Round One, Match Fifteen - CM Punk & Edge vs. Taz & Jack Swagger

[Uncle Sam]

Basic Guidelines:

1. First Round matches are conducted under basic WWE singles match rules - the really inconsistent ones you see on television weekly.
2. Polls will open after - approximately - twenty-four hours.
3. Vote how you like, by whatever criteria you like.
4. Strictly no alts.
5. No regions, no arenas, no gimmicks (for now) - everything is based on merit.

Match Fifteen
CM PUNK & EDGE
"Straight Edge"
vs.
TAZ & JACK SWAGGER
"Human Thuplex Mathines"​

 

[Y 2 Jake]

In recent months it's been established that Edge is in fact absolute garbage. Batista & Undertaker obviously carried him during their matches and some of the Cena matches were just happy accidents, not unlike a lot a WZ posters.

I really like CM Punk, although I can't help but think he's becoming this years Chris Jericho. He's good, but he ain't that fucking good. Over the past years of so I've been disappointed by several Punk feuds. Than being against Umaga, Undertaker & Rey Mysterio. Admittedly Umaga wasn't all that when those two feuded, and he was punished for that feud some months later with a premature death, and The Undertaker feud was poorly booked. But both should've been a whole lot better. And while the Mysterio feud was good, none of the matches surpassed the Rey vs. Jericho matches from last year, which they should've.

I love me some suplexes and I don't think there were many wrestlers who were just as entertaining as Tazz in 1998, Swagger is alright as well.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Taz & Swagger. Jack is a very good wrestler, and Taz, when he was on top of his game, could stand toe-to-toe with the best of them. Punk is a great talent but Edge is holding him back. There gimmicks clash first & foremost so unrest is guaranteed and Edge has been known to turn on his partners (Chris Benoit & Randy Orton). Punk has also left his partners hanging, just ask Luke Gallows. Punk wouldn't see Edge as a partner, more of a stepping stone onto to greater things. Taz & Swagger are a serious duo, who technique wise, mesh well.

I think I give this match to the Looney Tunes (Human Thuplex Mathines).

 

[gd]

Swagger is my favorite wrestler out there, no joke. Despite him being nothing more than a guy who wrestles a meaningless Raw match with Evan Bourne at this point, I remember the days of glory, the days of gold. Swagger is definetly one of the best in ring performers in the WWE, given that he doesn't wrestle Big Show. Taz wasn't bad back in the day either.

Like Jake said, Edge is complete garbage. The whole hair thing is kind of cool, I guess. As much as I like Punk, pretty sure him and Edge would beat the shit out of each other, which is why I'm voting for Swagger's team.

 

[Hulkamaniac]

I'm voting for Tazz and Swagger jsut for taking the "Best team Name" title from Ultimate Warrior/Jeff Hardy in EPIC fashion. I mean, Human Thuplex Mathines? That's GOLD, Jerry!

 

[hatehabsforever]

Another pretty easy one here for me. We have Edge who, granted, has his detractors, but he has won multiple world titles (9 I think?). He's had a long and successful career in the WWE, the big leagues of professional wrestling. He's been effective as a face or as a heel. He's been solo and tag-team with other accomplished wrestlers. Granted he has a feeble finisher, but he's competent in the ring and pretty good on the mic. His tag team partner here is no slouch either. Punk is terrific in the ring and has a couple of title reigns under his belt already as well. Really good on the mic, above average in the ring, and while I'm not the biggest fan of the SES, I love how he went from a bland and generic face to a hated heel. He was impressive, I'm told, in ROH prior to coming to the WWE. I think Punk and Edge would have great chemistry together.

Swagger may (arguably) have a bright future but he's really not accomplished a lot yet. Sure he had one brief run as WHC, but it was less than impressive. He was ECW champion, but is anyone impressed by this? He's above average in the ring, but his lisp will always detract from his mic skills, which will always be an impediment to his career. His tag team partner, Taz, enjoyed all of his success in ECW, which ended over a decade ago. While he was impressive back then, he was never able to carry this dominance into the other companies. I know injuries were a big part of this and if he hadn't been injury prone and had his in-ring tenure cut short by injuries, maybe I'd feel differently. But the facts are the facts: Taz was a legend in school gymnasiums and other third-tier venues, but never really asserted himself on the grandest stage of them all.

WINNERS: EDGE AND CM PUNK

 

[Tastycles]

Punk and Edge. Swagger loses to everyone who's ever reached the career plain of being "one above MVP" which has been accomplished by his opponents here. Taz was a bit of a loner, and while I think at his best he probably could have dispatched one of Straight Edge, geddit, he wouldn't have been able to beat both of them single handedly. Edge to win this with some sort of bullshit antics.

EDIT - I didn't realise you'd actually named the teams already. Well, obvious minds think alike.