Chuck Norris' legacy: The night the famed actor protected Undertaker at WWE Survivor Series 1994
Norris’ lone appearance in WWE came as the “special troubleshooting referee” in a main-event Casket Match between future WWE Hall of Famers, Yokozuna and The Undertaker.
Chuck Norris was the "special troubleshooting referee" for a Casket Match between The Undertaker and Yokozuna at Survivor Series in 1994. (YouTube/WWE) Legendary actor and martial artist Chuck Norris passed away at the age of 86 , his family announced on Friday. Norris, who got his break in acting alongside Bruce Lee in 1972's “The Way of the Dragon” followed by a slew of 1980s martial arts films, rose to further fame in the 1990s as star of the TV drama “Walker, Texas Ranger.
” That rise also led to Norris’ lone appearance in WWE, as the “special troubleshooting referee” in a main-event Casket Match between WWE Hall of Famers Yokozuna and The Undertaker at Survivor Series in 1994. Although the match likely doesn’t stick out in many peoples’ memories 32 years later, watching it back offers a glimpse into just how different WWE was from the multi-billion dollar behemoth it is today, as well as highlighting just how big of a star Norris was thanks to his status as an action-film icon and early “Walker, Texas Ranger” run. In many ways, it was unsurprising that Norris was arguably the biggest draw for this match, which was the culmination of a year-long feud between Undertaker and Yokozuna.
Even then, WWE had a longstanding history of intertwining pop culture and professional wrestling, particularly for significant moments and shows like WrestleMania. Norris made his way to the ring before either Yokozuna or The Undertaker, drawing a strong reaction from the San Antonio crowd. Norris even got some pyro as he stood in the center of the ring, donned in a black cowboy hat and wool-lined denim jacket.
His presence was required because earlier in the year, at January's Royal Rumble, Yokozuna defeated Undertaker in a Casket Match thanks to heavy outside interference. Norris was there to ensure any inevitable run-ins wouldn’t derail the sequel's outcome. As far as Undertaker and Yokozuna, they were undeniably two of WWE’s top names at the time.
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