Raw vs Smackdown week 2

[Twisted Intestine 0]

 

Height: 6 foot 1

Weight: 225 pounds

From: San Antonio, Texas

Signature Move: Sweet Chin Music

Career Highlights: WWE Champion; World Heavyweight Champion; Royal Rumble winner (1995 & 1996); Intercontinental Champion; World Tag Team Champion; European Champion

 

 

Height: 6 foot 10 1/2

Weight: 295 pounds

From: Death Valley

Signature Move: Chokeslam; Tombstone; Last Ride

WWE Debut: Nov. 22, 1990

Career Highlights: WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, World Tag Team Champion, WCW Tag Team Champion, Hardcore Champion, undefeated at WrestleMania

 

Last week, Brian Kendrick defeated Chavo Guerrero with just over 61% of the vote, making the score 1-0 for RAW.

 

Each week I will pair up a RAW superstar against a SD (including ECW) superstar. Who do you think is the better overall wrestler for the WWE to have under contract? This includes workrate, promo skills, marketability, charisma, past work, and future potential.

 

Of course, last but not least - please do not just vote, but discuss your answer!

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

At this point in time? Undertaker...

 

I like Shawn Michaels and of course he can still go, but right now Undertaker has been having better matches IMO. There are more wrestlers I want to see feud with Taker then Michaels at this point.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

They're both old, and probably neither of them will be around for much longer, so for me their ability to help create the next star was the deciding factor.

 

I honestly think that Shawn Michaels can still go and put on a better match than Taker, but beating The Undertaker in a match means alot more. Defeating Taker clean can give somebody a huge rub. I don't think beating Shawn Michaels has the same effect. However Michaels can put talent over by giving it his all, and making them look like a million bucks.

 

They're pretty even in that regard, but I went with Taker because he still has the WM streak, which is one of the biggest rubs anyone can get.

[LooseCannon25 0]

Both of these guys, even though they're probably in the twilight of their careers, can still go. Undertaker is a much better worker these days then he used to be and HBK is still great.

 

I'd have to give the edge to Taker though right now, as someone can get a bigger rub from beating him than HBK.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Taker gets no props for winning the Royal Rumble? And didn't you forget THAT SUBMISSION HOLD~! as a signature move?

 

I'd rate Taker over Michaels, but I'm also admittedly biased against Michaels.

[Turbo Lion 0]

I mark for HBK, but objectively I have to give this one to Taker. For the good matches and the rub, as stated already above.

[Black Lushus 0]

Can you imagine how things could have been for UT way back in the day if he didn't have to move and sell like a zombie?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

HBK. At least he isn't winning the world title or chasing it most of the time like Taker is.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

Taker. Better worker, bigger aura, more left to give. Michaels body is broken and Taker could go a few more years if he wants. He's in phenominal shape.

[Angle-plex 0]

Michaels is broken down....coming off one of the best matches of the year at Mania?

 

I gotta go with HBK. Beating someone in 2008, clean or not, is not a "rub". Maybe it was 15 years ago. Now a rub is based off having good matches and promos, and HBK came make someone look better than Taker can any day of the week. I *hate* Shelton Benjamin, but even I took a second look at him after his match with HBK during the Gold Rush a few years ago.

[The Truthiness 0]

Taker easily.

 

The body slam/flying elbow drop/SCM combo is pretty stupid.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Taker gets no props for winning the Royal Rumble? And didn't you forget THAT SUBMISSION HOLD~! as a signature move?

 

I'd rate Taker over Michaels, but I'm also admittedly biased against Michaels.

 

I take whatever's in their bios at WWE.com... Maybe now that Styles is in charge, they'll be updated more frequently.

[Guest]

workrate

Shawn, obv. One of the few guys in the company that can have a good match with just about anyone. Formula or not, it works.

 

promo skills

Also an easy win for HBK. I don't care for taking people to the learnin' tree and that sort of thing. Even that aside, it's hard to find many who can cut a better unscripted promo than Shawn. Although few promos now are unscripted, if any at all.

 

marketability

Taker by the widest margin in any of these categories. I don't even need to explain it.

 

charisma

Depends on what you mean. I'd probably take Taker even still.

 

past work

Do I really need to answer this one? How far do you want to go into the past, anyway?

 

future potential

Taker has better potential, although the time on both men's careers are about up.

 

So I've got a push, at 3-3. Personal bias says Shawn. BUT...the subtitle says who's best for business, so, I'm going to vote for Taker.

[Black Lushus 0]

HBK has good to great matches everytime he goes out there. UT needs specific workers to have good matches. I'll go with HBK.

 

 

[Timmy8271 0]

I'm going with HBK. They book Taker right but he always seems to get injured every year. Shawn is just an ironman that can have a good match with anyone. Even guys Taker can't have good matches with like Mark Henry.

[This is Bo 0]

Everybody marked out when the 'deadman' character return.

When their music hits, who gets the biggest pop?

 

Granted, HBK can work a match with anybody (WM match against flair, great)

 

Cutting Promos, well, HBK is as good as it gets, the dead man basically says REST IN PEACE!

 

It was a tough choice, but as you can tell, WWE sees something in Taker that makes him get the title while HBK prepares himself for another great match without the title.

 

I choose Taker with the slightest margin.

[Black Lushus 0]

It was a tough choice, but as you can tell, WWE sees something in Taker that makes him get the title while HBK prepares himself for another great match without the title.

 

I don't have time to respond to this now, but I want to get back to you on this one. I think there's more to it than what you might be thinking. Hopefully others can touch upon this as well. MORE TO COME LATER...

[RonL21 0]

I think Biker Taker showed that he could be decent on the Mic and can sell decently. It just seems people were only referring to the "Dead Man" Gimmick. Big Evil Taker was my favorite version I must say. Taker had a little Pimp in his step.

[The Truthiness 0]

Who has HBK/Taker both wrestled that HBK has had better matches with? I know people are going to say Ric Flairs and Trips, I guess that's cool. I also believe Sid and Nash matches were better with Shawn, than with Taker.

 

But as far as Angle, Bret, Foley, Austin, Orton, Edge, and Khali. Taker has had better matches with all of them, opposed to HBK.

[Angle-plex 0]

Foley himself admits his best match with with HBK, and HBK's matches with Austin (definetly the KOTR one) were better than any of the Austin/Taker matches (those two just never had good chemisty, plus they had that AWFUL Backlash 02 match).

 

And HBK never got to work with Orton or Edge at a big stage like Taker did. Not a far comparison.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

Present day Taker is better worker than present day Michaels. Period.

[The Truthiness 0]

Foley himself admits his best match with with HBK, and HBK's matches with Austin (definetly the KOTR one) were better than any of the Austin/Taker matches (those two just never had good chemisty, plus they had that AWFUL Backlash 02 match).

 

And HBK never got to work with Orton or Edge at a big stage like Taker did. Not a far comparison.

 

Foley also said before that match, that his best match was with Sting. I believe his matches with Vader were better than the Sting match. He then said his match with Orton took the place of his "Mind Games" match with Michaels. In my opinion his I quit match, and his street fight and HIAC match with Hunter was better than the Orton match from Backlash and the Mind games matches with Michaels. See that's the thing about opinions, everybody has one.

 

In my opinion HBK 2 best matches was with Mick Foley at Mind Games and Taker at Bad Blood 2007. I believe Taker and Foley have both went on to have better matches with other people then those 2 particular matches with Michaels, I don't think Shawn has ever done anything that surpassed either one of those, but the Flair match from mania.

 

I'd take Taker match with Austin at Summer slam 1998, over the KOTR and the mania 14 match between Austin and Michaels.

 

Just because Shawn hasn't worked with Orton and Edge at mania, doesn't make it an "unfair" comparison. Shawn has worked with both more than Taker. If Shawn’s plan is “to steal the show” every time he’s out there, his performance should be judged as such. Just because it isn’t westlemania, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be good. Like I said, my 2 favorite Michaels matches, until he wrestled Flair, wasn’t even from wrestlemania.

 

 

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Present day Taker is better worker than present day Michaels. Period.

 

Agreed.

 

Truthfully, though, I couldn't give 2 shits about either of these guys. Last week's was Kendrick/Chavo, and people were saying "who cares about Brian Kendrick?" I'd take a Kendrick match over having to watch either HBK or Taker (well, depending on whom HBK/Taker are facing).

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

It was a tough choice, but as you can tell, WWE sees something in Taker that makes him get the title while HBK prepares himself for another great match without the title.

 

I don't have time to respond to this now, but I want to get back to you on this one. I think there's more to it than what you might be thinking. Hopefully others can touch upon this as well. MORE TO COME LATER...

 

It's called being one of the only three main event options on Smackdown as opposed to being part of a logjam on Raw. Of course the SD main eventers are going to get more chances to run with the ball because in most cases, the other two would have already had the belt within the previous year. What Undertaker offers to Smackdown, injury issue aside, is credibility in a long reign, which is what WWE has wanted the past two or so years, and not only that, I think they see it as the ultimate gold watch reign for Undertaker. Yes he has had the belt in the past but they never really gave him the ball to run with in the past. His first time, he was basically up against Hulk Hogan, and you know Hogan would be itching to have the belt around him again within minutes of losing it. Then you had guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels to basically put on good matches with just about everyone, which was what the WWF needed at the time out of their main event champion, so Undertaker was usually served as a stopgap champion whenever he got it then. Then you have Steve Austin, who the WWF was just going to run as far as they could with, and this meant less opportunities for Undertaker to be the champion for any serious length of time. Lately, as I already said, as one of the only three options, the WWE sees it as their chance to really reward Taker with a long reign. They tried to have him do it last year but he got injured. So this is their next attempt.

 

Shawn Michaels on the other hand, he just doesn't want to work the full-time schedule that is required of your champion. So he isn't. Plain and simple as that.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Bumped for last day voting.