Months
The Undertaker was close to defeating Yokozuna for the WWE Championship at the 1994 Royal Rumble. Still, Yokozuna, Mr. Fuji, and Jim Cornette outsmarted Undertaker by recruiting several heels to interfere and lay out Undertaker. The likes of Crush, Diesel, Adam Bomb, Jeff Jarrett, and the Headshrinkers gave Yokozuna a helping hand.
Undertaker lost the match with Yokozuna dodging a bullet in a successful WWE Championship title defense. With the loss, the Deadman was out of action for seven months, missing WrestleMania 10, and he did not return until SummerSlam 1994.
5 Yokozuna Dropped The WWE Championship At WrestleMania 10
After the 1994 Royal Rumble, Yokozuna's WWE Championship title picture heading into WrestleMania 10 was clear. Familiar faces Lex Luger and Bret Hart were co-winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble match, and they were both awarded mandatory WWE Championship matches at WrestleMania 10.
Yokozuna defeated Luger albeit by disqualification to retain the WWE Championship with Mr. Perfect as the special guest referee. In a rematch of WrestleMania 9, Yokozuna and Hart clashed over the WWE Championship with the Hitman getting his revenge by ending Yokozuna's 280-day run as WWE Champion in the main event.
4 Fake Undertaker Appeared In His Absence
"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase who introduced The Undertaker as his mystery partner at Survivor Series 1990 thought that he'd brought back The Undertaker once again. Instead, it was a Fake Undertaker who appeared in Undertaker's absence.
RELATED: Undertaker Vs. Underfaker & 6 More Times Wrestlers Fought Themselves
Brian Lee portrayed the fake Undertaker and his mannerisms were a carbon copy of the Real Undertaker. This led to the two Undertakers going head-to-head at SummerSlam 1994.
3 The Undertaker Returns At SummerSlam 1994
Finally, The Undertaker made his long-awaited return to WWE at SummerSlam 1994. This was Undertaker's first reboot of his character as he ditched his trademark grey, which the fake Undertaker was wearing, and he wore purple gloves and purple boot spats instead. Paul Bearer was by Undertaker's side, and they had a grand entrance as expected.
Unfortunately, the match itself was underwhelming and they only main evented the match since it was Undertaker's return. Ultimately, Undertaker executed three jaw-dropping Tombstones to put the fake Undertaker out of his misery, rolling him into the casket afterward putting this feud to bed.
2 Rematch At Survivor Series 1994
The Undertaker and Yokozuna revived their rivalry in the fall of 1994, and they had a rematch from the Royal Rumble in another Casket match at Survivor Series. This time there was no WWE Championship at stake, and it was Yokozuna's worst nightmare to be involved in another Casket match.
Their casket match at Survivor Series was slightly better than their casket match earlier on in the year. The result was inevitable with Undertaker picking up a huge victory over the former two-time WWE Champion.
1 Chuck Norris Was The Special Enforcer
To ensure a repeat of The Undertaker getting outnumbered in a Casket match doesn't happen again, Chuck Norris was the special enforcer in Undertaker and Yokozuna's match in the main event of Survivor Series 1994. Despite Norris' appearance this still didn't stop several heels from interfering to help out Yokozuna.
Whilst the number's games worked momentarily, Norris had a stand-off with King Kong Bundy who returned to the locker room, and Norris knocked down Jeff Jarrett. Yokozuna's plans had failed, and he was unable to replicate his victory from the Royal Rumble with Undertaker avenging his loss.
