During Monday’s episode of WWE Raw , a former champion noticed that Elias used a classic Undertaker move in the ring and called him out for it. Bully Ray, also known as Bubba Ray Dudley in WWE, drew attention to the fact that Elias used the Old School move that Taker made famous during his legendary career. The move took place during Elias’ match against Titus O’Neil on the latest edition of Raw , and Bubby Ray later called it out on social media.
Elias went on to pick up a victory over Titus in his match by pinfall after hitting his own trademark finisher, Drift Away. However, according to Wrestling Inc. , when Elias used the Old School move during the match, it generated a lot of buzz on Twitter over his use of Taker’s move. Bubba also went on to post a tweet to his account suggesting that the new member of the Raw roster will be in hot water with “The Deadman.” However, so far, there has been no word that Taker is upset with Elias or WWE over his use of the move. If Elias continues to use it each week he is featured in a match on Raw , it could raise further issues.
However, there are plenty of examples of superstars today who pay homage to legends of the ring by using classic moves like Undertaker’s Old School. Former WWE star CM Punk and current star Bayley have both used Macho Man elbow drops as part of their move arsenal. For a while, Seth Rollins was incorporating Triple H’s Pedigree into his repertoire. Many stars have paid homage to Eddie Guerrero by using his Frogstar Splash move. A lot of those moves are finishing moves, whereas the Old School is an in-match move.
Who wants to walk (on the top rope) with @IAmEliasWWE ? #RAW @ApolloCrews pic.twitter.com/y1uKzCExXU
— WWE (@WWE) October 10, 2017
Still, it is a move that is unique to a popular superstar with a lengthy history in the ring. Some fans even feel Taker may not be done in the ring just yet. Most likely, Elias was showing his respect to The Undertaker. Mocking him may or may not be smart in the eyes of many fans and could be especially unwise in the eyes of “The Deadman” himself.
WWE fans, how do you feel about Elias using Taker’s move during the match: just paying respect or a bad idea?
[Featured Image by WWE]