[Mikey]

Excellent matchup here, perhaps the most intriguing of the entire second round. Two guys with strong ECW backgrounds throw down here, as Mick Foley takes on Raven. Both guys can cut epic promos. Both are more than serviceable in the ring. Will the loveable, best selling author dispatch that miserably Scott Levy? Or will he merely quote the Raven nevermore?

[salmonjunkie]

These are among two of very favorites of all time. I'd vote Raven over half the other guys I voted for in this tourney. But not against Foley.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

If... I mean when Foley loses, it won't be to Raven.

[National Champion Chris Cole]

I missed Raven's heyday in ECW. I missed his heyday in WCW. My Raven experience comes mostly from WWE with a little TNA sprinkled in. From what I've seen he was never used to his potential.

Foley has been a favorite of mine since his battles with the Rock. Easy choice for me to go Foley.

[Riot Act]

I don't care for either one of them, but I'll vote Foley seeing as how Raven knocked out Storm.

[creepy]

My vote is waiting for Lucky's rant.


Leaning towards Foley, though.

[Lucky]

Ranting wouldn't be worth it. Raven's dead in the water. I think Foley's overrated but I also think he was an engaging performer who busted his ass to doing new and entertaining stuff. He wasn't a terribly good wrestler but he did well in hardcore battles and he formed characters that the crowd responded to and which were capable of making us care about other characters. That's basically Raven. And Foley himself says that Mankind was largely inspired by Raven and his time in the Nest. And I think that you can see a lot of inspiration from ECW and Raven in most of Foley's successes in WWF/E. On the other hand I'd be silly if I didn't think Foley inspired and helped Raven quite a bit.

But Foley had a much larger stage and people think he's a "god." Or "God." Whatever. Raven's gonna fall victim to a much more popular player, but also the seemingly lack of ECW fans on this board just as the rest did. The only reason he made it this far is because he locked up against another guy who had most of his work in ECW (and a dying WCW). Can't win if the audience didn't watch or enjoy your show. Its not so much a stage issue because people have clearly shown support for regional workers from Texas and the South. But not from ECW and the NE, and I suspect TNA is gonna get eliminated in this round. All told this looks like its going to be a WWE tournament because the support for the other promotions is too splintered.

I'll save my rant for Owen Hart knocking off yet another superior performer. I'm starting to hate that bastard and I loved him coming into this. Of course someone will inevitably say something like "Raven sucks and only a stupid wanker thinks otherwise" and then maybe I'll rant.

[Tommy]

"Raven sucks and only a stupid wanker thinks otherwise"

That said, I voted for Raven. The DDP/Raven feud was teh awesomez.

[salmonjunkie]

Just for the record - I would have voted Raven over Sting, Owen, and Samoa Joe.

[gooker]

Man, I would've paid to see this match in ECW in 1996.

[Jack Quinn]

should have been a lot closer than this, but I figured it wouldn't be

[Lucky]

I was just scrolling through YouTube to find a good clip of Raven beating Cactus' ass or Cactus deferring to Raven for a "Even Foley wants Raven to win" joke. But then I stumbled upon his "Cane Dewey" promo and something occurred to me. As much as I do think Foley got overrated in the last 10 years. As much as I do think Foley has become a caricature and just shows up for a paycheck. As much as I do think that the fans coming to love and idolize Foley basically based on him having no regard for his own well being but also no regard for his children's sanity and WWF playing his children and wife crying over and over and over and THAT was what made him "God." None of that takes away from the fact that Foley was honest to God fucking awesome at one time.

So I may not be happy to see Raven go down and I may be really annoyed at how everyone of my guys seemed to get the shittiest draws in this tourney. But Foley does deserve to beat Raven.

I still don't have to be happy about it.

[creepy]

I'll give Johnny Polo a mercy vote.

[gooker]

Just for the record, I think it's amazing how completely Raven killed the shadow of Johnny Polo. Not that he was ever a really popular character while in WWF, but he really became a new person when he became Raven. Especially with ECW crowds, you would've thought people would be chanting "Johnny Polo" at him and whatnot, but that never happened that I saw. He became Raven and you could tell he was really into the character, which I think got him over so well with the crowd.

Still, I had to go with Foley, as much as I love vintage Raven.

[Batman]

I just want to start stumping for Foley over Jericho before the poll goes up.

I want to point out that this . . .

luckylopez said:

But Foley does deserve to beat Raven.

. . . is coming from someone who feels that Foley is over-rated and is a huge mark for Raven.


Foley and Edge and a burning table:



The promo that convinced Lucky, "Cane Dewey":



"I loved ECW, but ECW didn't love me back"

[Lucky]

And that last one is actually a really great example of how even though I thought he got fat, lazy, unmotivated, and crappy... it was still there and he was still the basically awesome talent that he was. And when he wanted to and when he had the reason and material and subject? There it was.

Serg nailed it. I have spent years talking trash about Foley and undermining him as overrated and lazy. But he's also awesome. And he deserves to beat guys I fucking loved who just weren't up to snuff. Even ones I can easily argue inspired Foley. He was a natural talent that could do things that few could. And to this day, if he wants to, he can make me care about someone I don't care about. And there's only 2 or 3 guys I can think of who, WELL past their ability can still make me care even when I think they're just whores who don't care.

[DevSop]

But can Foley make you care about Owen and Andre?

[Lucky]

I care about Owen. I just don't put him over the best wrestlers of generations or icons.