Another thread was made about fans being hypocritical about Undertaker, and its true. Dues should never give you a free pass.
I don't put blame on "dues" and maybe so I do put blame on the Undertaker and WWE creative, I'm sure Undertaker in real life is happy to just show up as few times as possible at this point and earn a paycheck, assuming he doesn't push to get on tv more then he does.
This is about the fact that the Undertaker and Lesnar match might very well have some of the worst buildup for a big match in Wrestlemania history. Even at its very worst the Batista & Orton match was built up before the Royal Rumble 2014 event (not referring to any of the Evolution group storyline either), the possible Bryan & Triple H match had the buildup start at Summerslam 2013.
In past years when the Undertaker and HBK hooked up for Wrestlemania they had weeks of buildup in January before the actual match was set, the Undertaker and Triple H match also had a few weeks of buildup before the match was set.
Last Monday Lesnar showed up in the ring with a chair, desk, and contract ready to be signed. The Undertaker shows up and signs the contract, match is set. This was the first time the Undertaker has been on tv in almost 10 months. Back a year ago these guys had no buildup. Back 10 years ago when Undertaker and Lesnar feuded over the WWE Championship, it played out for months, and it was finished. Lesnar won the feud. The feud was settled in the HIAC, it was over.
Where is the buildup to Lesnar and Undertaker now? Is Undertaker so bad now he cant show up in January to build this up a little better? Or are the writers so bad this is all they can come up with? Besides the fact of how old the Undertaker is and looks, yet nothing about his age is being played into this at all.
But here is what I would of done; rate it, hate it, comment on it.
The Undertaker Returns: no his return isn't the night after the Elimination Chamber, his return is the first Raw of the new year on January 6th. He comes back to the usual promo to announce he is back, and is entering his name into the Royal Rumble because he wants to headline Wrestlemania one last time. And out comes Cesaro & Zeb (think of his as a huge push/rub for Cesaro), they come out to tell Undertaker hes past his prime, and needs to be in a nursing home instead of a wrestling ring (remember the old rants against Flair and Hogans age used in feuds). So by the end of the promo they agree to wrestle the next week on Raw.
!st match of 2014: Its the January 13th Raw from the week prior the main event was set Cesaro vs the Undertaker (again part of Cesaro's big push), they once again start off the show with the promo from Cesaro referring to Undertakers old age. In the main event match its not like usual, the Undertaker is tossed around the ring, beat up, pushed around, he looks old and out of shape. Cesaro gets the easy, clean win over Undertaker, people are shocked and Undertaker is shocked. The deadman is shocked, this is a side of the Undertaker we never seen, the human side of the Undertaker.
Hes Changed: The next week on the January 20th Raw we see a different Undertaker, instead of the deadman, we get something closer to the American Badass Undertaker, minus being a badass, hes in jeans, leather, bandanna, maybe even a hoodie. But this time hes doubting if he still has IT. In a promo to start the show, Undertaker questions if he still has it or lost it, and challenges Cesaro to a rematch. Cesaro rejects the challenge while tooting his own horn over defeating the Undertaker already. But Swagger does challenge the Undertaker. In the main event, its the other half of the Real Americans Jack Swagger against Undertaker, once again for the second week in a row the Undertaker is pushed around, knocked around and loses a clean match to Jack Swagger (a push & rub for Swagger), the show ends with Undertaker once again doubting him self.
Royal Rumble Ever remember Maven? When he eliminated the Undertaker in the Royal Rumble, near the middle part of the Rumble when people thought of Undertaker as a favorite. Well it happens again. Except this time the Undertaker gets pushed around and knocked around in the ring during the Rumble and easily gets eliminated by Cesaro and Swagger, all the while not eliminating anyone, and only lasting a few minutes. Hardly impressive for the Undertaker, he walks back after being elminated holding his head down shaking his head. This isn't the same deadman.
2 Weeks Later: After missing the 2 Raw events after the Rumble, while showing a vignette each week of the Undertaker in a grave yard questioning if he still has it, when he lost it ect.. We see those for the 2 Raw events leading up to his return on the February 10th Raw where once again its the badass version of Undertaker dressed in leather pants and a vest with a bandanna. While the 6 guys for Elimination Chamber were named, Undertaker disputed that he deserved to have a spot in the Chamber, but with his dispute over a spot in the Chamber, Triple H argued that it was be too dangerous and not best for business putting Undertaker in the Chamber after his lackluster performance in the Rumble, further more argued that Undertaker should consider retirement. Before the argument can end Ryback comes to the ring to join Triple H and Undertaker agreeing with Triple H that its past the Undertakers time, and its time for fresh blood like Ryback to shine, after going back and forth its announced that Undertaker will face Ryback at the Elimination Chamber PPV.
The Elimination Chamber: Following another week of Undertaker vegnettes questioning if he should retire or not on Raw, it was finally time for the Elimination Chamber ppv, like in January when Cesaro and Swagger both received the push with clean wins over the Undertaker, Ryback would get that same push, after months of losing matches him self, it was well known that Ryback hadn't won a match in months going into this, it was as important to Ryback as to the Undertaker. Again the Undertaker is back with his badass gimmick with the leather pants, but when Ryback comes out, he brings a casket. Its not a casket match, but Ryback states that this will be the end of the Undertaker. Like the Cesaro and Swagger match, we see the Undertaker lose a clean match to Ryback, at the end Ryback tries to finish off Undertaker by putting him inside the casket but fails to do so, but Undertaker feels like his time is coming to an end, maybe he cant compete like he once did.
The Road to Wrestlemania Begins: February 24th is here, the Network is being launched, and the road to Wrestlemania starts, a point during the show backstage Heyman is interviewed, in which he says he has something important to announce in the ring. Later that night Heyman is out making his announcement that Brock Lesnar deserves to be in the main event of Wrestlemania against Orton and Batista, then the Undertaker comes out to argue that he is Wrestlemania, and the Streak is the main event of Wrestlemania, Heyman argues that the Streak means nothing, and that Brock doesn't see the Undertaker as a challenge, he wants to be in the main event, he doesn't want to wrestle some washed up has-been. Undertaker ends the promo with a choke slam to Heyman and Raw ends.
Following Week: March 3rd Heyman and Lesnar are in Chicago, and they want in the main event of Wrestlemania, during a Batista & Orton in ring promo, Lesnar crashes the party to make it known he wants to be part of the match, while this is going on the lights go out and a casket is setting ringside, now remember this will have been since the January 6th Raw that we seen the deadman version of the Undertaker. But not only is it a casket, its a old Undertaker casket, Brock ends up opening the casket but nothing is in there.
Following Weeks: Without going into much detail how it plays out leading up to Wrestlemania, here would of been a sample of what could have happened: The Following Raw during a Heyman promo, the lights go out, but this time the big urn used by Undertaker and Paul Bearer from Summerslam 1994- is setting in the ring, but again no Undertaker, the lights go out again, then the lid comes off the earn with its bright light shinning, Heyman feels a bit spooked at this point, and Raw ends. The next Raw which would be March 17th, has Brock and Heyman inside the ring cutting a promo once again pushing to be part of the Wrestlemania main event, that they have still yet to get in due to Undertaker interrupting each attempt, after as casket showing up one week, the urn showing up the following week, this time the lights go out again, and lightning strikes with a giant cross showing up on the stage, lightning strikes it and it goes into flames. Now Heyman and Lesnar are both spooked and Raw ends. The next Raw on March 24th with only one Raw left before Wrestlemania, during a promo from Lesnar and Heyman, they announce they had enough of the Undertaker, and they want him at Wrestlemania. The lights go out, and on screen is a negative of the deadman Undertaker announcing he will be back at Wrestlemania and accepts the challenge to face Brock Lesnar.
If your wondering about the casket, the urn, the lightning strike and giant cross, or the negative, these are all important stages in the Undertakers career though various moments that would all lead to the Undertaker returning at Wrestlemania, maybe under a new deadman look, or something classic. But they refer to these moments in WWE history -
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ags_rule/media/Undertaker/Takerburningcross.jpg.html
In the end, we get a proper buildup to a big match, we get to see Undertaker wrestle 3 guys, at least 2 of which he has never wrestled before, and at this rate might never hook up with being Cesaro and Ryback. The 3 wrestlers are put over, Ryback gets his career revived by a PPV win over the Undertaker, let alone feuding with him, the Real Americans get a major rub, and even something they could of built there feud with each other off, maybe bragging rights over who did better against Undertaker and have that be the basis of there demise and breakup.
What do you think? Sorry I didn't put much into the weeks following the Rumble but they are pretty well self exclamatory buildup.
I don't put blame on "dues" and maybe so I do put blame on the Undertaker and WWE creative, I'm sure Undertaker in real life is happy to just show up as few times as possible at this point and earn a paycheck, assuming he doesn't push to get on tv more then he does.
This is about the fact that the Undertaker and Lesnar match might very well have some of the worst buildup for a big match in Wrestlemania history. Even at its very worst the Batista & Orton match was built up before the Royal Rumble 2014 event (not referring to any of the Evolution group storyline either), the possible Bryan & Triple H match had the buildup start at Summerslam 2013.
In past years when the Undertaker and HBK hooked up for Wrestlemania they had weeks of buildup in January before the actual match was set, the Undertaker and Triple H match also had a few weeks of buildup before the match was set.
Last Monday Lesnar showed up in the ring with a chair, desk, and contract ready to be signed. The Undertaker shows up and signs the contract, match is set. This was the first time the Undertaker has been on tv in almost 10 months. Back a year ago these guys had no buildup. Back 10 years ago when Undertaker and Lesnar feuded over the WWE Championship, it played out for months, and it was finished. Lesnar won the feud. The feud was settled in the HIAC, it was over.
Where is the buildup to Lesnar and Undertaker now? Is Undertaker so bad now he cant show up in January to build this up a little better? Or are the writers so bad this is all they can come up with? Besides the fact of how old the Undertaker is and looks, yet nothing about his age is being played into this at all.
But here is what I would of done; rate it, hate it, comment on it.
The Undertaker Returns: no his return isn't the night after the Elimination Chamber, his return is the first Raw of the new year on January 6th. He comes back to the usual promo to announce he is back, and is entering his name into the Royal Rumble because he wants to headline Wrestlemania one last time. And out comes Cesaro & Zeb (think of his as a huge push/rub for Cesaro), they come out to tell Undertaker hes past his prime, and needs to be in a nursing home instead of a wrestling ring (remember the old rants against Flair and Hogans age used in feuds). So by the end of the promo they agree to wrestle the next week on Raw.
!st match of 2014: Its the January 13th Raw from the week prior the main event was set Cesaro vs the Undertaker (again part of Cesaro's big push), they once again start off the show with the promo from Cesaro referring to Undertakers old age. In the main event match its not like usual, the Undertaker is tossed around the ring, beat up, pushed around, he looks old and out of shape. Cesaro gets the easy, clean win over Undertaker, people are shocked and Undertaker is shocked. The deadman is shocked, this is a side of the Undertaker we never seen, the human side of the Undertaker.
Hes Changed: The next week on the January 20th Raw we see a different Undertaker, instead of the deadman, we get something closer to the American Badass Undertaker, minus being a badass, hes in jeans, leather, bandanna, maybe even a hoodie. But this time hes doubting if he still has IT. In a promo to start the show, Undertaker questions if he still has it or lost it, and challenges Cesaro to a rematch. Cesaro rejects the challenge while tooting his own horn over defeating the Undertaker already. But Swagger does challenge the Undertaker. In the main event, its the other half of the Real Americans Jack Swagger against Undertaker, once again for the second week in a row the Undertaker is pushed around, knocked around and loses a clean match to Jack Swagger (a push & rub for Swagger), the show ends with Undertaker once again doubting him self.
Royal Rumble Ever remember Maven? When he eliminated the Undertaker in the Royal Rumble, near the middle part of the Rumble when people thought of Undertaker as a favorite. Well it happens again. Except this time the Undertaker gets pushed around and knocked around in the ring during the Rumble and easily gets eliminated by Cesaro and Swagger, all the while not eliminating anyone, and only lasting a few minutes. Hardly impressive for the Undertaker, he walks back after being elminated holding his head down shaking his head. This isn't the same deadman.
2 Weeks Later: After missing the 2 Raw events after the Rumble, while showing a vignette each week of the Undertaker in a grave yard questioning if he still has it, when he lost it ect.. We see those for the 2 Raw events leading up to his return on the February 10th Raw where once again its the badass version of Undertaker dressed in leather pants and a vest with a bandanna. While the 6 guys for Elimination Chamber were named, Undertaker disputed that he deserved to have a spot in the Chamber, but with his dispute over a spot in the Chamber, Triple H argued that it was be too dangerous and not best for business putting Undertaker in the Chamber after his lackluster performance in the Rumble, further more argued that Undertaker should consider retirement. Before the argument can end Ryback comes to the ring to join Triple H and Undertaker agreeing with Triple H that its past the Undertakers time, and its time for fresh blood like Ryback to shine, after going back and forth its announced that Undertaker will face Ryback at the Elimination Chamber PPV.
The Elimination Chamber: Following another week of Undertaker vegnettes questioning if he should retire or not on Raw, it was finally time for the Elimination Chamber ppv, like in January when Cesaro and Swagger both received the push with clean wins over the Undertaker, Ryback would get that same push, after months of losing matches him self, it was well known that Ryback hadn't won a match in months going into this, it was as important to Ryback as to the Undertaker. Again the Undertaker is back with his badass gimmick with the leather pants, but when Ryback comes out, he brings a casket. Its not a casket match, but Ryback states that this will be the end of the Undertaker. Like the Cesaro and Swagger match, we see the Undertaker lose a clean match to Ryback, at the end Ryback tries to finish off Undertaker by putting him inside the casket but fails to do so, but Undertaker feels like his time is coming to an end, maybe he cant compete like he once did.
The Road to Wrestlemania Begins: February 24th is here, the Network is being launched, and the road to Wrestlemania starts, a point during the show backstage Heyman is interviewed, in which he says he has something important to announce in the ring. Later that night Heyman is out making his announcement that Brock Lesnar deserves to be in the main event of Wrestlemania against Orton and Batista, then the Undertaker comes out to argue that he is Wrestlemania, and the Streak is the main event of Wrestlemania, Heyman argues that the Streak means nothing, and that Brock doesn't see the Undertaker as a challenge, he wants to be in the main event, he doesn't want to wrestle some washed up has-been. Undertaker ends the promo with a choke slam to Heyman and Raw ends.
Following Week: March 3rd Heyman and Lesnar are in Chicago, and they want in the main event of Wrestlemania, during a Batista & Orton in ring promo, Lesnar crashes the party to make it known he wants to be part of the match, while this is going on the lights go out and a casket is setting ringside, now remember this will have been since the January 6th Raw that we seen the deadman version of the Undertaker. But not only is it a casket, its a old Undertaker casket, Brock ends up opening the casket but nothing is in there.
Following Weeks: Without going into much detail how it plays out leading up to Wrestlemania, here would of been a sample of what could have happened: The Following Raw during a Heyman promo, the lights go out, but this time the big urn used by Undertaker and Paul Bearer from Summerslam 1994- is setting in the ring, but again no Undertaker, the lights go out again, then the lid comes off the earn with its bright light shinning, Heyman feels a bit spooked at this point, and Raw ends. The next Raw which would be March 17th, has Brock and Heyman inside the ring cutting a promo once again pushing to be part of the Wrestlemania main event, that they have still yet to get in due to Undertaker interrupting each attempt, after as casket showing up one week, the urn showing up the following week, this time the lights go out again, and lightning strikes with a giant cross showing up on the stage, lightning strikes it and it goes into flames. Now Heyman and Lesnar are both spooked and Raw ends. The next Raw on March 24th with only one Raw left before Wrestlemania, during a promo from Lesnar and Heyman, they announce they had enough of the Undertaker, and they want him at Wrestlemania. The lights go out, and on screen is a negative of the deadman Undertaker announcing he will be back at Wrestlemania and accepts the challenge to face Brock Lesnar.
If your wondering about the casket, the urn, the lightning strike and giant cross, or the negative, these are all important stages in the Undertakers career though various moments that would all lead to the Undertaker returning at Wrestlemania, maybe under a new deadman look, or something classic. But they refer to these moments in WWE history -
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ags_rule/media/Undertaker/Takerburningcross.jpg.html
In the end, we get a proper buildup to a big match, we get to see Undertaker wrestle 3 guys, at least 2 of which he has never wrestled before, and at this rate might never hook up with being Cesaro and Ryback. The 3 wrestlers are put over, Ryback gets his career revived by a PPV win over the Undertaker, let alone feuding with him, the Real Americans get a major rub, and even something they could of built there feud with each other off, maybe bragging rights over who did better against Undertaker and have that be the basis of there demise and breakup.
What do you think? Sorry I didn't put much into the weeks following the Rumble but they are pretty well self exclamatory buildup.