WWE 2-21-11: How WWE Is Playing Us and Why We Shouldn't Jump to Conclusions

I think that it would be safe to say that the "2-21-11" promo that ran on last Monday's Raw has stirred up quite a bit of noise over the past few days.

Online talk and other rumors continue to put the focus on both The Undertaker and Sting as the two most possible superstars that could make their appearance on February 21st, the night after Elimination Chamber.  While I feel that both superstars could easily fit the "2-21-11" promo and I would not be shocked to see either appear in just over two weeks, we must step back and look at the past to see what WWE is really doing to us.

We've all read many thoughts on what will happen on 2-21-11:  Undertaker's return, Sting's WWE debut, a repackaged Skip Sheffield, or an FCW talent moving up to the main roster.  These are all possibilities that I have seen and this is exactly what WWE wants.

With a handful, or more, of superstars that could potentially surprise us, WWE has the leverage to keep us guessing.  If it were cut and dry, if we saw a tombstone, a crow, or a baseball bat, there would be no guesswork involved.  We would all know exactly who is coming to Raw and there would be much less talk about the subject as a whole.  By keeping the promo short and void of any big clues, WWE has ensured that it will be one of, if not the most talked about returns in recent WWE history.

Speaking of recent returns, does anyone remember the viral promo which in turn led to the return of Y2J, Chris Jericho?  The same thing happened in 2007 when short videos of "The Matrix" type code began airing during WWE broadcasts in September.  Nearly two months later Chris Jericho made his return to Raw.  During those two months there was more effort being put into "cracking" this code than I have seen so far with the new "2-21-11" promo.

Why does this matter?

Remember what WWE did to us during the second viral promo?  Instead of the Save_Us.222 code that was used in the first promo, they inserted the code 8.2.11/Savior_Self.  People immediately "cracked" this code and thought that the 8.2.11 corresponded with the letters of the alphabet, HBK respectively.  We all thought that it was just going to be the return of Shawn Michaels, and we were all a little disappointed.  That is until HBK showed up on Raw while the viral videos continued to air.  The WWE universe had been played.

And the same thing is happening now.

Think about it.  Why wouldn't the WWE want us to believe that it is The Undertaker or Sting?  Both fit the promo well, both are huge names and either man would make a huge impact on Raw leading up to Wrestlemania.

There are clues in the video that lead people to think that it could be a number of different superstars.  The overall atmosphere of the promo looks eerily similar to Sting's 1997 Starrcade promo.  The long trench coat could easily be either Sting or The Undertaker.  If you really want to dig deeper, the pointed boots that are seen in the promo lead thought away from The Undertaker and point us toward a "cowboy" or "western" figure, maybe Skip Sheffield?  Whatever the case may be, expect there to be clues that mislead us. 

Don't be surprised to see a new promo with a crow sitting on a perch in the rainy, lightning filled sky.  Sure, we're going to assume that crow = Sting, that is until we remember that The Undertaker used to come to the ring with a crow, or someone else is revealed as the surprise and we find out that the crow was nothing more than background ambiance.

Many people also feel that the Savemart Center in Fresno, CA may have ruined the surprise early.  Local advertising including a video and website news hyped the event with the video saying "on this night in Fresno, The Deadman, The Undertaker returns" and the website advertising "The Return of The Undertaker."

I don't know about anyone else, but it seems very suspicious to me that these reports began showing up the day after the "2-21-11" promo aired.

Triple H's return has been anticipated for months, and every dirt sheet on the Internet informs us of which house show cards he is advertised for, cluing us in to a date that he may make his return.

Wouldn't they do the same for The Undertaker?  Of course they would.  Is it a coincidence that this information is found the day after the "2-21-11" promo?  I think not.

How about the fact that the New York Daily News has reported (again the day after the "2-21-11" promo aired) the WWE has signed Sting to a 1 year contract?  This is of course unconfirmed, but more hype nonetheless.  Coincidental timing?

Regardless of who is returning or debuting on the February 21st Monday Night Raw, one thing is for sure, WWE wants us to be excited about it.  If you think it's just another Undertaker return you might be right, but has he ever returned like this?  If you think it's Sting or some other new wrestler making their debut ask yourself, why they are only giving us three weeks of hype?

I hope that everyone keeps guessing and keeps coming up with new clues and theories as to who this dark and mysterious superstar may be.  In the age of dirt sheets and rumor websites, wrestling is more fun and exciting when there is something going on that we don't already know.  We all may be excited or disappointed come 2-21-11, but one thing is for sure, we're in for a fun ride.