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Post by cordless2016 on Jul 25, 2022 23:02:50 GMT -5
We know the story - Undertaker wins the 2007 Royal Rumble and earns a spot in the “main event” of WM. However, just like Rey Mysterio found out the previous year, winning the royal rumble as a Smackdown star at the time only guaranteed a world title shot, but not the main event of the night. Batista and Undertaker end up going on in the middle of the show (fourth to be exact), and put on what many fans consider to be the best match on the card.
Batista has been open over the years about feeling disrespected for not only not main eventing, but going on so early in the card (and has shared that Taker felt the same way).
Anyone else feel these two should have gone on last, or atleast been one of the final two matches? Or did Vince get it right having them go on earlier?
Batista/Taker is my favorite match from WM23, and felt like a bigger match than Cena/HBK (in my mind). If I was booking the card it would have main evented for sure, but it also happened to be in the middle of the “Super Cena” push and nobody was going to overshadow “Big Match” John.
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Warriah'
Main Eventer
Joined on: Dec 22, 2019 19:46:02 GMT -5
Posts: 3,261
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Post by Warriah' on Jul 26, 2022 7:16:28 GMT -5
Honestly I'm more surprised that Trump vs McMahon wasn't on last. It was easily the story they gave the most attention to.
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Post by The Brain on Jul 26, 2022 7:45:27 GMT -5
It was a shame to see Big Gold get downgraded when it became a SD belt in 05.But at least Taker got to main event for it the following year.
And I agree definitely best match of the night
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Post by CM Tusk on Jul 26, 2022 16:02:50 GMT -5
I don’t think anyone expected Batista and Taker to have the chemistry they did. Cena vs Shawn was more about further cementing Cena as the guy so that’s why it went on last.
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Jul 26, 2022 17:23:50 GMT -5
I liked HBK/Cena as the main event better tbh
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Post by Scott! on Jul 26, 2022 17:43:04 GMT -5
On paper, Batista/Undertaker had no right to be a better match than Shawn/Cena but it was. I don't know if it had been built right for the big "going on last" match, I agree with Warriah' in that the fact the McMahon/Trump show didn't headline when it could easily have given how much it was pushed to the moon and all the hype around that whole thing is more shocking. Undertaker and Smackdown had the two best matches on the card at 'Mania 23 & 24 and I'm just glad they realised with the Edge match a year later that that definitely deserved to be the show ender. |
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Post by The Brain on Jul 26, 2022 17:51:34 GMT -5
I still shake my head at Cole yelling ''I swear to God I have never seen Batista come off the top rope'' when he did at SSeries just 5 months earlier against Booker
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Post by PJ on Jul 26, 2022 18:33:52 GMT -5
I still shake my head at Cole yelling ''I swear to God I have never seen Batista come off the top rope'' when he did at SSeries just 5 months earlier against Booker That was like 5 months prior. And you know the WWE likes to forget/rewrite history to fit the moment. So five months prior was like an eternity in that moment. There’s no way he could have remembered that. lol |
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Post by The Brain on Jul 26, 2022 18:38:18 GMT -5
I still shake my head at Cole yelling ''I swear to God I have never seen Batista come off the top rope'' when he did at SSeries just 5 months earlier against Booker That was like 5 months prior. And you know the WWE likes to forget/rewrite history to fit the moment. So five months prior was like an eternity in that moment. There’s no way he could have remembered that. lol A broadcast journalist like Bobby or Jesse wouldve   |
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Post by Evil Abed on Jul 26, 2022 18:42:21 GMT -5
I still feel like HBK/Cena was the better match but at the time (and it could have been because I was still drawn into the lure that the Rumble winner was supposed to main event Mania since it only happened to Rey the year before) felt that Taker/Batista should have gone on last.
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Post by cordless2016 on Jul 26, 2022 19:00:07 GMT -5
I still shake my head at Cole yelling ''I swear to God I have never seen Batista come off the top rope'' when he did at SSeries just 5 months earlier against Booker Or when Taker grabs Batista’s throat, only for Batista to start pulling Taker’s arm away and JBL yelling “In 14 years I’ve never seen anyone do that to the Undertaker!”…despite Big Show, Khali, Henry, and Kane all having done it to Taker with the past few years. |
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Post by LA Times on Jul 26, 2022 19:03:44 GMT -5
On paper, Batista/Undertaker had no right to be a better match than Shawn/Cena but it was. I don't know if it had been built right for the big "going on last" match, I agree with Warriah' in that the fact the McMahon/Trump show didn't headline when it could easily have given how much it was pushed to the moon and all the hype around that whole thing is more shocking. Undertaker and Smackdown had the two best matches on the card at 'Mania 23 & 24 and I'm just glad they realised with the Edge match a year later that that definitely deserved to be the show ender. I think Undertaker demanded he goes on last at WM24. |
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Jul 26, 2022 20:32:05 GMT -5
I was there live for that Wrestlemania and yes, Batista vs. Undertaker should have went on later in the show.
However, being a huge HBK mark, I was happy to see him be in the main event at that event. If he had won the WWE Title that night, I would have been in heaven!
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Butchers
Superstar
Joined on: Jun 26, 2002 5:00:08 GMT -5
Posts: 774
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Post by Butchers on Jul 27, 2022 9:39:02 GMT -5
Being the world title of one of your brands, it shouldn't have been midcard.
However, it drove Taker and Batista to put on a way better match. So, if they went on nearer the main event or were the main event, maybe the match would've been worse.. we will never know the answer.
Cena vs HBK was good, but it wasn't the original plan, so maybe it shouldn't have been the main event?
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Post by JokerFC on Jul 27, 2022 20:42:25 GMT -5
I think it felt bigger to a lot of us...(certainly myself) but In Vince's eyes? Cena was the man/franchise and with that label came closing the show....match length too is further proof of this IMHO.
BUT for me not only did Taker/Batista feel bigger and have that big fight feel? They had the more entertaining match.
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Post by Kill Em' All on Jul 27, 2022 21:26:53 GMT -5
Honestly I’m shocked WWE managed to keep Batista and undertaker away from eachother that long from the summer of 05.
I think it was great they did because I think Batista had only continued to improve as performer.
Both matches had great build up. Cena and hbk delivered; but I think round 2 on RAW outshined it.
It’s definitely hard for me to feel importance of matches and feuds nowadays but this mania and it’s build up made these two matches feel massive.
Definitely shouldn’t of been this low on the card.
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Post by cordless2016 on Jul 27, 2022 22:13:55 GMT -5
Honestly I’m shocked WWE managed to keep Batista and undertaker away from eachother that long from the summer of 05. I think it was great they did because I think Batista had only continued to improve as performer. Both matches had great build up. Cena and hbk delivered; but I think round 2 on RAW outshined it. It’s definitely hard for me to feel importance of matches and feuds nowadays but this mania and it’s build up made these two matches feel massive. Definitely shouldn’t of been this low on the card. I’m surprised that they held off on a Batista/Taker feud as long as they did as well. Even in 2005, the WWE was hotshotting feuds left and right but managed to keep these two apart. Worked out though as Batista was putting on quality matches with the right opponents and Taker was giving us the best in-ring work of his career. Had Batista not gotten hurt in early 2006, I wouldn’t be shocked if the WWE pulled the trigger on this feud sooner, but both mens injuries that year seemed to delay their inevitable showdown. |
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Post by cordless2016 on Jul 27, 2022 22:20:31 GMT -5
I think it felt bigger to a lot of us...(certainly myself) but In Vince's eyes? Cena was the man/franchise and with that label came closing the show....match length too is further proof of this IMHO. BUT for me not only did Taker/Batista feel bigger and have that big fight feel? They had the more entertaining match. Taker staring down each champion on Raw following the royal rumble, only to then choose Batista sold me on the match. In kayfabe, Taker saw Batista as the biggest challenge, which to me gave it the instant hype that I feel was lacking in the Cena/HBK buildup. |
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Post by JokerFC on Jul 27, 2022 22:25:33 GMT -5
I think it felt bigger to a lot of us...(certainly myself) but In Vince's eyes? Cena was the man/franchise and with that label came closing the show....match length too is further proof of this IMHO. BUT for me not only did Taker/Batista feel bigger and have that big fight feel? They had the more entertaining match. Taker staring down each champion on Raw following the royal rumble, only to then choose Batista sold me on the match. In kayfabe, Taker saw Batista as the biggest challenge, which to me gave it the instant hype that I feel was lacking in the Cena/HBK buildup. Also? There was more mystery about the outcome of Batista vs UT for me...I knew HBK wasn't going to dethrone Cena. Cena vs HBK was a damn fine match mind you but it lacked the big fight feel of UT vs Batista...for me anyway |
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Post by cordless2016 on Jul 27, 2022 22:30:22 GMT -5
Taker staring down each champion on Raw following the royal rumble, only to then choose Batista sold me on the match. In kayfabe, Taker saw Batista as the biggest challenge, which to me gave it the instant hype that I feel was lacking in the Cena/HBK buildup. Also? There was more mystery about the outcome of Batista vs UT for me...I knew HBK wasn't going to dethrone Cena. Cena vs HBK was a damn fine match mind you but it lacked the big fight feel of UT vs Batista...for me anyway Agreed. I know it’s always been reported that Orton was originally set to go over Taker at WM21, but I never bought it. Orton at the time was reeling from that terrible feud with HHH and never came off to me on Taker’s level. But Batista in 2007? Now that’s an interesting one. Like you said, either man could have genuinely won. Batista was being pushed as the 1-B to Cena’s 1-A and could have realistically broken the streak with his position on the card at the time. |
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