The Ultimate Warrior vs The Undertaker (WWF, 7-21-1991)

WWF, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This is the “main event” of the Rampage ’91 Coliseum Video tape. This was a tape I had as a kid and is now available on WWE Network, something that delights me because I can relive this CLASSIC. There’s also a Paul Bearer vignette before this match that I highly recommend. Poor George.

Undertaker’s out first, still early in his WWF career, still a heel, still redhaired as hell, still mulleted. Warrior gets a nice pop for his entrance, then sprints right in and the action starts.

Warrior with three wild swiping right hands, and he rams Taker into the turnbuckle. Kick, right, whip to the other side, Warrior with a clothesline. Taker barely reacting to any of this, and on a second charge in the corner he moves. But Warrior hits the ropes and blindsides Undertaker with a clothesline, knocking him over the top to the floor. Alfred Hayes gives no credit to Undertaker’s athleticism for that, just his height.

Warrior grabs Taker by the hair from the inside but gets his jaw jacked over the top rope. Taker slowly makes his way to the steps and gets back in, real dignified-like. Now Undertaker grabs Warrior by the jaw. He’s got his hand gripping Warrior’s jaw, arm straight out…

…and that is the position we stay in for a full two minutes and 56 seconds, until Warrior finally stands up and removes the hand from his face.

Warrior is fine, he’s throwing bombs again, but Undertaker headbutts him down. Undertaker stalks around again. Off the ropes, head of steam, jumping clothesline. Warrior pops up, but he’s hurting and falls back down.

More slow Taker offense. Warrior kicks him a couple times and hits a scoop slam. Off the ropes, clothesline, off the ropes, clothesline, off the ropes, clothesline. Undertaker sent in, Warrior telegraphs a backdrop and pays the price in the form of an uppercut. Taker gets him up for the tombstone and hits it. “No opponent has ever recovered from that,” says Sean Mooney.

But Taker takes his time crossing the arms for the pin, and Warrior kicks out at two. Warrior up and shaking the ropes, he’s Jiming up. Bearer gives Undertaker the urn, and Undertaker hits Warrior for the DQ. Taker keeps attacking and Lord Alfred suggests maybe the Warrior submitted, and Sean Mooney stops himself from asking Alfred if he’s a fucking idiot.

The bodybag is out. Warrior is put into the bag and Taker is trying to zip it up. Warrior twitching and shaking the whole time and he gets free. Bearer bails, Taker does not. Warrior hits the ropes and clothesline Taker out to the floor again. Taker tries to go back, but Bearer restrains him and they leave.

Rating: 1.5/5. It is historically amusing to me that in a seven-minute match they spent three minutes in a FACELOCK, but it’s a very bad match. I kinda recommend it, though. It’s vintage early Undertaker in a lot of ways and an all-timer performance by Warrior, obviously.