2/25 WWE Raw LD - The Deadman Cometh

[Stormtrooper]

Taker returning didn't make sense this week. They already had the huge last segment for this week (Punk/Cena match A/K/A TV Match of the year).

Next week Punk challenges Taker because he can't wrestle for the championship and wants something bigger (the streak). Then Taker responds the following week (they will hype it up so that people know he'll be on TV and thus want to tune in).

 

[kcoe24]

Next week makes the most sense since it's a throwback to Oldschool. And you cant get more Oldschool on the current/semi-current roster than Taker.

Yeah have Punk come out complain and put down the oldschoolers and then Taker.

 

[shattered dreams]

Oh and to the people that say "well it wasn't that good", you're wrong. Period. It was that good.

No it wasn't.

 

[nightmare]

No it wasn't.

What was missing? Seriously, what do you think would have made it better?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

From last week's LD:

This has triple threat written all over it.

Yup, definitely a triple threat at Mania.

Punk should get his own belt and the winner can win all 3 belts at Mania.

Yeah, it's definitely gonna be a triple threat at mania. LOL at the kids screaming for Cena.

Triple Threat at Mania. Hooray!!!!

You guys should be WrestleZone reporters.

Granted I'm still not convinced this story is over.

 

[shattered dreams]

What was missing? Seriously, what do you think would have made it better?

Less obvious outcome, better build to the match, greater variety of moves (yes you read that correctly), crisper finish etc. Decent match for what it was. By WWE standards the parts I saw were pretty good. Greatest TV match ever?

I don't want to rain on anyones mark parade too much though. That is what makes wrestling fun. When it excites you to do irrational things like twice in a month proclaim something on Raw the best match in forever.

 

[Mr Mikey Mike]

From last week's LD:











You guys should be WrestleZone reporters.



Granted I'm still not convinced this story is over.

Granted that was before I saw Undertaker appear at a house show.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Less obvious outcome, better build to the match, greater variety of moves (yes you read that correctly), crisper finish etc. Decent match for what it was. By WWE standards the parts I saw were pretty good. Greatest TV match ever?

I don't want to rain on anyones mark parade too much though. That is what makes wrestling fun. When it excites you to do irrational things like twice in a month proclaim something on Raw the best match in forever.

That reminds me, the scattered 37 minutes I've seen of The Godfather were pedestrian at best. People are really fooling themselves when they speak so highly of it.

 

[nightmare]

Less obvious outcome, better build to the match, greater variety of moves (yes you read that correctly), crisper finish etc. Decent match for what it was. By WWE standards the parts I saw were pretty good. Greatest TV match ever?

Wouldnt say ever so dont lump me in that crowd. But surely the best RAW main event in a while. Stong #1 for MOTY in fact. Dont mistake me for someone who says each week "That was the best match ever!!!" I am well aware of the difference. This was the difference.

Less obvious outcome? It sure had me second guessing where it was going. Plenty of people agree.

Build- decent enough.

Variety of moves? There were some great sequences and a few unexpected moves that I doubt anyone would have called. A nice powerbomb & a hurricanrana (sloppy, but hey he isnt Rey) from Cena. Not to mention a great piledriver from Punk.


It had plenty of excitement & some very close calls. Great reversals. It was one of those few matches where I stopped what I was doing & just sat there in anticipation. That easily could have ended any PPV on a very high note & it was on RAW for free. No title on the line, no crazy interference. Just a damn good match.


I think you might want to go back & watch the whole match. Then tell me the last time WWE had a match on RAW\SD that was that good. Dont be shy. Might have to go back quite a few episodes so get some soda & snacks. I expect a report on my desk by friday.

 

[Bernkastel]

But how dare they try to help sell live event tickets by telling us that you never know what will happen, then showing us something that is considered very surprising and unexpected.

And again, it's not spoiling anything. Nor is it damaging to when he ultimately comes back, because everyone and their mother expects him to come back. So why not show him making a surprise appearance?

That's what WWE.com is for. Plenty of the younger casual fans use it.

 

[The Brain]

Less obvious outcome, better build to the match, greater variety of moves (yes you read that correctly), crisper finish etc. Decent match for what it was. By WWE standards the parts I saw were pretty good. Greatest TV match ever?

I don't want to rain on anyones mark parade too much though. That is what makes wrestling fun. When it excites you to do irrational things like twice in a month proclaim something on Raw the best match in forever.

Was the outcome really that obvious? A lot of people were thinking a triple threat match at mania. That match would have made sense. I would say a clean Cena win or some sort of controversial finish was a 50/50 shot. Even if you were convinced Cena was going to win clean what's wrong with predictability? Some of wrestling's greatest matches have had predictable outcomes.

More importantly, why are you judging the match if you didn't see the whole thing? Unfortunately for me I got a little distracted to give the match my full attention. I doubt it was the greatest tv match ever just because odds say it wouldn't be, but the possibility is there. I'll try to catch the replay on Saturday to see for myself.

 

[Steve0904]

The whole less obvious outcome thing is complete and utter bullshit. Wrestling is extremely predictable once you've been watching for like 6 months or even less anyway, and it wasn't always built on shock value. That's the point of shock value. This match was downright fantastic. No more needs to be said.

 

[shattered dreams]

That reminds me, the scattered 37 minutes I've seen of The Godfather were pedestrian at best. People are really fooling themselves when they speak so highly of it.

I started at the beginning, I think, I can't always tell when the entrances end and matches begin in WWE and I watched most of the end. I just can't call it great if it doesn't hold my attention.

Wouldnt say ever so dont lump me in that crowd. But surely the best RAW main event in a while. Stong #1 for MOTY in fact. Dont mistake me for someone who says each week "That was the best match ever!!!" I am well aware of the difference. This was the difference.

I am not saying you do. I can safely say it will not be my MOTY though.

Less obvious outcome? It sure had me second guessing where it was going. Plenty of people agree.

I tend to find this is the difference in people that can still watch WWE and those that can't. If I had a choice I'd rather have your perspective.

Build- decent enough.

I think this response speaks for itself.

Variety of moves? There were some great sequences and a few unexpected moves that I doubt anyone would have called. A nice powerbomb & a hurricanrana (sloppy, but hey he isnt Rey) from Cena. Not to mention a great piledriver from Punk.

Piledriver was beautiful. Nailing the hurricanranna was the whole point of the match and he didn't but I give him props for trying. I thought they did a little too many lazy false finishes which detracted from the better ones like when Punk kicked out of that last FU or whatever it is called now. I am hard pressed to remember any great sequences, best thing I remember wasn't really that smooth either (the Cena counter of G2sleep into whatever his submission is called now).

It had plenty of excitement & some very close calls. Great reversals. It was one of those few matches where I stopped what I was doing & just sat there in anticipation. That easily could have ended any PPV on a very high note & it was on RAW for free. No title on the line, no crazy interference. Just a damn good match.

No one is saying it was bad.


Don't mind me. I am just extremely disappointed with what WWE has done with its embarrassment of riches this WM season. They have so much talent at their disposal and I just can't get into anything they are doing.

 

[Steve0904]

A clean Cena win really made a lot of sense here at the end of it all. He needed this win over Punk, and it came just before another WM showdown with The Rock. This way he gets to avenge a few of his losses to Punk here, and at WM he can avenge his loss to The Rock. If WM was a triple threat then Cena would've only been able to beat one of them technically. Tbh I never liked the idea of a triple threat anyway.

 

[nightmare]

Don't mind me. I am just extremely disappointed with what WWE has done with its embarrassment of riches this WM season. They have so much talent at their disposal and I just can't get into anything they are doing.

To each his own. I obviously liked it quite more than you did. Which is rare for me because I really dont like Cena & only praised a small handful of matches he has been in. This was a rare exception. Him & Punk just have put on pretty solid matches & this was a damn good showing.


I know you know your stuff. I think you are at a point with WWE where I had been with TNA for a while. So I can understand a bit where you are coming from in that regard.

 

[Remy LaCroix]

Correction Ech, North Texas/Down South Oklahoma does not like CM Punk.

Tonight Dallas defeated Laredo for the title of dullest Texas wrestling crowd. I didn't think it was even possible, but it happened. I blame the kids.

The main event was fucking awesome. I picked the right match for my over-the-phone play-by-play debut. But the numerous false finishes kinda killed it for me, I felt ridiculous saying "and he kicks out" so many times.

 

[theBusiness]

I actually made a list of top raw matches this past summer around the Raw 1000 hype and this cena-punk match cracked the top 10 at #10. Definitely not the best tv match of all time though. Best tv match since HBK-Cena in 2007? Absolutely.

 

[Tattooed Jesus]

So if Taker does return next week, and it does end up Taker vs Punk at WM29, whats the reasoning behind that match? I can't come up with any logical reason and normally that doesn't bother me because wrestling is anything but logical. This time around it really does because I see no reason why Punk should not be in the main event fighting for the title and even less reason for he or the deadman to want to face each other.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

So if Taker does return next week, and it does end up Taker vs Punk at WM29, whats the reasoning behind that match? I can't come up with any logical reason and normally that doesn't bother me because wrestling is anything but logical. This time around it really does because I see no reason why Punk should not be in the main event fighting for the title and even less reason for he or the deadman to want to face each other.

CM Punk feels that nobody else is worthy of facing him at WrestleMania.

If he can't leave WrestleMania with the WWE Championship he'll leave with the next biggest accolade - the streak.

Undertaker returns to put an end to CM Punk's reign of whining and bitching.

And those are just off the top of my head.

 

[Tattooed Jesus]

CM Punk feels that nobody else is worthy of facing him at WrestleMania.

If he can't leave WrestleMania with the WWE Championship he'll leave with the next biggest accolade - the streak.

Undertaker returns to put an end to CM Punk's reign of whining and bitching.

And those are just off the top of my head.

Those are probably the options they go with sure, but don't they all just seem so forced? It's like throwing together a shitty costume at the last minute to go to a Halloween party. Like oh shit we forgot that Punk and Taker need to be at WM so lets throw them into a match together because we have nothing else for them to do. Problem is they did have something else for Punk to do, he should be fighting for the title! Now I don't want to take away from last nights match because it was amazing and I'm not sure I would trade it for anything but the one thing I would trade it for is to see that match main event WM29 instead of seeing Taker vs Punk or Cena vs Rock alone as neither match is going to be able to top last nights match.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

If he can't leave WrestleMania with the WWE Championship he'll leave with something far more unique and important - the streak.

Fixed

 

[Shocky]

That match was phenomenal. I can't think of any free TV matches that compare with it. Punk and Cena have amazing chemistry with one another.