When Undertaker disappeared from television sets in January 1994 following a Casket match loss to Yokozuna at the Royal Rumble, men, women and children began reporting sightings of the Dead Man in some of the most curious settings, such as parks, donut shops and fire stations. "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase eventually claimed to have purchased The Undertaker and reintroduced the Phenom to fans across the globe. Except something was off. DiBiase's Undertaker was shorter and had tattoos that did not quite match those of the original. When Paul Bearer emerged and questioned the validity of the Superstar, everyone had their suspicions confirmed. Bearer vowed to bring the real Undertaker to SummerSlam. To make matters even more ridiculous, actor Leslie Nielsen, who starred in the hit film series "Naked Gun," was recruited to investigate the whereabouts of the Dead Man. True to his word, Bearer led the real Undertaker to the ring for his war against his doppelganger, a war that was won by the purple and black-clad Phenom. The fake would never be seen against and Undertaker would eventual start up a rivalry with DiBiase's Corporation. While many would consider the SummerSlam 1994 bout one of the low points of the Dead Man's Hall of Fame-worthy career, the year-long run of working guys like King Kong Bundy, Kama and Mabel would represent even darker days.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
