Taker/Michaels I vs II
 

Rewatching last year's match now and it made me realize that there was one major aspect missing from it, the the Heel vs Face dynamic. This, I think, will be the major difference this year, and it will bring about a different style from Michaels, a more aggressive style.

Another thing I can see making a difference this year is blood. I've always felt that while blood isn't entirely necessary to the majority of matches or angles, it does add to the emotion and drama of a match. I think that this year it's needed, just to show the lengths Michaels will go to beat Taker, both defensively and offensively. I'm sure that, given the profile of the match, they'll allow a blade job or two.

So yeah, discuss these and other aspects that you think will differentiate between last year's and this year's Taker vs Michaels match.

I don't think if we'll see that face/heel dynamic this year, either. Keep in mind that The Undertaker did deny Shawn Michaels his match (traditionally, good guys always accept challenges), and while we could see a more aggressive HBK, we could also see an HBK who just won't give up.

I'm hoping we see a different move finish the match this year. I could truthfully see Shawn Michaels submitting to the Hell's Gate.

I really hope JR calls it again. There's a strong chance he won't, which sucks.

That's one difference I don't want to see.

But having him submit goes against that whole approach you just suggested. I like the idea that he won't give up.
Maybe he will get stuck in the hells gate, fight it for a while, almost break the hold but get pulled back into the middle of the ring and pass out from the pain.
It would be similar to the Austin/Bret finish, but it actually would make a lot of sense given the stakes.

Yeah Michael Cole could absolutely destroy the moment. He just can't do it right. He doesn't have the voice and he doesn't have the talent.

I could totally see them doing a Dusty finish or something where they both get counted out and Michaels makes them restart the match.

This would be the perfect finish, actually. It also leaves the door open for a Michaels return.

In fact, I'll be pretty surprised if they go another route. This is just too perfect.

This would work. It puts over the obsession with Michaels to beat him, and then when he loses it will be even better because it will mark his tragic flaw being his undoing.
He could have escaped with the first ever draw, but his greed to win ends up making him lose.

Also, if JR can't be there I should call this match.

Yes, but no. It would seem to, but you'd obvious build it up as HBK just having nothing left. It also means so much if HBK taps his career away.

My gut says that Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler call this match. My heart really wants it to be Jim Ross and Matt Striker, though.

I'm 99.9% certain Shawn's "retirement" will last for 11 months maximum. I see him returning for at least one more match if he loses.
Probably a real retirement match against HHH at Wrestlemania 27, complete with a big sendoff and HOF honors. This year though? I think it's just a storyline/gimmick to plant seeds of doubt into our minds during the match.

I'm all for that though, since I love being on the edge of my seat for these Taker streak matches.

Wow didn't even think about Jim Ross not calling it. Say what you will about Ross, but no one in the WWE, and quite possibly no one ever, can call a big match as well as Ross. Not Solie, not Monsoon, not Styles.

Will definitely be a deal breaker in comparing the two matches. Even if the match it self is better than the first Michaels vs Taker I was so good, that they really cant get THAT much better. The announcing could very well be the deciding factor if Ross isn't there.

Except you kind of know Taker's not losing. This year is probably the first time since Randy Orton that the streak has been in danger.

That's why I want Matt Striker to call it. You just know he would watch The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels like 100 times prior to calling the event, and he'd be able to pick up on little details here or there that connect the two matches. Combine that with Jim Ross' iconic epic match commentary, and I think you have a winning duo.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you I didn't have my doubts at certain points during the matches with Batista and Edge. Even with Shawn last year I did.

I "knew" Taker was going to win, but at different points during those matches the mark in me started to wonder. They've done a very good job with the gimmick in the past few years

Right now I'm watching Joey Abs fight Headbanger Thrash in a parking lot, and Jim Ross is making it sound like a million bucks.

Michael Cole obviously wants to be good at what he does, but everything's just so B Team about him.

"A chokeslam, a last ride, a tombstone...and a kick out, a kick out, a kick out!!"

JR was amazing last year.

You're exactly right. I want to like Cole, but I just can't think of a way for him to not be generic. Maybe the dude actually needs to be in an angle or something. Say what you want to about how crappy angles with announcers are; but I think people actually need to feel some sort of sympathy for Michael Cole before they accept him as the Voice of the WWE.

He's not generic when he's being himself. His internet heel gimmick last week was clearly coming from within, and shined as a result.

I have always agreed with Jim Cornette's theory that the best way for any talent to get over is to be themself with the volume turned way up

I think a lot of the match psychology near the end will revolve around Michaels ALMOST making that one big mistake that would cost him the way it did last time and narrowly averting disaster each time. Not quite sure which way it will go though, but my gut tells me that we could see an ending similar to the end of Taker's feud with Edge, where he defeated Edge and then sucked him down into the fire, "taking his soul" or whatever.

Cole's actually not half bad when he's with JR. He was acceptable last year for this match but as the lead pony he's just too underwhelming.

Everyone knows that when being chokeslammed to hell, through the ring, you first have to stand trial at the Little People's Court

Jim Ross makes everything sound like it is the single biggest moment in wrestling history. Jim Ross adds the emotion to a moment and makes you involved in it. I hope Jim Ross is at WrestleMania 26.

I will look for the clips of it on YouTube, but Jim Ross helped make the Undertaker/Jeff Hardy Ladder Match for the WWE Championship seem like Jeff Hardy could actually win the damn thing.

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I agree with this. Working with Tazz, JBL, Mick Foley and Josh Mathews have gotten us some good results. He should stop trying to be such a face, and perhaps just be himself.

Just watched last year's match. There's these 3 old guys in the front row that are rooting for the Undertaker that are so hilarious.

Is it the idea that 3 old guys are rooting for The Undertaker cause thats funny on a different level.

I guess hilarious is the wrong word. Just interesting how into it they were. Guys like that always add to the excitement of a match

lol I forgot about that. During the ppv last year, my friend kept calling one of them "the tourist." He looked like such a cliche tourist with his camera around his neck and I think he had a Hawaiin shirt

Michael Cole is going to mock the match as internet fans are excited for it

You talking about the bald tye dye guy or the guy to his right? I always noticed the guy to his right (bald guy, black and white shirt, goatee).

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...thetourist.jpg

lol the tourist. Yea that's him.


On a related note, I wish Faith No More Guy would still be sitting near the left turnbuckle at every PPV

Faith No More/Dude Love Guy

I'm a huge Faith No More Guy mark.

Also, lol, I think that's Green Lantern Fan in the yellow in that shot you posted.

I wonder how many custom WWF PPV chairs Faith No More Guy collected during his journey

Probably enough to equal $150.

I'd love to interview Faith No More Guy. How and why was he at so many damn events during that time? I can recall seeing him at nearly every WWF PPV during that run, not to mention ECW.
The thing I always wondered is what made him stop. Was it the product? Or something in life? I don't remember seeing him much in 99 or 2000. I find it hard to believe the product during those years would stop him, since he was sticking it out in 96 and 97, and was clearly a huge Stone Cold mark.

Taker/Michaels I

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Really Xero? I agree with the sentiment, indeed it sounds like a great way to end the match. But this is WWE, the same people who decided that Cena/Bret vs Batista/Vince needs the title too. I wouldnt be surprised if Michaels gets laid out before the match and Jack Swagger steps up and wins, or something equally shite.

It'd be a pretty cool project to track down some legendary professional wrestling fans. Some of the guys from ECW, Faith No More Guy (who I am not familiar with -- before my time, I guess). Even yellow shirt fan from that classic CM Punk pretending to be Jeff Hardy skit.

Back to commentary for one second: I would actually love it if Todd Grisham took Michael Cole's place on RAW (The Grish is a guilty pleasure of mine, and he actually works really well with a variety of commentary partners, even though Matt Striker gets the best results out of him), Cole did NXT full-time and maybe had some sort of WWE.com feature, and Jim Ross returned to do SmackDown! with Matt Striker.

If you want to get technical...

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OOOH SUCK IT JUAN

Suck that cock of justice

Say what you want but WWE doesn't fuck up Wrestlemania bookings. Besides we had all the twists and turns at Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber, so I expect that match to be just classic and nothing else!

WWE fucks up Wrestlemania bookings all the time (see Titles, Tag Team and Rock, Kid), but aside from determining the winner, I doubt the bookers have any say in preparing this match. These are the two most iconic active wrestlers in the world. They can figure out something good on their own.

If you guys are counting HBK/Taker matches, its 1. Ground Zero 2. Bad Blood 3. Royal Rumble 98 Casket Match (Match that temporarily ended HBK's career) and WM 25 of course.

I think it's fair to call it Taker/Michaels II since it's referring to the Wrestlemania matches

At Wrestlemania 17, you could call the main event Rock/Austin II

At Wrestlemania 19, you could even call their match Rock/Austin III and it would make sense, even though they'd had countless matches by that point.