So with rumours of a potential Punk/Undertaker match at WM, I thought I'd FINALLY get off my arse (figuratively anyway, my arse stayed in the chair the entire time I searched and downloaded the matches lol) and watch their 09 series for the first time since... well 09.
CM Punk Vs The Undertaker - Breaking Point 2009
Match is submission only. Undertaker has NEVER lost via submission. The match takes place in Montreal. Lets face it, everyone and their drunken scottish friend knew there was gonna be a screw job at the end, but that doesn't mean the match can't be really good!
Punk gets some strikes in early on, and looks cocky as shit, only for Undertaker to shake everything off and begin to maul the WHC with rights, lefts, and boots to the face. I'll go to my grave calling the Dead Man the best "striker" (as WWE likes to call him) of all time. Not because WWE say he is, because he legit fucking IS.
Anywho, Punk gets a little control on the outside in a nice spot with Undertaker doing the old "running boot gets caught on the ropes" routine, only he gets caught on the barricade instead and it looks pretty painful.
Punk gets bits of offence in here and there with Undertaker mainly keeping control of the match, but any time Punk DOES get something in, its big. The superplex for one, and the HUGE kick to the head. Just before the kick, Undertaker is beating the hell out of Punk and signals for a chokeslam, and you can actually see him with a huge silly grin on his face like he's having the time of his life lol.
So Punk kicks 'Taker, but when reaching down, Punk gets caught in Hells Gate! Tap out! New champ! New champ! New champ! STONE COLD. STO... UNDERTAKER! UNDERTAKER!
Dammit, worst GM ever, Teddy Long, has to remind us that Hells Gate was suspended back in fucking 2008 by Vickie Guerrero so the match will continue. Screw job on its way!
Last Ride attempt is reversed, and Punk locks in the Anaconda Vice and the ref calls for the bell! Punk wins! Punk wins! Punk wins! STONE COLD! STON.. UNDERTA... PUNK! PUNK! PUNK!
Match is fairly short and has the screw job finish which is all kinda fast and comes out of nowhere. Its not a BAD match in any sense of the word, but it isn't exactly a classic either lol. Doesn't get time to develop into anything special, and the finish kinda takes away from it too.
Rating: **1/2
CM Punk Vs The Undertaker - Hell in a Cell 2009
Watching the video package before the match makes me remember how fucking silly some of this shit was. "WHERE TO, TEDDY?" :lmao and of course, the reasoning behind the whole thing from Teddy Long: "I have a family" :lmao. I still don't think they ever explained WHY Vince and helped Punk screw Undertaker lol.
Man, Punk is great in this. From being so scared early on that he falls to the floor and rolls out of the ring, to how he takes his beating on the outside being thrown into the cell and whatnot, to him gaining the upperhand and going after the leg. Crowd are hot for this one, chanting for BOTH men.
Love Punk's running knee to the face on the apron rather than how he's do it in the ring, then Undertaker countering the follow up bulldog buy launching Punk into the side of the cell.
'Taker is great too of course, and takes some bumps into the cell, as well as continuing to sell the leg work from Punk all through the match. Also, I think he may be wearing white underwear
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Damn, match is just barely over 10 minutes, and holy fuck is it WAY better than I remembered. Despite Punk losing the belt, he looks great throughout. Undertaker sells the leg incredibly well, and the whole match is genuinely really good. With everything they did in the match, it felt twice as long. Wish I'd gotten around to re-watching this sooner!
Rating: ***1/2
CM PUnk Vs The Undertaker - Smackdown 10/23/2009
Teddy Long and Scott Armstrong are out for this match with Punk. Teddy at ringside and Armstrong as the referee, with Punk basically saying he's gonna screw Undertaker again and regain his title. Submission match too!
I remember this match being the best of their 09 series, so I can't wait to see it again!
Oh yeah, anyone remember the theme song for SD during this time? Loved it. Way, way better than the shite they have now.
Punk looks fucking GIDDY on the outside because he has his plan. Undertaker while handing over the title to Armstrong gives the ref a look that would kill him and his entire family. Little things. Gotta love em.
Oh man, the exchange early on where Punk almost locks in the Vice and UNDERTAKER looks desperate to escape then backs away while looking at the ref is like, fucking AWESOME. Wonderful storytelling from such a simple exchange :mark:.
Shhhiiiiiit, that bump from Undertaker where he gets his leg caught up in the ropes? DAMN. Undertaker wasn't 100% during his 09 title run, but fuck, aside from his matches not being too long, you really couldn't tell. He still bumps like a motherfucker, and you just HAVE to respect him for that. He might not be 100% but dammit he gives 100%.
Punk being just as desperate while escaping from Hells Gate as Undertaker was earlier is a neat little callback from the beginning of the match
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Punk gets control of the match again, and gets Teddy Long and Armstrong to give him a chair so he can hopefully finish the match and get his title back. Except Undertaker blocks the chair shot and takes out the ref with a chokeslam!!! Teddy runs away as Punk locks in the Anaconda Vice, signaling to Teddy to ring the bell. Teddy calls out another referee because apparently he can't end a match, and the new referee isn't biased! Undertaker counters into Hells Gate, and the Dead Man retains!
Yeah, this is great, and definitely their best 09 match together, yet still behind their 2010 match which is pretty fucking AWESOME. Well worth a watch for sure, bitches!
Rating: ***3/4