Chuck Norris, the star of action-packed movies and shows (e.g., Walker, Texas Ranger), was a symbol of toughness and manliness. It wasn’t just an act. He was highly decorated in mixed martial arts and held back belts in multiple disciplines. He also made a pro wrestling appearance.
While the martial arts stats on Norris are worth writing about, in this piece I write bout the time he crossed over into pro wrestling. It was at the 1994 WWF Survivor Series event in San Antonio, Texas. The WWF was looking to capitalize on the popularity of Chuck Norris and his Walker, Texas Ranger show.
Scene from Royal Rumble (1994), photo courtesy YouTube
Chuck Norris’ role was to serve as the outside enforcer for the main event, a Casket Match between The Undertaker and Yokozuna. In a Casket Match, a casket is at ringside, and you win by putting your opponent in the casket and closing the lid. The outside enforcer’s job is to prevent anyone who shouldn’t be there from getting involved in the match.
To understand why an outside enforcer of the caliber of Chuck Norris was needed for the match, we have to go back to January 1994, when the conflict between The Undertaker and Yokozuna began at the Royal Rumble. Heading into the 1994 Royal Rumble event, Yokozuna was the WWF World Champion and was set to defend the championship against The Undertaker in a Casket Match.
That January 1994 match was a back-and-forth battle as Yokozuna tried to conquer his fear of the casket while standing toe-to-toe with the master of the casket match. Eventually, The Undertaker had the advantage and was closing in on victory when Yokozuna got some help from ten (that’s right, the) other wrestlers.
With allies, an eleven-on-one assault on The Undertaker began. Eventually, this gang of heels was able to roll the lifeless Undertaker into the casket and slam the lid shut, securing the victory for Yokozuna.
While the bad guys rolled the casket back up the entranceway, an image of The Undertaker appeared on the video board, announcing that the world would soon witness the rebirth of The Undertaker.
Today, we know the event was staged so that The Undertaker (Mark Calaway) had a reason to be off television to heal from a lingering back injury. The Undertaker returned at the Summer Slam event in August, where he defeated Ted DiBiase’s fake Undertaker. Not long after Summer Slam, The Undertaker set his sights on vengeance against Yokozuna.
Norris at the 1994 Survivor Series event (photo courtesy Yahoo!)
This brings us to Thanksgiving Eve, Survivor Series 1994. The Undertaker vs. Yokozuna was set to be the main event, and Chuck Norris was there to keep any outside interference at bay. The first half of the match told the story of Yokozuna’s fear of the casket and his inability to keep The Undertaker down. Every move the six-hundred-pounder threw at him, the Deadman just seemed to get right back up. Eventually, The Undertaker was able to take the mighty Yokozuna down! But as he began to roll his foe towards the casket, the interference would begin.
As The Undertaker was closing in on victory, Yokozuna’s allies, King Kong Bundy and Bam Bam Bigelow, made their way down to Norris. Norris was ready, standing his ground between the outsiders and the ring. But the problem was soon clear: Bundy and Bigelow weren’t alone. Irwin R. Shyster (IRS), another Yokozuna ally, snuck through the crowd and attacked The Undertaker.
IRS took out Taker with a sleeper hold. He then placed him in the casket and quickly escaped undetected by Norris, who was still tending to Bundy and Bigelow.
All Yokozuna had to do was close the casket lid, and victory was his. But as he tried, The Undertaker reached out and wrapped its fingers around Yokozuna’s throat. Now it was The Undertaker who was close to winning the match.
But wait! Jeff Jarrett (Double J), another Yokozuna supporter, made his way down to the ringside. Once again, Norris stood his ground, but Double J kept coming … and walked right into a roundhouse kick.
With that accomplished, The Undertaker rolled Yokozuna into the casket. Then, for good measure, he snatched the Japanese flag from Yokozuna’s manager, Mr. Fuji, snapped the flag pole in half, and threw it in the casket with his opponent. The Undertaker slammed the lid shut and finally got his revenge.
Though his appearance in the WWF was brief, Chuck Norris’ involvement drew significant attention to the product at a time when business wasn’t the best. The ultimate professional, Norris played his part perfectly and sent the fans home happy. And in pro wrestling, that’s what’s really important.
