Most fans think of The Undertaker vs Giant Gonzalez as tape for the blooper reel of the Undertaker's career. Something to laugh at once and never go back to, but there are some interesting things about the rivalry that is worth revisiting
Undertaker is one of the most legendary characters in WWE history. The Undertaker's run of dominance in WWE is unmatched in terms of record and longevity. He had legendary feuds with many of the top stars of each respective decade. Undertaker has fought the like Batista Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts and beat them all.
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However, The Undertaker vs Giant Gonzalez is on the other end of the spectrum. This feud is one of The Undertaker's least legendary, but there are still things to be learned in feuds such as this. The Undertaker certainly thought so.
10 The Undertaker & Giant Gonzalez Are Not So Different
Both Undertaker and Giant Gonzalez were basketball players. Undertaker played basketball in high school and college and considered going off to play basketball in Europe before doing wrestling instead. Gonzalez played basketball as well in Argentina. The Giant Gonzalez was drafted to the NBA by the Atlanta Hawks in the third round, and Gonzalez actually became one of the first Argentine players drafted to the NBA. Plus, Undertaker and Gonzalez both ended up in WCW around the same time, and WCW wanted them to feud.
9 Won By DQ
The Undertaker and Giant Gonzalez had a match at WrestleMania 9. Gonzalez was the first competitor Undertaker faced during his WrestleMania streak who was bigger than him. Undertaker is very strong both physically and as a character, but people wondered if Undertaker could overcome the giant in this 'Mania match. Gonzalez started this feud by brutalizing Undertaker at the 1993 Royal Rumble.
At WrestleMania, Gonzalez incapacitated Undertaker with chloroform, causing The Undertaker to win by DQ. This was the only DQ victory in The Undertaker's streak. This match set the two up for a rematch, but Undertaker stood tall at the end of this encounter after popping up from a stretcher 21 years before Daniel Bryan's WrestleMania stretcher spot.
8 Overzealous WCW
Jim Ross was in WCW when Giant Gonzalez was with the company. During this time, Gonzalez performed under the name El Gigante. While it's easy now to dunk on Gonzalez as a poor worker, Ross points out on his podcast Grilling with Jr that Gonzalez didn't have training when he arrived in WCW. Gonzalez didn't have much wrestling knowledge, but WCW was so excited that they found the next Andre that they didn't train Gonzalez well and rushed him out in front of people way too fast. Jr also points out that Andre had seven years of experience before becoming Andre The Giant. Gonzalez didn't have any experience before WCW, and by his fourth year, he was in WWE.
7 Wrestlers May Be Smaller Than They Appear
Giant Gonzalez was the tallest WWE wrestler and tallest player in Argentine basketball. Gonzalez had giantism, which is why he was already 6'9" when he was 14. In WWE, Giant Gonzalez towered over his manager Harvey Wippleman (5'7") and even towered over the Undertaker (6'10"). WWE told us that Giant Gonzalez was 8' feet tall, but he was actually only 7'7". However, Gonzalez was still the tallest wrestler in WWE history, which is probably why WWE matched him against their resident monster, The Undertaker.
6 Mark Calloway's Biggest Test
The Giant Gonzalez was a really limited performer in the ring. According to The Undertaker's interview with Sam Roberts, he didn't want to work with Giant Gonzalez, and he was more interested in working with Yokozuna. Undertaker said this program took years off his career because it was physically challenging, but the mental strain was worse.
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Undertaker wanted to be having great matches like Bret, but that wasn't possible with Gonzalez. Undertaker was tired of always working with big guys who weren't great workers, but he said working with Gonzalez helped him get better at working with people in the future.
5 Gentle Giant
By all accounts, Giant Gonzalez was a nice guy. He sent money to his family when he made it big. When he was done with wrestling and had financial hardships, his manager Harvey Wippleman had grown so close to Gonzalez that he sent money to Gonzalez in Argentina. The Argentine Basketball Federation also helped Giant Gonzalez when he was sick and retired. Also, Bill Alfonso, a friend of Gonzalez and referee, told a story on Wrestling 911 about when they were practicing a finish to the Gonzalez vs Undertaker match where Gonzalez slammed the ref (Bill Alfonso). Gonzalez slammed Alfonzo, but he did it too hard and knocked him out accidentally. Alfonso recounts seeing Gonzalez crying and apologizing to him after.
4 New School?
Audiences are used to the athleticism of The Undertaker today. However, back in the early '90s, The Undertaker was more of a character wrestler, and he didn't bump very much and no-sold a lot of attacks because he was The Undertaker. The Undertaker was in the first few years of his career in the early '90s and was still evolving his character and expanding his moveset. However, at WrestleMania 9 against Giant Gonzalez, The Undertaker pulled out the old school for the first time.
3 Riding in Style
WWE has always stood apart from other wrestling companies in pageantry and production, even in the early '90s. The Undertaker was the best character of the time from a visual standpoint, and so it only made sense that he got a special WrestleMania entrance. At WrestleMania 9, Undertaker had his first special WrestleMania entrance. Brother Love said that WWE used the tools available to them from Caesars Palace to create the entrance. One of the things they had available to them was a list of animals. WWE chose to use the crow, and the image of the Undertaker at WrestleMania 9 became iconic. Undertaker came out through green smoke on a carriage pulled by Egyptian warriors with a giant crow like he was the Morrigan arriving at the battle to foreshadow death.
2 For The Very First Time
After the WrestleMania 9 match, The Undertaker and The Giant Gonzalez continued to feud. Harry Wippleman coordinated an attack on The Undertaker that would have devastating effects.
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Giant Gonzalez attacked The Undertaker, and Wippleman faced off against Paul Bearer, and then his associate Mr. Hughes came out and stole The Undertaker's urn. Hughes is the first wrestler in history to steal The Undertaker's urn. Then Hughes and Gonzalez beat The Undertaker and Paul with the urn before leaving.
1 Undertaker & Giant Gonzalez Had A Better Match At SummerSlam
WrestleMania 9 is pretty widely regarded as a bad match. Because it was WrestleMania and part of The Undertaker's streak, it's more well known than the sequel. However, Undertaker vs. The Giant Gonzalez at SummerSlam 1993 was the better match. It was no disqualification, and it had a decisive finish and a better match story. It's the match Undertaker and Gonzalez should have had at WrestleMania. Taker and Gonzalez used weapons and brawled.
Gonzalez beat Undertaker up most of the match, with Undertaker fighting back a little before getting beat up again. Wippleman had Undertaker's Urn, and Paul Bearer wasn't with The Undertaker, so the Deadman was mortal for a night. Undertaker kept trying to get to his urn, but Gonzalez wouldn't allow it. Paul Bearer came out and got the urn back. Undertaker rose, started beating Gonzalez up, and finished him with a top rope clothesline.
