wrestling / Columns

The Contentious Ten 02.07.10: Should-Be Streak Victims

February 7, 2011 | Posted by Aaron Hubbard

If any of you noticed that nothing was posted last week, it’s because I, once again, was suffering from severe writer’s block. That was just two weeks after Ryan Byers filled in for me. For me, as a writer, it’s a bit disheartening. I love to write, but after three years of regular columns and over a year of top ten lists…I’ve burned out on writing about wrestling. Actually, I’m burned out on writing every week, period.

So I’ve done some serious soul-searching and decided that it is time for me to take a break from regular column writing and focus on other areas of my life that need some more attention. I’m not leaving 411; I want to focus on making use of my video collection and write show reviews. Heck, that’s all I wanted to do in the first place, but the people who accepted my writing obviously had enough faith in my ability to give me a regular column. Maybe when the inspiration hits me again, I’ll start a new column, but I’m not sure yet.

I’ve taken a good hard look at my Contentious Ten Shoes. They’ve been good to me; they gave me focus and structure when I was sick of my old column. They’ve given me more notoriety and more hits than I’ve gotten for anything else, for good or ill. I’ve ran them on smooth roads to breeze through columns I’ve loved, and dragged them through mud to force myself to write because I was obligated to post something. But through the good and the bad, they’ve been there for me, like an old friend.

It’s almost time to pass those Shoes to a new writer. But not yet. It’s eight weeks to Wrestlemania, and this is my favorite time of the wrestling year. So I’m putting these Shoes back on, for one last run. And I’m going to run them harder than ever. I’m lighting a fire under my backside and dedicating myself to doing the best possible job I can for the next eight weeks. Whether you love the ride or you hate it, this is my moment to shine, my occasion to rise to.

And I’m going to rise to it.

Welcome to the Contentious Ten.

Who should have been laid to rest at ‘Mania?size=6>

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Umaga size=6>

I’ve always been a sucker for hard-fought power matches between two big wrestlers. That may not earn me any brownie points in the IWC, but when two forces of nature go at each other full-bore, it’s a spectacle. Case in point would be Undertaker’s fantastic series of matches with Batista. So for me, I was very excited when Umaga got traded to Smackdown in 2009. Umaga is a guy I would put in the top ten big men of all time, a very under-appreciated worker and athlete, and I feel his style would have meshed well with the Deadman. WWE has always loved to book Undertaker against monsters, but Umaga was one who could go. Unfortunately, we never did get to see this match in any capacity, and with Eki’s untimely passing, it’s obviously not going to happen. But it should have happened.

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Razor Ramon size=6>

I know people have pointed out for a few years that Undertaker has faced and defeated all four members of Evolution. But another interesting statistic is that he’s defeated Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Diesel, three fifths of the infamous Clique. Obviously, of the two remaining members, Scott Hall is the bigger star and the more credible threat. When he was sober and in there with people who could go, Hall was a more than capable worker, especially during his initial WWF run. If I can take you back to 1993, Razor was one of the hottest new heels in the company, fresh off a great match with Bret Hart at that year’s Royal Rumble. Undertaker was arguably the hottest regular babyface at the time. I would have loved to see these two trade punches at Wrestlemania 9. it would certainly be better than Razor’s three minute epic with Bob Backlund or Taker’s anti-classic with the Giant Gonzalez.

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Ted DiBiasesize=6>

Even his theme music didn’t make my top twenty list, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up. I loved his suits, the Million Dollar Championship and the maniacal laugh. He truly had one of the best gimmicks in the business. Beyond that, he was one of the best technical wrestlers of his time, and although years of working with WWF stiffs like Hogan and Warrior made him lazy, he could still go by the time Undertaker debuted in the company. DiBiase would have been a great opponent for the Undertaker in 1992 or 1993, as he still had plenty of name value and their respective characters were so easy to cheer or boo. Heck, I would have loved for the Million Dollar Man to come out of in-ring retirement and face Undertaker at Wrestlemania XI when Taker was feuding with the Million Dollar Corporation. It would have been better than the King Kong Bundy match

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Chris Jericho size=6>

I am honestly happy that Jericho is happy during his new sabbatical from wrestling, but man, I wish he could have stuck around long enough to go toe-to-toe with Undertaker at this year’s Wrestlemania. When Jericho came to Smackdown in 2009 after a heel turn and epic feud with Shawn Michaels in 2008, I was literally salivating for these two to lock up. Here you had two big names, as good in the ring as they have ever been, and they had never wrestled before. I was clamoring for these two to face at ‘Mania 26 until Shawn put his career on the line against Taker. We got a taste of the greatness that could have been on Smackdown and the Elimination Chamber match, but nothing on the epic scale that only Wrestlemania could have provided. I’m certainly not complaining about last year’s main event, as it’s one of my all-time favorites, but man, I REALLY wanted to see this.

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Vader size=6>

In my opinion, Undertaker and Vader are the two best big men in the history of the business. Both men have had incredible matches and proven they were more than just brawn; they had agility and intelligence as well. These two even proved they had great chemistry with each other in their WWF Championship match at Canadian Stampede, which is one Undertaker match that often flies under the radar. Vader is a man who I felt never quite got his due in the WWF; the big guy was a World Champion and Japan, and deserves so much more than what he got in McMahon-land. Here’s a perfect scenario for this match; the exact booking of ‘Mania 13’s main event, only with Vader instead of Sid. Vader and Sid were both monster heels, but Vader was associated with Paul Bearer and a far better worker. The title victory at that show was one of Taker’s biggest moments, but is always mired by the fact that Sid stunk up the joint. Imagine what these two consummate pros could have delivered in the main event of the biggest show of the year.

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Kurt Angle size=6>

Kurt Angle and Undertaker had incredible chemistry in the ring. With Angle’s amateur background and Taker’s faux MMA, they were able to deliver exciting, innovative and downright epic matches. I loved their match on Smackdown in 2003, and was looking forward to their match at No Way Out 2006, which blew that one out of the water. How great would it have been for these guys to have another chance to go at each other on The Grandest Stage of Them All? Angle has stated in interviews that he believed he could deliver the greatest match of all time with Undertaker if given the opportunity, and I for one am inclined to believe him based on their past work.

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Eddie Guerrero size=6>

When Eddie Guerrero turned heel in 2005, it was a great thing for Smackdown. While not every booking decision with the Rey Mysterio feud was spectacular, Eddie’s amazing acting made it as good as it could possibly be. Guerrero was one of the all-time great heels, and at that point he was a former world champion, as good as he’d ever been in the ring and still extremely marketable. A feud with The Undertaker seemed like a natural place to go, but Eddie Guerrero tragically passed away before that could become a reality. Depending on who you believe, Eddie was originally supposed to be the Phenom’s opponent for Wrestlemania 22. Instead we got Mark Henry. And no offense to the World’s Strongest Man, but I think we all would have preferred to see Eddie battle Taker in Chicago.

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The Ultimate Warrior size=6>

While many matches on here are listed for their potential quality, this one is more about the idea of two larger than life characters battling it out at Wrestlemania than anything. Undertaker wasn’t anywhere near the worker he would become when Warrior was around, but he was very over and already a big star. These guys actually feuded with each other on the house show circuit in much of 1991, and I have to believe this was the original plan for Wrestlemania VII before Warrior left. That Wrestlemania is infamous for matches that should have happened; Hogan vs. Flair, Savage vs. Roberts. Add this match to those two and the great Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper match and you would have one extremely stacked show. However, I will admit that if this match had happened, Warrior would pretty much have had to win, and then we wouldn’t have the streak, so it probably worked out for the best. But I would have loved to see the fight.

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Stone Cold Steve Austin size=6>

For my money, this is the match I’d have loved to see at Wrestlemania XV. I’m not the biggest fan of the Austin-Rock main event from that year (and before you start, the Backlash match the month after is one of my favorites) and always felt that Mankind and Rock was the hotter angle. Undertaker was on fire as a villain in 1999, leading The Ministry of Darkness and causing all kinds of havoc. These two had a great angle and an underrated First Blood match a few months after this Wrestlemania, but I think they would have delivered an even better encounter if they were facing each other at ‘Mania. Taker and Austin both have similar minds when it comes to wrestling, and can wrestle AND brawl. At any rate, we would have been spared the atrocious Hell in a Cell with the Big Boss Man. Even three years later at Wrestlemania X-8, this would have been cool to see and another big Wrestlemania match that the WWF probably missed out on. Again however, given the storylines at the time, Austin probably would have gone over, so copy-paste what I said about Warrior.

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Mankindsize=6>

When you think of Undertaker’s greatest feuds, three names are brought up: Kane, Shawn Michaels and Mankind. Undertaker has faced and defeated Kane and Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania, twice for each. But he never faced Mick Foley at that show. Frankly, that’s a shame. There’s so many ways it could have happened. Bring Foley in a month early and have him face Taker at ‘Mania XII, and let someone else face Diesel. Have Foley defeat Bret Hart for the WWF Championship and defend against Undertaker at Wrestlemania 13. Let them wrestle for the heck of it at ‘Mania XV. But probably the best thing would have been to let them blow off their year long rivalry at Wrestlemania 13 without titles on the line. That was probably on the cards when Bret vs. Shawn was still the expected main event, but really, it could have happened anytime in the three or four year span. The Undertaker-Mankind pairing always produced quality matches and Foley pretty much made a career out of high-profile losses, so The Streak wouldn’t have been in jeopardy.