Many fans know Raven for his career at ECW, WCW, and the WWF/WWE but i have heard few fans talk about his time in TNA from 2003 to around 2010. I've enjoyed almost all of his runs but if i had to pick at least one company where he excelled most at, it would have to be TNA for several reasons.
* His character developed - From his promos and backstage segments, his character became more ruthless than ever before. Before, he was depressed and focused more on his traumatic past. In TNA,there was a mix of emotions and qualities - anger, ambition, arrogance, ruthlessness, aggression, sorrow, and so on. He set his sights on becoming the NWA world heavyweight champion and ensured that no one would stand in his way. His gimmick also looked darker and he didn't always wear the same outfit as he did in ECW.
* He invented his own hardcore match types - Raven introduced the Hangman's horror match where you have to hang your opponent from the ropes with a chain around his or her neck until he or she passes out. The other is the Clockwork Orange House of Fun match where weapons hang from a chain link wall for wrestlers to use until one gets pinned in a falls count anywhere rule. They were brutal during his time at TNA and continued to be used in other promotions.
* Hardcore wrestling evolved - During his time at ECW, fans were allowed to participate by tossing in weapons which was innovative especially during Raven's feud with Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman. In TNA however, Raven participated in the most brutal, darkest, and bloodiest hardcore matches of different types. He also used his signature moves far more creatively than ever before such as the drop toehold with a chair.
* The NWA World Heavyweight Championship - While it's true that there is no comparing the ECW Championship to the NWA Championship because of different eras, i thought the "Destiny" storyline was far more interesting than it was in ECW. He had so many obstacles to overcome such as Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Larry Zbyszko, Monty Brown, Vince Russo, the list goes on. The way TNA created the storyline made the title meaningful and worth more. Raven himself has also said that the NWA World Heavyweight title was personally worth more and more important in an interview by SLAM! Wrestling (1).
* TNA gave him the freedom to use ring psychology - Raven is a hardcore legend because he is a master of ring psychology. Sadly, he didn't get the chance to use it to it's fullest potential as he did in TNA. This is what he said in an interview with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast:
Raven: "What ECW did was show clips so you didn't see the whole thing. You didn't get all the over the top or the too much or lack of psychology because you didn't see it. Even a lot of the mat wrestling in ECW had really piss-poor psychology but Paul E. hid it. In the WWE you see everything because Vince doesn't show clips, he shows full matches. With that being said a lot of guys were over doing it but they never pushed it either. How can anything get over if it's not pushed. No matter how well it's performed if it's not pushed it is not getting over." (2)
Neither WCW or WWF/WWE pushed Raven to a higher card no matter how well he performed. TNA was the only company aside from ECW in my eyes that pushed Raven to a higher card in main events as he used ring psychology.
* Raven engaged in many quality feuds at TNA - While no one can deny that the storyline feuds with Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman were very memorable, he had the chance to feud with both old school wrestlers and the newer generation of wrestlers. For the first time in history, Sabu and Raven wrestled each other at TNA whereas before the idea never came up. He also feuded with Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, DDP, Abyss, James Mitchell, the list goes on while keeping some ECW overtones.
* Raven expressed his sense of accomplishment in the company - In an interview with SLAM! Wrestling, Raven had this to say after he won the NWA title:
Raven: "I have been in this business so long I am jaded and cynical, and this is validation that the company has that kind of belief and faith in me...I think if I am not wearing the belt it needs to be on Jeff or AJ Styles. I don't think anyone has stepped up to the plate to be the kind of performer that will be in the main event picture. I think someday Monty Brown will. Just because you feel like you deserve something doesn't mean you will get it. I and a lot of people felt I was misused in WWF but that doesn’t negate the fact that I never proved that I was as good as I thought I was. This is a validation..."Honestly, I am probably happiest in TNA because I am happiest with me as a person. I have faced most of my demons, financially I am making more money then I ever was, I am happier as a person and my life is more together."
* Tag team stables - Raven formed his own tag team stables, the most notable one was "the Gathering" consisting of Julio Dinero and CM Punk.
Overall, Raven is a very underrated pro-wrestler but the only company that saw potential in him and pushed him as one of the top heels of their company was TNA.
Although the Undertaker is one of the most dominant and legendary pro-wrestlers in the WWF/WWE history, he has met his match against formidable opponents. Here are some of his best feuds in my opinion.
The Undertaker and Mankind:
As the Undertaker rose to popularity, Mankind viciously attacked him during his Casket match with Goldust. At King of the Ring 1996, Mankind beat the Undertaker and later cost him a match against Goldust. The reason? Mankind wanted to dominate the Undertaker. At Summerslam, Paul Bearer turned on the Undertaker and sided with Mankind. This led to a Buried Alive Match which Mankind won. However the Undertaker rose again, refusing to stay dead. At Survivor series, Mankind tired burning the Undertaker alive. Ultimately, the Undertaker faced Mankind at Hell in a Cell (voted as one of the most memorable matches in WWF history.) This feud was one of the best as it showed not everyone feared the Undertaker. Mankind was unaffected by the Undertaker's mind games and brutality because he himself was brutal as well as deranged. In addition, it gave Mankind a push.
The Undertake and Kane:
As children, The Undertaker burned his house and killed his family by accident. Little did he know that his brother Kane survived though completely traumatized and locked in a mental institution. Kane vowed revenge by ruining his brother's career. Kane attacked the Undertaker and surprisingly, Paul Bearer betrayed the Undertaker yet again to side with Kane. The Undertaker swore he would never fight his own flesh and blood. Kane repeatedly kept pushing his brother to a brink's end by costing his match with Shawn Michaels and others. For the first and maybe the last time, we see the Undertaker's emotional weaknesses. Paul Bearer made the Undertaker feel guilty for creating the Big Red Machine, Kane. For a while, it would seem as if the Undertaker succumbs to guilt and despair until he sees that he didn't create Kane. Kane buried him alive but the Undertaker supernaturally rises up again. He confesses that some promises must be broken before his parent's grave. He swears that if he is guilty, his punishment would be hellfire. After that, the Undertaker becomes refined and more powerful than before. No longer haunted by the past, he promises fury and vengeance to be struck down on Kane as both wage a supernatural battle of mind games. The feud between the Undertaker and Kane ended at Wrestlemania 14..until it was reopened in later years.
What made this feud so great aside from classic matches was that the brothers of destruction will never be fully reconciled. The Undertaker and Kane may partner up to face their adversaries but they could utterly destroy each other at any given moment. They are two of the most dominant wrestlers in the WWF/WWE but in their minds, there is only room for one.
The Undertaker and the Great Khali:
The Undertaker's match was interrupted by the first arrival of the Great Khali who demolished the Undertaker, leaving him gasping for air. The Undertaker retaliated by facing the Great Khali at Judgement day with no success in winning. It ended with the two facing at "Last Man Standing." The feud was great because it was one of the rare times when someone bigger than the Undertaker ran a terrifying reign over Smackdown and put up a challenge for him.
The Undertaker and Kurt Angle:
Though a short feud, the Undertaker (Deadman) and Kurt Angle put an intense couple of matches. It began when Kurt Angle successfully defended the title against Mark Henry at a Royal Rumble before the Undertaker returned. Since then, the Undertaker played mind games on him before they ultimately faced each other at "No Way Out." What made this feud so great? Both are very competitive and professional athletes with epic careers. Kurt Angle is an Olympic Gold Medalist and an amateur wrestler before transitioning to pro-wrestling. The Undertaker is an MMA fighter with an undefeated streak at Wrestlemania. The two clashed like no other athlete in the WWF/WWE.
The Undertaner and Batista:
This intense feud began when Batista betrayed his partner the Undertaker in a tag team match. After the Undertaker beat Shawn Michaels at a Royal Rumble to win a chance to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The Undertaker looked at Batista, John Cena, and Bobby Lashley but ultimately picked Batista out of a personal vendetta. The two engaged in a series of dangerous and epic matches most notably at Backlash, Hell in a Cell, TLC, and Wrestlemania.
These unforgettable feuds will forever be a testament to the Undertaker's grand legacy. They also helped give each of these wrestlers a push in their careers as well. Each of these epic clashes demonstrated just how powerful the Undertaker really is in the face of adversity.
Former pro-wrestler Raven was my childhood inspiration. His bizarre gimmicks, make-up, grunge clothing, and theme were all what made him stand out. As a kid, i loved watching him wrestle at TNA Impact. He was the role model i looked up to. Despite his legendary character, i feel he is completely underrated by most in the WWE/WWF world.
To start, he has a very thorough understanding of how the pro-wrestling business operates. He's been a writer and worked behind the scenes. He has valid credentials that set him apart from most other pro-wrestlers.
From a very early age, he was inspired to be a wrestler. He went through a identity crisis until he drew from traumatic childhood experiences. He took the emotional scars and created a dark and psychologically twisted persona rather than see a psychiatrist. Rather than create a completely fabricated personality, he made one forged from his psyche. One that he could easily blend naturally well into.
From the time Raven makes his entrance to the time the match ends, he proves himself to be TNA's most ruthless. He's vicious, sadistic, ambitious, cruel, violent, and merciless. He's the ideal image of what more heels or villains ought to aspire. He's arrogant and cares about no one but himself. He has no concept of sportsmanship, morality, honor, or respect. His goal is to severely torture his opponents by the most brutal methods (chairs, ladders, chains, staple guns, shopping carts, you name it.) His signature move: DDT Raven Effect as he explained was meant to drive the opponent's head into the ground. He knows how to pace matches, performing outrageous stunts and creative counters. His attacks aren't just physical, they're also psychological. He loves to make wrestlers think they have the upper hand, only to make a counter. He loves pain in the fullest and will often sacrifice his own body if it means winning the match. He has no remorse or compassion for what he does to his opponents and that's what makes him a monster. It's no surprise that he invented his own "Clockwork Orange: House of Fun" match type. When i realized this, i could clearly see why he was the ideal candidate to compete at TNA's Monster's ball against Abyss, Rhino, Black Reign, and Monty Brown.
As far as his record goes, he has held a fair win and lose streak. He's held several titles during his time at ECW, WWF, WCW, and TNA. He's faced opponents deemed formidable such as Rhino, Monty Brown, AJ Styles, etc. He with Stevie Richards defeated Cactus Jack, Tommy Dreamer, and the Pitbulls at Wrestlepaooza. His feud with the Sandman and Tommy Dreamer were considered some of the greatest in pro-wrestling history. He's attended special events and faced reputable wrestlers like Cactus Jack.
Whether it's at ECW, WCW, or TNA, Raven has been phenomenal on the mic. In almost each promo, he has something to reveal about his dark nature. His dark poetic words, allusions, aggressive displays, and ambitious drive to succeed in the ring are more than memorable. They're thought provoking philosophical ideas on suffering and human experience. He brought a whole new meaning and usage of Edgar Allen Poe's phrase "Quote the Raven Nevermore."
Despite his legacy, i think he was robbed by the WWF/WWE. He deserved so much more than the positions WWF/WWE put him in. I didn't think he was ready to compete against more popular wrestlers like Stone Cold, Undertaker, or the Rock just yet. He just started off fresh into the WWF and didn't have the proper chances to build a solid reputation. His character was degraded, becoming "filler" material rather than being allowed to perform more freely. He was reduced to a mere hardcore champ. rather than given other grand opportunities. It seems as if the audience wanted the villain to get beat up by their favorite and heroic wrestlers. They were ignorant of all his achievements and reputation in his early career. His success partially depended on the time he entered the WWF. Perhaps if he entered the business at a later time, he might've had made it big against the mainstream legends. He would've taken the spot next to the greats of the WWF/WWE.
In summary, Raven is one of the greatest wrestling legends in history. Creative story archs, intense feuds, and the most brutal wrestling stunts make him into an entertainer dabbling with brutality. His ingenious talent should have been widely recognized in the WWE/WWF had he gained the spot for it. Raven though retiring to start his own wrestling school, still impacts wrestling to this day.
* TNA gave him the freedom to use ring psychology - Raven is a hardcore legend because he is a master of ring psychology. Sadly, he didn't get the chance to use it to it's fullest potential as he did in TNA. This is what he said in an interview with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast:
Neither WCW or WWF/WWE pushed Raven to a higher card no matter how well he performed. TNA was the only company aside from ECW in my eyes that pushed Raven to a higher card in main events as he used ring psychology. 
Posts
