The Undertaker vs. Diesel

The Winner: The Undertaker

WrestleMania 12

Background Noise

Diesel flipped off The Undertaker at Royal Rumble 1996, costing him a WWF Title match. The Undertaker responded at the February 1996 ppv by dragging Diesel under the ring, costing him a WWF Title match. This was the first former World Champion that The Undertaker faced on the streak. Dare I say that Kevin Nash was more capable than Giant Gonzales and King Kong Bundy, thus this wouldn’t be as much of a drag to watch as those were. I remember watching this match when it happened but when listing “victims” on the streak, Diesel usually is one of the last ones that come to mind. Paul Bearer accompanies The Undertaker to the ring for this one.

The Bell

Undertaker got Diesel down first and much earlier in the match than he had in years. It took him a while to get Roberts and Bundy down and he didn’t get Gonzales down at WrestleMania IX at all. Undertaker almost hit a tombstone early, which would have been a first since WrestleMania 8 (Gonzales and Bundy were both very large). Undertaker did try a chair shot at one point but Diesel got out of the way. Diesel would be the heel in this match, so The Undertaker using a chair would be a little odd. Diesel posted Undertaker and then proceeded to block him from reentering the match. When he got back in, Undertaker was knocked down with a big boot. After a side slam, Diesel got a two count, which to my memory is the first near fall in the history of the streak. The two eventually hit a double big boot, knocking each other down. Diesel hit the jackknife at a point but postured instead of pinning, Undertaker sat up. Diesel hit him with a second one and taunted again but when he went for a pin, Taker fought up and out. Undertaker hits his first tombstone at WrestleMania since WrestleMania 8 to continue his streak.

The Final Verdict

Not only was the winning streak continued but the streak of dud matches was broken. It was, to this point, the longest and hardest fought match of The Streak. It was back and forth, which to this point, only the Jake Roberts match could be described as. Diesel’s bravado likely cost him the match. He was a much better opponent than the previous two that The Undertaker faced. Diesel left the company several months later, so it wouldn’t have made much sense for Undertaker to lose here. It put him back on track after a few years of underwhelming performances by The Undertaker.