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Mat Classic: Undertaker vs. Hogan
With WWE's Tuesday night Pay-per-view experiment this past week, I thought it might be fun to look back at the last time the company tried a weekday Pay-per-view event.
Mat Classic: WWF World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker vs. Hulk Hogan
Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas - December 3, 1991
The History
One year after his debut in WWF, The Undertaker faced Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan for the title at the Survivor Series in Detroit, Michigan on November 27, 1991. The finish of the match saw manager Paul Bearer distracting the referee while Ric Flair slid a steel chair into the ring for Undertaker to tombstone Hogan on. Undertaker won his first WWF Title, and ended Hogan's third title reign. Later in the broadcast, it was announced that due to the controversial ending, a rematch was being ordered at the "earliest possible opportunity" which would be at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas the following Tuesday. That show had already become important when it was announced that Randy Savage would be reinstated (he had been forced to retire after losing to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VII), in order to face Jake Roberts. Suddenly (or at least it seemed suddenly to the majority of viewers watching Survivor Series), there was a new Pay-per-view event "Tuesday In Texas" less than a week after Survivor Series.
The show, which was a shorter, lower priced event, saw the following undercard: Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart defeated Skinner. ... Randy Savage pinned Jake Roberts. After the match, Roberts DDT'd Elizabeth. ... Davey Boy Smith defeated The Warlord. ... Ted DiBiase & Repo Man defeated Tito Santana & Virgil. ... There were also several non-televised preliminary matches, as well as Ric Flair defeating Roddy Piper.
The Match
Undertaker was led to the ring by Paul Bearer, practically dragging the WWF Title belt with him. WWF President Jack Tunney would appear at ringside after the opening bell, as he had promised to personally observe the match in order to avoid another controversial ending.
Hulk Hogan tore off his shirt as he came down the aisle, and ran to the ring. Undertaker and Bearer started kicking him as he slid in, but Hogan gave them a double noggin knocker, sending Bearer out of the ring. Hogan hit some punches on Taker, then delivered a clothesline in the corner. Hogan punched Taker while standing on the second rope, bit him in the head, then punched him ten times with the fans counting along. Hogan eye raked and punched Taker, then hit a reverse atomic drop, but Taker sat up. Hogan hit a clothesline, wobbling Taker. Hogan hit a kick and an eye rake, then went for a slam, but Taker hit his back. Hogan went back to punches and eye rakes, and then slammed The Undertaker, only to see him sit up again.. Paul Bearer got on the apron, but Hogan knocked him down. Hogan clotheslined Taker over the top rope, but he landed on his feet. Undertaker regrouped with Bearer, and Hogan grabbed his hair as he got back in the ring. Undertaker went to pull Hogan across the top rope, but messed up the spot. Hogan hit Taker with punches, then knocked him of the apron. Taker tripped Hogan from the outside and dragged him to the floor. Taker hit some punches and a thrust to the throat. A "Hogan" chant broke out. Taker choked Hogan on the floor, his own eyes rolling back in his head.
Taker returned to the ring, and Hogan slowly rolled in. Taker stomped Hogan and choked him near the bottom rope for a four count. Taker delivered a thrust to Hogan's throat, then choked him in the corner, with Bearer distracting the referee. Undertaker stood on the second rope, choking Hogan, but Hogan pulled him out and rammed Taker into opposite corner. Hogan whipped Taker across the ring, but ran into an Undertaker knee. Undertaker grabbed Hogan's arm and went for the rope walk, hitting the top rope forearm to the shoulder. Taker punched Hogan on the mat, then choked him again. Hogan rolled to the floor, then pulled Undertaker out. Some punches were delivered by Hogan, but Taker reversed a whip and sent Hogan into the ringpost. Taker threw Hogan back into the ring, and applied a claw to the face, but with the fingers running alongside Hogan's face, not in the usual claw position, more like a smother, getting a two count.
Undertaker saluted the urn while maintaining his bizarre claw. Hogan though, started to Hulk up, removing Taker's hand and kicking free. They crisscrossed the ring, but Taker tripped and fell on the ropes, which seemed loose. Hogan threw Taker into a corner, then charged in, but Takeer hit him with a big boot. Taker whipped Hogan into the ropes and hit a flying clothesline. Taker saluted the urn, then covered Hogan for a two count. Taker went for the rope walk again, but Hogan armdragged Taker to the mat and started Hulking up again. Ric Flair came to ringside as Undertaker threw ineffective punches at Hogan. Jack Tunney and Flair began arguing at ringside. Hogan hit some punches and clotheslined Taker over the top rope and to the floor again. Hogan went to ringside, picked up a chair and hit Flair across the back, sending him into Jack Tunney and knocking Tunney out. The next week, Tunney would lose Kane's baby .... oh sorry, wrong story. Back to the match.
Hogan got back in the ring and hit Taker with a running elbow, a chop, a punch, and another chop, but Taker raked his eyes. Hogan hit a running knee to Taker after being whipped into the ropes, but Taker raked his eyes again. Bearer started distracting the referee, and Flair got on the apron with a chair. Hogan whipped Taker into the chair, then clotheslined Flair off the apron. Hogan hit a boot to the face, but Taker hit a thrust to Hogan's throat. With Flair and the unconscious Tunney on the floor now distracting the referee, Bearer went to hit Hogan with the urn, but missed and hit the Undertaker. Hogan knocked Bearer off apron, opened up the urn, and threw a handful of ashes into the face of the Undertaker. At the same time, Flair had pulled Tunney up to the ring apron, so Tunney saw the ashes being thrown, even though the referee did not. Hogan cradled the now blinded Undertaker for the pin at the 13:09 mark. Hogan then hit Taker with belt to send him from ring. Bearer backed Taker down the aisle, as Hogan celebrated in the ring. Meanwhile, Jack Tunney could be seen talking to the referee at ringside.
The Aftermath
It was announced that weekend on WWF programming that because a referee's decision is always final, Hulk Hogan was the winner, making him the first ever four time WWF World Heavyweight Champion. However, due to the controversial nature of the Survivor Series and Tuesday In Texas matches, WWF President Jack Tunney had decided to vacate the championship, stripping Hogan of the title. The belt would remain vacant for a month, as it was out up as the prize in the Royal Rumble that January. Hogan and Undertaker would be given a special dispensation for the match, as they would be guaranteed a spot between numbers 20 and 30 in the thirty man Rumble. Of course, the winner of that Rumble, and the title, was Ric Flair.
As for Tuesday Pay-per-view events, WWF/E never ran another one ... until this past week.
Availability: Available on the Hulk Still Rules DVD.
MAT CLASSIC: HULK HOGAN VS. THE UNDERTAKER - TUESDAY IN TEXAS
by Buck Woodward @ 2:30:00 PM on 10/23/2004
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