WWE raw results - CM Punk makes his choice!

Tonight's WWE RAW opens with a look at last week where Ryback appeared during the CM Punk vs. Vince McMahon fight. We go to the normal RAW opening video.

- We're live from Nashville, Tennessee with Michael Cole and Jim Ross. Ross hypes CM Punk's big decision for later tonight.

- We go to the ring and out comes Big Show. Show gets boo'd as he talks about the debate from two weeks ago. Show says Booker T and Sheamus just wanted to make him look foolish. Show talks about the Brogue Kick and shows us footage from RAW last week where Show caught the Brogue and dumped Sheamus out of the ring. Show goes on and says he wants Daniel Bryan right now. He wants to fix the whole 45 second thing. Show waits for Bryan to come out. We see Bryan, Kane, R-Truth, Zack Ryder and many others backstage watching. Bryan says he's not going out there. AJ Lee appears and orders him out there. Kane laughs at him Bryan yells no but makes his way out anyway.

Big Show vs. Daniel Bryan

Show strikes first and takes control. Bryan comes back with kicks but Show shoves him over the top rope. Big Show follows him out as we go to commercial.

Back from the break and Show applies a bearhug. During the break we see Bryan got hit with a big spear. Bryan makes a comeback with kicks and a double dropkick in the corner. And another. Bryan goes to the top but Show grabs him and hits a chokeslam for the win.

Winner: Big Show

- After the match, the pyro goes off and out comes Kane. Show goes for a big punch on Bryan but Kane steps in the way. Show exits the ring and the crowd boo's.

- More hype for CM Punk's announcement. Back to break.

- Back from the break and Paul Heyman is in the ring with the WWE Title. There's also a stand that is covered up for now, likely holding the photo of Punk's opponent. Heyman puts over Punk and introduces him. Out comes Punk.

Punk talks about how he will put people down if they disrespect him. Punk brings up the fight with Vince McMahon last week. Punk brags about smacking Vince in the face. Punk says Vince put up a fight later but it was sad. Punk says we will never see Vince compete again and for that, you can thank him. Punk shows us the Hell In a Cell poster where he's dressed as the devil. Punk says that's what everyone thinks of him. Punk brings up Ryback and John Cena. Punk stalls and says he's not ready to reveal his answer. Vince McMahon's music hits and out he comes.

Vince says Punk just blew it. Now Vince will be making the decision. Vince says there will be a contract signing later tonight and right before that, Vince will make the big announcement. Vince says Punk's fate is now in his hands and tells Punk to respect that. Punk complains to Heyman as Vince's music hits.

- Still to come tonight, Wade Barrett vs. Sheamus in a rematch from last week. Back to commercial.

Brodus Clay vs. Alberto Del Rio

Back from the break and out comes Alberto Del Rio. Clay starts the match and takes control. Clay sends Del Rio out to the floor with a big shoulder. Del Rio comes back in and goes to work on the arm. Clay turns it back around and hits another big headbutt. Clay misses the splash in the corner and Del Rio kicks him in the head. Del Rio with the armbar for the win.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

- Heyman and Punk are having words backstage. Punk wants to fight Vince again this week. Punk sends Heyman off to give Vince the message.

Zack Ryder and Santino Marella vs. Darren Young and Titus O'Neil

We go to the ring and out comes Santino Marella and Zack Ryder before commercial.

Back from the break and Darren Young is in control of Santino. Titus comes in but Santino makes the tag to Ryder. Ryder unloads on Titus. Ryder with a knees to the chest and a missile dropkick from the corner. Ryder hits the Broski Boot for a 2 count. Santino comes in but Young drops him with knees to the gut. Ryder takes out Young but Titus powerbombs him for the quick win.

Winners: Darren Young and Titus O'Neil

- After the match, Heath Slater runs out with Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal. They dump Santino and beat down Ryder before tossing him also. They each have a generic line for the mic and Slater says their name is 3MB.

- Back from the break and we see Vince McMahon's appearance from earlier.

- Vickie Guerrero comes out to the stage with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler has something important to say and he complains about Ryback being up for a title shot on his way to the ring. Ziggler says Ryback is a flash in the pan and soon we won't even remember his name. Ziggler says he will still be here. Ziggler says if anyone deserves a WWE Title match, it's him. Ziggler says he wants Punk at Hell In a Cell so he can win both titles in the same night. David Otunga comes out and agrees about Ryback. Otunga heads to the ring and says Ziggler doesn't deserve a shot either. Otunga says it's time he gets his title shot. Otunga takes a shot at Vickie. AJ Lee's music hits and out comes the General Manager. AJ makes Otunga and Ziggler vs. Ryback and here he comes.

Ryback vs. David Otunga and Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler starts the match as the crowd chants "feed me more." Ziggler hits a dropkick but Ryback comes right back with a huge clothesline. Ziggler tags out and Otunga comes in but Ryback scoops him on his back for a big atomic drop. Ryback stares Ziggler down. Ziggler drops from the apron and heads up the ramp with Vickie. Ryback grabs Otunga and nails Shellshocked for the easy win.

Winner: Ryback

- Vince McMahon is backstage on the phone when Heyman walks in. Heyman gives props to Vince for last week's performance and brings up Punk's challenge for a rematch tonight. Heyman proposes if Punk wins, he gets to pick his opponent for Hell In a Cell. Vince agrees but adds that the match would be against Heyman, not Punk. Heyman says no and Vince tells him to get out of his sight. Vince smiles and says he loves being him.

- AJ is walking backstage when Matt Striker walks up. He brings up Kane and Daniel Bryan attacking him on SmackDown. He won't go to the Board of Directors but he wants an apology. AJ laughs and says Striker should ask for an apology... right after his match with Kane. Back to commercial.

Antonio Cesaro vs. Justin Gabriel

Justin Gabriel waits in the ring as WWE United States Champion Antonio Cesaro makes his way out. They lock up and trade holds. Cesaro with a big clothesline and a stomp. Cesaro beats Gabriel down in the corner now. Cesaro drops Gabriel on top of the turnbuckle and knees him in the gut.

Cesaro keeps control of the match and hits a big gutbuster. Cesaro keeps Gabriel grounded on the mat now. Gabriel tries to make a comeback and hits an inverted DDT out of the corner. Gabriel goes back up and hits the 450 but Cesaro gets his foot on the bottom rope to break the pin. Gabriel springboards in but Cesaro nails him on the way down with the big uppercut. Cesaro hits the Neutralizer for the win.

Winner: Antonio Cesaro

- Still to come tonight, the contract signing for Hell In a Cell. Back to commercial.

Matt Striker vs. Kane

Back from the break and Matt Striker is in the ring dressed to wrestle. Out comes his opponent one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions Kane.

Striker takes a mic and pleads with Kane. Striker says he's a broadcaster now and not a competitor. Striker just wants an apology. Striker brings up therapy and Dr. Shelby. Kane approaches Striker and wants to hug. They hug it out and Striker goes to leave but Kane stops him. They hug some more. Kane snaps and turns it into a crazy bearhug. Kane chokeslams Striker and covers him for the win.

Winner: Kane

- After the match, Kane sits down beside Striker and tries to interview him. Kane yells about how he is the tag team champions and leaves.

- Still to come tonight, Eve vs. Layla with the Divas Title on the line.

- We see footage from last week where The Miz and Kofi Kingston talked with Larry King and his wife. Kofi will be a guest on MizTV tonight. Back to commercial.

- Back from the break and the ring is set up for MizTV. Miz talks about how Kofi Kingston challenged him on Main Events and calls him out. Here comes Kofi in a suit.

They go back and forth on the mic. Kofi says he will beat Miz on Wednesday's Main Event to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Kofi says it will be must see. Kofi proposes a match between the two tonight. Miz accepts and rips into Kofi some more. Kofi tackles Miz and beats him out of the ring.

- Still to come is Sheamus vs. Barrett. Back to commercial.

Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett

Out comes the World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus for a rematch from last week's RAW. Out next comes Wade Barrett. They lock up and go to the corner before trading holds.

More back and forth action. Sheamus with a big clothesline. Barrett blocks the forearm shots on the apron and fights his way back in. Barrett mounts Sheamus with right hands. Barrett with a big pumphandle slam for a 2 count. Barrett ends up on the floor. Sheamus leaps out after him and takes Barrett out. Big Show's music hits and here he comes.

Show comes out with a chair as we go to commercial.

Back from the break and Sheamus is in control as Show looks on from the stage. Barrett gets hung up on the top rope and beat to the floor. Sheamus follows and whips Barrett over the steel steps. Another block. Sheamus fights his way in the ring but Barrett kicks him right back to the floor. Sheamus makes it back in the ring but Barrett stomps away. Barrett with a big knee to the gut and another. Barrett with a big forearm to the chest and more knees to the head. Barrett boots Sheamus with a big kick to the face.

Barrett works Sheamus over on the floor and brings it back in the ring for a pin attempt. Sheamus makes a comeback and drops Barrett with a backbreaker. Sheamus goes on and hits a powerslam for 2. Sheamus with the forearms from the apron now. Sheamus suplexes Barrett back in and covers for 2. Barrett turns it around and hits the big elbow to the heart for a 2 count. Sheamus blocks Wasteland but gets hit by Winds of Change. 2 count for Barrett. Sheamus fights back and goes for the Cloverleaf, locking it in. Show approaches the ring for a distraction. Sheamus blocks a shot and goes for White Noise on Barrett but it's blocked. Show pulls down the rope and Sheamus tumbles to the floor for the DQ.

Winner by DQ: Sheamus

- After the bell, Sheamus lays out Barrett with a Brogue Kick and sends Show flying over the top rope.

- Vince is backstage talking to someone on the phone. John Cena walks in to a big pop from the crowd. Vince has the doctors prognosis but wants to hear it from Cena. Cena says he has felt better but he has felt worse. Cena says he belongs out there and if Vince picks him, he will do what he does.

WWE Divas Title Match: Layla vs. Eve Torres

We go to the ring and out comes WWE Divas Champion Eve Torres. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Layla is out for her rematch. They lock up and go to the mat and back to their feet before breaking. They shove each other and Eve with a kick. Eve takes Layla down with a headlock now. Eve works on the arm now. Eve tosses her to the floor and brings it back in for a 2 count. Layla finally makes a comeback for a 2 count. More back and forth action. Eve gets the pin but Layla's foot was on the bottom rope. Eve kicked the leg off but it appears we have another storyline finish.

Winner: Eve Torres

- We see footage of Stephanie McMahon at the Social Good Summit in New York City last week. They talk about WWE's partnership with Nothing But Nets.

- Still to come, Vince McMahon's announcement. Back to commercial.

- Kane and Daniel Bryan are backstage talking. Bryan proposes that Kane face Big Show on next week's RAW.

- Vince is in his office with Ryback. Vince thanks Ryback for helping him last week. Vince asks if Ryback realizes what people are saying about him - that he's heartless and cold blooded, unstoppable and king of the mountain. Ryback just stares straight ahead. He turns, looks at Vince and says, "feed me Punk." Ryback walks off.

Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow vs.

We go to the ring and out comes Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow. This match was supposed to be Rhodes Scholars vs. Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara but Rey is out sick, Cole says. We go to commercial.

We see footage of Slater, McIntyre and Mahal crashing a show at a local bar in Nashville. Security ends up forcing them out as the match starts. Rosa Mendes looks on from ringside. Sandow and Rhodes have to go to the floor early on to regroup. Cody starts off with Primo and they go back and forth. Primo with a quick pin attempt. The end comes when Sandow hits his neckbreaker on Epico.

Winners: Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes

Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz

Back from the break and both men are already in the ring. We see footage from MizTV earlier tonight. Kofi strikes first and takes Miz to the corner. Kofi sends Miz out to the floor and clotheslines him. Kofi brings it back in the ring and springboards in. Kofi with a big dropkick and a kick to the gut several times. Miz turns it around and nails a big clothesline.

Miz keeps control and clotheslines him in the corner. Miz goes to the top and comes crashing down for a 2 count. Miz with a headlock now. More back and forth. The end comes when Kofi connects with a big Trouble in Paradise for the win.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

- After the match, The Miz is bleeding so a trainer comes in to take care of him.

- Vince is shown walking backstage as we go to commercial.

Vince brings WWE Champion CM Punk out first and Paul Heyman comes with him. Vince brings Ryback out next and finally John Cena. Vince talks about making the decision but Punk cuts him off and calls him an egomaniac. Punk goes ahead and signs the Hell In a Cell contract. Punk says he will break whichever man Vince picks for him. Vince says if Punk would have answered Cena's challenge weeks back then they wouldn't even be standing here. Punk goes on and Cena cuts him off. Vince goes to make his announcement but Cena cuts him off. Cena wonders if Ryback even cares about the WWE Title or does he just want to beat some one. Cena whips Punk and says right now Punk needs to get his ass whipped. Cena gets the fans to chant "feed me more" and this gets Ryback hype. Ryback signs the Hell In a Cell contract and Vince makes it official - Ryback vs. Punk for the WWE Title at Hell In a Cell. They have words over the table as the crowd chants for Ryback. Ryback slams Punk's face hard into the table. Ryback tosses the table and chants with the fans. Ryback picks Punk up, marches around with him and lays him out. RAW goes off the air with everyone chanting "feed me more."


Source: Nodq.com

and the heyman vs vince mcmahon match didnt happen........shame

Punk didn't really choose did he? Cena basically made the decision

I thought it was quite a good show, they've built Ryback well, he's still utterly useless but to get the reaction he's getting albeit with Cena as the head cheer leader it's still impressive, looking forward to seeing how they play this mini feud with Punk out, Punk's pure gold though, he's just been delivering masterclass after masterclass since the RAW 1000 show

I love Heyman, what a creepy Bar Steward he is

I think they've done a cracking job building the Big Show/Sheamus match, Sheamus has needed a match where he won't be the over-riding favourite for a long time, good to see he's got it now, best thing for him is that he's facing a guy most don't want to see win anyway so he'll get support either through his fans or through default, it's been booked well

Daniel Bryan is the second most entertaining guy in the WWE for me at the moment, his personality is superb, his facial expressions and his whole demeanor has been played perfectly, all the while his in ring ability has been talked up too, which makes his character strong, his comic timing with Kane is excellent

Raw is getting worse,impact wrestling is better imo

If CM Punk gets sacrificed to Ryberg I will riot in my living room. And possibly someone else's.

when I heard that arena scream "Feed Me More" I was actually thinking about your reaction

Punk must job

punk will win, im 99% certain on that

There is no way Punk jobs.

Seriously no way.

Vince can make some questionable choices at times, but I am certain he would not put the title on Ryback.

If it happens, I will willingly change my username to "I went full ret**d".

I expect Punk to win but it wont be clean, with the way Cena said Ryback "doesn't even care about the title" you can pretty much guarantee he wont win but I'm expecting a Lesnar run in to keep the strap on Punk meaning he can move on towards Rock and setting up a Ryback vs Lesnar feud which we all know is the stuff Vinces wet dreams are made of. Keeps Ryback looking strong and with a big name feud in the pipeline to keep him away from the title and keeps the heat on Punk and Brock.

Punk is on fire at the moment the way he's portraying his character, selling the story and developing his heel persona is straight out of the top draw. It really is a master class to any young wrestlers in the back on how to draw heat and get your gimmick over.

I know this isn't a comparison that many people would make but he really reminds me of a younger Triple H, the psychology he uses, the way he wants to win at all costs yet still comes across as a legit threat, right down to the way he talks.

I can’t see anything else than a Punk win at HIAC, however i do think that the match will be thrown out or stopped somehow to protect Ryback, WWE are obviously very high on him, throwing him into a PPV main event this early into his push could either make him or break him (please see Jack Swagger) but he is over to certain extent with the crowd due to the feed me more chants and I can see them wanting to keep his undefeated streak going for a little longer, perhaps until mania and then have him challenge taker for a streak vs. streak match

A good Raw like i have been saying the standard has been getting better, since Night Of Champions.

The opening start with Daniel Bryan backstage having to face the Big Show was pretty funny, the whole build up to Sheamus vs Big Show has been good and im actually interested in this match at hell in the cell.

Randy Orton vs Alberto Del Rio at Hell in the cell another pointless match for Randy. Has he actually been in the title picture at all since dropping the belt to Mark Henry last year?

The ending to the show was good. Guessing then Cena is unfit to compete. Still they have built Ryback up well so no complaints with him vs Punk. What im hoping is all hell breaks lose at the end of the show. With HHH, Lesnar etc all coming in. Leading to a big tag team match at Survivor Series where the winner either Vince or Heyman will run WWE.

Yeah I can see this match going to a no contest, don't think they'll throw away his undefeated streak just yet, it would be pretty dull if he lost in his first big match, I'm not sure how it can go to a no contest as they've already done the double pin angle with Punk/Cena so it'll be interesting to see how this goes down, I also don't think this will be a 1 shot deal, I think Punk/Ryback will stay together until TLC

The thing about Hell in a Cell is that if Ryback doesn't win, he probably loses. No DQ's, no draws, no countouts, one of CM Punk or Ryback will LOSE.

So, i'm predicting a Ryback win at HIAC, even if he's a transitional champion, and when Paddy Power do their odds i'll cash in on Rymania

I know HIAC is traditionally a NDQ match however I can picture some kind of scenario where the match is deamed a no contest therefore punks retains the strap and ryback remains undfeated, I just don't think either will lose as crazy as that sounds!!

Question: If Ryback is the new Goldberg, how many people thought the undefeated Goldberg would beat Hogan on Nitro that night he won his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship?

Exactly.

Ryback will win, lump on it.

Yeah me too, I'm thinking some kind of ref bump where they have to open the cage and then everyone piles in, Lesnar, HHH, Cena and someone else causing the match to get thrown out, leading us into Survivor Series

me and chris have called it! epic ss match looks to be on the cards. saw a youtibe vid earlier too, looks as though punk will be involved, so it surely means cena and ryback will also feature. and then possibly others such as triple h, rock and lesnar

Don't know where Rock would fit in though, he'd surely be against Punk so that would leave the face side pretty stacked, I'd like to see Antonio Cesaro involved in Punk's team, and DB

Maybe both men's feet hit the floor, leaving the match a draw? One possibility.

Can't see WWE having a pile in as good as it sounds Kay Fabe although the SS match is certainly on the cards. Where The Rock would fit in like you said I'm not sure. Punk's team would probably consist of :The Miz, Cesaro, Sandow and Rhodes maybe? Thing is DB is a bit tied up with Kane being the TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!

Liam wrote:Maybe both men's feet hit the floor, leaving the match a draw? One possibility.

Can't see WWE having a pile in as good as it sounds Kay Fabe although the SS match is certainly on the cards. Where The Rock would fit in like you said I'm not sure. Punk's team would probably consist of :The Miz, Cesaro, Sandow and Rhodes maybe? Thing is DB is a bit tied up with Kane being the TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!

This is a cell match mate, not a cage match, personally I'm still lumping on Lesnar interference and Lesnar vs Ryback at Royal Rumble or Survivors

Ahh of course completely forgot. Yeh would love Lesnar to get involved but then there's no way Ryback will go over him. Then what for Ryback?

Liam wrote:Ahh of course completely forgot. Yeh would love Lesnar to get involved but then there's no way Ryback will go over him. Then what for Ryback?

Ryback's undefeated streak is more than anything a gimmick, designed to get him from square 1 to the main event, and gather some crowd investement along the way. From the sounds of the 'feed me/him more' chants that are becoming ever louder on Raw he seems to have achieved the latter, whether that is a fan reaction to WWE's decision to break from the norm and actually push a guy hard staright out the blocks without him fumbling around in the mid card for years or a genuine bond with the fans, remains to be seen. In terms of making the main event, a screwy loss to Punk may break the streak but it will certainally present him as a main event player and a competetive power vs power match with Lesnar would solidify this further, even if he does lose. Where Ryback goes after that is impossible to say, he can't win every match between now and the end of his career, at least if he wants to go beyond a faceless jobber level of opposition, but it's up to himself and the WWE creative to keep him on an upward trajectory, Ryback needs to prove he can do more that simply go through the motions of a routine squash match, and he'll need to make sure that his bond with the fans is genuine, and not a flash in the pan reaction. And for there part WWE will need to make sure he is given storylines that keep him involved and interesting, and they have to present him as strong, yet with an air of jeporady as well that all serious main event faces require, he can't simply go out and squash all the main event guys WWE calls on to draw the money.

Baisically to sum up while I feel Ryback's undefeated streak has served him well the time has come for him to suffer his first loss, and as a reward for his white hot momentum, I feel he could be a sutible opponent for Lesnar, particuarly as he could be presented as an equal to the UFC Champ, something we have not seen since his return, as for looking whats after that some wrestlers have it in them to prove there's life beyond the zero and some don't, personally I don't think Ryback has it in him, but he has surprised me thus far getting as over as he has, and he seems to have the full support of WWE behind him, who can do world class presentation of there wrestlers when they can be bothered, so I guess time will tell.

Another really decent Raw in my eyes, the 3 hour show has forced some far better writing out of them, although it would still be much better compressed into 2 hours.

I do worry they have pushed the button too soon on Ryback, but they've created this popularity around him fantastically.

I hope Lesnar comes in and takes him out before the match, forcing Cena to be the superhero and take his place. Don't get me wrong, I don't like Cena, but I do want to see him lose at HIAC to save Ryback's momentum.

I've been big on the SS traditional tag for awhile (which me and Jamesy boy were discussing on another thread), my only problem being that there is no way the heel team can beat the touted face team, and there are no stars big enough to go against a team with HHH Rock Ryback and Cena (let alone if Taker is introduced).

Punk and Lesnar fine. But the other heel names are both too small in reputation and would arguably have no history to make them a Paul Heyman guy. Ziggler looks likely to be using his suitcase this month, yet hes the only one so far make any noises of dissent against Ryback's rise to the top (Otunga does not count ever ever ever).

A look back at some of his time in WWE would suggest Big Show could come into play on his side, but the other big names have left (Angle, RVD, Edge, Dudleyz) passed away (Guerrero, Benoit) or wouldnt be involved (Rey Mysterio is a too much of a babyface). There's possibly some old ECW names who could be drafted in but i doubt it highly.

And for the love of all that is holy please dont let it be the moment Flair returns to WWE.

Is Matt Morgan a Heyman guy?

I can see it going down like this -

Punk is in big trouble towards the end of the match and Paul Heyman motions to the back for someone to come on down. Cue Brock Lesnar appearing on the stage. Ryback and Lesnar dont take their eyes off eachother as Lesnar approaches the ring. Lesnar proceeds to rip open the cell door and goes at it with Ryback, allowing Punk to escape the cell, grab his title belt and hightail it up the ramp. Eventually Ryback gets the better of Lesnar who also hightails it up the ramp as the PPV ends with Heyman and his 'guys' look back at a vexed Ryback. No contest - Punk keeps his title, Ryback remains undefeated.

Survivor Series main event sees a classic 5 on 5 match. Punk, Lesnar, Ziggler, Cesaro, Big Show vs Cena, Ryback, Sheamus, Orton, Kingston.

The faces win, Cena and Ryback as the survivors.

TLC Main Event is a Triple Threat - Punk vs Cena vs Ryback in a TLC match. An accidental bump between the faces at the end allows Punk to climb the ladder and retain by the skin of his teeth. Again, an opportunist effort. Ryback still effectively hasnt been pinned.

Royal Rumble - CM Punk vs The Rock. Dwayne wins the title and Punk's year plus reign is finally over.

After the Rumble is anyones guess. You'll have Rock, Punk, Cena, Ryback, HHH, Lesnar and The Undertaker all involved in the marquee matches at Mania. What pairings they go for? Who knows. My guess at this stage would be -

The Rock (c) vs John Cena (Rumble winner) vs CM Punk for the WWE Title
Triple H vs Brock Lesnar II
The Undertaker vs Ryback

A little part of me thinks The Rock might not actually win the title at the Rumble. It would mean he'd have to work Elimination Chamber and again at Mania. Will he work 3 PPVs on the spin?

But Taker facing Ryback would be a massive step down from fighting HBK twice and Triple H twice, once in a brutal HIAC.

I agree with The Rock, he's never been in a chamber match anyway and with him still filming I think he'll return for a Mania match. Although the fact he openly said he wants a run with the belt surely means he will win it at some point, all signs point to the Rumble really.

I can't see them putting an aging Undertaker in the ring with a power house like Ryback at WM. Plus there wouldn't be any reason too, it would just come out of the blue

Perhaps the EC match could be minus Rock, and Cena wins making him number 1 contender at Mania?

The Rumble winner could be someone else, facing Sheamus or whomever the champ is. Orton could win the Rumble for instance.

The Wrestlemania card this year could be genuinely massive if they manage to pull off a lot of things.

Rock vs. Cena part II
CM Punk vs. Austin
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar
Undertaker vs. ??? (I'd pick Randy Orton to be honest)

Ryback would go into Mania still undefeated so its Streak vs Streak. You could have The Undertaker appear on Raw at some point after The Rumble talking about the streak, all you need is Ryback to come out and have a stare down with them both looking up at the Mania sign.

I dont think its too much of a step back for Taker. Ryback has been booked strongly, is massively over, and if his stock continues to rise between now and then it could be a pretty big draw.

My feeling is that the Rumble winner will challenge for the WWE Title. The last 3 winners (Edge, Del Rio, Sheamus) have all gone after the WHC so i think they'll break the run next year. I'd say Cena has to be red hot favourite to win it to go on and face The Rock.

Crimey wrote:The Wrestlemania card this year could be genuinely massive if they manage to pull off a lot of things.

Rock vs. Cena part II
CM Punk vs. Austin
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar
Undertaker vs. ??? (I'd pick Randy Orton to be honest)

Austin wont wrestle at Mania unless he's billed as the main event. At Mania 29 he'd play second fiddle to The Rock. If, and its a big if, Austin does wrestle again i definately cant see it being at Mania 29.

There's no chance Taker will go up against Ryback, Ryback is still green as grass and there is no-way Taker will be able to go 15 minutes with a guy who only knows how to hit hard

I'd love to see Taker vs Daniel Bryan though that's just as unlikely

Mr H wrote:

Crimey wrote:The Wrestlemania card this year could be genuinely massive if they manage to pull off a lot of things.

Rock vs. Cena part II
CM Punk vs. Austin
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar
Undertaker vs. ??? (I'd pick Randy Orton to be honest)

Austin wont wrestle at Mania unless he's billed as the main event. At Mania 29 he'd play second fiddle to The Rock. If, and its a big if, Austin does wrestle again i definately cant see it being at Mania 29.

I'd have thought Rock Cena would play second fiddle to Austin Punk in this scenario though. I think WWE would be taking a risk to wait out on Austin, as he's apparently fit and healthy now, but that might not be the case in a years time, Punk is a heel and getting good heat, but I think it's only a matter of time before the crowd starts getting behind him again. It's the best chance they've got to pull the trigger on this match.

Kay Fabe wrote:I'd love to see Taker vs Daniel Bryan though that's just as unlikely

I thought about that as well, but don't think we'll see Taker go against a smaller name again now. Randy Orton would be a perfect opponent now, as he's not tied up with anything else, and could tie in to people getting second shots at the streak. He's also a big enough name to make it work, and experienced enough as to not kill Undertaker.

I can definitely see Punk/Austin at the next WrestleMania, Punk's made numerous references to him then their little 'altercation' that the WWE leaked online

Austin would definitely be the main event, no doubt about it, Rock/Cena would need to play second top billing to an Austin return, if Austin shows any kind of willingness to work again I've no doubt McMahon will make it an absolute priority

Crimey wrote:

Kay Fabe wrote:I'd love to see Taker vs Daniel Bryan though that's just as unlikely

I thought about that as well, but don't think we'll see Taker go against a smaller name again now. Randy Orton would be a perfect opponent now, as he's not tied up with anything else, and could tie in to people getting second shots at the streak. He's also a big enough name to make it work, and experienced enough as to not kill Undertaker.

No doubt it'll be either Orton or Jericho but we can't just say it'll be Orton because he aint tied up to anything else, Mania season is miles away in Wrestling terms and plenty could happen before then, I'm expecting Orton to be well in the title picture by the turn of the year

Kay Fabe wrote:

Crimey wrote:

Kay Fabe wrote:I'd love to see Taker vs Daniel Bryan though that's just as unlikely

I thought about that as well, but don't think we'll see Taker go against a smaller name again now. Randy Orton would be a perfect opponent now, as he's not tied up with anything else, and could tie in to people getting second shots at the streak. He's also a big enough name to make it work, and experienced enough as to not kill Undertaker.

No doubt it'll be either Orton or Jericho but we can't just say it'll be Orton because he aint tied up to anything else, Mania season is miles away in Wrestling terms and plenty could happen before then, I'm expecting Orton to be well in the title picture by the turn of the year

I always think Wrestlemania is a lot closer than it actually is.

It's because that's all anyone ever talks about, as if its the be all and end all of wrestling, Mania has become all about 'moments' and I suppose that's why I tend to prefer the second half of the year these days

CM Punk desperately needs a Wrestlemania 'moment'. Facing Steve Austin would do it. I just dont think it'll be next year. The references Punk has made and the interview they done was apparently just to hype the WWE13 video game.

Rumble to Mania is the only time of year ive really paid much interest probably for the last 3 years.

Kay Fabe wrote:It's because that's all anyone ever talks about, as if its the be all and end all of wrestling, Mania has become all about 'moments' and I suppose that's why I tend to prefer the second half of the year these days

WWE encourage it though, apart from the big summer angle they're trying to do every year, the biggest stories are always in 'Mania season, hence people prefer it.

Hype maybe, its caught on thought and from Punk's side it's been prolonged, Austin likes Punk too, if a match was to happen and I don't know either way whether Austin legit wants one last hurrah but if he did then I've got no doubt what so ever that it would be McMahon's number one priority

Last year's June-September was far better than Jan-April

Crimey wrote:

Kay Fabe wrote:It's because that's all anyone ever talks about, as if its the be all and end all of wrestling, Mania has become all about 'moments' and I suppose that's why I tend to prefer the second half of the year these days

WWE encourage it though, apart from the big summer angle they're trying to do every year, the biggest stories are always in 'Mania season, hence people prefer it.

Yeah I know the WWE encourage it, it's their Champions League Final, that doesn't mean we have to buy into it though, it depends though, some like to float along and take things for what they are when they are, others like to think for themselves, its pretend combat, there's no right or wrong way of looking at it

Crimey wrote:

Kay Fabe wrote:It's because that's all anyone ever talks about, as if its the be all and end all of wrestling, Mania has become all about 'moments' and I suppose that's why I tend to prefer the second half of the year these days

WWE encourage it though, apart from the big summer angle they're trying to do every year, the biggest stories are always in 'Mania season, hence people prefer it.

Its the focal point of the wrestling calendar. Always has been and always will be. Hence why they always bring back the big guns to improve the buyrate.

The only way the likes of Ziggler, Barrett, Miz or whoever will become legitimised is if they are involved in a strong storyline in Mania season. Its no good pushing them in the fall season only to bring back the likes of Rock, Taker, HHH for Mania resulting in them being pushed back down the card.

has taker actually beat lesnar yet? i remember their feud in 03' i think taker lost at no mercy and in the cell. and i think their match at unforgiven went to a no contest. i dont know if they had any other matches.. lesnar could be a realistic threat. not forgetting lesnar beat triple h at summerslam, he could be a very realistic opponent at mania

Kay Fabe wrote:There's no chance Taker will go up against Ryback, Ryback is still green as grass and there is no-way Taker will be able to go 15 minutes with a guy who only knows how to hit hard

That's what I said!

Undertaker will face CM Punk at Wrestlemania, of that I am becoming more sure by the day.

I heard that this is why they are pushing the "respect" angle so much with Punk so that Taker can return and take it from there.

I personally think Lesnar would be wasted on the Undertaker but I can't disagree with your logic

Mr H wrote:CM Punk desperately needs a Wrestlemania 'moment'. Facing Steve Austin would do it. I just dont think it'll be next year. The references Punk has made and the interview they done was apparently just to hype the WWE13 video game.

Rumble to Mania is the only time of year ive really paid much interest probably for the last 3 years.

i think its crazy to just assume itll only be for the game, youve got 2 men from different eras with similar characters and the whole world wants to see it. no better time than mania in april?? its all relevant to now, with the problems with ratings and everyone being sick of pg

JJJohnson wrote:Undertaker will face CM Punk at Wrestlemania, of that I am becoming more sure by the day.

I heard that this is why they are pushing the "respect" angle so much with Punk so that Taker can return and take it from there.

It would certainly give Punk his big WrestleMania match but I just can't see it, I think the whole respect angle is telling its own story isn't it? I'm not sure where Taker comes into it, I'm sure if I thought about it I could book something to make it work in my own head but as of yet I don't see the connection to be more sure of it by the day like yourself JJJ

i think if it is to be punk, he'll have to lose the title as soon as possible so that he isnt going into mania on the back of the biggest defeat in a feud, of his career