WrestleMania XII - Undertaker vs. Diesel
As 1996 began, Undertaker was the No. 1 Contender to the WWE Championship. At that year’s Royal Rumble, Undertaker had a chance to regain the gold he once wore when he met Bret Hart. However, as Undertaker had Hart pinned after a Tombstone Piledriver, former champion Diesel interfered, pulling the referee out of the ring and drawing a disqualification.
The next month, Diesel fought Hart in a Steel Cage Match at an In Your House event. As Diesel had Hart beaten, Undertaker broke through the ring, grabbing Diesel and allowing Hart to escape the cage and retain the championship. Undertaker and Diesel were on a full collision course for WrestleMania XII, and the Deadman played mind games in the weeks leading up to the bout, including wheeling a casket loaded with a life-size replica of Diesel to the ring during one of his matches.
At WrestleMania, the two men began to brawl as soon as the match began. Undertaker took it to Diesel early, sending him into the steel ring steps and beating his opponent down. However, Diesel would come back, sending Undertaker to the floor after dodging his trademark Old School Ropewalk.
Diesel spent the majority of the bout pummeling Undertaker, hitting all of his signature moves, but was unable to keep the Deadman down. The Deadman made a comeback after escaping a bearhug, but Diesel was able to hit the Jackknife Powerbomb. Instead of pinning the Deadman, however, Diesel chose to punish him some more, a move which proved to be his undoing.
Diesel hit another Jackknife, but the Undertaker shrugged off the move and sat up, much to Diesel’s disbelief. Undertaker then went after Diesel with a vengeance, choking the life out of his opponent. Undertaker hit a chokeslam, and followed with the Tombstone to get the three count.