WWF-The Undertaker v. Tito Santana October 5, 1991

The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer v. Tito Santana Referee:Danny Davis

WWF-Barcelona, Spain-Palau Sant Jordi October 5, 1991

Just from reading the results of this match, I thought Tito went over clean. It was not quite a clean victory for Tito but it was pretty damn good, beating the 1991 WWF pet project the Undertaker. The match itself was not amazing but just seeing Tito get so much offense on the Undertaker makes this match unique.

Taker tried ambushing Tito but he saw it coming and proceeded to work on Taker for a good few minutes. Any type of offense from Taker was usually countered. Taker tried a back drop and Tito hit a sunset flip. 

Taker attempted to punch him but he just nailed the mat. Tito went back on the attack.

 Taker tried throwing him into the corner only to meet a boot to the face, followed by three clothesline, finally sending Taker to the floor. Santana sent Taker into the steps and tried to bring him back in the ring but got hit throat first onto the top rope, which began Taker working from the top.

Taker hit old school and went for a bunch of chokes and bites, as even Paul Bearer got a shot in. 

Tito had one or two hope spots but nothing major. Taker missed a flying elbow and then tried another old school but got pulled off the turnbuckle. 

This was Tito's comeback and he hit two flying forearms and could not get the Undertaker down. He tried a third and Taker pulled Danny Davis in front of him. 

 As Tito checked the ref, Taker came in with a kick and a sidewalk slam to follow. Taker asked Bearer for a bodybag and he proceeded to get Tito in it but Tito started fighting back.

 Santana then nailed three piledrivers, two of which the Undertaker sat up from. He could not get up for the third piledriver and Paul Bearer tried to will him up with the urn. Tito grab bed the urn, shoved Bearer off the apron, and clocked Taker in the head for the win. Barcelona loved Tito and they were behind him most of the match.

Honestly, I was interested in this match strictly because I was intrigued by the thought of Tito Santana beating The Undertaker in 1991. I knew Taker was protected but after doing some research, he was not as protected as I thought. Still, he was not pinned more times than you can count on two hands between his debut and this match. He worked a lot of DQ losses against The Ultimate Warrior, followed by outright losses in bodybag matches with the Warrior. He lost many casket matches and bodybag matches against Sid Justice, as fall 1991 began. As far as pins, Hulk Hogan was the first guy to pin him via roll-up on July 29, in Worcester, MA. In the next couple months, he was pinned by the Warrior more than once, Randy Savage once, and Sid Justice once, followed by this pin by Tito. Bear in mind that this match was in Spain and Tito was cheered for his Spanish background, and went over for that, as well. However, it still puts him in a good spot in the history books as being only the fifth guy to score a pin on the Undertaker, especially considering Tito's overall card placement by fall 1991. Tito wrestled pretty sporadically in 1991 and never in anything but throw away mid-card matches against guys like Haku and The Barbarian (not to say those match-ups are bad). Around this period of 1991, Tito was getting ready to re-debut as El Matador, and did so on September 30 in Wheeling, WV against Bob Bradley.

Taker did lose many matches against big names like the Ultimate Warrior but a lot of those losses were DQ's. Still, he did lose a fair amount of bodybag and casket matches. He lost far more than he won, in those matches, up until this point.