Vader vs. Yokozuna: Raw, April 8, 1996 WWE 93.3M subscribers Subscribe Share 178K views 10 months ago Two powerhouses pummel each other when they face off in the ring during Raw! 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. 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. Yokozuna defeated Bret Hart to become the youngest WWE Champion in WWE history in the main event of WrestleMania 9. Goldust defended his title, but it was a stern test as The Undertaker was looking to end his run with the gold. [1][2][22] Eventually, Yokozuna was forced to accept a Casket match with the Undertaker. Although, the inaugural Casket match at Survivor Series 1992 saw the opponent have to be pinned first before they could win the match. Match: Yokozuna is the first and only stage in Bug Sumo Finals . He applied the Mandible Claw and Vader picked up the win, all thanks to Mankind. 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. 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. Nevertheless, the match flowed better than their Rumble match, and Undertaker turned the tables with a victory over the former two-time WWE Champion. (Something Rikishi himself would later do. However, Undertaker's brother Kane was feuding with Snitsky, and he dealt with him. At the end of the match, Yokozuna seemed ready to hit his finishing maneuver, the Banzai Drop, when he lost his balance and took a fall from the ropes. He was up against Mideon and Viscera in a handicap casket match. It came at a time when WWEs focus was very much centered on a younger audience, and it was gimmick-heavy main events like this that reflected what the company was all about. The Game's World Heavyweight Championship was not on the line, and Triple H clocked Kane in the head with a ring bell. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. To back up, in 1993, Yokozuna was an ascendant main eventer and Hulk Hogan had just come back, presumably as an upper card legend. Best of Ruthless Aggression Yokozuna's First 10 WWE PPV Matches, Ranked From Worst To Best, Yokozuna Vs. Virgil - Survivor Series 1992, The Foreign Fanatics Vs. [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. You see, the Taker/Yokozuna match isnt great by any stretch of the imagination not then and certainly not now. Tevon is a big fan of professional wrestling, who has followed wrestling since the Attitude Era. The Best of Hell in a Cell Yokozuna: Profile & Match Listing - Internet Wrestling Database (IWD) Yokozuna Profile & Match Listing Facts & Stats PWI Ratings Opponents & Partners Win/Loss Record Star Ratings Win Types Relations PPV Yokozuna Promotion Search: All AWA CWA (Germany) HOW NJPW USWA WAR WWF WWF/USWA However, Shawn Michaels emerged from the casket, and he nailed Triple H with Sweet Chin Music. For its unfulfilling resolution and absence of good matches, it hits the glass ceiling at number three. It was not always the strongest zeki but those with the most influential patrons who . Thankfully, Undertaker did return and the two met in another casket match the following year at Survivor Series, this time with actor/karate expert Chuck Norris as the special enforcer to even the odds and stop anyone from interfering. Sign up for Peacock to watch. That was the last word many of WWE's top Superstars heard when they faced the imposing Yokozuna. Now relive the best, worst and most outrageous moments in the iconic career of one of wrestling's most remarkable big men. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Triple H gained the upper hand, and he hit Kane across the skull with a steel chair. [13] On the May 10, 1993, edition of Monday Night Raw, Yokozuna served as one of the lumberjacks in a match between Duggan and Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship. )[11] He made his pay-per-view debut at Survivor Series, easily defeating the much smaller Virgil with his huge weight advantage. Air date Tito Santana, Yokozuna's future WWE Tag Team Championship winning partner Owen Hart, Repo Man, and Bob Backlund were Yoko's next victims. The Big Red Machine was no stranger to casket matches, and he dominated proceedings with power moves. The Phenom rolled him into the casket to ensure a repeat of the WrestleMania 22 outing. 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. As Yokozuna thought that there would be no one left to challenge him, Lex Luger flew in by helicopter, stepped forward, and slammed him on the deck. Tevon is a big fan of professional wrestling, who has followed wrestling since the Attitude Era. His title reign would be short-lived, though, in what still ranks as one of his worst moments. The Best of Keith Lee Yokozuna had a refusal to stay down, and he powered out of Hogan's leg drop which rarely happens. His victory undid the wrongs of WrestleMania IX and set him up for a reign of dominance that would encapsulate WWE and have every major babyface in the company gunning for him. The feud took a painful turn a couple weeks later (April 8), when Vader jumped on Yokozuna's leg, (kayfabe) breaking it. While it only lasted ten minutes, and by Harts account went shorter than planned after Yokozuna got blown up, the match nonetheless highlighted Yokozunas sized and power, while Hart proved technically adept in both shoot and worked senses to remain competitive and put on an engaging show. King Kong Bundy distracted Norris, and IRS assaulted the Deadman. These are colossal bouts include his Casket Matches against The Undertaker and WWE Title Matches with Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Best of Ronda Rousey Survivor Series 1992 was the sight of Yokozuna's WWE pay-per-view debut. Best of Rob Van Dam 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. Ultimately, Undertaker weathered the storm and he went on to win another casket match. Until then, yokozuna was merely a licence given to certain zeki to perform the dohy-iri ceremony. 'Macho Man' Randy Savage's Best Matches Yokozuna defended the WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the 1994 Royal Rumble. The Best of Goldberg There was a magnificent spot, where Undertaker executed a jumping Tombstone on Michaels into the casket. NXTs Most Defining TakeOver Matches There is nothing I like more than basketball, travelling, and animals. 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. [2], The next night on Raw, Yokozuna faced then WWF Champion Shawn Michaels for the title, teasing turning heel again. In 2012, his accomplishments were immortalized, as he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Unlike in many squash matches, Koko came out still looking strong despite losing the match. [39], Yokozuna returned at In Your House 8: Beware of Dog to wrestle Vader. [2][37] Their second reign was shorter, as the Smoking Gunns defeated them that night for the belts. [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. He also spent some time in Mexico, learning the craft and gaining the experience necessary to be a star in the sport. 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. 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. 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. Sign up for BINGE to watch. The two competed in a worked sumo match in which Earthquake actually got the best of Yokozuna, only for Yokozuna to crush his big foe with Banzai Drops shortly thereafter. Previous The Phenom dominated the match, and Rusev was frightened when he rolled onto the casket. Best of Bobby Lashley 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. Yokozuna continued to wrestle briefly before taking some time off to increase his already huge weight advantage.[2][30]. 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. Yokozuna's First 10 WWE PPV Matches, Ranked From Worst To Best By Tevon King Published Dec 19, 2021 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. This was an underwhelming match between the brothers. Best of United States Championship Matches 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 [48], After his WWF career ended, he performed for various independent promotions. These are the matches that exemplify the greatness of the United States Championship. 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. The Best of Survivor Series 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. Had Yokozunas physical condition not deteriorated to the extent it did at this point (by most reports, his kayfabe injuries and absences were connected to concern about his ballooning weight and general health) I can only imagine this would have been a more fully realized feud with more memorable moments. 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 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. 182 minutes Adam Coles Undisputed Best Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Goomba Stomp and Tilt Magazine. Undertaker triumphed and the Game destroyed the casket. Undertaker put this feud to bed after he rolled Heidenreich into the casket for the win. 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. However, a photographer appeared on the apron, and he flashed a fireball in Hogan's face. However, after a lengthy match, Mr. Fuji called out the troops, bringing a dozen heel wrestlers out to aid Yokozuna in attacking the Undertaker. Though he wrestled as a representative of Japan, in real life he was a Samoan American and was accordingly billed as hailing from Polynesia. Best of 2021, Best of Royal Rumble 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. [10] This would be the only time that Anoa'i wrestled under his former gimmick. Soon after, Yokozuna was challenged by American patriot "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, who aimed to be the first man who could knock Yokozuna off his feet (this was taped before Randy Savage knocked down Yokozuna at the Royal Rumble). Undertaker's Most Bone-Chilling Matches 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. 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. Yokozuna was powerless, and Hogan capitalized by nailing Yokozuna with his trademark leg drop to become WWE Champion for a record-extending fifth time. How would you rank Yokozunas rivalries? 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. Yokozuna got tired, and the match finished prematurely. Mr. Again, the answer is no. But his final elimination would be top star Randy Savage, who entered the rumble at #30. Your email address will not be published. Theres a time-honored tradition of a new monster crushing an old monster on his way up the card. Commentator Bobby Heenan claimed Luger's move was a hiptoss, not a bodyslam, as Yokozuna was running at Luger, but the slam was ruled legitimate. Yokozuna was unable to pass a physical required for professional wrestlers by the New York State Athletic Commission. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. Best Matches of 2022. He also knocked out Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette, who tried to enter the ring. Their casket match wasn't a technical masterclass but the match was tons of fun to watch. Depending on your perspective and how you value world title reigns versus being the most popular or famous wrestler in a company, you can argue that Hulk Hogan either passed the torch to Yokozuna as the face of the WWF, or Yokozuna was the long-term transitional champ between the last gasping breath of Hulkamania before attempts at moving along to Lex Luger and ultimately going to Bret Hart (though he himself, was arguably just part of the transition to the great Diesel experiment). 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 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. Vader kayfabe broke Yokozunas leg weeks laterseemingly another monster passing the torch moment, like Yokozuna similarly injuring Earthquake. 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. The 1994 Royal Rumble featured a Casket match for the WWE Championship between Yokozuna and The Undertaker. In one of the matches not broadcast, Yokozuna defeated Vader. [2][3][6] Yokozuna was a competitor in the first-ever match in Monday Night Raw history, defeating the much smaller Koko B. Ware with his signature finisher, the Banzai Drop. Best of Extreme Rules: Part 2 The feud came to an anticlimactic finish with the two on opposite sides, but not blowing off much, at Survivor Series. Raw's Snitsky got involved, and he gave Heidenreich a helping hand. Yokozuna's career was celebrated, with his accomplishments in WWE detailed and his legacy cemented. 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 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. In the 1994 Royal Rumble match, the last two competitors, Lex Luger and Bret Hart, fought and eliminated each other simultaneously. 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. The Undertaker - Royal Rumble 1994, Goldust Vs. This week, Im looking back at seven of the best of them with consideration to quality of storyline, quality of matches, heat, and longevity. Although the Yokozuna character was portrayed as a champion sumo wrestler, Anoai never competed as an actual sumotori. 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. Nonetheless, he had his moments and his solid rivalries. Stream WWE on. Money Matches and Moments Michaels was in an insurmountable amount of pain, but he soldiered on, and they still had an excellent contest. Yokozuna then gave the Undertaker a Banzai Drop, but the Undertaker sat up when Yokozuna went for a second Banzai Drop. [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 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. However, when Luger went for the pin, Perfect occupied himself with the unconscious Fuji and Cornette who were still lying on the ring apron. [25] To obviate the risk of outside interference, both title matches were scheduled to have special guest referees. On top of that, though the WWF billed him from Polynesia, he dressed in sumo garb, waved the Japanese flag and came to the ring with Mr. Fuji, clearly casting him as a representative of Japan and appealing to the WWF fanships jingoistic impulses. Perfect, he was disqualified, thus making Yokozuna the first villainous champion to successfully defend the WWF Championship at a WrestleMania. Forever Flair: Ric Flair's Defining Matches Host of the Sordid Cinema Podcast and NXpress Nintendo Podcast. 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. Randy Orton and The Undertaker's feud dominated SmackDown in 2005. A significant weight issuehad doomed his on-screen presence and relegated him to inconsistent programs. [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. 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 Comments Matchguide He was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012. Undertaker sported his Phantom of the Opera-like mask, and he was determined to put King Mabel away. In the best . Click here for our privacy policy. The contest would be Yokozuna's last significant match on television. [28] At King of the Ring 1994, Yokozuna and Crush failed to win the WWF Tag Team Championship from The Headshrinkers (Samu and Fatu). Virgil attempted a roll-up but Yokozuna outsmarted Virgil by flattening him. Anoai's career in professional wrestling began as he grew up in a family full of wrestlers, the Anoai family. 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. On that night, his weight became the centerpiece of his match. Copyright 2022 TIlt Magazine. Undertaker and Kamala were on opposing sides of the ring in this bout, and the Ugandan Giant was deathly afraid of Undertaker. The Extreme [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. Best of Money in the Bank: Part 2 Best of John Cena Nonetheless, the match itself was average, but it was memorable. Best of Luke Harper Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 06:51, List of premature professional wrestling deaths, "WWE World Heavyweight Championship history", "World Tag Team Championship (WWE) history", "Bruce Prichard Reveals Who Came up with Rikishi's Stink Face Gimmick", "Yokozuna's first WWE Championship reign", "The 10 fastest rises to the WWE World Heavyweight Title", "Yokozuna's second WWE Championship reign", "Owen Hart and Yokozuna's first World Tag Team Championship reign", "Owen Hart and Yokozuna's second World Tag Team Championship reign", August 19, 1996 RAW Shawn Michaels vs. Yokozuna, "Jim Ross shoots on Yokozuna's last matches in the WWF", "Matches " Yokozuna " Wrestlers Database " CAGEMATCH - the Internet Wrestling Database", "This Day in Wrestling History (October 23): Cross the Line to HD", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yokozuna_(wrestler)&oldid=1140883009, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 06:51. [2] He made a one-off appearance for Jim Crockett Promotions on August 12, 1987, facing Ron Simmons at a house show. This was the first time that the WWE Title was defended in a casket match. Your email address will not be published. The One and Only Ricochet [2][21] Yokozuna and Luger continued to feud until Survivor Series, where each chose a team of allies for an elimination match. 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. This was an intense brawl and Undertaker managed to hit the Ortons with a steel chair. He was billed as the biggest Samoan wrestler ever[8] and given credit for breaking Greg Gagne's leg and ending his career.[2]. In late 1992, Yokozuna joined WWE and he pushed right to the top almost instantly in his WWE career. Yokozuna will collides with the greatest rivals of his WWE Hall of Fame career. Kane and Triple H's feud in 2002 was strange, but their casket match was better than many expected it to be. Show didn't make life easy for Undertaker who was celebrating 18 years with WWE. "Banzai!". 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. He then vanished. His uncles were The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika, who trained him from an early age in the family business. 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