More News on the Undertaker
In regards to the finish of his match at WrestleMania, only a very small circle within the company knew of the finish ahead of time. Apparently, in the past few weeks, The Undertaker decided that it was time to end the streak, as he has indicated to a few people that his body has give all that it could during his match preparation in Texas. Also, Vince McMahon was seen getting in the ambulance with the Undertaker and when he left, HHH ran the show.
Credit Wade Keller, PWTorch.com
Prince Devitt Update
Devitt gave his notice to New Japan Pro Wrestling Today. TNA is also rumored to be making a heavy push to bring in Devitt to the company.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
TNA Welcomes New Member to the Creative Team
Christy Hemme has officially joined the creative team. Along with her ring announcing duties, Hemme has been involved working in he production aspects of the Knockouts Division.
Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com
Ring of Honor To Make a Major Announcement Soon?
According to Mike Johnson at PWInsider.com, RoH will be making an announcement later this week that will "move the company forward in a major way."
Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com
In regards to the finish of his match at WrestleMania, only a very small circle within the company knew of the finish ahead of time. Apparently, in the past few weeks, The Undertaker decided that it was time to end the streak, as he has indicated to a few people that his body has give all that it could during his match preparation in Texas. Also, Vince McMahon was seen getting in the ambulance with the Undertaker and when he left, HHH ran the show.
Credit Wade Keller, PWTorch.com
Prince Devitt Update
Devitt gave his notice to New Japan Pro Wrestling Today. TNA is also rumored to be making a heavy push to bring in Devitt to the company.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
TNA Welcomes New Member to the Creative Team
Christy Hemme has officially joined the creative team. Along with her ring announcing duties, Hemme has been involved working in he production aspects of the Knockouts Division.
Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com
Ring of Honor To Make a Major Announcement Soon?
According to Mike Johnson at PWInsider.com, RoH will be making an announcement later this week that will "move the company forward in a major way."
Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com
I would have been ok with Taker not losing and just retiring, but he's old school. Gotta go out on your back.
ReplyDeleteI actually thought Christy Hemme was showing some real potential during the last few weeks of her time in WWE. She actually had a really good match with Melina on SmackDown in late 2005 but got released a couple of weeks later.
ReplyDeleteKudos to the Undertaker. Very easily could have said I'm done and still won. But he did the right thing and went out on his back when he knew he couldn't go anymore.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing his Hall of Fame induction will be the centerpiece next year.
I think we all knew if UT lost, he was done.
ReplyDeleteI'm just surprised he never took on Cena.
You know that out of any superstar in the business, he'll get the best sendoff and be treated with the most respect. He started out in WCW, but was a loyal company man since '90. 24 years as an active wrestler with the company.
ReplyDeleteIf he doesn't have any WWE stock already, I would hope the McMahon family would make sure he gets some, because he was a big part of the company being able to offer it.
I don't really count his run in WCW, it was very limited and despite his size, he ended up jobbing waaaay too much. As far as I'm concerned, Mark Calloway is WWF/E all the way.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by Hemme joining the TNA creative team. I've never heard anything about her in a backstage capacity (other than that Austin Aries thing), so that was a bit surprising. I wish her luck, though. Fresh ideas and perspectives should always be welcome.
ReplyDeleteHad Wrestlemania taken place in Death Valley, I'm sure he would have refused to job.
ReplyDeleteSo would Prince Devitt make the main WWE roster if he signs, or would he have to go through NXT? More importantly, would he be allowed to wear his LIGHT JACKET since Jericho already did it in the 'E?
ReplyDeleteFuck it, Ill throw it out there..
ReplyDeleteWHO... is Christy Hemme fucking?
She's kinda reminding me of Johnny Ace right now. How can a person with so little talent move up in management so fast. Not just being a member of creative, but last I heard she was making $100k for her ring announcing duties. Since TNA is in survival mode right now, Christy would be one of the first contracts I'd go after.
ReplyDeleteGiving her additional responsibilities is definitely a good way to justify her contract size.
ReplyDeleteDixie Carter?
ReplyDelete.... And for the 1st time in 10 years, I just MIGHT have interest in TNA...
ReplyDeleteSeriously, thats my thought at this point
ReplyDeleteIm torn on Bo Dallas...
ReplyDeleteI like the work in NXT in the ring and with the "Bo-LIeve" stuff... I dont think it translates well in the bigs.
You wanna get Bo over quick.
Make him a sycophant to Bray Wyatt ala Silver Age Toad/Magneto
I still see Sting/Taker happening next year, for whatever reason. Gut instinct.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard anything about her in a backstage capacity either, but to be a effective creative team member, you need to be knowledgeable about the business and you have to love it. Christy doesn't seem like the type of person who does or even cares, given how she sometimes botches ring intros.
ReplyDeleteFor all we know, this could be a move simply to keep her from pursuing any legal action against them for the Austin Aries thing.
ReplyDeleteRumors are he'd go straight to the main roster.
ReplyDeleteI hope that shuts up all the people who say that Brock shouldn't have ended the streak. I think Undertaker had more than earned the right to decide what to do with his streak. If he wanted to go out with Brock beating him, so be it. If he wanted Brooklyn Brawler to win it, why not? Even if you don't like the result, Taker should be commended for going out on his back like Michaels did.
ReplyDeleteNeither Shawn Michaels or Cena needed the win, and based on last night I don't know how much "rub" Roman Reigns needs at this point since he's heading for the top regardless. Out of all of them, Brock is the most "damaged" (by WWE's own doing) and needed that sort of victory to make him a big deal again.
Speaking of which, The Shield has its own li'l WrestleMania streak going. 2 and 0, which includes beating Randy Orton, Sheamus, Big Show, Kane, and the New Age Outlaws in dominant fashion. Not bad.
While I'd love to see him in one more (much better) match, I wouldn't be bummed if he called it a day. His career has lasted far longer than I'd ever expect and ended up far better than what anyone of us would've imagined when he debuted in November 1990.
I wouldn't question her dedication. She got into the business through that stupid diva search and all these years later, she's still doing stuff? She must have some appreciation for it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you're right, I just find it a little jarring that TNA decides to jettison Styles, Daniels and Kaz, yet they bend over backwards to try and utilise Christy.
ReplyDeleteHey, it was worth it though, Brock is such a big deal now the loudest crowd of the year didn't react to him save some tepid boos and a bullshit chant.
ReplyDeleteAnd Paul, well hell, after killing a 22 year angle he's such a super tippy top heel that he's managing the #3 face of the company.
Couldn't have been more worth it!
I'm sure she appreciates the money. She probably can't make the type of money she makes in wrestling anywhere else. If she agreed to take a paycut like most of the other talent then yes, I wouldn't question her dedication there.
ReplyDeleteROH announces a deal to air it's ppvs on the wwe network.
ReplyDeleteBack in the territory days, where The Undertaker is from, when a guy was leaving, he made sure to put someone over on his way out. I presume that we will have an Undertaker appearance very soon, where he will walk off INTO the smoke, rather than out of it. I respect the man who remembers where he came from.
ReplyDeleteIn other news, Christy Hemme joining TNA's creative team is really just a sign of TNA's irrelevance, at this point.
The *winner* of the first ever Diva search. She showed her fans in playboy the following year. Hot ginger.
ReplyDeleteWell, come on. He's a death valley hero, for god's sake.
ReplyDeleteThe crowd that was cheering their asses off for the Wyatts and Bad News Barrett didn't boo the hell out of a bad ass heel? God damnitt, we might as well just give up on WWE altogether for the foreseeable future. Obviously should have kept Roman Reigns a heel, broken up The Shield, and had him beat Taker and spear Bryan last night. Not like he's doing anything else right now.
ReplyDeleteThey gave Brock Lesnar the same reaction they gave Randy Orton, good work team.
ReplyDeleteI could still be wrong though, we'll see in four months when Paul Heyman finally wrestles at Summerslam.
I'm sure if he could still go, he would've done it. It's obvious though now he has nothing left and want the streak ender to go to Brock.
ReplyDeleteI SHALL NOT!
ReplyDeleteI still think he should have won by DQ over Brock, then the next night he comes out on Raw to hand over the Streak and say goodbye.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have a serious problem with it being Brock, but I'll stand by saying that there would have been infinitely more drama involved if Brock were undefeated (since his return) going into WM. Brock being undefeated AND ending the streak would be a great buildup to whoever they decide to have him work with.
ReplyDeleteUndertaker's earned the right to go out how he wants to. Shawn wanted his last match to be against the Undertaker, Undertaker wanted Brock to be the guy to end him for years.
ReplyDeleteThat'd be tits
ReplyDeleteMaybe he doesn't like Cena.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, she's been hanging out in TNA for years now when she probably could have found something better to do if she didn't like it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the rumour that she hit on HHH is true...
ReplyDeleteYeah, direct that anger squarely at Taker...he booked himself, and it was his right to end it however he saw fit, whether we agree or not.
ReplyDeleteYou won't get any argument about that. I don't think there are many people here who would say that Brock should have lost any of the matches he's lost since returning.
ReplyDeleteTaker wanted Brock to end it going back to 2010. More than anyone, Taker's earned the right to choose how he wanted to go out.
ReplyDeleteActually, now that I think about it, it would be cool to induct both he and Sting next year. The two most loyal company men, and all that.
ReplyDeleteYup, Taker is WWF/E through and through. Probably Vince's favourite guy, too.
ReplyDeleteOh totally agree! As I said, Brock was damaged by WWE's own doing. Imagine a Brock who:
ReplyDeleteBeat Cena at Extreme Rules 2012
Beat Triple H at SummerSlam 2012
Beat whoever at WrestleMania 29
Beat whoever at Extreme Rules 2013
Beat CM Punk at SummerSlam 2013
Beat Big Show at Royal Rumble 2014
...Up against Taker?
But WWE had to have Cena go over Brock to prove... something. Then they had to waste 3 of his matches against Triple H when he ended up winning the feud anyway.
Guy showed up to work with staph infection, a caved-in face, a broken ankle, and probably a ton of other stuff we don't even know about.
ReplyDeleteTrue. How many guys has Vince gotten in an ambulance with. I mean.... nah, I'll leave that one out there.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, she has a cushy job where she makes a lot of money and doesn't even have to take any bumps, whereas there's wrestlers in TNA who are breaking their bodies for a fraction of her salary.
ReplyDeleteI'll beat him for you Bray! You can Bo-Lieve in me! SLURP
ReplyDeleteI read it that way too and I appreciate your answer because I was not 100% sure myself.
ReplyDeleteTaped a flak jacket under his gear to protect injured ribs while he wrestled.
ReplyDeleteGoddamn, now I'm going to be disappointed with whatever it really is.
ReplyDelete*prays that Christy in creative means 2 hours of Christy/Sam Shaw every week*
ReplyDeleteIt would be the perfect setup for Bryan/Brock. HHH realizes that he and Evolution can't get it done, so he makes a deal with the devil (Heyman) to hire the guy who CAN'T be beaten. Man, DRAMA.
ReplyDeleteProbably something like the return of Xavier.
ReplyDeleteI am honestly shocked at how many people care that a worked Streak was ended. It was Taker's decision, if he wanted the Streak to continue it would have.
ReplyDeleteDamn thats good.
ReplyDeleteWay better than mines...
But I wouldnt job Brock at the next big ppv
Exactly.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact it ended since it was such a shocker of a mania moment.
Giving the win to Reigns would have been way too much, way too soon. People are catching on that Reigns is in line for a (continued) Jesus push, and like everything else we've been not-so-subtly told to get in line with, good or bad, they aren't signing on. That seems to be the biggest mark of this new "era", everything MUST be organic. The crowd pops big for the whole Shield as a unit (and whenever Rollins risks his life), but I've noticed that when Reigns goes solo-Superman the reaction cools (and I don't just say that as an Ambrose mark). They've caught on. The biggest attraction of being a fan now is realizing you actually DO call the shots.
ReplyDeleteBryan is one of the best wrestlers on the planet, absolutely, but you don't think that maybe just a SMALL portion of why the crowd loves him is b/c he is the walking antithesis of everything both Vince and HHH love? Worked for Punk, and Bryan even more so.
The real irony is that WWE brought back Brock to job to all of their Superstars, as a FU to Brock (so we thought).
ReplyDeleteAnd then he breaks the Streak.
Perhaps she bent over backwards for someone and they're just returning the favour?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there was any truth to the rumours that Taker wanted to wrestle Daniel Bryan at mania and if so, does Daniel go over?
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of Vince getting a ride to the hospital with Taker. After all these years those two must be tight as fuck
ReplyDelete"AWWW, did someone not get what they wanted?"
ReplyDeleteGive him credit, he's 49-years-old, his body is too broken down to wrestle more than once a year, it's actually broken down to the point where he can't promise he can even do the one match a year until the time comes, and he let Brock smashing him around about 7 or 8 times.
ReplyDeleteI would subscribe to your newsletter, sir.
ReplyDeleteThey brought back Brock to make money.
ReplyDeleteHow do you figure that about Hemme? I appreciate that she's got no history to back her up, but she's got no history to shout her down either.
ReplyDeleteI heard he was going to NXT but only briefly until they could figure a spot for him.
ReplyDeleteDevitt would be out of his fucking mind to resign from New Japan to go to TNA. Even TNA must know that.
ReplyDeleteNo shit. The guy was the top-drawing UFC fighter of all time.
ReplyDelete"I guess in his mind, The Undertaker's mind, [Brock] was the guy because he was a real guy, you know? 'I lost to a real fighter, so it's OK.'" -Meltzer.
ReplyDeleteThey should schedule Andrew W.K. as a guest host to debut Adam Rose
ReplyDeleteUNDER-TAKER CLAP CLAP CLAP UNDER-TAKER CLAP CLAP CLAP
ReplyDeletethey wouldn't have to. they could have a match in which Bryan miraculously manages to "keep up" with Brock, getting up from every beating that he receives - only to lose either via a tiny mistake or outside interference. >>> the rematch.
ReplyDeleteAny chance they link up with Jarrett's new Global Force or whatever?
ReplyDeleteIts so funny how much the posters here criticized benoits kid for saying Brock would win. How many fucking people here couldn't post fast enough about how there was no drama to this match and it should be pushed to the pre show for a taker squash ROFLOL
ReplyDeleteI dont care that it ended and the shock of it all brought the unpredictability factor back in a majaor way, which was needed.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, the match and build suck and if Taker won, all peole would say about it was how the whole thing really sucked. Lets face it, the match was garbage and the build was so bad that no one at all bought the nearfalls.
Paul managing Cesaro is real bizarre. But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since the whole company is on an amazing run right now and "GASP" see where it goes.
ReplyDeleteWell, it is shocking to some people who think he was only brought back to be made to lose as revenge for walking out way back when.
ReplyDeleteI wouldnt even put Brock on Extreme Rules
ReplyDeleteMaybe before the Royal Bumble happened, but not after.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure TNA would use Devitt immediately. WWE would send him to developmental for 2 years and bring him up as Squire Fergal Fartbox.
ReplyDeleteThe match sucked because Taker can barely wrestle anymore, hence why the Streak is over. The Taker matches lost all suspense to me years ago, they could have built Brock as a monster for two years and I still would have never picked him to win.
ReplyDeleteLiam Kilarney
ReplyDeleteim thinking summerfest. big 4.
ReplyDeletefuck extreme rules
Yeah, this. I don't really get it either, but when things are going well I'm inclined to give them some benefit of the doubt. If nothing else Paul can talke Cesaro into being an even bigger deal.
ReplyDeleteMajor step down. I don't know what he's thinking?
ReplyDeleteWell, yeah Taker was in no condition to wrestle and being knocked out during the match didnt help.
ReplyDeleteUsing Brock's streak ending story, you can then give a huge rub to a babyface who beats him, like a Roman Reigns for example.
Yeah, SummerSlam.
ReplyDeleteWouldnt waste him on "B" shows
They changed the whole way they push people after he and lashley left and then jobbed him to cena and hhh. It took them awhile to rebuilt him.
ReplyDeleteThat's a cool point by Taker, but I will nitpick with the ending. He should've gone out to a KO from the mount via strikes or elbows or a submission from the kimura. It does makes sense that a UFC star ends the streak being real but then with that in mind it's odd to have a "fake" wrestling move end it. It was the third F5, but he took how many superkicks, power bombs and pedigrees over the years and another big move finishes? It should have closed with a more unique finish IMO. Also they should have played up the UFC/MMA stuff more in commentary, which JR in his prime would have done.
ReplyDeletesummerfest silverdome...
ReplyDeleteRegins isn't over enough to justify that.
ReplyDeleteHemme may not have the history, but her employers do, and THAT is how I make my assumptions.
ReplyDeleteThey had some dumb fuck fantasy booking idea of cena doing it to turn heel.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad hemme never made it back to the wwe. She's incredible. Also it sucks that Prince Devitt just ruined any chance he has of making it to the big show by covering himself in tna stink. Sad.
ReplyDeleteNot now, talking about down the road
ReplyDeleteYeah I thought that was pretty damn cool that Vince would abandon the end of Mania to be there with Taker. That tells you all about the respect he has because who else would Vince do that for? Maybe Triple H, but Stef would be there for that.
ReplyDeleteI guess they didn't think taker could hold up for another one. I wish he would have at least jobbed to ambrose on smackdown last year.
ReplyDeleteI cant imagine he is going to leave New Japan for TNA.
ReplyDeleteI'd say its 99.9% sure that he is going to the WWE, if he is not ever going back to Japan
I think Taker is done and will get the 2015 HoF Induction.
ReplyDeleteChrist, if Vince really is stepping back and letting Triple H do more in terms of running the show these days (and the product on TV sure is starting to look like that), that's some incredibly fucked up symbolism right there, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYeah I think this may be the reason the Shield split was pushed back/cooled off and they went total babyface. It is way better to have them all go face and not really split, but Reigns does his own thing and go to the top while still being affiliated with Ambrose & Rollins. They can do the Ambrose heel turn once Reigns is established as a top player and it will be a much bigger hook than midcard guys feuding anyhow.
ReplyDeleteKinda kills the backstory for Bray, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteYOU KNOW...no Dave, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteOh BIG lol at that. HHH gets to run the show because Vince had to go with the undertaker.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of Reigns taking The Streak wouldn't be now, it'd be down the road. If the match with Bray went off like gangbusters and he was able to sustain the initial reactions he was getting, there'd be no more Shield right now.
ReplyDeleteMy dream booking would have Lesnar win the title in the Fall or early next year, Cesaro winning the Rumble, and Brock vs. Claudio main events 31.
ReplyDeleteCourt Bauer is with RoH now and he used to work with the WWE. Probably not, but I'm sure it's something tech based.
ReplyDeleteThe smartest fans are the easiest to work
ReplyDeleteLOL
ReplyDeleteWatching the first year of RoH and I will never, ever understand their obsession with him.
ROH buys WCW!
ReplyDeleteToo bad Taker was basically crippled for the match. All he could basically do was take Brock's kick/punch offense.
ReplyDeleteHemme is better than a majority of the Diva Roster.
ReplyDeleteXavier's title run was a brilliant way to work the fans and make him such a hated heel.
ReplyDeleteI thought Devitt to WWE was a done deal a month ago.
ReplyDeleteHis New Japan contracted just ended and I guess yesterday he told them he was not coming back
ReplyDeleteYep. I've been watching wrestling for well over 20 years, and I haven't been truly shocked very many times. When Brock won, though, I literally jumped out of my seat. I know that's a cliche, but I swear it's true .
ReplyDeleteThere was a reason he never made it anywhere higher than RoH. He didnt have anything to make him stand out. He reminded me of a TV jobber from the 80's.
ReplyDeleteThe initial face push was the lamest thing ever.
RoH names Jesse Baker head booker.
ReplyDeleteWith WWE all of a sudden having a ton of potential stars and great storylines, anyone else feel like Punk leaving has a bit of a Bret vibe.
ReplyDeleteBut it made all his title matches heated because you were dying for them to take the belt off of him. His matches with Paul London were amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt sure does now.
ReplyDeletePunk leaving shows how little they miss him, especially going forward
ReplyDeleteAnd lets be honest, Punk looked like dogshit his last few months in the company and his performance at the Rumble was an embarrassment.
I can really see him trying to sign with TNA or ROH to try and spite WWE. He just seems like that type.
ReplyDeleteThe London match was awesome.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he is kinda like the Bo Dallas of the early 2000's in that regard. And you're right, I think that was the only way to get him over as a heel too.
His type is Stupid?
ReplyDeleteCome on hes going to GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING.
ReplyDeleteI had the match spoiled for me beforehand. I will be pissed about that for a while.
ReplyDeleteWhere else would he go?
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't want to wrestle anymore. He's not going to TNA.
ReplyDeleteGLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING
ReplyDeleteHe's going to the WWE
Brycen Fergus
ReplyDeleteTo Diva's houses on their off-days.
ReplyDeleteDevin Princely
ReplyDeleteThey need a tv deal. If they're just going to be a typical online viewing, then they have no hope.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be working in the hospital when that ambulance rolled in.
ReplyDeleteComing soon on the WB!
ReplyDeleteNow THAT is leaving money on the table.
ReplyDeleteHis failure to hold up his end of that string of singles matches was all the evidence in the world to indicate he ain't ready yet. Yet.
ReplyDeleteI think that scenario was a perfect and amazing fantasy booking idea. Maybe it's a dumb idea from a financial perspective, but from a creative perspective and in terms of the kinds of storylines I want to see as a fan of pro-wrestling, there is not much more intriguing than Cena turning heel to break the Streak.
ReplyDeleteComing soon TO the WBF! Phillip "Skinny Fat" Brooks!
ReplyDeleteIt does in the sense that it's shaken things up and forced them to give new guys an opportunity. If Punk stays and all goes to plan, Batista wins the title, HHH goes over Punk and Bryan does whatever with Sheamus.
ReplyDeleteWell to be fair, you said over and over how it would be an amazing match and a bloody brawl and they'd both bring it and the fans would be buying into everything... and instead it was the worst Taker streak match since the Bundy days, and the crowd was dead until after the finish.
ReplyDeleteNot that any of our predictions mean jackshit, but I don't see how you could gloat about this particular debate. The insanity that teh streak actually ended (which you strongly always argued would never ever happen) is what made it memorable. But the match itself did turn out to be pathetic. If that amtch ends in the usual (Taker kicks out of F5, tombstone, Taker wins) then it's a complete heatless disaster of a match as many of us predicted it was gonna be.
Yuuuuuup. As a Punk fan, I'm happy he bailed for that reason. Until he feels ready to return, I've got all of his stuff I need already recorded.
ReplyDeleteOh man, Taker tapping out to the kimura would have been amazing.
ReplyDeleteBut...it wasn't. Seriously, give everyone in WWE some credit here..they basically picked the exact rght time to end The Streak, and picked the exact right person to end it in that moment.
ReplyDeleteI've been saying this for months. Triple H has been great playing to the fears of smarts since the Daniel Bryan thing started.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Taker's decision is a little selfish though. Not necessarily for his own sake, just his reasoning. I mean, keeping The Streak alive as its own entity, the tagline they can use for a million WrestleMania packages for years to come, the fact that 22-0 looks a lot better from a marketing perspective than 21-1 does...I think Taker failed to realize that The Streak grew to be way bigger than just him, but everyone respects him too much to talk him out of it.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair he *was* asked to legitimately sell Torito's offense.
ReplyDeleteI love rewatching that match and the ending now. I probably would have never went back to that match but it became legend after the end. Bravo wwe
ReplyDeleteI'd say cena is doing OK as a face
ReplyDeleteHe immediately puts world title on Jim Duggan to highlight how good the rest of the roster is.
ReplyDeleteI'm kinda the same way. He's a dick, but I can believe he realized him leaving opened up doors for people that really needed them. He'll be back in time to have a Mania moment next year...hopefully, back as a mystery partner in a War Games match. Orton/Dave/Kane/HHH & ??? vs. The Shield/Bryan & ??? would be INCREDIBLE, with Punk and let's saaaaay, Cesaro filling in either blank.
ReplyDeleteFollowed by an angle in which Steen rapes Maria and makes Mike Bennett his manservant
ReplyDeleteI don't say this to be my usual sarcastic self, but is Undertaker just a really big UFC mark and wanted to lose to a UFC Champion? Or has Brock somehow earned his respect since coming back? It's just weird that guys have been buried for not shaking his hand or showing what he felt was the proper respect, but he'd give up his streak for someone like Lesnar.
ReplyDeleteThe match wasn't pathetic. It was ** or so and taker got a concussion and who knows what injuries. I like everyone else was shocked by the ending. Putting it on the pre show would have been a disaster.
ReplyDeleteHe had one of the worst long TV matches I have seen again Rollins in which he gave no fucks at all.
ReplyDeleteI mean its cool that you heard something different than the rest of us, but that crowd was giving Brock and Heyman a lot more than "tepid boos", they were hating on them pretty hard and trying to fuck with Paul. Because, ya know, they really hate Brock and that segment was getting a big reaction.
ReplyDeleteOh, and that bullshit chant is actually something crowds chant at heels. You know, that they hate. Which is what they were going for.
And Cesaro linking up with Heyman (who is now a bigger deal than ever) is a way of continuing to make Cesaro a main eventer. Other than hiring Heyman Cesaro didn't do anything heelish last night, but one could assume that he's being set up as a heel challenger to Bryan, and eventually a match against Brock when Cesaro splits off. So yeah, already they're using the streak rub that Heyman/Brock got to make new guys.
But yeah, it would have been more effective if Taker won, retired, and we got to see still pictures of it on Raw. Definitely would have made for a hotter storyline than Heyman, Brock, and now Cesaro being this insanely tough and over stable.
How was the match pathetic?
ReplyDeleteOh man, I'm totally naming my next pet Squire Fergal Fartbox.
ReplyDeleteWith Taker gone, how would the streak be used in marketing at all?
ReplyDeleteAlso, people have talked more about 21-1 than any other streak match to date.
"The Streak grew to be way bigger than just him"
ReplyDeleteWhat a stupid statement. He IS the Streak. No one talked him out of it because it was HIS streak.
Who cares that 22-0 looks better than 21-1? How is that going to a draw one dime in the future???
Oh he's totally a big MMArk and I'm sure made his decision mostly on that fact alone.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason people are talking about the match was the ending though. Like I said, if Taker won, this match would only be known for sucking. This was not a good match and Taker was not up to it physically and the concussion certainly didnt help. All they could do was kick/punch stuff
ReplyDeleteI think it would have been better if Taker hadn't gotten hurt, obviously, but at the same time the story they were trying to tell was the story of Taker running out of gas on his career, so a fast paced ***** star match probably wasn't really in the cards.
ReplyDeleteI'd have loved it if Vince had to hurry outside to get in the ambulance that was about to leave. He opens up the back door and jumps right in. Then, he realizes that nobody's in there and it's just an empty gurney. The doors get slammed shut from the outside and Taker's head pops out from around drivers seat.
ReplyDelete"Where to, Vince?"
Neither are ever seen again.
Yeah, I'm quite certain that's why he hand-picked Brock.
ReplyDeleteTaker wanted to end the streak so he could retire.
ReplyDeleteHe wanted to lose it to Brock because he respects the guy and thinks putting over Brock helps the business.
So aside from the fact that you're totally nuts about how "this doesn't make Brock more over, and Brock being over doesn't help anything" you're also bizarrely placing hatred in the wrong place.
Undertaker wanted this. He lost to who he wanted. I know it sucks he didn't get your opinion first and take that into consideration, but that's thems the breaks.
The streak is over. Brock is the king. As a wise man once said... DEAL WITH IT.
Well just because a match wasn't 5 stars doesn't make it shit. I think it was just about as good as cena vs Wyatt and the better than the first half of that match. Jake roberts vs yokozuna was pathetic. This was just an average match.
ReplyDeleteOf all the Hall of Fame inductions, his would be the most interesting - BY FAR - because he'll probably drop the gimmick. We've never really heard from the Undertaker as Mark, ya know?
ReplyDeleteWith his career/streak over, he could finally open up and I think it would be fascinating.
Ya know, that's a really good point: They haven't actually done anything to officially turn Cesaro into a face.
ReplyDeleteAs for the bullshit chants, it's typically something you yell at an official decision you don't like. Which only reinforces that ending The Streak couldn't have been used to elevate a midcarder like Reigns, I think.
I never knew I wanted Triple H vs. The Internet as a feud on TV and now I never want it to end.
ReplyDeleteIt was better than the first half of cena vs Wyatt and frankly the match was fine. It wasn't a 4 star classic but considering the age and condition of undertaker it was fine. As a stand alone match it wasn't that much worse than anything you'd see on the wwe.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if heyman knew it was going to happen? I'd love for him not to have known until it happened
ReplyDeleteHe knew. Watch the end. He's practically in the ring before the ref hits 3.
ReplyDeleteYou don't really understand that marketing perspective I mentioned, do ya? Also it's called "transcendence", when something becomes bigger than even the thing or things that started it. Look it up.
ReplyDeleteHEEYYYY-O!
ReplyDeleteI think it was a good match myself, but obviously Taker getting hurt limited it A LOT, and if Taker had won the match would have been a DUD but....he didn't. Which is kind of the point.
ReplyDeleteIt was significantly worse. It was slow and plodding and boring, NOTHING was happening, Taker couldn't move and had no strength, and the crowd was 100% dead. If it wasn't Taker the Mania crowd is booing and heckling that out of the building. COme on man, you can't fall back on "As a stand alone match it wasn't that much worse than anything you'd see on the wwe." just because you went into it pimping it as a potential MOTY. The match absolutely stunk. It was Taker-Gonzales bad, and again the crowd was obviously hating it.
ReplyDeleteSo Maria hires Fake Kane as a mercenary to take out Steen in his matches except then she turns on Bennett because she has come to love Steen now BUT Fake Kane also loves her AND Bennett and his knocking out Steen makes Maria angry and scared so Fake Kane is hurt and confused and becomes Bennett's boyfriend BUT Bennett is just using him and he pulls out a plastic anus in a shocking reveal, "I was ALWAYS the Giver, K-Anus!!!"
ReplyDeleteI had to go to a dark place, to write that. Brrrr.
It was essentially a house show match.
ReplyDeleteCena/Wyatt had great psychology. Taker/Brock had a mediocre, subpar showing. It wasnt an embarrassment, but I would not call it good, either.
1) I never said that it would be the match of the year 2) saying its as bad as taker vs Gonzalez is so stupid and trollish its not worth my time to continue this conversation
ReplyDeleteI'd say it was fine.
ReplyDeleteReally seeing the impact Global Farce Wrestling has made, even on Wrestlemania weekend!
ReplyDeleteSo the tagline for every Mania to come would be "22-0...won't be defended tonight because Undertaker is retired, but ya know, that makes Mania cool right"?
ReplyDeleteTaker's streak can STILL be used to sell the history and importance of Mania, whether he lost the last one or not. The STreak still existed, people will always remember it, it's still the biggest deal ever. Him retiring undefeated would have done zero for the future of Mania. It would have just been an albatross on this ACTUAL PERSON's neck as he tried to live out a well earned retirement but fans (and hell, probably Vince) kept pestering him about coming back.
Everyone respects him way too much to talk him out of it? GOOD. He's earned it.
Yeah, it was a lot more like Taker/Sid than Taker/Gonzales.
ReplyDeleteIt was maybe worse than Taker vs Gonzalez.
ReplyDeleteNot tagline like that, but as you said in selling the history and importance. I don't know how you can't see that 22-0 is more effective in these areas than 21-1. At the VERY, INFANTESIMALLY least it's easier to say!
ReplyDeleteOK fine, maybe Taker/Gonzalez WAS being trollish. I honestly have seen that match once when I was 12 years old, so I don't remember anything other than a cloroform rag finish.
ReplyDeleteBut it was exactly what many of us said it would be: a bad goddamn match, a styles clash between two guys who need someone smaller to bounce around for them, Taker not being able to do anything, and a heatless crowd.
If that match gets the usual finish (Taker wins) it's Taker's worst streak match since the Bundy/Sid/Bossman days. The swerve result is what saves it.
Goodbye Taker. At times you were a favourite, and I've always been a fan of the streak. I think that it ended well, and I hope that you've retired early enough to remain mobile in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteI hope that we don't get a sappy goodbye segment any time soon either. Let him vanish until he's the HOF headliner next year.
Vince actually loves guys like Bryan (or before him, Shawn Michaels), dudes who basically can't be stopped despite every possible obstacle in their way, defying the standards that the industry generally has set. That's how Vince sees himself.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Cena/Wyatt, though it was slightly marred by John's horrendous morality play acting.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, ok I'll give you easier to say.
ReplyDeleteBut again, that last loss doesn't affect anything. Undertaker had a 21 year undefeated streak. They can sell that streak FOREVER and people will lap it up. Does Joe Dimaggio's streak not matter because it eventually ended? No, you sell the importance of the 56 games, not that it got broken on 57.
The Streak is The Streak is The Streak. If they can't build video packagaes and DVDs and documentaries and an annual Mania Streak Tribute out of that, then their marketing department isn't worth shit. Believe me, fans are gonna talk about and know about and revere the Streak for as long as wrestling exists (which is probably like 30 years, thanks to Climate Change). That last loss means absolutely nothing to its historical value.
you know what a good story will be inherent in the new association b/w cesaro and heyman?
ReplyDeletecesaro vs. lesnar, with heyman's loyalties in the middle
we saw something similar with punk/lesnar, but heyman was definitely still a weasel, and punk was already trying to separate himself. when the actual match happened, heyman had turned on punk and was firmly aligned with lesnar
in this case, it might be more akin to midnights/dudes with cornette, where cornette finally picks the good side or reverting to the dark side (which is where the MX is from, ya know). heyman has allegiance to both men and could during the eventual meeting, and ultimately will make a choice that influences the outcome of the match
I do see your point even if I disagree. What I hope for is that Brock has a degree of reverence for this and doesn't just walk away at some point, but rather continues to build up his own legacy as a killing machine to make breaking the Streak mean as much as it can.
ReplyDeleteGod I'm a mark...
This might be a dumb question but all the announcers must have known right? (Cole, JBL, King, spanish/french dudes)?
ReplyDeleteThe fans are still behind Reigns, he did win that vote to face Kane by a HUGE margin.
ReplyDelete