For The Record 3.22.09: Undertaker’s CLEAN Losses

The “Deadman” version of The Undertaker does not lose very often. And for good reason. The Deadman is a main eventer, a legend, and a WWE institution near the level of Hogan and Austin. Icons that thrive in the same manner as Taker, Hogan, and Austin need their hands raised for their gimmicks to click. That’s what happens to over wrestlers that are hyped as virtually super-human.

Today’s article will examine occasions when The Undertaker was pinned cleanly in one-on-one televised matches, or at least relatively cleanly. However, the focus will be on the Deadman character from 1990-1999 and 2004-present. The focus will not be on his biker/Big Evil gimmick from 2000-2003. The Deadman and biker characters were radically different and those eras of The Undertaker’s career will remain distinct and separate. Therefore, to reiterate, today’s focus will be on clean and televised one-on-one pinfall losses suffered by the legendary and iconic “Deadman.”

First, let’s distinguish between two different terms that will be used today. A “relatively clean” loss is when a wrestler is only subject to a minimal amount of cheating in the course of his defeat. A “purely clean” loss is when a wrestler is pinned without any cheating, interference, or foul play whatsoever. And just for clarity, in the latter parts of this article the word “clean” will be used to refer to truly (purely) clean losses.

In the early parts of the Deadman’s career, The Undertaker was an indestructible, zombie-like heel. He was virtually impervious to pain and was built as someone that basically couldn’t lose. Sure, he might have put over a few wrestlers at house shows. But televised and clean pinfall losses generally eluded the Deadman.

The Undertaker’s first notable and high profile pinfall loss came at the hands of Hulk Hogan at the “Tuesday in Texas” pay-per-view. However, Undertaker’s loss was not clean. Hogan used ashes before scoring an ugly roll-up victory. The Undertaker also suffered a televised loss to Tito Santana, but Santana used the urn to score a victory. So as a heel (until 1992 at least), the Deadman did not suffer many pinfalls in televised matches. He certainly did not lose cleanly.

The Undertaker would go on to feud with the likes of Yokozuna, King Mabel, and Mankind among others in the coming years. But the Deadman would not be subject to a relatively clean loss until 1998. In the match to determine who would battle Austin for the WWF Championship at the King of the Ring, Kane defeated The Undertaker. However, Kane’s win was not completely clean. Mankind did intervene and indirectly gave Kane the assist. Later on that year though, Taker lost again…

Do you remember Summerslam 1998? The Undertaker faced Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship. Austin retained by pinfall in an epic main event. But if you recall, Stone Cold got a low blow on The Undertaker before delivering the stunner. Austin would score a much cleaner win the day after King of the Ring 1999 when he defeated The Undertaker for the WWF Championship. Stone Cold’s win was about 99.9% clean, and Austin might be the first wrestler ever to score a legitimately clean and televised one-on-one victory over The Undertaker.

It would be six more years before the Deadman suffered a relatively clean loss. But before we go on, one more word on the previous paragraph. The reason why I said Austin’s win was 99.9% clean was because he did drop The Undertaker’s neck across the ropes from the ring apron less than 30 seconds before pinning the Deadman. However, since it did not trigger a cause of events that led to a fall, it was an essentially clean loss for the Taker. But anyway, it appears that from Taker’s 1999 title loss until 2006, the Deadman was not pinned in a purely clean one-on-one televised match. If I am wrong, please correct me. I will gladly admit error. But if memory serves me correct, I’ll state again that the Deadman Taker didn’t lose cleanly after taking the fall from Austin until 2006.

Some readers might say “correction, Randy Orton beat Taker at Summerslam 2005.” Orton did win, but his win was not totally clean. Cowboy Bob Orton distracted The Undertaker and enabled his son to put way the Deadman. Yes, whether or not Orton’s win was clean might be debatable. It was at least relatively clean. But no question about it, Bob Orton had a part, regardless of how small, in the Taker’s loss.

So now, we look ahead to No Way Out 2006. Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship. That was the second time to my recollection that The Undertaker suffered a truly clean loss in his entire “Deadman” career. Angle used one of Taker’s signature submission holds against him to pin the Deadman’s shoulders to the ground. It was an historic match because it would go on to be one of the few times the “Deadman” Taker has EVER lost cleanly in a one-on-one televised match.

Later that year, the Undertaker lost to the Great Khali. Khali’s win was shocking. But his victory was aided by Daivari who helped to untangle Khali from the ropes. After Khali was untangled, he got the upper hand on Taker. And thus, though Khali’s win was darn near close to clean (or “relatively clean”), it was not purely clean.

Taker’s third truly clean televised pinfall loss came at the hands of Batista at Cyber Sunday 2007. With Stone Cold Steve Austin as special referee, the Animal and the Deadman did battle for the World Heavyweight Championship. Batista won clean with a Batista Bomb and enjoyed one of the biggest victories of his career. It was an historic loss for the Deadman.

So as we can see thus far, and correct me if I’m wrong, it appears that “Deadman” Taker’s only clean one-on-one televised pinfall losses came from Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Batista. Okay, we’ve covered the faces that’ve beaten Taker. Now let’s look at two heels who can claim clean victories over The Undertaker. One of those individuals, not surprisingly, won in controversial fashion.

In May of 2007, Edge defeated The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship on Smackdown by cashing in on his newly won Money in the Bank contract. Technically, from bell to bell, Edge did not cheat. However, his win reeked of impropriety. Before Edge cashed in, The Undertaker retained the title against Batista in a cage match. Following the cage match, Mark Henry brutally attacked The Undertaker. It was only after Taker was beaten into oblivion that Edge cashed in. So therefore, Edge’s victory was questionable and tainted. But they don’t call Edge the Ultimate Opportunist for nothing. By a literal interpretation of the letter of the law, Edge beat Taker cleanly from bell to bell.

However, that victory would not be as historically significant as one newcomer’s recent win: Vladimir Kozlov’s

On the February 27th edition of Smackdown, just shy of a month ago, Kozlov pinned The Undertaker. Kozlov, a full-fledged heel defeated the babyface Undertaker cleanly. No hint of cheating, no outside interference, no pre-match beatdowns. Kozlov defeated the legendary Phenom without the slightest bit of foul play. What other heel has pinned the babyface Deadman Undertaker cleanly in a one-on-one televised match? Nobody, at least according to my research and recollection.

Kozlov might have quietly scored the most significant and shocking upset victory of this decade. Don’t dismiss it, Kozlov’s victory was monumental. To beat The Undertaker cleanly is almost as special as winning a world title. Sure, Kozlov has lost cleanly to Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and Triple H since that win over Taker. But it doesn’t matter. Kozlov will always be a credible threat to whichever opponent he faces for the rest of his career. He is a part of the most exclusive club in wrestling: guys who defeated The Undertaker cleanly.

Kozlov might be the only full-fledged heel to ever cleanly defeat the babyface Deadman version of The Undertaker.

WWE must have big plans for Kozlov. Otherwise, why give the Moscow Mauler such a momentous victory?

And now, a side note. If you can think of clean losses suffered by the “Deadman” Undertaker that were not mentioned in this article, please let us know. Maybe I missed something; despite my best efforts this article might not be 100% accurate.