Some wrestlers are geniuses and don't ever get the credit they deserve. Raven falls into that category. He has been overlooked as a great performer and wrestler far too much. From his great work in ECW to his outstanding work with The Flock in WCW, Raven has managed to build quite a legacy for himself through the years.
His days as Scotty Flamingo and Johnny Polo were nothing to rave about, but once arriving in ECW as Raven, he quickly made his name known. His feuds in ECW with Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, and his odd teaming with Stevie Richards made for EXTREMEly entertaining matches. Raven, to me, is one of the top 3 wrestlers ever in ECW as he easily weaved through the competition and created a true lane for himself. After accomplishing everything in ECW, Raven then went to WCW and tried his hand, and pretty much succeeded.
He won the US Title in WCW, the Hardcore title, and created the group The Flock and led them to some success. Eventually, Raven would find his way to WWF and while he was entrenched in the Hardcore title picture, he really didn't get much accomplished, as a good amount of former ECW and WCW wrestlers didn't really prosper in WWF. Unfortunately, after some time in WWF, Raven would leave the company, and it turned out to be for the best.
Raven would eventually hit the indie circuit and engage in a hugely memorable blood feud with CM Punk, one that remains in the top 5 of Raven's all time feuds, perhaps even the top 3. The promos between the two, the brutal matches, everything was magic. I think Raven and Punk brought out the best in each other, and Raven, being the veteran could likely take a large amount of credit for the feud being so effective. Raven could make you hate him by just his snarky yet lifeless facial expressions and just by uttering one simple, yet confusing sentence. He had that type of power during his heyday.
Another great thing about Raven has to be his knack for promos. Promo wise, he was above most of the guys in ECW and WCW, but it tends to go unnoticed at times because of all the larger names in the company. Make no mistake, Raven could go with the best of them on the mic.
Raven still takes indie bookings periodically, but regardless, his legacy is solid. He may not be one of the best ever, but he is without a doubt, one of the most underrated.
-True
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