Ranking All Of The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Matches
By Tim Sherry
credit: wwe.com
17. Diesel – WrestleMania XII
The Undertaker/Diesel match at WrestleMania XII is far from a mat wrestling classic. After all, we’re talking about two near 7-footers going head to head and let’s be even more honest, Diesel didn’t exactly have a very diverse wrestling playbook. He relied on elbows, a sidewalk slam, a big boot, and a jacknife powerbomb. But where Diesel excelled, and always did, was his ability, whether baby face or heel, to get over with the crowd. That was the case when he was Shawn Michaels bodyguard, it was the case during his 358 day World Championship run for the majority of the previous year before this match, and it was absolutely the case during the buildup to this showdown with The Undertaker.
Diesel, who had been a baby face after mercifully saving all of us from any more of a Bob Backlund title run in November of 1994, quickly turned heel after losing his championship to Bret Hart at the 1995 Survivor Series. His contempt for Hart and any future title defense got him in The Undertaker’s cross-hairs as he twice interfered in title matches involving The Deadman. This led to one of Taker’s most iconic moments as he, during the championship rematch between Hart and Diesel at In Your House: Rage in the Cage one month before Mania, came up through the mat and pulled Diesel underneath with him seemingly into the abyss.
This all culminated in this match from WM XII which was a solid, if unspectacular match. Both guys did what they had to do and when it was all over, Taker was still undefeated and well on his way to finally capturing another world title.