Raven KNEW Austin was leaving~!

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Or, more likely, it was just using Raven as part of the Austin hype machine.  "Okay, Raven, Austin's the focus of the show, so we want you to give us more Austin speculation.  Do your creepy darkside promo thingy, but focus it on "what's going on with Austin?  Why isn't he here?"  with no intent of developing anything further between the two.

 

Whether or not Raven used some "real life" info on Steve Williams to construct his promon on Steve Austin is of course something we'll never know, and only be able to work ourselves into an ecstatic tizzy speculating on.  It is interesting that an in-character "prophetic statement" actually turned out to be somewhat prophetic in the real world.  Which would add a cool new dimension to the Raven character if they elected to start pushing him as this visionary guru (which they won't do, because Vince NEVER gives me what I want to see, ever).

 

It's probably just an inprobable coincidence.

 

But either way, Raven is f'n cool.  That we DO know for sure, if nothing else.

You're right, it was just a case of "let's give Raven something to do so he doesn't look like a complete fool after leaving the HeAT announce team to no reaction AND tie it in with Austin at the same time".  Pretty freakin' cool coincidence though... but a Raven ESP angle? Ummm... I hope not, as he'd probably end up becoming a "Dark Side" Ultimate Warrior character and thus a joke to the majority of the fans and internet community.

 

But yes, Raven is indeed f'n cool, and he's the main reason I'm actually bothering to attend a live RAW, so I can see him at the HeAT tapings, since I'll miss HeAT by being on vacation.

[Guest AM The Kid]

Wow, what a creppy thing...Raven knows alllll.

[Guest Brian]

I originally thought the Raven promo was leading to Raven being part of Eddie and Benoit's group.

[Guest]

I dig this .... it's so cr33py, almost surreal, too bad it's most likely a coincidence. I wonder what Raven's thinking?

[Guest]

This may sound far fetch but maybe Raven can see the future. I'm not saying he is like a fortune-teller but some people can see a glimspe of other people futures. It is blurry but they are right most of the time. I say this because, belive it or not and if you don't I'm find with that, I think thinkI can see into the future. I have these visions in my dreams and i turns out that they happen the next day or in the next few weeks. It freaks me out. But, I think some other people can see a glimspe of their future.

[Guest Smeghead]

That is just scary.  I'm 99.999% sure it's a coincidence, but it's still bowel movement time.

[Guest AM The Kid]

This may sound far fetch but maybe Raven can see the future. I'm not saying he is like a fortune-teller but some people can see a glimspe of other people futures. It is blurry but they are right most of the time. I say this because, belive it or not and if you don't I'm find with that, I think thinkI can see into the future. I have these visions in my dreams and i turns out that they happen the next day or in the next few weeks. It freaks me out. But, I think some other people can see a glimspe of their future.

Whoa, that happens to me alot too. Weird...

[Guest HartFan86]

Isn't it ironic too that the advertisement before this segment was Confidential?

[Guest BobbyBacklund]

I remember Austin being pissed with Raven one time because he was wearing nothing but a towel as he stepped out of a shower, with Debra in the room. I don't know what that means. It could mean alot of things, like Austin hating Raven, or Raven being closer to the two of them than it seems. kind of creepy, but still speculation...

[Guest imajackoff?]

I remember Austin being pissed with Raven one time because he was wearing nothing but a towel as he stepped out of a shower, with Debra in the room. I don't know what that means. It could mean alot of things, like Austin hating Raven, or Raven being closer to the two of them than it seems. kind of creepy, but still speculation...

What the heck else is he supposed to wear when he steps out of the shower??  Perhaps a three piece suit?

[Guest Vyce]

Raven is a legit genius....

 

....so it's possible he COULD have constructed that cryptic little promo as a shoot psychological profile of Austin.

 

Regardless, he's awesome.

[Guest Insane Clown Dan]

And to think that only a short while ago, you finnicky smarks were dissing him for his degraded ring skill/lack of skill ever?

 

Is this a case of hypocrisy, or incapability to make up your minds?

 

That's all weird in its own.

[Guest]

No, Insane Clown Dan, not at all.  

 

Raven has always been a great promo man.  He's always been a great character.  His ring work has never been at as high a level as his character psychology, not even in ECW.

 

It's sort of like the Jake Roberts situation.  Ring work was average to decent, but the PERSONALITY was so great that people like me really enjoyed watching him anyway.

 

Raven's like that.  Decent not great in-ring skill, but shaped within his limits to fit his great character/promo cutting ability.

 

So when smarkies praise Raven's promos and rag on his matches, it's not inconsistent at all.  It's because Raven cuts AWESOME promos, and wrestles average / decent matches.  Within the context of the great personality/psychology and a well-booked angle, the matches are a lot of fun because he can make his matches mesh well with all that, but on their own, they're pretty much "eh."

[Guest Insane Clown Dan]

Eh now, that makes perfect sense.

 

If only they let the man cut more promos (and be in a meaningful feud... which is never), more and more people would be into him.

 

But whatever. I thought the Jeff vs Raven match was kinda cool...

[Guest Ravenbomb]

unfortunately they seem to be having Raven as a sidekick to the undertaker now, thus 100% RUINING his character

[Guest saturnmark4life]

FREAKY RAVEN~!

[Guest]

unfortunately they seem to be having Raven as a sidekick to the undertaker now, thus 100% RUINING his character

Not necessarily.

 

Sure, standard WWE practice suggests they'll make him dumb lackey if anything at all (they'll likely just not bother to have them work together again), but think about THIS:

 

Raven, apparently servant to the Undertaker, is actually an Enabler/Manipulator leading him back down the dark path.  Seemingly following UT, but leading him where Raven wants him to go.

 

Admittedly, this sort of intrigue seems way above and beyond the meagre capabilities of the WWE's "Creative" -- for lack of a more ironic term -- team.  But still, let's wait until they actually start screwing up and dumbing down all potential for freshness and uniqueness (like how they've taken snobbish "morally superior" Molly Holly and just dumbed her down into virgin Molly Holly and now Big BUTT Molly Holly) before we start accusing them of 100% ruining Raven's character.

 

Simply sticking him in an alliance with The Undertaker -- which could give him a bit of a rub and/or credibility in the eyes of the WWE fans who either never saw or forgot about ECW Raven (that we still mark for out of fond memory for) -- isn't any more damaging to Raven's character than most of what they've done already ["Raven Effect?"  Taking turns with Tazz jobbing to Lawler?  Cartoon-core title matches?] to him.

 

Pace yourselves.  Wait until the coolness potential is squandered and this gets dumbed down and put in "the box" like everything else the WWE tries to unleash your venom.

 

Take it from me, a veteran bitcher.  I knows about these things.

[Guest RetroRob215]

I think pairing Raven with the Taker wasn't a bad thing, it was a good thing.    For the same reasons listed above.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

I dunno, I just think that sticking two guys who's characters are leaders if nothing else (Taker with the MOD, and Raven w/ the Flock) together is doomed from the start, but that's just me.

 

And if you saw any of Raven in ECW, how could you forget?