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Few moments were more terrifying for me as a young WWE fan in the 1990s than the time a ghost appeared at the Royal Rumble.
Barely eight years old, I was adamant that the Undertaker was going to triumph over Yokozuna and capture the WWE Championship in a casket match.
The sumo behemoth was petrified of both Taker and the double wide, double deep casket, so the combination of the two seemed the perfect match, and the ideal recipe for wrestling the gold away from the 500-pounder.
Imagine my fury, then, when the wily Mr Fuji and the slimy Jim Cornette combined their devious minds to establish a plan that would ensure that not only would Undertaker not win the title, but he'd also be beaten so badly, he'd not be seen again for months. It took Yoko and nine of his heel pals to do it, but the champ retained. Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Rikishi and Crush were just a couple of names who piled in to give the Demon of Death Valley a good kicking.
What was more frightening, though, was what took place after. With Yoko and his buddies celebrating, the bells of the Undertaker's famed entrance music tolled once again, and the arena in Rhode Island was plunged to darkness. A camera position inside the casket would film the prone, beaten challenger as he delivered a chilling warning to those who'd crossed him, including the words:
Soon all mankind will witness the rebirth, of The Undertaker. I. will not rest. In Peace!
Then, in what appeared to be a bizarre electromagnetic 'storm' of some kind of the giant screen, fans watched on as the body of the Undertaker seemingly 'exploded', before his seven-foot frame rose up, and up, and up, into the building's rafters as a mysterious, shadowy figure.
With the advance of time and visual effects, the moment seems less impressive in 2020 but, at the time, watching the 'ghost' of the Undertaker disappear into the heavens was truly horrific.
What are some of your classic Royal Rumble moments? Share them down below in the comments!
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