The Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez – SummerSlam 1993
The ’90s really were a funny time for wrestling. While certain gimmicks from the early days of the WWE evolved with the time (like, well, The Undertaker of course), many of its elements did not. And the Rest In Peace match that really wasn’t anything other than an anything-goes match (with a black wreath for the loser) is one of them.
The ‘Taker’s bout with Giant Gonzalez at WrestleMania IX is quite infamous because it’s part of The Streak, but their rematch at SummerSlam 1993 is all-but-forgotten about. Maybe that’s for the best, as it doesn’t add anything of value to their story other than being a gimmicky way for The Deadman to end the feud by coming out on top. But the thing is that it wasn’t even all that gimmicky or fun. It’s just there, existing as a match with a gimmick attached to it while never really making use of that to entertain us.
Like their WrestleMania clash, it was the antics outside of the match that stole the show here, as Paul Bearer’s triumphant return (and subsequent run-in with Harvey Wippleman) was easily the most joyous moment of the whole thing. And that was very much needed after a rather joyless match that just saw The Undertaker being pushed and poked around the ring.
You can decide if it’s better or worse than the pair’s WrestleMania altercation but it really was essentially just more of the same.
Verdict: WORST