Prichard: Taker didn't want to bring the Deadman back in '04

[Cvslfc123]

Mar 3, 2019 17:54:51 GMT -5 @dax said:

Mar 3, 2019 15:57:40 GMT -5 Hit Girl said:

His beatdown of David Flair will always be appreciated by me.

"You have any sisters?"

Flair: What are you doing?

Undertaker: I'm kicking your ass, what does it look like I'm doin?

[Ben Wyatt]

Mar 4, 2019 6:48:47 GMT -5 Cvslfc123 said:

Mar 3, 2019 17:54:51 GMT -5 @dax said:

"You have any sisters?"

Flair: What are you doing?

Undertaker: I'm kicking your ass, what does it look like I'm doin?

That exchange always gets a laugh out of me.  He says it with mild annoyance.

Also, props to David Flair for taking/selling that ass kicking like a champ

[Gremlin]

He should have made a compromise. When switching back to Undertaker, they would have called him Booger Purple.

[Deleted]

Mar 3, 2019 19:04:48 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Mar 3, 2019 19:01:39 GMT -5 @dax said:

I was 12/13 at the time and the little interest I had left in WWE was killed off by that terrible Undertaker/Dudleyz feud (as well as the rest of 2004 SD in general) and HHH beating Orton at Unforgiven.

That Dudley/Taker thing is proof that you have to be very careful when joking around with Vince. A writer joked about putting Paul Bearer in a concrete crypt and he went with it. The other writers thought Vince was joking.

Then we got the JBL feud where the crowd was so effing bored they did the Wave and a dude danced on the limo and damn near ruined the ending spot by falling into the limo roof at SummerSlam.

And then the most forgotten of Paul Heyman's clients; Heidenreich.

I admit that babyface Big Evil Undertaker wasn't as interesting of a character, especially with how terrible "You're Gonna Pay" is to listen to, but I still argue that's my favorite incarnation of the character, especially when you look at the way he wrestled from 2002-2003, and then upon his return, we got him fighting Booker T (who was wearing, for some reason, his WCW trunks at that time) in a feud that saw Booker doing "oogie boogie" nonsense.

2004 SmackDown wasn't the best TV.

[Johnny D]

I thought what we got turned out to be nice compromise, not until 06 when he changed his bootwear though mind.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Mar 4, 2019 14:49:45 GMT -5 @jdogindy said:

Mar 3, 2019 19:04:48 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

That Dudley/Taker thing is proof that you have to be very careful when joking around with Vince. A writer joked about putting Paul Bearer in a concrete crypt and he went with it. The other writers thought Vince was joking.

Then we got the JBL feud where the crowd was so effing bored they did the Wave and a dude danced on the limo and damn near ruined the ending spot by falling into the limo roof at SummerSlam.

And then the most forgotten of Paul Heyman's clients; Heidenreich.

I admit that babyface Big Evil Undertaker wasn't as interesting of a character, especially with how terrible "You're Gonna Pay" is to listen to, but I still argue that's my favorite incarnation of the character, especially when you look at the way he wrestled from 2002-2003, and then upon his return, we got him fighting Booker T (who was wearing, for some reason, his WCW trunks at that time) in a feud that saw Booker doing "oogie boogie" nonsense.

2004 SmackDown wasn't the best TV.

It took Taker a long time and the right opponents to find his groove again. Other than some matches with Orton it all sucked, save from one legendary match with Angle at No Way Out, he then had to work with Mark Henry ugh and Khali. Edge then saved his ass.

[Deleted]

As a little bit of an aside, imagine if he had his WM 28 hairstyle the whole time.



Such a cool look.

[SparkyPlugg]

I always thought that Taker’s mic skills were wasted by bringing the dead man gimmick back.

[Aceorton]

Taker in 2002 was the only version of Taker I have ever cared about and looked forward to seeing. He was so convincingly mean. Guys would cross him, and you just knew they were going to die.

I felt legit uncomfortable sometimes because he pulled off the bully character so well and made it so easy to suspend disbelief. Which was funny, because when he was the Deadman for all those other years (especially with Paul Bearer involved), I found it almost impossible to suspend disbelief.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Mar 4, 2019 15:23:04 GMT -5 @dax said:

As a little bit of an aside, imagine if he had his WM 28 hairstyle the whole time.



Such a cool look.

Personally, I hated it. 'Taker's a guy who should never have short hair, it makes him look like just a normal dude.