6 days on...

Well, 2/21/11 was last Monday night and, indeed, it was an explosive night, which was proved in the ratings which showed a significant increase to the previous weeks ratings.

To those of you who missed it, 2/21/11 was either genius or utter rubbish. At the beginning of the episode, a countdown clock appeared, counting down from one hour, and this clock kept appearing throughout the hour. After the final advert break before te hour, tension was rising, business was picking up and everyone was at the edge of their seat to see the huge revelation. As the clocked reached zero, we finally witnessed the return of the Undertaker who made his vintage entrance to the ring. It was plain to see that the fans were delighted to see him return. But not I...

WWE were very clever with the 2/21/11 promos, and made it clear the Taker was returning. But, the videos also hinted at a second figure making an appearace, as mentioned last week. It really surpised me to see that the IWC had barely picked up on this, and almost everyone was saying it was just going to be Undertaker. As Undertaker perused the ring, I was there on the edge of my seat, waiting for his entrance to be cut off by another superstar. By this time, it was clear that Sting was never going to appear for the WWE, especially after all the reports that there had been no contact with him.

As Undertaker got himself ready to announce his return, it happened...TIME TO PLAY THE GAME...

The Game's entrance was perfectly timed, seemingly cutting off the Undertaker mid-flow without him even needing to say a word. I'm not ashamed to admit that I threw my arms up into the air as his music hit, delighted to hear Motorhead grace the WWE Universe once again. Eventually, after two lenghty entrances, the two squared up to each other in the ring, leading to Triple H pointing to the Wrestlemania logo, incinuating that he wanted a showdown with the Deadman at Wrestlemania.

After Taker's initial refusal, Taker performed his famous neck-cut toward The Game, resulting in HHH returning the gesture with a legendary crotch-chop. The camera eventually faded out to a commercial break. The match is on...

BUT...did it work? It is crucial to point out that there were no words spoken by either superstar, be it on the mic or off, no words were spoken. As a theatre lover, the word 'powerful' can mean many things, but this was almost the definition of the word to me. The tension inside the ring, as well as the arena, was huge. Nobody could predict what would happen next, and by not uttering a single word or throwing a single punch, they kept this tension up throughout the whole segment. It was sublime.

However, it was missing something, something that I haven't been able to put my finger on until now. The only reason I have become aware of this key point is because it was same thing that bothered me about The Rock's return the previous week. It was clear that the mood inside the arena was electric. They had the music of these two legends as well as seeing them face-to-face in the ring. But what about us at home? Yes, the images were awesome, but that was all we got. There was absolutely no talk of the 2/21/11 promo by the commentary team whatsoever. No speculation as to who it could be. You could argue that the promo would have been spoilt by an announcer building it up, but I believe it only could have helped it. Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler could have speculated as to what 2/21/11 means, even drive away from the idea that someone may be returning, making it an even bigger surprise that not only Undertaker but HHH appeared. I will, however, admit commentary would have spoilt the segment itself.

Commentary would have worked with The Rock's return though. Let's go back to 2004, when Edge returned to Monday Night Raw after being out for a year. JR's reaction really made that segment for the fans at home. It gives me chills hearing JR on the top of his game like that, and that is what The Rock needed last week, to give his return that extra edge. But I digress...

2/21/11 was a perfectly worked angle, getting the whole of the IWC talking and creating their own theories that they believed to be reality, but it really could have been even beter. WWE really is on fire at the moment on the road to Wrestlemania, a Pay-Per-View that until recently they were worried about as they were struggling for ways to draw fans. Now, I cannot wait for the biggest event of the year, and with the reports of Stone Cold appearing on Raw on March the 7th, we could be in for an explosive event. I, for one, will keep trying to expect the unexpected, but I firmly believe this years 'Mania could be even bigger and better than last years (Justin Bieber aside...).

Why 2/21/11 works

Yes, I know 2/21/11 is not the UK date format, but it's what it's being called on Raw so I'm sticking with that.

So far in 2011, the WWE has impressed me with their ability to draw audiences. We've seen Alberto Del Rio popping up on Raw every week, gaining him a lot more attention and potentially winning over many skeptics (myself included).

Then there was the Royal Rumble which is always going to draw a crowd. The addition of Booker T and Kevin Nash was a nice surprise, leading to many people tuning into Raw the next night to see where they will go from there. This little stunt would also have seen many others tuning into TNA iMPACT! the following week, just to see what Dixie would do now that the Main Event Mafia would definitely not be returning. Say what you like about TNA, but exposure for any wrestling promotion is good exposure in my book, regardless of the quality and the writing of the product.

Two weeks ago, Mr McMahon returned and announced that the following week, the Guest Host of Wrestlemania would be announced. This sparked a wave of speculation throughout the internet forums. Would Justin Bieber really be announced as the Guest Host, or would The Game be making his triumphant return. Had it not been for The Great One making some teasing posts on Facebook, then we could well have been in for an even bigger shock.

Whatever you may think of the events listed above, these were all clever ways of attracting audiences. And 2/21/11 may just be the biggest draw yet.

Over the last 3 weeks, we have seen a series of promo videos, with the common theme being a man in a trench coat entering or loitering outside a shack. After the second video was released on Raw 2 weeks ago, the vast majority of internet bloggers and forum posters were convinced that the promo was simply broadcasting the return of the Undertaker. But, it didn't convince me that this was the full story. There was still 2 weeks until 2/21/11 and whenever I see things like this, I keep thinking back to Vince McMahon saying that he wants the WWE Universe to "expect the unexpected". I wasn't entirely sure what the second 2/21/11 promo meant, but I was (and still am certain) that it's not just for Undertaker.

After seeing the third promo video, I was absolutely convinced that the Undertaker was not the only person being advertised. The Undertaker was clearly shown INSIDE the shack. Then, in the final seconds of the video, another figure, in a trench coat, is seen outside the shack. While I am certain there is a second person involved, I haven't the foggiest who it could be. The most logical person would be Sting, due to the trench coat and boots, but I just can't see Sting joining WWE. Then there's Triple H, who has apparently been confirmed to be Undertaker's opponent at Wrestlemania, so he could be seen as the logical choice. However, just a couple of months ago, we were told Undertaker had handpicked Wade Barrett to be his Wrestlemania opponent.

The lesson here? Things change.

This is why 2/21/11 works, and works so brilliantly. Because even the seasoned wrestling fan can't be sure of what's happening. No matter how sure someone says they are about this promo, there is always a lingering doubt. I, myself, am avoiding the forums and spoiler sites until after tonights Raw, because I really have no clue as to who this second person will be, and I do not want it spoiled. WWE has really impressed me so far in 2011, after a reasonable good 2010, and this could only be the beginning.

I shall be sure to post again later in the week after tonight's Raw to dicuss my views. Whatever may happen, I am almost certain I will not be disappointed...almost.