Recommended Free Tools
WWE’s historical retrospective identifies five Buried Alive Matches, all featuring The Undertaker, from 1996 to 2010. Ranked here from worst to best, the bouts are judged by how well their action, grave-side spectacle, story stakes and finishes work together—not by an official WWE rating. The 2020 Undertaker–AJ Styles Boneyard Match is a separate match label and is not part of the five.
How this ranking works
WWE’s retrospective supplies the history and count, not a quality ranking. The order below is an editorial judgment based on pacing and action, how meaningfully the grave and burial process shape the match, the story or championship stakes, and whether the finish feels effective. Interference is part of the stipulation’s recurring storytelling, but it can also make a result feel less satisfying.
5. The Undertaker vs. Mr. McMahon — Survivor Series, November 16, 2003
This match has an unusual premise: The Undertaker chose company chairman Mr. McMahon as his opponent after earning the right to select a match and challenger. McMahon had previously blocked Undertaker’s attempt to regain the WWE Championship. The bout’s story is therefore more personal power struggle than evenly matched wrestling contest.
The finish depends on Kane. After a fire distraction, Kane emerges from a payloader and throws Undertaker into the grave; McMahon operates the machinery to bury him. That sequence makes the equipment central to the result, but the decisive intervention leaves little room for a satisfying contest between the named opponents. WWE recounts the bout in its history of Buried Alive Matches.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
![The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511v4bd7IXL._SL160_.jpg)
- Collects some of the greatest matches in WCCW history, reliving electrifying moments for a generation of old-school fans and introducing new fans to the adrenaline-filled excitement of World Class Championship Wrestling. Catch the exploits of the Von Erich brothers and their rivals the Freebirds. See where NWA stars of the era - Bruiser Brody, Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler , Abdullah the Butcher began t
4. The Undertaker vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin — Rock Bottom: In Your House, December 13, 1998
The championship rivalry and Austin’s place in the 1999 Royal Rumble give this match more immediate stakes than a simple grudge brawl. Austin gets Undertaker into the grave, but Kane appears in flames, attacks his brother and Tombstones him into it. Austin then returns with a backhoe to complete the burial and win.
The backhoe makes the finish one of the stipulation’s most distinctive images, and Austin’s return gives the ending a clear final beat. Kane’s intervention, though, means the decisive turn belongs partly to a third wrestler rather than the rivalry at the center of the match. WWE’s retrospective describes the match and its finish.
Rank #2
- John Smith, Oklahoma State University Head Coach
- Learn the same techniques John Smith used to win two Gold Medals in Olympic freestyle wrestling
- Score against solid defense technique
- Never get stopped due to a bad shot again
- Drills included to reinforce scrambling technique
3. The Undertaker vs. Kane — Bragging Rights, October 24, 2010
A World Heavyweight Championship defense and the long-running conflict between the Brothers of Destruction give this match strong story context. Undertaker appears to put Kane in the grave, but Nexus overwhelms him. Kane then uses Paul Bearer’s urn to send Undertaker into the pit, and a bulldozer completes the burial. Kane wins and retains the championship, as WWE confirms in its Bragging Rights match recap.
The reversal gives the bout a strong betrayal-and-payback shape, and the championship makes the outcome consequential. The mass interference also makes the finish feel less like a decisive victory between the brothers. WWE’s Brothers of Destruction history identifies it as their second Buried Alive encounter.
2. The Rock ’n’ Sock Connection vs. The Undertaker and Big Show — SmackDown, September 9, 1999
WWE identifies this as the only tag-team Buried Alive Match. The Rock and Mankind entered as a team after beating Undertaker and Big Show for the World Tag Team Championships, making the rematch about both the rivalry and the titles.
Big Show throws Mankind into the grave, but Triple H interferes and hits Big Show with a sledgehammer. Undertaker and Big Show ultimately win and regain the championships. The tag format changes the usual one-on-one dynamic, while the title stakes make the result matter beyond the spectacle of the burial. The interference is a messy finish, but the match’s unique format earns it a high place in this ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.1. The Undertaker vs. Mankind — In Your House: Buried Alive, October 20, 1996
The first Buried Alive Match is also the most complete expression of the stipulation’s dramatic idea. The Undertaker and Mankind’s feud had already moved beyond a conventional ring and into the Boiler Room. Their fight here spills across the arena floor, with chairs, steps and shovels involved.
Undertaker initially gets Mankind into the grave, only for Mankind’s allies—including Triple H and The Executioner—to intervene, rescue him and turn the burial on Undertaker. The reversal establishes a visual language the later matches repeatedly use: the grave is not just scenery, but a vulnerable position that allies, weapons and machinery can change. Its first-match status, chaotic brawl and clear reversal make it the strongest overall entry. WWE recounts the match in its Buried Alive retrospective and identifies it as the beginning of the stipulation’s history.
Best Value
- Learn to create a combination attack to score more points from the top position
- Use combination wrestling to baffle and break your opponent
- Teach your wrestlers to be two steps ahead of their opponent
- Learn to use a hip tilt to set-up a near wrist or leg ride series
- 61 Minutes, 2012
What counts as a Buried Alive Match?
WWE’s 2012 retrospective counts five matches, spanning 1996 through 2010. The Undertaker appears in all five; Mankind and Kane feature in key chapters of the history. The 2020 Undertaker–AJ Styles match is called the Boneyard Match, not a Buried Alive Match, so it should not be added to that count. WWE’s October history feature confirms the first match’s date, while The SmackDown Hotel’s match list also records the Boneyard Match separately.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
