In Your House 11: Buried Alive

In Your House 11: Buried Alive
Promotional poster featuring Mankind, Paul Bearer, and The Undertaker
Tagline(s)	Dead or Alive!
Information
Promotion	World Wrestling Federation
Sponsor(s)	PlayStation
Date	October 20, 1996[1]
Attendance	9,649[1]
Venue	Market Square Arena[1]
City	Indianapolis, Indiana[1]
Pay-per-view chronology
In Your House 10: Mind Games In Your House 11: Buried Alive Survivor Series (1996)
In Your House chronology
In Your House 10: Mind Games In Your House 11: Buried Alive In Your House 12: It's Time

In Your House 11: Buried Alive was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and presented by PlayStation, which took place on October 20, 1996, at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the eleventh pay-per-view of the In Your House series and featured six matches as part of the PPV event as well as two additional matches held after the main portion of the show solely for those in the arena. With the launch of the WWE Network in 2014 this show became available on demand, but did not include the two dark matches held after the main show. The featured match in the main event was the first Buried Alive match between The Undertaker and Mankind and was also the first time ever such a match was held in professional wrestling. On the undercard Sycho Sid faced off against Vader in a match to determine the #1 contender for the WWF Championship and Marc Mero defended the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Goldust. This was the first WWF pay-per-view in which the active World Champion did not compete on-air on the show.

Background

In Your House 11: Buried Alive featured professional wrestling matches involving different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on Monday Night Raw and other World Wrestling Federation television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated into a wrestling match or series of matches.^[2] The focal point of the event was a long running storyline feud between The Undertaker and Mankind that had been evolving since the summer of 1996 when the Undertaker's manager turned on him and teamed up with Mankind to fight Undertaker. The two had already faced off in a Boiler Room Brawl at the 1996 SummerSlam that was won as Bearer sided with Mankind.^[3] In order to settle the storyline between the two the "Buried Alive match" was devised, playing off the characters of both the Undertaker and Paul Bearer as the only way to win the match was to throw their opponent into an open grave and then shovel dirt on the grave.

Event

During the event, Jim Ross, who was in the middle of a storyline where he turned "heel" as a commentator, grew increasingly irritated as his headset went through notable legitimate technical difficulties throughout the event. Several times he would comment that the WWF was trying to keep him from voicing his opinions, all of which was part of the storyline.

Aftermath

The Undertaker would later "return from the grave" and continue his storyline against Mankind and Paul Bearer, including a match at the subsequent In Your House show where he defeated the Executioner in a Armageddon Rules match.^[4] The feud with Mankind continued off and on for several years, including a very high profile Hell in a Cell at the 1998 King of the Ring.^[5]

Due to his victory over Vader, Sycho Sid earned a match against WWF Champion Shawn Michaels, defeating him in the main event of the 1996 Survivor Series to win his first ever WWF Championship.^[6]

Results

No.	Results	Stipulations	Times
1^F	The Stalker defeated Justin Bradshaw	Singles match	20:00[1]
2	Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley	Singles match	15:30[1]
3	Owen Hart and The British Bulldog (c) defeated The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart Gunn)	Tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship	09:17[1]
4	Marc Mero (c) (with Sable) defeated Goldust (with Marlena)	Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship	11:38[1]
5	Sycho Sid defeated Vader (with Jim Cornette)	Singles match to determine the one contender for the WWF Championship	08:00[1]
6	The Undertaker defeated Mankind (with Paul Bearer)	Buried Alive match	18:25[1]
7^D	The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) defeated The New Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Leif Cassidy)	Tag team match	06:00
8^D	Shawn Michaels (c) defeated Goldust (with Marlena)	Singles match for the WWF Championship	13:35
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match D – indicates the match was a dark match F – indicates the match was broadcast prior to the pay-per-view on Free for All

References

1. "Historical Cards: In Your House 11 (October 20, 1996. Indianapolis, Indiana)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts (Kappa Publications). p. 151. 2007 Edition.
2. "Live & Televised Entertainment of World Wrestling Entertainment". WWE. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
3. "Survivor Series (1996)". Pro Wrestling History. November 17, 1996. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
4. "Historical Cards: In Your House 12 (December 15, 1996. West Palm Beach, Florida)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts (Kappa Publications). p. 151. 2007 Edition.
5. Powell, John (June 29, 1998). "Kane wins WWF World Title, Foley soars". Slam! Sports (Canadian Online Explorer). Retrieved October 24, 2007.
6. "WWE Championship Match: Sid def. Shawn Michaels to become new WWE Champion". World Wrestling Entertainment. November 17, 1996. Retrieved January 4, 2011.

External links