Phoenix Region, Third Round: Sadistic Madness: (1)Shawn Michaels vs. (9) Curt Hennig

[klunderbunker]

The following contest is a third round match in the Phoenix Region.

This match takes place in University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix, Arizona.

It is a Sadistic Madness Match.

Rules: In this contest the match ends by pinfall or submission, but the opponent must be significantly bleeding before the pinfall or submission occurs.

#1 Shawn Michaels

Vs.

#9 Curt Hennig

This contest is one fall with a 30 minute time limit. The match will take place in a 16 x 16 ring with no ramp leading to it. Any traditional managers for either competitor will be allowed at ringside.

As for voting, vote for who you think would win this match based on the criteria you choose. Some suggestions would be (not limited to): in ring ability, overall skill, their level of influence at the highest point in their career, ability to connect with the crowd, experience in major matches or simply personal preference etc.

The most votes in the voting period wins and in the case of a tie, the most written votes wins. There is one written vote per user, meaning if a poster make ten posts saying Bret should win that will count as a single vote. In the event of a second tie, both men are ELIMINATED, no questions asked. Only winners advance.

Voting will open in 48 hours and will be open for five days and all posts must be non-spam. You may use the 48 hours to present your cases as to why either competitor should/should not win.​

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I think Hennig should win...doesn't mean he will, but he should. Look, on paper, Shawn Michaels should win this in most types of contests but this matches' stipulation favours Perfect in my opinion. It's not what Curt Hennig does that matters here, it's what HBK does, and he does (or did) it on a semi-regular basis; bleed. Michael is up there with the best of them when it comes to bleeding. Watch basically any match between him and Triple H and you'll understand. I can't recall Hennig bleeding nearly as often as Michaels and that's why I'll be voting for Mr. Perfect.

 

[Tastycles]

Hennig should never have beaten Rey Mysterio, and he shouldn't win here either. In Perfect you have a career midcarder, who spent more than half his career out injured, whereas Michaels was able to achieve a lot before he was injured, and then more once he eventually returned. Neither wrestler is a particularly brutal or weapon friendly wrestler, so you have to give it to the better one, and that is unquestionably Michaels.

 

[Teddy Irving]

I'm not really sure what to do in this one. I feel that hbk should go over perfect here but like wolfwood said michaels was more likely to bleed in a match then perfect, but on the other hand i just don't feel that perfect would be booked to beat michaels in a tournament like this. So im leaning towards michaels but i will wait and see a few arguements first.

 

[The Crock]

HBK wins this for me. Although Perfect is a great wrestler, he never quite reached HBK's level. It's beyond me why he would be able to win here. On top of that, HBK has been through a fair share of absolutely brutal matches. I mean, think about this: After being out of wrestling for four years, he returned and faced Triple H in an unsanctioned brawl at SummerSlam in 2002. He won that match, even though he was totally at a disadvantage. HHH had been active, whereas HBK's health was questionable. HHH was left a mess. Then, months later, he won the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match. His health was still questionable, and he showed his perseverance. Even if Hennig bloodied him up, he wouldn't be able to keep him down. HBK's heart is too much for Hennig in this one.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Curt Hennig doesn't bleed? People bleed--enough said on that.

Both men have made other guys bleed over the years, so I have no idea how this match would turn out. Michaels had the better career, no doubt, but that doesn't mean he was head & shoulders of Hennig in terms of putting on quality matches. Curt had injury issues, and his prime was cut short. So while I think Michaels is probably the better wrestler, I'm not going to resort to calling Hennig a "career mid-carder" to get my point across.

Michaels wins this for the simple reason that he beat better competition in brutal matches (Diesel in Cage and No Holds Barred matches, Triple H in a Street Fight). Hennig was involved in a WarGames match, but he only damaged his teammate (Ric Flair) in a sneak attack. I just don't see Hennig pulling this one out, if only due to a lack of experience in this brutal environment.

HBK moves on.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Michaels would win this one, but it would be a great match.

Just because Michaels has beld more times in matches that Hennig, that doesn't mean Hennig is the terminator. If Michaels did enough damage then Hennig would bleed, end of.

Shan has competed in some brutal matches- Elimination Chambers, HIAC, Ladder matches, and many no holds barred matches. There is nothing that Hennig could do to HBK that he hadnt seen before, while Michaels would have the element of surprise as Hennig would be unfamiliar with the brutality.

I could see Michaels wrapping a chain around his fist and busting Henning open, then nailing him with a Sweet Chin Music for a pinfall.

 

[spinningtorturerack]

HBK all the way here.

He has far more experience in hardcore matches taking part in the first hell in a cell, first elimination chamber, and is subject to giving and taking brutal beatings (see his war with triple H in 2002/3).

Hennig has not been through the hellacious carnage that HBK has and will definitely not be able to hold his own outside of a classical technical match up.

 

[Shocky]

This would be a classic match. You could see it play out now, a heel perfect dominates this match up early, causing Michaels to bleed almost from the start. The crowd gets worked into a frenzy because HBK is subject to pinfall from the get go. Near fall after near fall, this guy keeps going. A cocky Hennig goes for a kill shot with a chair, but gets a kick to the chair, hitting his face, simultaneously ending this match for the Heart Break Kid.

Hennig would probably dominate this match, but HBK would pull through in the end. We all know that HBK bled monthly on pay per view (insert PMS joke here). This guy is resilient though, and would pull it out in the end.

 

[Burnout]

HBK wins this for me, great in the ring, just an all out entertainer. HBK has been through many brutal matches, like against HHH in 2002. The odds were completely stacked against him. He was returning from injury, and was against one of the great superstars of wrestling. Hennig is great no doubt, great in the ring and charismatic, but he wouldn't go over HBK in this type of match in my opinion. HBK is one of the greats of all time. His resilience to come back after his terrible injuries speaks volume about HBK's attitude and resilience, which is needed in a brutal match like this. Great match, with Hennig pushing HBK all the way, but HBK ultimately prevails in the end.

 

[gd]

They faced once before. Perfect had the match one, but the Big Sexy Tour 93 came in and screwed it all up for him. Cheap count out victory for HBK. Let's all celebrate with cocaine and bunnies!

However, it appears Big Sexy is at some other location at this point, not sure where, fighting hard in this tournament. Helluva guy, I'll tell ya. So, going by past experience, Henning wins without outside interference. Also, I just think he is flat out more sadistic.

 

[Disturbed]

I would have loved to see these two main event a Wrestlemania against each other in there primes. Hennig is arguably the best to never win a World Title in a major company. Curt had the athletic ability and in ring psycology without mentioning his talent on the mic to go far in pro wrestling. Hennig had the Perfect gimmick. Literally. This is tough but Shawn Michaels gets my vote. Why? HBK was more accomplished. SHawn Michaels competed in the first ever televised ladder, ironman, Hell in a Cell, and Submissions Count Anywhere match. Shawn has done it all and looks good while he does it. While Mr. Perfect might of been the best to never win a World title, HBK is arguably the best in-ring performer of all time. Enough said.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

If this was a first blood match then I would have given the edge to Hennig. He does bleed a lot and sometimes you don't even have to use a weapon to make him bleed. But if you read the rules you will find out that you have to actually pin the guy after making him bleed. Shawn Michaels is one tough motherfucker. He has kicked out of some of the most protected finishers in the history of wrestling like the Tombstone and the Pedigree. I don't think that he would have much trouble in kicking out from a Fisherman suplex.

Shawn Michaels has found a way to make the best bleed. He has made Triple H bleed and he has made Hulk Hogan bleed. He is vastly experienced in gimmick matches and I think that he could find a way to make Hennig bleed and ultimately put him away with a Sweet Chin Music.

So yes HBK should win this round.

 

[Teddy Irving]

After a lot of thought i am going to give my vote to michaels. He definately has more experience in matchs like this than hennig and is more than capable of busting hennig open and then hitting some sweet chin music for the 1 2 3.

 

[El Rev sXe]

Beatiful match, but I have to give HBK the credit here simple because he has been involved in all kind of sadistic matches: ladder, cage, last man standing, street fight, no holds barred, hell in a cell... Shawn Michaesl can be a high flyer, a technical but also he can be HARDCORE lmao: can't believe I said it!)!

Shawn Michaels move son to the next round after a bloody match...

 

[The Best]

They faced once before. Perfect had the match one, but the Big Sexy Tour 93 came in and screwed it all up for him. Cheap count out victory for HBK. Let's all celebrate with cocaine and bunnies!

However, it appears Big Sexy is at some other location at this point, not sure where, fighting hard in this tournament. Helluva guy, I'll tell ya. So, going by past experience, Henning wins without outside interference. Also, I just think he is flat out more sadistic.

Actually if your going by that, Nash has a last man standing match against Andre the Giant in this very building(both in the Pheonix region.) I do agree that there won't be outside interference as Nash would either be on the way to a hospital, or getting ready for a war with Andre(i'm getting too carried away with this haha.)

As for the match, I have noticed that HBK does bleed a fair enough, and off the top of my head I don't remember seeing Perfect bleeding to often. As for the match though(I was convinced by a lot of guys above this post), that Shawn would find a way to pull out this match.

As for the actual match I see Henning completely dominating throughout, and busting Shawn open at about 6 minutes. Than at about 13 and a half minutes, I see Shawn cutting up perfect with maybe a barbed wire bat. Than about 2 and a half minutes later I see shawn hitting sweet chin music, and advancing to round 4 after a very brutal match. Shawn basically wins this on heart alone.

Winner: HBK at 16:00 via Sweet Chin Music

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

This isn't a first blood match. The match can only be won by pinfall or submission but the opponent has to be bleeding for the win to count. As people have pointed out, Shawn Michaels has more of a history of bleeding in his matches and may infact even be the first to bleed, but Shawn can still pin Hennig while he is bleeding.

Shawn Michaels has competed in brutal matches against men like Mick Foley, The Undertaker, Triple H etc. He has competed in street fights, ladder matches, cage matches, Hell in a Cell matches etc. All brutal, weapon inspired matches.

A Bloody Shawn advances over a bloody Mr. Perfect via elbow drop onto a garbage can containing Mr. Perfect's head.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I think this would be an excellent match, but in the end, I would have to give the nod to Shawn Michaels and fairly easily. Anyone can make anyone bleed in a wrestling match, to suggest that one guy cannot make the other bleed, due to a history of bleeding, or lack thereof, is borderline silly. An exposed turnbuckle, a foreign object, or possibly a couple of Sweet Chin Musics to the bridge of the nose, and blood should not be difficult to produce. HBK has been known to bleed too, so I figure by the time this one is over, both guys are sporting the crimson mask.

The blood is not the issue here. Who gets the pinfall is the essential question. And simply put, HBK is a soon to be Hall of Famer who was basically a career main eventer. Perfect was a good technical wrestler, but never really made it consistently out of the mid card for various reasons. In the end, the Heartbreak Kid is simply too much for Hennig to handle.

After the shedding of blood which would make Flair proud, I see a Sweet Chin Music and Hennig getting pinned by HBK.

 

[The Other Hardy Brother]

Since it doesn't say there are no disqualifications in this match I'm gonna assume there are. Now with weapons out of the picture what could either man do to bust the other open. Well I can't think of any move in Hennig's aresenal to bust Shawn open other than a straight closed fist. But Shawn does have one key maneuver that could bust open Hennig. Sweet Chin Music. Ever been kicked straight in the face and had your nose busted open. How about by a guy who kicks people in the face for a living. Yeah thats what I thought Hennig would be spending the match trying to bust HBK open and Shawn would just kick his sorry ass in the face and bust him open and pin him. That's that HBK wins.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Since it doesn't say there are no disqualifications in this match I'm gonna assume there are. Now with weapons out of the picture what could either man do to bust the other open.

Don't assume. Just because you think weapons aren't going to be used, doesn't mean they won't be.

Well I can't think of any move in Hennig's aresenal to bust Shawn open other than a straight closed fist.

Hennig can take the turnbuckle cover off when the referee isn't looking or take HBK out of the ring and used the ring apron, ring posts, and steel steps. After all, it has made HBK bleed in the past.

But Shawn does have one key maneuver that could bust open Hennig. Sweet Chin Music. Ever been kicked straight in the face and had your nose busted open.

I've never seen HBK bust a wrestler open with Sweet Chin Music. Never. Show me an example.

How about by a guy who kicks people in the face for a living. Yeah thats what I thought Hennig would be spending the match trying to bust HBK open and Shawn would just kick his sorry ass in the face and bust him open and pin him. That's that HBK wins.

HBK will bleed before Hennig will so HBK will be worrying about trying to make Hennig bleed. Curt can work on him from there and hook the Perfect Plex for the win.

 

[HBK-aholic]

This isn't a first blood match. Just because 'Shawn bleeds' that doesn't mean he loses this match. And unless Hennig is not human, he will also bleed. Shocking, I know. Not only does the winner have to make someone bleed he also has to make them submit or be down for a 3 count - a point way too many of you seem to forgetting.

Anyway, Hennig was a good wrestler. But anyone who thinks Shawn wouldn't be able to somehow make him bleed is laughable. This match will come down to the better wrestler, the one who is the most resilient, the most hardcore, the one who will never give up. Shawn may very well bleed first, he's done so before, but he sure as hell won't be the one tapping out or being knocked out for the 3 count.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

My Vote: Shawn Michaels.

So, let me get this straight - just because people understand Shawn Michaels to be the type of guy who's lost tons of blood in tons of matches; that makes him a loser here? Uh, no. Not even in the slightest.

As Becca pointed out, the first person to bleed is not the loser. Shawn Michaels is subject to being busted open first, I'll agree to that. But if you look at every one of HBK's matches in which he's lost tons of blood, it only adds to his ability to fight harder. Hennig busting HBK open isn't going to help him, so much as hurt him. It'll only cause HBK to understand how much harder he has to fight, how much quicker he has to be, and how much more he has to endure.

Also, for anyone thinking Hennig doesn't bleed.. please. I seem to recall Hennig being busted open by the guy who knows it more than anyone, Ric Flair.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It'd be a great match, I've little doubt of that, but I can't vote against Shawn Michaels here. I think that Shocky's scenario on the first page of the thread sounds pretty reasonable and would be a likely outcome.

Even though Hennig was a former AWA World Heavyweight Champion, the peak years of his career came afterward and he never rose above the mid-card level in either the WWF or WCW. Shawn Michaels has done it all in the WWE, he's arguably the overall greatest pro wrestler of them all and he was just in a whole other league than Hennig.

I wouldn't exactly be disappointed if Hennig went on here, but that's just not going to happen. HBK moves on and unquestionably deserves to.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Two guys famous for their selling, this would be a claret soaked masterclass. HBK has the edge in winning blood soaked wars, so I'd give him the win but only by a hair.

 

[LSN80]

I didnt get the fact that Hennig somehow went over Mysterio, so im certainly not going to buy the idea that he could possibly go over HBK. I understand the notion and the logic that Michaels was a bleeder, but the notion of sgnificantly bleeding is a different story. This isn't a first blood match, it's basically heavily bleeding followed by pinfall or submission. And I believe that under that stipulation, Michaels would find a way. Michaels has shown the ability to be just as sadistic as almost anyone in his time, whether it be his tag match with HHH vs Rated RKO at NYR 2007, his match at Unforgiven 2008 against Chris Jericho, his SummerSlam match in 2002 against Curt Hennig, or his match vs Davey Boy Smith in 1997 at One Night Only. When it came down to it, Michaels brought the sadistic side when he needed to, and he simply was the better wrestler then Hennig was. With the ramifications of the match, I could see Michaels bleeding heavily only to knock the referee out, and introduce a weapon and outquick Hennig to make him bleed just as heavily. With momentum on his side, Michaels would nail SCM about the 14 minute match and apply the figure four to further show his sadistic side, forcing the tapout from Hennig. HBK advances.