WWE: The Undertaker's Wrestlemania plans not ruined by Strowman!

[Emperoreddy]

Any talk of Undertaker vs. Strowman is 99% dead according to Meltzer.

Taker vs. Owens is also a no-go, which shouldn't be surprising considering how ****** his booking has been since the Royal Rumble where he's in a 50-50 feud with Dolph Ziggler of all people.

I'd be down for Taker vs. Harper. High profile match? Maybe not, but Harper would probably get the best non-gimmick one-on-one match out of Taker since Punk at Wrestlemania 29.

That just screams house show pairing. Or "we are out of ideas" booking.

God we need the streak.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Harper is legitimately fantastic in essentially every way.

He's never been positioned as a top guy though so it would be bizarre and very hard to build well.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

That just screams house show pairing. Or "we are out of ideas" booking.

God we need the streak.

Taker vs. Harper, if built right, would be fantastic, from a storyline sense and especially in the ring. Luke Harper is awesome.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Taker vs. Harper, if built right, would be fantastic, from a storyline sense and especially in the ring. Luke Harper is awesome.

I can't see it. Harper is way too established as a lackey for that match to work. They'd need to basically rebrand Harper or at least keep him away from Bray Wyatt for a solid year and have him establish himself as his own man. Plus, how would they build it with one guy who is never around and another who can't cut promos?

 

[Paris in Flames]

Harper can't cut promos?

Don't mistake doesn't for can't.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Taker vs. Harper, if built right, would be fantastic, from a storyline sense and especially in the ring. Luke Harper is awesome.

In just a month? Harper can work and I'm sure he can speak but right now he is 100% one of Bray's flunkies. One who is rumored to be getting fed to Brock at the next network live special before Mania.

Harper and Taker could work a good match but as a big time Mania match I'm not seeing it. Harper is just so low on the card with zero time to change that. No way they break the family up right before mania.

Plus any double Wyatt program at mania almost needs to be connected. One of taker or Brock has to make the save for the other or get involved. I don't see how you keep it separate without it making no sense (as the other family members almost have to get involved)

I would rather Finn just work double at Mania. Not a fan of his first main roster match being a loss but a loss at the biggest mania ever to Taker isn't 100% a bad thing.

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

So according to meltzer.
Taker vs Strowman is "99 percent dead"

Thank god daniel bryan

(and yes i'm aware it was already posted, i'm just THAT glad)

 

[Virtanen18]

In just a month? Harper can work and I'm sure he can speak but right now he is 100% one of Bray's flunkies. One who is rumored to be getting fed to Brock at the next network live special before Mania.

Harper and Taker could work a good match but as a big time Mania match I'm not seeing it. Harper is just so low on the card with zero time to change that. No way they break the family up right before mania.

Plus any double Wyatt program at mania almost needs to be connected. One of taker or Brock has to make the save for the other or get involved. I don't see how you keep it separate without it making no sense (as the other family members almost have to get involved)

I would rather Finn just work double at Mania. Not a fan of his first main roster match being a loss but a loss at the biggest mania ever to Taker isn't 100% a bad thing.

Harper is too low on the card to fight Taker but Finn, who isn't even on the card, is a wise choice to fight Taker? I don't see it. Not really a fan of either of those guys getting the match.

 

[Morozov]

Harper is too low on the card to fight Taker but Finn, who isn't even on the card, is a wise choice to fight Taker? I don't see it. Not really a fan of either of those guys getting the match.

There's a difference between Harper who (despite being much more talented than most appreciate) is established as a sidekick and Finn who isn't really established as anything on the main WWE programming.

Finn is basically a blank slate, he's king in NXT, he can come into WWE and be treated however they want to push him whereas if you suddenly thrust Harper into the spotlight people will be thinking um this guy was a scrub a couple of weeks ago.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

i am having nightmares of a undertaker/big show/kane vs wyatt's match

 

[hbk]

Taker/Kane/Ryback/Big Show vs Wyatts. 8 man tag. My prediction.

 

[S A W F T*]

Taker/Kane/Ryback/Big Show vs Wyatts. 8 man tag. My prediction.

I just threw up my oatmeal. Not because of your prediction, but because that's an actual possibility, lol.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Harper can't cut promos?

Don't mistake doesn't for can't.

I think Harper said on Jericho's podcast that when they were giving him that mini-push in 2014 around Survivor Series, that he cut one promo and everyone in the back immediately buried him because he didn't use a southern accent.

That's pretty much why he lost the Intercontinental title after 3 weeks and why they refuse to acknowledge he ever held it. I guess Vince's reaction was basically "you had one job to do and you screwed it up". All because he didn't use a southern drawl.

 

[S A W F T*]

I think Harper said on Jericho's podcast that when they were giving him that mini-push in 2014 around Survivor Series, that he cut one promo and everyone in the back immediately buried him because he didn't use a southern accent.

That's pretty much why he lost the Intercontinental title after 3 weeks and why they refuse to acknowledge he ever held it. I guess Vince's reaction was basically "you had one job to do and you screwed it up". All because he didn't use a southern drawl.

Lmfao... Idk how anyone not at the top of the card can stomach working for Vince. What a ****ing *******.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Just throw Taker in with AJ Styles unless it's his retirement match. If it is, just do Kane because even if it's been done plenty of times over, it's the only guy there that makes sense for that situation.

 

[Loosie]

Just make it Taker/Kane in a retirement match (for both)

 

[Ensane]

Harper is legitimately fantastic in essentially every way.

Agreed...except that balding spot. It really holds him back...

In all seriousness, when someone proposed this on the heels of the Rumble, I thought it was a great idea. Harper's a terrific worker, has a great gimmick, and the booking wouldn't be terribly hard--have him ask Bray to go after Taker for revenge on behalf of Bray for the Wrestlemania and the Survivor Series losses last year. It suits Bray's cultish image to have someone else do his bidding for him, and it logically could make sense if Bray's tied up with someone else, like Brock. It would feel less forced than many of the other potential opponents.

Anyways, I don't know why we smarks ever fantasy book. What's the saying..."when you reduce plans to writing, god laughs?"

 

[Kimi]

'cos it's fun as hell.

 

[Emperoreddy]

There's a difference between Harper who (despite being much more talented than most appreciate) is established as a sidekick and Finn who isn't really established as anything on the main WWE programming.

Finn is basically a blank slate, he's king in NXT, he can come into WWE and be treated however they want to push him whereas if you suddenly thrust Harper into the spotlight people will be thinking um this guy was a scrub a couple of weeks ago.

That's the point. Plus Finn is still more of a big deal then Harper. Face of NXT over a Wyatt flunkie. Kind of obvious.

Taker at this point should either be doing big matches on WM or nothing. Harper can work no question but his character is at the bottom of the card and there is no realistic way to boost him up in time.

Idea is Bray (who couldn't beat taker once in two matches) suddenly thinking he is to good for him and sends his lackey Harper to do his business?

Taker himself wouldn't allow that in or out of kayfabe. In story taker would just leave Harper crucified on the side of the road with a message telling Bray to take care of his own business.

Finn is the "out of fresh bodies" idea but you can still market it as a big deal. The face of NXT being shown to be worthy of a Mania match with the deadman.

They put on a good back and forth and more people will know about Finn then they did a day before and you can build off it long term. Both for Finn's career and the whole NXT brand (if Finn stays down there for a while longer).

Also retirement match against Kane is the biggest waste of time ever.

Taker's "retirement" match is gigantic money. Only thing to replicate streak hype. You don't waste that on Kane. Why getting Cena involved there makes more sense. Has to be huge fight feel.

 

[Virtanen18]

There's a difference between Harper who (despite being much more talented than most appreciate) is established as a sidekick and Finn who isn't really established as anything on the main WWE programming.

Finn is basically a blank slate, he's king in NXT, he can come into WWE and be treated however they want to push him whereas if you suddenly thrust Harper into the spotlight people will be thinking um this guy was a scrub a couple of weeks ago.

I get that. I still can't see Finn taking on the Undertaker. If he were to be the opponent, I think he would have to have been brought up and established himself a bit already.

 

[Morozov]

I get that. I still can't see Finn taking on the Undertaker. If he were to be the opponent, I think he would have to have been brought up and established himself a bit already.

Facing Taker can be how you can establish him.

You enter the night with most people not really knowing who he is, you leave the night with a bunch of people thinking whoa this guy just showed up and went toe to toe with Taker. You're a made man already.

There's not really any perfect solution because with the options for Taker because there's not much in the way of a huge fight available. I've said in here I'd love to see him vs Jericho, but there's not really anything available on the grandiose level that you expect a Taker match to have. In fact Jericho, while obviously jobbing for a long time now, is really the biggest name value candidate.

Like I said, Finn is a blank slate, you can put him at whatever level you want to. You aren't going to get the Roman revolt because A the smarks love Finn, B Finn isn't some green guy with a bunch of shortcomings. Finn is already Finn, he's been this good for a long time before he got to WWE, he doesn't need to be developed any more.

If you bring in someone and treat them like they are something special, and they actually back it up, then people will buy it.

 

[finnbalor*]

Kevin Owens calling him out from his frustration of his losing streak, wants to swing for the fence, then has a Punk like disrespect for Taker's legacy, Owens can look strong in doing the job and it helps elevate him moving forward.

 

[S A W F T*]

Kevin Owens calling him out from his frustration of his losing streak, wants to swing for the fence, then has a Punk like disrespect for Taker's legacy, Owens can look strong in doing the job and it helps elevate him moving forward.

I bet a pop up powerbomb would kill taker.

 

[Paris in Flames]

I bet a pop up powerbomb would kill taker.

Don't think there would be much pop up on that pop up powerbomb.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I bet a pop up powerbomb would kill taker.

The guy got thrown around by Brock Lesnar in 2 out of 3 months last year. I think he can take a powerbomb.