WWE sent out the following survey to fans on Wednesday asking who they think should have broken The Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak. And yes, they spelled Damien Sandow’s name wrong.
Thanks to SEScoops.com correspondent Noah Mark for sending this in!
Paul Heyman was Michael Cole’s guest for this week’s WWE.com sit down interview. Here are some highlights:
– Michael Cole questions Paul Heyman about why he refers to him and Jerry Lawler as “things.”
– Heyman comments on Brock Lesnar breaking The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak, saying that Undertaker knew deep down that Lesnar would win.
– Brock Lesnar is a conqueror and will demolish anything put in his way.
– He recruited Cesaro because he’s “the next great commodity” in WWE. If he choses to put Cesaro in the WWE World Heavyweight title picture, then Cesaro will be champion. If he instructs Cesaro to bring him the Intercontinental championship, then he will do so. Cesaro is the most capable star in WWE and the new “next big thing.”
– Heyman says Cesaro’s future is in his hands, so the future of WWE is in Cesaro’s hands.
WWE’s official website has released the following statement regarding The Undertaker being hospitalized after his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX:
WWE.com can confirm that, following last’s night historic match with Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker was immediately taken to Ochsner Medical Center. After a CT scan and other medical testing, he was diagnosed with a severe concussion and was kept overnight for further evaluation. He was discharged early Monday afternoon.
– WWE is auctioning off a WWE Championship belt signed by Hulk Hogan, John Cena, The Undertaker and Triple H at CharityBuzz.com. Proceeds go towards the Superstars For Kids charity. The auction ends at 12pm EST on Tuesday, with the current bid listed at $1,425.
– As you can imagine, the atmosphere was very positive backstage at WrestleMania XXX. Everybody was in great spirits and it felt like the celebratory landmark show that it was.
– One of the big wildcard issues heading into WrestleMania was how the WWE Network stream would hold up. Aside from some very minor skipping, the stream was considered a huge success.
– Billy Gunn tweeted the following after reports that he suffered from internal bleeding after his match against The Shield at WrestleMania:
Ok thanks everyone I am fine just a miner hiccup. Just busted some blood vessels in my lungs
— Kip sopp (@RealBillyGunn) April 7, 2014
As previously reported, The Undertaker went to the hospital almost immediately after his match at WrestleMania XXX against Brock Lesnar. While we haven’t heard anything yet about Undertaker’s condition, we can report that Vince McMahon accompanied him to the hospital and actually missed the WrestleMania main event as a result.
Triple H and Stephanie, who got physically involved in the main event, ran the show while Vince was with Undertaker.
(Source: PWInsider.com)
Words cannot even begin to describe what fans witnessed last night at WrestleMania. I will instead allow for the screencap below to perfectly encapsulate the moment. That face was not unique either, as basically every face in the crowd featured the same shocked expression.
This of course occurred after the Undertaker finally lost at WrestleMania, ending his perfect 21-0 streak at the biggest wrestling event of the year. In my opinion, ending the streak against Brock Lesnar was the definition of illogical booking.
It makes little, if any, sense to end the most vaunted streak in sports entertainment against a part-time superstar who is way past his prime. That should have instead been reserved for an up-and-coming superstar such as Roman Reigns or Bray Wyatt.
Following the event, fans were even speculating whether the loss was a shoot, that’s how unbelievable it seemed that the WWE would allow Lesnar to end the streak. It was indeed the plan all along, but it still makes one question why Lesnar was the chosen one.
The most logical reason is that Lesnar was hand-picked by Taker to end the streak. At this point in his career, the Undertaker has complete creative control over his character and there is no doubt that he would have to approve any loss. He is also a noted fan of MMA, so he probably thought Lesnar would serve as the perfect man to end his undefeated run.
Another option is that WWE simply wanted a cheap ratings pop. Following the match last night, it was the most talked about topic on Twitter and fans will undoubtedly tune in to RAW tonight to see the aftermath, but that seems harmful to the company. It is moronic to trade in an accomplishment like the streak that could have propelled a rising star to superstardom in favor of a slight boost in ratings.
Not only did the decision not make sense from a business standpoint, it also killed the crowd. They were completely disinterested during the Divas contest and it seemed like they did not become completely invested in the main event until about halfway through. The Undertaker’s loss definitely killed the momentum of the show for the next 20 or 30 minutes, as fans were in a state that was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and anger.
Ultimately, having Lesnar end the streak was a very poor booking decision. That was likely the last time fans will ever see the Undertaker compete in the ring. They will now remember his final match as an anti-climactic botch-fest against an uncommitted part-timer that ended in defeat. The worst was that some disrespectful fans in the audience were actually brazen enough to shout, “You suck!” to one of the most accomplished and respected superstars in WWE history.
Upon glancing at this year’s WrestleMania card, fans may notice a glaring omission: championship title matches. After unifying the titles at last year’s TLC, there are a total of five championships in the WWE. Of the five, only two are being defended on the actual telecast and the tag team titles will be relegated to the pre-show.
Ignoring championship titles is nothing new in the WWE, as it has become pretty much standard in recent years, especially at WrestleMania. The previous two WrestleManias featured three championship matches on the actual telecast, and the twenty-seventh edition was even worse, with only two championship matches on the entire four-hour program.
This is a far cry from a decade ago at WrestleMania XX, where there were a whopping seven title matches and the belts were used to build up superstars and did not simply remain stagnant for months at a time.
The perfect example of the diminished value of titles is the United States Championship. A decade ago at WrestleMania XX, John Cena won his first championship by defeating Big Show for the United States Championship. His win helped launch Cena into the main event by putting gold around his waist and making the title seem important.
Fast forward a decade and the United States Championship is completely irrelevant, with Dean Ambrose only defending the title a handful of times since October of last year.
The same holds true for the Intercontinental Title as well. During the Attitude Era, the Intercontinental Title was one of the most important ways to elevate a superstar from the midcard to the main event, with Steve Austin and The Rock’s epic battles for the IC strap serving as an illustration of how to use a midcard title to put an up-and-coming superstar over with the crowd.
Now the title is thrown around the waist of whichever flavor of the week the WWE is trying to make seem important. It was Curtis Axel for a while after he was repacked and paired with Paul Heyman. After they realized he was not getting over with the crowd, they decided to give the belt to Big E and he has done next to nothing.
Paul Heyman spoke to ThisIsInfamous.com this week to promote WrestleMania 30. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
A New Paul Heyman Guy Coming Soon: “We’re going to broadcast his identity and we’re going to publicize and promote it and present it and market it and make as big a splash as humanly possible regarding this new Paul Heyman guy.”
His CM Punk Promo On RAW From Chicago: “My task at hand is to elicit the response from the viewer that they find the Brock Lesnar versus Undertaker match compelling enough to purchase the pay-per-view or get involved with WWE Network to see the match. So when I went out in Chicago, I knew my responsibility was to sell you on Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker any way that I had to, which included sitting there for the first ten minutes and discussing the 800-pound elephant in the room, which is why C.M. Punk wasn’t appearing in his hometown.”
“As a performer, to get the opportunity to come out in Chicago to CM Punk’s music and to sit down Punk-style in the ring, and tell the true intimate story of this Paul Heyman guy, while I’m doing my job promoting Brock versus Undertaker is the greatest professional high you can offer me.”
If CM Punk Will Ever Return: “You know, there were only three people in the room that night, and that was C.M. Punk, Vince McMahon, and Triple H, and none of the three have talked about it. So whether C.M. Punk will ever or won’t ever appear in WWE again is truly only known by the three people that were in the room on that given evening. Anything else that is stated about it is merely speculation.”
Here we are the Raw before WrestleMania XXX. The go home show of all go home shows. Did Raw deliver? Check out our YES! and NO!
The Undertaker & Brock Lesnar
The Undertaker comes out and cuts seeming the same promo he has each week he’s had a mic. Out pops Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman, eventually Brock circles the ring seemingly a dozen times, before the obligatory Paul Heyman distraction where he slips in with a chair, to distract The Undertaker enough so that Brock can “sneak” in and get his hands on The Dead Man.
I had such high hopes for this program, but I must tell you, I’ve been less than impressed. Paul Heyman cut an amazing promo a few weeks back simultaneously putting over The Streak, and why Brock Lesnar would break it (Undertakers age, wear and tear). Since then this has been a lackluster build for me. Am I really to believe that a huge man like Brock Lesnar is THAT afraid to get into the ring? I can buy into some trepidation, but this was ridiculous. NO!
Big E. vs. Alberto Del Rio
I thought Big E and Alberto Del Rio put on a great match, with several near falls and a clean Del Rio win. Of course why they constantly beat a champion, I’ll never understand. Does anyone remember when they actually had in-ring introductions for a Big E intercontinental championship match? That being said, YES!
Summer Rae vs. Natalya
I liked how a clip was shown from this past weeks Total Diva’s and there was a match to tie things in. I suppose that’s the one thing we lack when it is seemingly all the Total Divas ganging up on AJ who didn’t want to be on the show. However, the conflict was clearly 100% manufactured, and if there was any ounce of reality to Total Divas before this, there isn’t now. YES!
The Authority’s Farewell To The “Yes!” Movement, Batista, Randy Orton
Triple H and Stephanie come out and cut a brutally honest promo that blurts the lines between story line and reality. They made some interesting arguments about people wanting to be on a bandwagon, and support a cause. This brought out chants of CM Punk, Yes, and others including boring. After a Stephanie McMahon narrated promo about Triple H always beating the “Flavor of the Day” including Booker T, Chris Jericho, RVD, Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy, Out comes BOOtista, and Orton. Pretty much the same song and dance. Objectively I think this was a good Heel Triple H Promo. But I’m exhausted from these Authority promos, and Batista and Orton coming out in succession. I’m tired from Daniel Bryan not getting anywhere in the stratosphere of equal mic time. By itself this was good, but after weeks of this, I’m over it. So I say NO!
The Usos & Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans & Ryback and Curtis Axel
This is basically the Pre-Show match with two teams combined. Less reason to get excited about the match itself. After an incredible year of tag-teams in the WWE in 2013, everything that I have enjoyed up to this point has vanished. Cody Rhodes and GoldDust were the hottest Tag Team attraction in WWE last year, they should have been in the tag-team titles mix, or facing each other, in a brother vs brother match that has been rumored for two years. The USO’s have been in line to win the Tag Titles since July of 13. What better way to elevate those titles then have them win it at WrestleMania XXX against the Outlaws? So another match, similar to what we will see on the small big stage, and I fear that The Uso’s who should retain this, may not possibly, so that a title change gets a reaction, or creates some sort of moment. NO!
Backstage Segment: The Shield & Roman Reigns vs. Kane
I enjoyed this backstage segment from The Shield, they seemed like a cohesive unit here, and I hope to see more of this at WrestleMania. Could The Shield stay together for a while longer? Many thought the match would be all three members of The Shield in a triple thread at this years WrestleMania. I would dislike it to see someone like Dean Ambrose accidentally or deliberately cause a loss for the team. I’d like to see The Shield show their dominance over the last two years. YES!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW
On the go-home episode of RAW last night, the Beast Incarnate finally got the upper hand on the Dead Man with a little help from his advocate, blasting the Undertaker with a devastating F-5 after Heyman provided the distraction.
Thus far, there has been little physical contact between the few, with the only instances being the Undertaker chokeslamming Lesnar through a table during their contract signing and Taker hitting Lesnar with a few punches after popping out of a casket.
To say that this feud has not been fully fleshed out would be a serious understatement. In fact, I would not even hesitate to call it a complete disappointment.
Unlike Undertaker’s feuds the past few years, this one seems rushed together with no backstory, made even worse by the fact that both superstars are part-timers who have rarely appeared on television together.
Last year’s feud with CM Punk was a masterful build, with a compelling backstory (Punk stealing the urn and mocking Paul Bearer), a weekly confrontation between the two leading up to WrestleMania, and action that actually made the feud feel personal (Punk dumping the contents of the urn on Taker).
This year has been the polar opposite. The two are fighting simply because Lesnar said he has accomplished everything in WWE except conquering the streak. I get that breaking the streak is a valid reason for a feud. After all, it was the reason CM Punk originally wanted to fight the Undertaker in the first place.
However, the difference between last year and this year is that last year’s feud was actually escalated throughout the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, while the Lesnar/Taker feud is literally in the exact same place as it was on the night of the contract signing weeks ago.
It is a shame too, because it is not like creative did not have material to work with. They could have mentioned the infamous confrontation between Lesnar and Taker after Lesnar’s UFC fight a few years back, or their previous feud back in 2002. Instead, it almost seems like the Undertaker has no stake in fighting other than defending the streak, and Lesnar seems disinterested as well. There were elements in place to make the feud seem personal but creative has failed to do so.
WWE is reportedly continuing to distance themselves from CM Punk, with the assumption being that he will not be returning to the company.
One source within WWE noted recently that the script for the WWE Flintstones DVD project, which was originally slated to feature Punk, has been re-written. The script now features Rey Mysterio in a more prominent role.
Additionally, the Camp WWE animated series, which is expected to debut later in 2014, will also see Punk being removed.
Punk is, however, expected to remain as a character in the WWE Slam City animated series. The reason for that is the 24-episode series, which will serve as a promotional vehicle for the action figure line of the same name, has already been completed. Punk’s name will not be used in the promotional material for the show, and while his character will remain included, it will be downplayed in the publicity.
Finally, Punk has been taken off of all WWE promotional videos that air during live events and television tapings, including all of the footage of his recent WrestleMania match against The Undertaker. The clips of his bout with Undertaker were removed from a WrestleMania music video package that has been running in the arena’s at the start of every taping.
(Credit: PWInsider.com)
– Former WCW announcer Tony Schiavone was at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut a few weeks ago, most likely to be interviewed for future WCW projects on the WWE Network or DVD release.
Schiavone has been fielding a lot of wrestling-related questions and comments on Twitter and noted that he’s had a huge increase in people tweeting him since the launch of the WWE Network. When asked why he left WWE back in 1990 and jumped to WCW, he made this interesting comment:
@DJSeanmoney I left in 1990 because of a great offer from WCW. It was a big mistake.
— Tony Schiavone (@tonyschiavone24) March 12, 2014
– The Barclays Center website is advertising both Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker for Monday’s RAW from Brooklyn, New York.
There is also talk that Hulk Hogan will be at the show, but WWE has not announced anything yet.
In-Ring Segment: Triple H, BOOtista and Randy Orton
Raw started off with Triple H in the middle of the ring, blaming the WWE Universe, for the events leading to the match between Triple H & Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania. He said he had no chocie but has too end the #YesMovment. Out comes Batista, followed by Randy Orton. I really enjoyed the back and forth between all three. With Batista caling Randy Orton a “paper champion” and Orton saying if Batista was the big deal he was supposed to be they wouldn’t have gone on to cheer for Daniel Bryan.
Triple H tried to make his exit, Batista stopped him and said he has to fix things. That’s when Triple H went off on Batista, saying he hated when Part-Time movie stars come back and think they know how to run the business. Triple H also called out Orton, for being technically gifted, but still needs his hand held to win the match.
Triple H then annoucned a bombshell that if he wins the match between him and Daniel Bryan, he will enter the triple threat match at WrestleMania XXX, and win it to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
I thought this was a great segment, and I like that now Triple H has a shot to be in the Main Event at WrestleMania. That gives people some doubt that Daniel Bryan could lose his match between him and Triple H, which he wont. I like the direction this story is going in, as we are two Raw’s from Mania! YES!
Bad News Barrett & Hornswoggle
Obligatory Hornswaggle segment for St Patrick’s day. Followed by an unfunny and predictable Bad News Barrett segment. Yawn. Someone tell me why Barrett is not wrestling, is he injured? NO!
Sheamus vs. Titus O’Neil
Gimmick Match, the aforementioned Hornswaggle gets involved and becomes a chess piece. Christian on commentary was the bright spot. He attacks after the match, which also was predictable, I didn’t hate the attack though, but overall for me the segment was a NO!
The Usos vs. The Real Americans
Sold match, looks like The Real Americans are back as a cohesive unit. This win by The Real Americans I’m assuming will lead to their involvement in a 4-way tag match at WrestleMania. Perhaps on the grandest stage of them all, we will finally see Cesaro snap on Jack Swagger and swing him many many times. YES!
John Cena & Bray Wyatt Promo Segment
Obviously we won’t know until WrestleMania XXX if these two will have a good or great match. For all we know they could have an amazing match. But I have to say I really enjoy Bray Wyatt’s promo work here. John Cena is John Cena, I could do with out the comedy. His act is getting stale, and he is in need for a change, a big change. I think this this program is a good fit for both superstars, of course I would rather have seen The Shield vs The Wyatts, but since that ship has sailed, I’m enjoying what I see. YES!
Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton have good matches with each other, I enjoyed this one as well. Batista came down to take it to Orton, followed by Daniel Bryan sending Batista out of the ring with the Knee. This was a great live illustration to show what “could” happen at WrestleMania XXX. Batista power bombing Orton Afterwords got a decent pop. I have to say, seems a fair amount of heat on BOOtista is melting away, now that Daniel Bryan has the potential to headline with him and Orton at WrestleMania XXX YES!
Segment: Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is a master wordsmith. He is perfect for someone like Brock Lesnar, who’s mic skills aren’t as sharp. I love the story they are telling here, acknowledging The Undertaker is getting older and it has been getting harder the last few years for him to win decisively. YES!
Interesting observation, did you notice how CM Punk didn’t exist on the promo they showed? Would have made great sense to use him, after all, The Undertaker beat CM Punk last year at WrestleMania 29 and, Brock Lesnar went on to beat CM Punk at SummerSlam. But no, he is erased.
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW
The Undertaker made appeared on Tuesday night’s live episode of Main Event on the WWE Network and delivered a message to to Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar.
Undertaker told Heyman to deliver a message for his WrestleMania XXX opponent. “When the Undertaker gets to New Orleans, he’s going to slay the beast. Once that’s done, he’s going to throw his rotting corpse into the pits of eternal hell.
If there’s anything about that message that is not delivered to Lesnar, The Undertaker at RAW next Monday night from Brooklyn to deliver it personally.
– Wrestling legend Sting will be in New Orleans during WrestleMania XXX weekend. The TNA Hall of Famer will be appearing at the WrestleCon convention on Sunday, April 6th from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
“This will be a LIMITED AVAILABILITY APPEARANCE OF ONLY 250 PEOPLE! Only one person is allowed to appear in the photo op. Sting will also delivery a message, maybe take a question or two, for the entire crowd following his signing on the main stage.”
For more information, visit WrestleCon.com.
– After Monday’s RAW from San Antonio went off the air, the WWE Network’s Backstage Pass show featured Daniel Bryan being tended to by medical staff after the severe beat down from Triple H on RAW. The panel speculated whether Daniel Bryan’s career is over and if he’ll even make it to WrestleMania. Bryan was placed into an ambulance backstage while his fiance Brie Bella and various WWE superstars checked on him. Renee Young interviewed WWE’s ringside doctor, who said Bryan appears to have suffered head and abdominal injuries.
Back in the ring (not shown on the WWE Network), John Cena came out to address the live crowd. The Undertaker’s music then played, which the panel ignored while discussing the Daniel Bryan injury angle. While the Undertaker and John Cena were in the ring, Luke Harper and Eric Rowan of the Wyatt Family confronted them. The Show ended with The Undertaker and John Cena delivering a chokeslam and Attitude Adjustment to send the fans home happy.
– WWE legend The Undertaker will be appearing live on tonight’s episode of Main Event on the WWE Network. This will be the Undertaker’s first time appearing on the show.
– WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Mick Foley praised Bray Wyatt on Twitter on Monday night:
@WWEBrayWyatt is a special talent. Great DNA. 300 pounder w/ 2nd gear. #RAWSanAntonio
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) March 18, 2014
I think @WWEBrayWyatt may be a #BetterMankindThanMankind. Awesome stuff from a modern master of the microphone. #Raw
— Mick Foley (@realmickfoley) March 18, 2014
The Most Impressive Accomplishment in Sports Entertainment History?
At 21-0, The Undertaker is undoubtedly the most successful performer in WrestleMania history. To even compete in 21 separate WrestleManias is an accomplishment itself, but to come out victorious on all occasions cements his status as one of the all-time greats.
Is the streak the most impressive accomplishment in sports entertainment history, however? In my opinion, only one accomplishment is more impressive, with that being Bruno Sammartino’s 2,803-day reign as champion.
With that said, it leads one to wonder if the streak should be preserved, and also how it will be possible to send The Undertaker off in a fitting manner if he does end his WrestleMania career undefeated.
Should the Streak Be Ended?
Many have suggested that it would be selfish for The Undertaker to end his career with an undefeated WrestleMania record. Instead, some feel he should put over a young star in his final match to pass the torch, so to speak, to the next generation.
While there is certainly some validity to the argument, I am not necessarily buying into it. The primary reason the streak should be maintained is that it has become synonymous with his character. As one of the most iconic superstars of his generation, the streak is an important part of his legacy.
Think about it: Shawn Michaels is known as Mr. WrestleMania, Steve Austin is the face of the Attitude Era, Hulk Hogan transformed the WWE from a regional promotion into a nationally televised sport, John Cena has the most WWE title reigns of all-time. What will fans think of when they remember The Undertaker in 20 years?
Other than his unique character and being perhaps the only superstar to maintain a kayfabe persona in a social media era, the streak is one of the defining characteristics of his career. Therefore, I think it is important for him to retire with an undefeated record at WrestleMania.
How Should the WWE Send Off The Undertaker?
Assuming he retires undefeated, writers would have to come up with an interesting way to send him off in his final match. Simply having him win and walk out of the arena seems like a lame way to send off one of the most fascinating characters in the company’s history.
It seems highly unlikely that he will lose to Brock Lesnar this year, leaving maybe one or two years left before he is forced to retire. After all, he is approaching 50 years old and it is only a matter of time before his body can no longer hold up.
My guess is that he will compete at two more WrestleManias following this year’s event. That would allow for him to face someone such as John Cena or possibly Sting next year (assuming Sting decides to sign, of course).
In his final match, it would be possible to put over a new star while still preserving the streak. Imagine The Undertaker facing a young heel such as Bray Wyatt. The two could possibly face off in something like a casket match (I’d suggest a buried alive match but don’t see that happening in the PG era).
After The Undertaker wins the match, Wyatt and his family could decimate Taker and bury or set the casket on fire. Unlike previous contests where he usually does something like put his hand through the casket, however, this could be the true end to his career and the last time he ever appears. Voilà, Taker gone, the streak is preserved, and you put over someone like Wyatt by having him be the man who finally took out The Deadman.
Facts Related to the Streak:
Average Match Time: 16:29
Total Time Spent Competing: 5 hours, 46 minutes, 26 seconds
Longest Match: 30:50 (WrestleMania 28 vs. Triple H)
Shortest Match: 4:20 (WrestleMania 7 vs. Jimmy Snuka)
Most Frequent Opponent: Triple H (3 times)
Number of Headlining Appearances: 3 (WrestleMania 13, WrestleMania 24, WrestleMania 26)
Numbers of Titles Won: 3 (WWE Championship vs. Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13, WHC vs. Batista at WrestleMania 23, WHC vs. Edge at WrestleMania 24)
So how do you feel about the streak? Do you think The Undertaker should go out on top, or should he lose in his final match? What is your all-time favorite Taker WrestleMania match? Let us know in the comments.
– WWE is considering a 6-man tag match at WrestleMania featuring The Shield vs. Kane and NXT Tag Team Champions The Ascension, according to a report by Justin LaBar at Triblive.com.
– WWE.com has published a feature looking at The Undertaker’s 20 Greatest Rivals.
– WWE.com also has a playlist of Superstars Impersonating Hulk Hogan.
– Sting will be making a “special appearance” for Revolution Pro this Saturday at York Hall in London, England. Also on the show are Colt Cabana, The Young Bucks, Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, Ricochet and more. It does not appear that Sting will be wrestling.
WWE is reportedly planning on making a big push for Hulk Hogan merchandise and legends merchandise based on a “big four” of Hogan, The Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior and Steve Austin. As part of this deal, WWE is wanting to get all four to appear at WrestleMania XXX in April.
As previously reported, Austin has mentioned that he had no interest in going to WrestleMania just to be there, and that he would only be interested in attending if he had a good reason. WWE reportedly wants to come up with a good storyline to bring Austin to WrestleMania this year in a non-wrestling role. The idea has apparently been pitched to Austin, however we have yet to hear of any kind of deal being reached.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
Hulk Hogan’s WrestleMania XXX Announcement, John Cena & The Wyatt Family
Hulk Hogan starts the show announcing an Andre The Giant memorial 30 man Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans. Battle Royals have happened before at WrestleMania, with Andre The Giant winning the first ever Battle Royal at WrestleMania II. At Wrestlemania IV Bret Hart and Bad News Brown, both heels at the time agreed to share the trophy, well for a few moments. And who could forget the 19 man Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-Seven. I don’t think anyone was expecting this, and at first I thought, the idea seemed silly, but this will get alot of talent on the card, and could be interesting to watch.
John Cena came out to have a Raw moment with The Hulkster. Dislike Cena all you want, he has been the top guy in WWE for the last 10 years. Buff Bagwell, made a ridiculous comment, that John Cena isn’t a Stone Cold Steve Austin, or a Rock, and that HE could have been John Cena, if he was pushed like Cena has been. That’s the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Cena is a true star, and any way you slice it this was a Raw moment, to see Cena posing down with the Babe Ruth of professional wrestling.
I enjoyed the Wyatt involvement, the challenge was issued by Cena, for a match at WrestleMania, Wyatt would later accept. Prior to the Royal Rumble, when the heavy rumor was John Cena vs Bray Wyatt, I was scratching my head. After months of excellent build up of Bray and the Wyatt Family, I can honestly tell you, I’m excited to see this match, and love the Wyatt Family. YES!
John Cena vs. Erick Rowan
Short match, between Cena and Rowan, with Rowan having the upper hand for a good portion of the match, Cena wins with a surprise pin. I’m not sure why he was so shocked. Hulk Hogan in Cena’s corner, makes me wonder if this will foreshadow some physical Hogan involvement in the match at WrestleMania XXX. YES!
The Authority Address Daniel Bryan
I’m a huge Vince McMahon fan, I loved watching Vince McMahon verbally and sometimes even physically battle Stone Cold Steve Austin, back in the Attitude Era. Perhaps because I’m so over the last 7 months of beating Daniel Bryan to the ground, I just can’t stand Stephanie McMahon and Triple H as The Authority. When I say that, I don’t mean, “I can’t wait to see Daniel Bryan get his hands on Triple H.” I just can’t stand the way either of them are, at all. Stephanie does all the talking in this segment, demanding Daniel Bryan apologize or face severe consequences. NO!
Big E. vs. Jack Swagger / Real Americans Break-Up Tease # 395
This match was basically a filler to highlight the inevitable break up of Cesaro and Swagger. It’s a shame that Big E has been pushed to the back in all this, I had high hopes that the Intercontinental Title would finally get more prestige. That being said I am enjoying the break up of The Real Americans, because Cesaro is going to be a break out star. YES!
In-Ring Segment: The Undertaker & Paul Heyman
This segment was pure brilliance, Paul Heyman with two amazing weeks in a row of fantastic promos. Playing the Chicago crowd expertly. Tying CM Punk’s departure into not being able to defeat The Undertaker, was a genius concept. I like how the story is now centered around Paul Heyman trying to get his revenge on The Undertaker. This could also set the stage for another CM Punk Undertaker encounter if he ever comes back and returns his ball. I’m cautiously optimistic for the Brock vs Taker match at WrestleMania XXX. YES!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW
– The Undertaker is being advertised for the March 18th WWE SmackDown tapings from Houston, Texas and March 25th episode of RAW from Brooklyn, NY.
– WWE NXT returns to Fall Sail University in Winter Park, Florida this Thursday for another round of TV tapings.
– Batista tweeted the following today:
Hell of a week! The most fun since I’ve been back. Incredible crowds! Great matches and trainings w/ @joshrafferty Back 2 La La Land I go!
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) March 11, 2014
– In addition to the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal being announced for WrestleMania XXX, the long-rumored match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt was announced as well. Cena officially challenged Wyatt in the opening segment of Monday’s RAW.
– Another match that was further set up for WrestleMania XXX is the match between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar. Undertaker appeared on the show, but was quickly interupted by Paul Heyman. Heyman told Undertaker not to accept the match with Lesnar at WrestleMania, or his streak would come to an end. Undertaker told Heyman that if Lesnar accepts, at WrestleMania he will “Rest In Peace.”
WWE.com confirmed in their “Five-Point Preview” for tonight’s edition of RAW, which emanates from Memphis, that in one of the main events of the evening, John Cena will square off in singles competition with Wyatt Family-member Luke Harper.
As previously reported, The Undertaker will appear on tonight’s show, as well as Hulk Hogan, who is scheduled to make a big announcement related to WrestleMania XXX.
– The official WWE website has a new featured article up looking at the top 30 “big men” in pro wrestling history. The top five includes Vader, Kane, Big Show, Andre The Giant and The Undertaker (in that order). You can check out the complete list at WWE.com.
– The latest edition of The JBL & Cole Show features a behind-the-scenes issue brought to the public eye, as the show features a funny version of “wrestler’s court,” with Superstars and Divas being issued subpoenas. You can watch the newest JBL & Cole Show below:
Paul Heyman Opens RAW, Brock Lesnar Attacks Mark Henry
Raw kicked off with a bang, CM Punk’s music hit and, naturally the crowd went wild. I’m sure most older WWE fans know this drill all too well. WWE loves pushing buttons (now called trolling). I fully expected to hear CM Punk’s entrance music hit at some point during the broadcast, it was inevitable. However after about 30 seconds, it became clear there was no CM Punk, it was Paul Heyman. Paul comes into the ring, goading the crowd to cant their heads off for the voice of the voiceless. Paul then sat Indian style in the center of the ring, and began to talk about CM Punk, and ultimately said that the fans were to blame for his absence. Paul tied it into CM Punk losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, and moved towards Brock Lesnar taking on The Deadman in New Orleans. Brock then comes out, followed by Mark Henry who eventually gets an awesome F5 into the announce table. I loved this segment, this was exactly how you capture lighting in a bottle. Paul Heyman was simply brilliant. If I have one criticism on this segment, I would have placed it towards the middle of the program. I think the crowd should have been given a bit of time to try to “HijackRaw” with their CM Punk chants, and then WWE would strike back with their response. YES!
WWE Tag-Team Championships
The New Age Outlaws (c) vs. The Usos
With a crazy night came this tag team match. I was pretty surprised that The USO’s won the contest and became The WWE Tag Team Champions. For some reason I thought we would have to wait till WrestleMania XXX to see The USO’s win the tag team championship, there is still 4 weeks before WrestleMania so as they say anything can happen. I’m happy for The USO’s they deserve the championship. YES!
Big E. vs. Cesaro & Big E. vs. Jack Swagger
I’ve been seeing Jack Swagger interrupt many Cesaro matches. Earlier in the night Swagger again caused the DQ by attacking Big E during the match. Later Big E pulls double duty taking on Swagger Cesaro returns the favor. Obviously these two are destined for a breakup, but when? And how does Big E’ Factor into this match. I wouldn’t mind seeing the three of them go at it in a triple Threat Match at WrestleMania, where we can see Cesaro finally turn on Jack Swagger. YES!
The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
What an incredible match these 6 young up and coming SuperStars had at The Elimination Chamber PPV, This match was great too, with Seth Rollins proving he is not the weakest link in The Shield. Flying across the ring! I like Rollins walking out of the match to further the breakup of The Shield. I think The Shield vs The Wyatts much like The Rock vs Triple H will go down in history as two matches that should have taken place on the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania. Still an awesome showing and a great way to keep the momentum for Bray Wyatt who got the pinfall. YES!
Renee Young Interviews Batista
BOOtista turning full heel on Smackdown! this past Friday night, now on Raw calls the Daniel Bryan #YesMovement the the dumbest thing he’s ever seen in his life. I like heel BOOtista. Well maybe I don’t. I didn’t like WWE trying to keep Batista a face when the crowd would have none of it. There’s your real change! We actually turned him heel. There was no other choice anyway, I don’t want to get my hopes up for the SEVENTH month in a row, but this seems to be heading towards what most of us are hoping to see at WrestleMania XXX.
Santino Marella & Emma vs. Fandango & Summer Rae
I’m still not sold on Emma. It must be because of Santino. Or that music just doesn’t feel big enough. Again I get it she was very over in NXT, but that arena holds 500-800 people. (I’ve been to a NXT Taping at Full Sail) Sometimes things don’t play as well on the big stage. I hear that music, and I hear a pin drop. Then again, this might be another Fandango in the making the night after WrestleMania XXX. NO!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78HUkVvnLXg
Daniel Bryan, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon & Kane Promo
So here’s the problem I have with Triple H vs Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXX. I don’t want to see it. I want to see Daniel Bryan vs Batista vs Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I don’t want to see Daniel Bryan face Triple H even for a chance to be in that match. Why? Because I’ve invested wasted seven long months waiting to see the payoff from a story that began at SummerSlam. I attended SummerSlam, Hell-In-A-Cell, Survivor Series, and The Royal Rumble. I don’t want to see Daniel Bryan beat up Triple H the character. Although I might not mind Brian Danielson decking Paul Levesque, for this frustrating half year plus. I’m just not into seeing this match, I’m turned off. 2-4 months ago, I would have been into the idea of this match, and invested in it. Now all I want is for him to win to get put in the championship match at the end of WrestleMania XXX. It’s a shame too, because Triple H vs Daniel Bryan should be a featured marquee match, on it’s own. I just don’t see myself enjoying the match as much as I would if I didn’t have this bad taste in my mouth from the last seven months.
I hate when people compare Daniel Bryan to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Daniel Bryan is mega over right now, but back in the Attitude era Austin, the whole business was over way more. These hijack shows though are starting to offer up more of that attitude era feel, I will say though. The thing is with Stone Cold Steve Austin, he gave his blood his sweat and tears to be WWE Champion. He stopped at nothing and got physical along the way. I was not a fan of Daniel Bryan just standing there, taking abuse from Triple H and Stephanie. I wanted him to beat the crap out of both of them. If I were Daniel Bryan, I’d offer up the stipulation that we all expect to eventually happen. If he can Beat Triple H at WrestleMania, he gets inserted into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match. But I still don’t want to see the match at WrestleMania, too turned off from the last few months. NO!
John Cena Addresses The Wyatt Family
I liked what John Cena had to say to the crowd, the CM Punk chants were beginning to get on my nerves by this point. I’m enjoying Bray Wyatt and what he has to offer, he could be a top Hollywood horror actor. It wouldn’t surprise me if after Mania he stars in a film. YES!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW