mcstoklasa
Hank Scorpio
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Post by mcstoklasa on Dec 8, 2022 17:46:25 GMT -5
The streak match with Brock was the cliff point. Yes, he had good matches after that, but those good matches were very much tumbling down the cliffside and trying to grab on to rocks. It was clearly leaving him. The Shane match I thought was continuing in this tradition, just much lower to the ground. By the Reigns match he was an embarassing, shambling wreck. Yes I think rumble 2017 he showed up and his legs were just gone. He was done. He had a few bright spots like he looked fine in the threw minute match with Cena in (?)2018 but yeah
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mcstoklasa
Hank Scorpio
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Post by mcstoklasa on Dec 8, 2022 17:46:53 GMT -5
Part of it was being in there with Shane but that was the match where I thought he was a lot slower and seemed hurt and it was really all downhill from there. I hated that match so much. So slow, so boring. Shane being way too competitive.
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Hypnosis
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Post by Hypnosis on Dec 8, 2022 18:08:04 GMT -5
I think the downslide started when he broke his face against Rey and just wasn't a full timer after that, and then aside from 2015 it was all downhill after Brock at Mania I somehow forgot that he was ANOTHER victim of Rey's Knee Brace of Doom. Rey broke like 4 people's faces with that thing, I think. I remember Matt Hardy getting a broken nose from it on Smackdown either in 2002 or 2003.
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Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
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Post by Allie Kitsune on Dec 8, 2022 18:12:01 GMT -5
I somehow forgot that he was ANOTHER victim of Rey's Knee Brace of Doom. Rey broke like 4 people's faces with that thing, I think. I remember Matt Hardy getting a broken nose from it on Smackdown either in 2002 or 2003. Mark Henry and Pirate Paul Burchill fell victim to it too, I believe.
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asuka007
Fry's dog Seymour
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Post by asuka007 on Dec 8, 2022 18:25:34 GMT -5
He still was able to have good matches with Brock in particular post Mania-30 (their second HIAC match especially being really fun).
But after that the decline became more and more noticeable.
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Post by ragecutter on Dec 8, 2022 18:28:57 GMT -5
After the match with CM Punk at WrestleMania in 2013. I think that was his last really good match.
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asuka007
Fry's dog Seymour
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Post by asuka007 on Dec 8, 2022 18:35:06 GMT -5
Taker talked about how, after his match with Triple H at Mania 27, he was so beat up and exhausted that he could not leave his hotel room for days.
The wear and tear was piling up even then.
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XIII
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by XIII on Dec 8, 2022 18:41:16 GMT -5
Taker talked about how, after his match with Triple H at Mania 27, he was so beat up and exhausted that he could not leave his hotel room for days. The wear and tear was piling up even then. Yeah, dude would have one match a year and then spend like 6 months recovering. He should have hung up long before he ever did honestly
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Injustice45
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Post by Injustice45 on Dec 8, 2022 19:31:30 GMT -5
Taker wasn't the same after 'Mania 29 against Punk. After that, the spectacle of The Undertaker at WrestleMania was gone. Wear and tear caught up to him.
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Post by A Platypus Rave is Correct on Dec 8, 2022 23:43:01 GMT -5
The streak match with Brock was the cliff point. Yes, he had good matches after that, but those good matches were very much tumbling down the cliffside and trying to grab on to rocks. It was clearly leaving him. The Shane match I thought was continuing in this tradition, just much lower to the ground. By the Reigns match he was an embarassing, shambling wreck. Yes I think rumble 2017 he showed up and his legs were just gone. He was done. He had a few bright spots like he looked fine in the threw minute match with Cena in (?)2018 but yeah Yeah, I've said the Taker/ Cena match is all he really needed to do anymore. entrance, chokeslam/tombstone pin... the crowd would pop and it being at Mania and the Undertaker most people wouldn't even take much of a hit.
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Post by Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story on Dec 8, 2022 23:49:55 GMT -5
I think when he really started to wear out his welcome was the Saudi era. Like yeah, the match with Roman sucked, but then he had a perfectly fine sprint with Cena where I think if they went longer, he might have decided to call it a day after that one. The tag match with DX and the Goldberg match are clunkers and the Rusev casket match was just fine.
The tag match with Roman, Shane and Drew was pretty solid and I'm pretty sure him and AJ would have pulled off a solid traditional match. I'm happy we got the Boneyard Match, but I still think AJ/Taker would have been surprisingly good.
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Post by darbus alan on Dec 9, 2022 0:01:25 GMT -5
There were a lot of matches where it was pretty clear he wasn't what he used to be, but they still made it work. Taker did just enough to hold his own as well as tell a story (Taker's strength has always been in-ring storytelling and psychology), and he was usually paired with opponents that were solid at carrying most of the load.
2017 was probably when even the basics were starting to get difficult. The Saudi matches were outright awful. The Boneyard match being cinematic did him a LOT of favors in being able to use a lot of smoke and mirrors to cover for his weaknesses.
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67 more
King Koopa
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Post by 67 more on Dec 9, 2022 3:15:41 GMT -5
You can't treat the Brock and Bray Wrestlemania matches fairly because of the concussion and Bray's foot. Brock/Taker had fantastic matches in 2015 and should have been Taker's swan song.
He shouldn't have been allowed to return after the awful Roman match and it was downright irresponsible to put him and Goldberg in that Saudi heat. Match should have been stopped as soon as they realised Goldberg was KO'd.
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Post by Famous Rocking Chimes on Dec 9, 2022 6:12:15 GMT -5
The Mania 29 match with Punk was probably the last time Taker looked like he could actually move about without having to think too hard about it.
The WM 30 match with Brock was terrible but overshadowed by the ending, and I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt that Taker got concussed early on.
His feud with Brock in mid to late 2015 was pretty decent, the Hell in a Cell match in particular.
By the time we get to 2017 that’s pretty much Taker’s body done in and he wouldn’t have a proper good match until the Boneyard with AJ.
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Post by Jedi-El of Tomorrow on Dec 9, 2022 7:02:18 GMT -5
Part of it was being in there with Shane but that was the match where I thought he was a lot slower and seemed hurt and it was really all downhill from there. The match with Shane was terrible, but I wouldn't put it all on Taker. That match should not have been Shane going toe to toe with Taker and only losing because he's an idiot. That should have been an overbooked mess like Russo would book. Should have been interference from guys like the Posse, others who hated the Authority, and guys loyal to the Authority. That should have been a spectacle brawl, instead of Shane going toe to toe with Taker for 30 f***ing minutes. An overbooked brawl would have been fun and a good match for both guys.
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Post by jivesoulbrah on Dec 9, 2022 14:07:01 GMT -5
When he returned to attack Kane and then Kane handed his ass to him. Then Taker lost 3 consecutive PPVs to him. Was that 2011? His in ring work was pretty lackluster after that point.
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Post by Topher is Human on Dec 9, 2022 15:46:01 GMT -5
I remember Matt Hardy getting a broken nose from it on Smackdown either in 2002 or 2003. Mark Henry and Pirate Paul Burchill fell victim to it too, I believe. Cody too, but that man took that moment and ran with it.
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Post by A Platypus Rave is Correct on Dec 9, 2022 15:51:00 GMT -5
Part of it was being in there with Shane but that was the match where I thought he was a lot slower and seemed hurt and it was really all downhill from there. The match with Shane was terrible, but I wouldn't put it all on Taker. That match should not have been Shane going toe to toe with Taker and only losing because he's an idiot. That should have been an overbooked mess like Russo would book. Should have been interference from guys like the Posse, others who hated the Authority, and guys loyal to the Authority. That should have been a spectacle brawl, instead of Shane going toe to toe with Taker for 30 f***ing minutes. An overbooked brawl would have been fun and a good match for both guys. I was certain that the buildup was going to be a fake out and that Shane was going to have like Cena sub in for him or something at some point.. because the idea of Shane vs. Undertaker in a hell in a cell at that point was ridiculous. but nope... that was the plan.
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Post by cornettesracket on Dec 9, 2022 17:46:05 GMT -5
It wasn’t really a cliff imo it was a steady decline and the Roman match to me was the moment where I felt the character of the undertaker, which due to its nature where things could be hidden, could no longer do it. Imo he has zero business in the ring that night regardless of who it was against.
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