Batista is now a better wrestler than Shawn Michaels

[HBK-aholic]

In all seriousness, Shawn Michaels has been terrible to watch in the ring, and for a long time now. His last good match was with Jeff Hardy earlier this year, his last great match was against Orton at Survivor Series when he actually had to reimagine himself for one night. Before that, I dare say the last entertaining matches he had was in 2005 vs. Kurt Angle, and I don't think I'm stretching.

For a start - all the Jericho matches. While the ladder match was slightly disappointing, the others were really good. All definitely entertaining. You've implied above he's currently uninamginative. With which I would have to disagree. This latest feud has been different for HBK. Different style of promos, different style of matches.

People are drinking the Shawn Michaels nostalgia Kool-Aid. They've let the WWE and it's revisionist history tell them that Shawn Michaels is the greatest ever, when in fact, he's probably not in the top ten in that argument. As of right now, Shawn Michaels is an inferior wrestler. Not to say that he wasn't great, which would be completely stupid on my part, but he has not been entertaining for at least 3 years now.

I disagree strongly - despite not being at his personal best, he is still often one of the most entertaining people on the roster. Can you hear the crowd? Not a Raw goes by where he doesn't do something which has the crowd screaming HBK. It is often noted he gets the loudest pops. So while you may not find him entertaining, there's a million more who do.

People want to shout out how great Jericho and Michaels was. The entire feud is only popular because of what happened outside of the ring, not in it. Batista and John Cena did more in one match this year then Michaels and Jericho have done in four. I'm not a Batista fan, but I'll admit that he has gotten better over the years. He's far from great, but he's certainly more enjoyable then Michaels at this point.

I'm in agreement about Batista - he has improved drastically over recent months even. But I think with this, you're saying his fans are living in his past, I personally think the haters are. Just because he isn't as good as he was 10 years ago, before he was off for 4 years with a back injury, before his knee caused him pain, it doesn't mean he isn't good now. On the other hand you see Batista improving. You're not looking at how good they are at the moment, you're simply looking at the change in recent years. Which, while it has been a lot, Batista hasn't quite got to Shawns level yet.

 

[Joehaha]

batista is nowhere near hbk, im sorry but i hate batista he just bores the living shit out of me. dont get me wrong im not hbks biggest fan anymore, but hes still decent and puts on a good match here and there deffinately. hbks not that good on the mic anymore, i think its safe to say everybody misses the old canadian flag up the nose hbk without a doubt.

but thats not to say batistas any better on the mic, look at his promo with jericho on raw this week, jericho said he'l beat batista etc etc, not saying he was going to shy away from defending his title to him,
then batista says no1. your going to defend your title against me wether u like it or not...wtf! jericho didnt say he wasnt going to defend it, and then no2, spinebuster.

pretty much sums batista up. ijust cant see how any1 can legitmately like batista or think hes a good wrestler. look at his match at wrestlemania for god sake, umaga did good work then batista hit a spine buster and a powerbomb to win, thats literally all he did, awful!

 

[Rusty]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to recognize Batista's good matches of late. Since moving to Raw, it's like the guy is a totally different superstar. His gimmick hasn't changed, but his wrestling ability and his ability to entertain the fans has improved greatly in a short amount of time. His match with John Cena was brilliant at SummerSlam. Thats exactly how a high caliber match should be booked, and performed by both superstars. The guy entertains me every week on Raw. Hell, even his little mini feud with Santino was great. I personally like Batista's moveset as most of his moves are strong and look very realistic.

The whole Batista/Cena bashing thing needs to stop. Both are great, both are good at what they do, and that is to entertain the fans on a weekly basis. Batista on Smackdown a few months ago was stale, but the booking should be blamed for that. Putting him into another match with Edge on pay per view didn't help him in becoming a more refreshing character. At the present moment, Batista is more entertaining that Shawn Michaels. Another thing I also don't understand, is that people are bragging about how great and fantastic the Jericho/HBK feud was. It was good theres no doubt about that, but saying it was the best feud in the past few years is ridiculous. Jericho MADE that feud good. The whole feud was about his sudden heel turn, and his new gimmick being the cocky smartass heel that he plays so well.

This year, Shawn Michaels has bored me. I still respect the guy for putting on good consistant matches at such an old age. His character is stale. In a few years time, the guy will retire whether you like it or not. But this year the guy has been taking it easy. He has hardly wrestled on Raw this year, and doesn't appear on house shows. But Shawn Michaels in his prime, was superior than the current Batista. Believe it or not, the last time I found HBK truly entertaining was in 2006 when DX reunited. The guy takes a 'break' almost every year. Both Batista and Shawn Michaels are over at the current moment, but as we saw at Backlash earlier this year, the fans will cheer Michaels over Batista.

But I am kind of torn on this. Both are equally over with the fans, Batista is more entertaining and refreshing. But Shawn can still wrestle a good match. You have to take into consideration that Shawn is over 10 years older than Batista. HBK's promos have been bland as of late, but Batista isn't the best promo cutter either. So in conclusion, I think Batista is now a better sports entertainer than Shawn Michaels. Thats all the matters really as they are paid to entertain to fans, and Batista currently does that better than what Shawn Michaels does.

 

[Miko]

But I am kind of torn on this. Both are equally over with the fans, Batista is more entertaining and refreshing. But Shawn can still wrestle a good match. You have to take into consideration that Shawn is over 10 years older than Batista. HBK's promos have been bland as of late, but Batista isn't the best promo cutter either. So in conclusion, I think Batista is now a better sports entertainer than Shawn Michaels. Thats all the matters really as they are paid to entertain to fans, and Batista currently does that better than what Shawn Michaels does.

Just gotta say that theres only about 3 or 4 years in between HBK and Batista, they are both 40 odd years old.
I think this is very impressive considering how much Batista has improved considering his age, he is also still in fantastic condition and looks like he could go for a few more years yet.

Back on topic though, there is no doubt that Shawn Michaels is still way over with the audience and in the long run thats all that matters, thats why Kane still has a job because he is nowhere near as good as he once was but is still over with the veiwers.
So I will agree and say that todays Batista is better than todays Shawn Michaels, but Shawn still does have enormous fan support so whether you think he's shit or not, he's still popular with regular veiwers. Right now though is Batista's time on top.

 

[TimAH]

It doesnt help that theyve done the "oh no the loveable shawn michaels is really pissed now" thing a million times. I don tlike Bastista at all but IMO hes certainly more entertaining at this point than shawn michaels.

 

[Joehaha]

im so bored of batista though, he always either crushes opponents, or gets beaten unfairly, its the same old story it pisses me off.but also right now i cant see any other face to rival jericho for the title sadly, and i do think batistas going to eventualy take it off him and then him and orton will feud for the title.

 

[BooCocky]

I agree Slyfox

Batista has been the better performer, he's been in main event after mainevent for several years now. He's been apart of several good matches, and very good feuds. He was the Smackdown version of Cena for months. He's been improving since day one. Michaels has been working the upper mid cars for years, his impact on the business the last few years have been nothing great. Batista on the other hand is a huge draw, and was a top performer on SD, and now on Raw.

 

[image1986]

Lol being top draw on smackdown is not the same as top draw on raw. And lets clear the air here the only reason hbk is not top draw is because he chooses not to be the main guy and puts over young talent. Hbk jobs to many wrestlers and still is over while batista either squashes or a dq happens he doesn't put over that many wrestlers. Plus the expections of hbk are higher than batista because of past performances so all this hbk heat people r giving in the forum is unfair and bias. Improvement and better are two different things and to say hbk isn't on the top ten of all time is ur opinion but to say batista is better is ridiculous and unfounded. You say batista is better based on what? The only proof people have is in the past 6 years he has been on top. U r comparing his whole career to 6 years of hbk is lame and pointless and not enough time in the business to put him above hbk

 

[Shocky]

Lol being top draw on smackdown is not the same as top draw on raw. And lets clear the air here the only reason hbk is not top draw is because he chooses not to be the main guy and puts over young talent. Hbk jobs to many wrestlers and still is over while batista either squashes or a dq happens he doesn't put over that many wrestlers. Plus the expections of hbk are higher than batista because of past performances so all this hbk heat people r giving in the forum is unfair and bias. Improvement and better are two different things and to say hbk isn't on the top ten of all time is ur opinion but to say batista is better is ridiculous and unfounded. You say batista is better based on what? The only proof people have is in the past 6 years he has been on top. U r comparing his whole career to 6 years of hbk is lame and pointless and not enough time in the business to put him above hbk

Someone bashes the Patron Saint of the WWE, and the fans coming marching in with Pitchforks. I saved you the trouble, keep chugging the Shawn Michaels Kool-Aid that I've conveniently provided for you above.

If anything, these forums, along with the entire IWC are unfair and biased when it comes to their opinions that Shawn Michaels has never had a bad match ever in his career. Every year someone will always make an argument that HBK had the *match of the year, feud of the year, promo of the year, lost the most hair of the year*.

And the statement that HBK isn't champion because he doesn't want it is one of the greatest myths going today. HBK has always, always been about HBK. This story has been put out their, because HBK wouldn't draw not as champion as he didn't draw before as champion. Vince McMahon, the owner of the company, would put the belt on HBK if Vince McMahon thought he was going to be the best for business, despite what HBK thinks. This is another way that the legend and myth of HBK has grown out of proportion over the years.

Look, no one in their right mind is saying that Batista, the Career, is better then HBK, the Career. What people are saying right now, and for the last two, maybe three years, Batista is better then HBK. Batitsa is clearly more hungry, batista is clearly more intense. Batistas match with John Cena was better then HBK's match with John Cena. Batista's match with John Cena at summerslam was better then anything HBK has put on the last several year.

 

[JackAttack]

U r comparing his whole career to 6 years of hbk is lame and pointless and not enough time in the business to put him above hbk

Sly wasn't talking about either of their past careers. He is saying that right now Batista is better than HBK, and I must agree.

Batista may have seemed stagnant during parts of 2007, but I think the move to raw has helped him quite a bit. He seems just as over, if not more so than when he was on smackdown. Not only that, but he gets to feud with big names like Jericho and Cena, instead of just Taker and Edge rehash.

 

[Kyle Cobra]

Dear God, it pains me to say this....but...YES.

Batista is better than Shawn Michaels right now. No one is arguing the careers of either of these men. That would be a naive comparison to make. But as of this date, Batista is better.

Michaels is complacent. Thats all there is to it. Not saying his matches are terrible...they're just SHAWN MICHAELS matches. We know what to expect from him at this point in his career. Nothing wrong with that. He's old. It's cool.

Whereas Batista has really turned it up as of late. His match with Cena, i think it's safe to say, surpassed EVERYONES expectations. He's given new opponents and options and he's running with it, showing he can shine when given the oppurtunity.

It as simple as this: I care more about what Batista is going to be doing next week then what HBK will be doing. Not because i dont like HBK, but because i know what to expect, he's already ran the gambit, Batista hasnt and will be freshly entertaining.

Now as far as the Jericho-Michaels fued goes...first off, Jericho is my all time fav hands down. and HBK is right up there with him. But with there fued, i think the fans who thought it was great were jericho or HBK fans. Everyone can agree it was a better than average fued at least. But i think it catered more to those respective fanbases. It was fued of the year for those who were truely interested and involved, but another michaels fued made a little better by the incredible heel turn of Jericho.

 

[Khalifa]

MMM batista has been improving very good lately and it has paid of. he is now one of the top dogs on raw ( you no what i mean). he can wrestle. his mic skills have some what improved and shawn michaels has always had the same mic skills ( great IMO) but i think old age is wearing him down

 

[jmt225]

Batista sucks. The only time he's worth a damn is when he is in the ring with a tremendous worker, like 'Taker or Cena (this was only one match, however) or Edge (I almost didn't use his name because some of their matches were God awful; however, they did have some good ones as well). Whenever he was in there with JBL, Punk, ect... the word atrocious comes to mind. Not to mention, his mic skills are beyond terrible, and he's just lame as fuck period.

Shawn Michaels... man, look, I was the biggest HBK mark when I was a kid. The absolute biggest and Shawn Michaels from 1996 until the end of his run in 1998 will always be one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. However, even I have to admit that he's become dull for the past couple of years. But you know what? What else is there new for the man to do? He's already had feuds/matches with nearly all of WWE's top guys. I mean, of course he's going to be put in some boring situations at times, because at this point, whenever he does something, we've most likely already seen it. However, his feud with Jericho was fantastic. You people talk about how "Jericho carried HBK, blah, blah, blah." First of all, that's a bunch of horseshit. And you know what will prove that? Jericho's feud with Batista is already fucking dumb, and I cannot wait to see how terrible their matches are. And I will LOVE to see all the excuses then how it's "Jericho failing to do his job to carry everyone to great matches like Hogan and Bret Hart could, blah, blah, blah." Ala, the same shit I heard about Punk's reign.

Jericho vs. Batista will suck, end of story. I guarantee it. And if it, by some miracle, it doesn't, then there's no way it's going to be better then Jericho vs. Michaels. Absolutely no way. And you know why? Because Michaels is the far superior worker and promo cutter Batista is. While Michaels can be dull at times like I said, he delivers when the case calls upon it. Batista, on the other hand, sucks unless there's a ring general in their carrying his ass, and I love Jericho, but he's not good enough to do what 'Taker or even HHH did, and really... the only reason 'Taker and HHH worked so well with the dude was because of their size/strength. That was it. Jericho won’t be able to pull the stuff they did and it won’t be his fault. Batista just isn’t on the same level as the other top babyfaces in the company. The fact of the matter is guys like Shawn Michaels, Cena, ect. can have good matches with pretty much anyone, Batista can't. You talk about Michaels vs. Flair being terrible, and while I admit it wasn't as good as a lot of fans perceive it to be, could you imagine if that was Flair vs. Batista? Can anyone honestly sit there and say that Batista vs. Flair would've been better then what Michaels vs. Flair was? If so… . There are no words to describe how dumbfounded I would be.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Lol. I've never really been a fan of either of them tbh. Both are just as predictable as each other overall. HBK has swapped his game around a little, throwing in an inverted figure 4 and the arm bar over the top rope here and there, but it's always a standard match that ends with kip-up, inverted atomic drop, scoop slam, flying elbow, superkick, with maybe some interruption here and there. Batista is exactly the same! Match goes on, spear, spinebuster, stupid thumbs down taunt, sit down powerbomb, end.

I've never found Batista to be entertaining, but i have enjoyed HBK matches, however, it's usually down to who his opponent is that makes me interested. I loved HBK v Angle because i'm an Angle mark, i enjoyed WM20's main event because i love matches with more than 2 opponents. I did NOT enjoy HBK vs Cena, but did enjoy HBK vs Vince because everyone loves a Vinnie Mac ass kicking. The only 4 matches i can think of with Batista in that i enjoyed were his first 2 with Taker and the first match against Edge, because let's face it, the ones that followed were exactly the same, but ya know what's weird? I did also enjoy HBK vs Batista!!!! LOL!

Batista can't cut a promo to save his life, he's only slightly better than Jeff Hardy who couldn't talk his way out of a paper bag. In 2008, i can't think of a single Batista match other than the ones he's had with HBK that i enjoyed. HE HAD A FUCKIN' SQUASH MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!!! His last PPV match was also a squash and it was sickening. When i hear that Batista is getting a title shot, i actually pray (and i'm not a religious man) that they don't put the belt on him, because i can't bear to watch him as champ again. With HBK i could take it or leave it.

I have to agree with HBK-aholic though, people have got to stop saying that successes and failures in wrestling are down to one person. I think it was Sly who argued with someone that Taker did not carry Batista in their fued, Batista did. Bullshit dude, they both carried it. You say Taker just stood there and stared at people to make them scared? I don't recall Batista doing much else in that fued. They copied each other by backstabbing one another in matches and that was it throughout the fued.

Anyway, i guess i'll summarise by saying i'd rather watch an HBK match over Batista anyday, because while both aren't great these days, i usually get a pleasant surprise during an HBK match, but have yet to find myself smiling after watching Batista do anything, but i have to stress, i never pay to see them wrestle. I never sit down to watch a PPV thinking 'i've got to stay awake for the Batista/HBK match', in fact during No Mercy i fell asleep through both. I allowed myself to fall asleep during Batista/JBL because i knew full well what would happen, and HHH put to sleep automatically (as usual) and woke up after the PPV had ended (thankfully Sky Box Office repeats allowed me to see a sub par ladder match pan out how i assumed it would anyway)

 

[Showtime]

It's an interesting question, really it is. I can't agree that Batista is a better wrestler than Micheals, but I will agree that Batista has improved in leaps and bounds since he won the title in 2005, while in that time I must also agree that Shawn has slowly crept into the background of the WWE, and indeed has gotten lazier as the years have gone by. I haven't seen the fire in Shawns eyes much since he finished his feud with Angle in 05, I think the man has clearly lost his passion for the biz and in alot of his matches, it does seem as if he's simply going through the motions. On any given night though, when we wants to, Shawn can have a brilliant match, as he has shown time and time again, but again, they seem to be coming up less and less often. His interviews have also declined. There really running Shawn as a beaten down, time is almost up wrestler almost to the point where I am saying either retire, or quit talking about how you've been beaten up and still are gonna kick someone's ass (Seriously, I know it was just an angle, but wasn't his career supposed to be over after Summerslam, now only a couple months after, he's wrestling regularly on RAW when he's supposed to be so injured he shouldn't be competing). Batista meanwhile, has improved, but that's not to say he's better. Alot of his matches are total squashes, but he can have good or great matches with many people, seldom will he ever have a classic but there still good matches. Batista is also limited in what kinds of matches he can do. Batista doesn't do ladder matches, nor can he take a match longer than 30 plus minutes and keep it interesting. Batista's size seems to be a problem for him to become a terrific wrestler as there are only so few moves opponents can do to him, most oppenents will look weak verse him and will have to play that role and Batista's move set is limited, so since he is normally the offensive aggresser, we get a lot of the same moves, (although I was happy to see, as Cole put it, a tilt-a-whirl-sideslam by Batista last night, though I thought that move was called a swinging sideslam) His interviews aren't great, but then again neither have been Micheals. Batista's interviews aren't bad, save a couple of stutters and slight speaking errors, but he hasn't delivered that memorable one yet. His interviews seem very scripted and are designed to make him look cool, tough, and funny.

In WWE's eyes, as we've seen with their feud, Batista is the better one, and in a straight one-on-one, he's supposed to beat Micheals. That's how WWE wants it and in that sense, Batista is a better wrestler. We've called into question Micheals passion, but Batista too has been rumored to lack passion for the biz. From how his character has been used, I would agree with him, but when I see him in the ring, it looks like he's having fun and enjoys wrestling so I think he also has more passion than Shawn has now. Still, I can't sit here today and call Batista a better wrestler than Shawn. They are more even than they've ever been before, but the difference is when Shawn wants to, he is a better wrestler than Batista, in the ring and on the mic, and can work with just about anybody. So to cap it, Shawn and Batista are equals from this point on, but Shawn has the ability to be better or worse than Batista, Batista doesn't have that ability yet.The ball is in Shawn's court, he's just choosing not to use it.

 

[justinsayne]

IDK about a better wrestler, but Batista is sure as hell more entertaining right now than HBK, HBK has done basically the same shit week in and week out since he came back 6 years ago, it's time for him to go, Batista on the other hand has done nothing but improve ever since he came into the WWE, and at least he doesn't come out and do the same boring ass routine every fucking week, over the course of the past 5 years that he's been in WWE he's gone from being Rev. D-Von's bodyguard, to being a three time World champ and one of the biggest draws in the company, and Batista has shown to be one of those faces that has enough of an edginess to make a face vs. face match work, his feuds with HBK & Cena this year have proven this, and I for one am looking forward to the Batista/Jericho feud just for the fact that we'll finally get to see someone different feud with Jericho than HBK (the Jericho/HBK feud has been dragged out far to long and has become boring and repetitive)

 

[JackAttack]

Look at their match during Raw last night. In my opinion, HBK was completely boring during that match. I know Batista has to be dominant, but It would have been nice if HBK actually did something other than roll into the turnbuckle several times. And as far as special guest ref's go, Batista was far from the worst. At least he actually paritcipated in the match and worked to accelerate the feud between himself and Jericho. He's without a doubt one the biggest stars on Raw right now.

 

[image1986]

Oh boy the cena/batista arguement again. Yes it was a good but was it good cuz batisat was in it or cena or both. Imo I believe cena made the match but I could be wrong(probably not). What has batista done in 2008 that was so great squash jbl and santino? And the hbk kool aid thing is funny but facts are facts hbk has consistant good programs with jericho this year with top stars and batista has not. I will never say right now hbk is the best on the roster but batista being top dog on raw haves more to do with cena and triple h not being there. Politics have a lot to do with batista success because even now on a wrestling level he is average and will always be. I don't believe being a hbk fan or jericho fan has anything to do with match quality or effectiveness to a storyline. Im a randy orton fan and I enjoyed last year when hbk super kick him every raw (funny as hell). Im getting off topic anyway batista is only as good as his opponent while if u give hbk a great opponent he will steal the show. And to the hbk myth if hbk is all bout hbk why does job so much to younger star back in the day he wouldn't job to anyone. O yeah and u think vince wouldnt put the title on hbk cause u doesn't draw at all I find it funny cuz he put it on him 4 times but that another thread. I can put jamie noble in the main event for 3 years and I bet someone will say he's better than hbk lol. Finally jericho and batista is going to look like a glorified squash and its match only hurts jericho

 

[JackAttack]

Oh boy the cena/batista arguement again. Yes it was a good but was it good cuz batisat was in it or cena or both. Imo I believe cena made the match but I could be wrong(probably not).What has batista done in 2008 that was so great squash jbl and santino? And the hbk kool aid thing is funny but facts are facts hbk has consistant good programs with jericho this year with top stars and batista has not. I will never say right now hbk is the best on the roster but batista being top dog on raw haves more to do with cena and triple h not being there. Politics have a lot to do with batista success because even now on a wrestling level he is average and will always be. I don't believe being a hbk fan or jericho fan has anything to do with match quality or effectiveness to a storyline. Im a randy orton fan and I enjoyed last year when hbk super kick him every raw (funny as hell). Im getting off topic anyway batista is only as good as his opponent while if u give hbk a great opponent he will steal the show. And to the hbk myth if hbk is all bout hbk why does job so much to younger star back in the day he wouldn't job to anyone. O yeah and u think vince wouldnt put the title on hbk cause u doesn't draw at all I find it funny cuz he put it on him 4 times but that another thread. I can put jamie noble in the main event for 3 years and I bet someone will say he's better than hbk lol. Finally jericho and batista is going to look like a glorified squash and its match only hurts jericho

First of all, that match would not have gone as well as it did if just one guy was doing all of the work. It takes two guys to make a great match like that, and Batista did more than his fair share of the work.

You also say you won't debate HBK being the best now, but that is exactly what the argument is about. Right now, Batista is better than Shawn.

I'm also pretty sure that Batista would draw even with Cena and Orton back in action. And really, its quite dumb the comment you made about Triple H, because the draft was a natural occurence, so you can't assume that all the Triple H fans just hopped over to the next best thing.

 

[image1986]

Jackattack I don't think you get what im saying he top dog right now yes. He in the main event yes but better than hbk right now no. No one seems to give a good arguement of what he has done so great that makes him better. Spending time bashing shawn and saying he aint the same wrestler as he was before has nothing to do with batista progress. o yeah how is it dumb that I mention cena and triple h. They were main eventers on raw and batista doesn't have so much competition for the top spot as he would have if trips wasn't drafted and john wasn't injured. There's a reason they keep him and trips on different shows (politics mostly). The only argument I see has any substance is that batista is fresh on raw and very over which is true. If batista produces a few more high quality matches then it will be time to put "old yeller" out of his misery. Oh yeah I leave u with a question in the hbk and batista explain why batista was getting heel heat when hbk fake the injury? Food for thought

 

[Slyfox696]

He in the main event yes but better than hbk right now no.

Actually he is. He plays a better character, he's more interesting, and he puts on better matches on a more regular basis.

No one seems to give a good arguement of what he has done so great that makes him better.

I thought I did that with my very first post and then again with the third post in the thread.

I know it's difficult to read a thread sometime, but surely you can find time to read the first post of a thread.

Spending time bashing shawn and saying he aint the same wrestler as he was before has nothing to do with batista progress.

What it DOES do is show that no one is saying that Batista right now is greater than Shawn was at his prime, but rather Batista is better now than HBK.

There's a reason they keep him and trips on different shows (politics mostly).

Yeah, because usually politics are what separates friends on wrestling shows.

Batista is friends with Triple H. Why do you think HHH put him over three times in 2005? The reason they are on different shows is to spread around the drawing power of the company.

If batista produces a few more high quality matches then it will be time to put "old yeller" out of his misery.

Batista has been producing high quality matches for the last two years.

What about HBK?

Oh yeah I leave u with a question in the hbk and batista explain why batista was getting heel heat when hbk fake the injury? Food for thought

Because "smart" fans are hypocrites. They refuse to cheer for wrestlers who appeal to kids today, while at the same time cheering for the wrestlers they liked as kids.

 

[JackAttack]

Jackattack I don't think you get what im saying he top dog right now yes. He in the main event yes but better than hbk right now no. No one seems to give a good arguement of what he has done so great that makes him better. Spending time bashing shawn and saying he aint the same wrestler as he was before has nothing to do with batista progress. o yeah how is it dumb that I mention cena and triple h. They were main eventers on raw and batista doesn't have so much competition for the top spot as he would have if trips wasn't drafted and john wasn't injured. There's a reason they keep him and trips on different shows (politics mostly). The only argument I see has any substance is that batista is fresh on raw and very over which is true. If batista produces a few more high quality matches then it will be time to put "old yeller" out of his misery. Oh yeah I leave u with a question in the hbk and batista explain why batista was getting heel heat when hbk fake the injury? Food for thought

I'll admit that I misinterpreted your last post, and for that I apologize, but I stand by what I said on Batista being better than HBK. Also, how can you say he doesn't have competition just becase those two are gone? He still has Jericho, Punk, Kane, JBL, and not to mention HBK who could all easily be considered threats.

Oh, and the reason why Batista was getting booed during his feud with HBK is becuase Shawn is one of those superstars who will get cheered no matter what. People who have been huge HBK fans their whole lives are likely to continue to cheer him no matter what. Just like the Undertaker really, and if you think about it Jericho as well because all you have to do is glance at the audience and you can see dozens of Y2J signs, and even here people chanting for him.

 

[CDR]

Woah! There is no way in hell anybody can consider Batista a better wrestler than Shawn Michaels. You say Michaels is boring? And he has boring promos? Ok, he wasn't being all entertaining the other night in his promo with Jericho because he was being serious, not all excited. And Batista's promos are just him threatening somebody then hitting them. Atleast Michaels's promos are actually enjoyable and you don't know what's going to happen every time.

Now, you say Batista is a better wrestler than Shawn Michaels. Ok, I think the longest Batista match I've ever seen might have been the length of a commercial break, maybe a little longer. Ok, not really but you get the point. Shawn's longest match was like an hour plus! And it was a great match! If Batista tried to do an hour long match, he'd be out by the 25 minute mark! He couldn't carry anybody through any kind of a match. Michaels could carry Big Daddy V through a match if he wanted to. That's how good he is.

Now, his match with Jericho at WM 19 was good, and his last series of matches with him were just as good but Jericho didn't carry him through the whole rivalry! Shawn put on one of the best matches I've seen in a ladder match while Batista put on one of the most boring matches I've seen in his match with JBL. In my opinion, HBK is one of the best going today while Batista is one of the most boring going today.

 

[Checkmate]

Well, there are different types of better-

In character -

Batista: He's a brute who doesn't talk much. When he talks, it is short and sweet. He lets his actions speak for him. Even though he is a face, he acts like a tweener, as he doesn't really care who he hits as long as it gets him somewhere. He has no real gimmick, just who he is doing what he is doing. 'The Animal' is more like a nickname.

HBK: Admittedly, I never liked the 'sexy boy' gimmick. He can talk a good game, but not the best. Sometimes he comes off as corny. He defines what a face is right now and possibly is one of the best face characters around currently. His actions aren't as bold as Batista's, but he has a legendary career that speaks for itself.

In Movesets -

Batista: He doesn't have a huge arsenal, but he doesn't have to have one. Everything he does seems powerful. He has a fitting power set, with a power finisher. He can't 'wrestle' a great game because that isn't his style. I do give him props for stepping up his submission game though. His matches are often similar, with him always being overpowered or squashing someone. The even matchups are always back and forth until someone wins or loses. Rarely is there any major spots to watch for, as he doesn't take massive risks.

HBK: He has a relatively large moveset, and mixes and matches according to who he is facing. His late game is a series of setup moves into a superkick, which is a great finisher (simple, yet elegant). His moveset fits him, as he is a smaller guy who can't really play the power game and isn't the best wrestler. His matches can be lengthy, and have many spots to look out for, as he is a spot artist. He can play the wrestling game, the submission game, and can trade punches with the best, though he doesn't always come out on top. The catch-as-catch-can style and the mix and match offense are what make his matches interesting, but can lead to abrupt endings.

In general -

Batista: He is a worker, definately, and can carry people somewhat well. He gets put over most of the time, which has people against him. He always seems to be in the title picture, sometimes without much reason. However, these things aren't unique to him, which makes it a bit more understandable. His feuds are believable, though not always the most exciting.

HBK: He has been around for a long time now, and has both put over and been over in the past. He isn't always in the main event now, and frequently has moved up midcarders to improve their career. The major part of his career is over, and he realizes this and is doing his part for other people. What feuds he gets into are believable and often draw very well. He has nostalgia on his side, but can still pull in fans like very few others can. He is above the championship, and has reached legendary status.


Now, as to who is better between the two, I can only give my opinions, as can each other person. Beauty (and the better man) is in the eyes of the beholder. I look now after hearing that Batista said he only has a few years left, and I really remember some of his feuds well. However, I remember them more from the people he feuded against, and not him. Undertaker, Edge, HHH, etc. all pulled Batista to main event status, and his constant title chasing has kept him there. HBK on the other hand is just as memorable without the title chasing. He puts in just as much work, and the product comes out just as good if not better. Granted, he will also be gone in a little while, and is winding down as a result. As for now, and as for career vs career, I'd still give the edge to HBK.

 

[FanOfAllThingsWWE]

For those it matter to, I agree with Richard, and all the others who think Batista's gotten a bit.. repetitive over the years.

I only say that because in 2005 it was just Great rivalry, after Great rivalry, and they always entertained. He even won a Royal Rumble that was entertaining also, as most Royal Rumbles are. But I don't even remember what rivalries he had in 2006, but I guess it's ok when he did have a bad injury that year, I'll give him that.

But 2007.. that was straight up boring. I mean Smackdown generally WAS The Undertaker/ Batista / Edge rivalries.. it was just the same 3 people fighting over the belt. And Batista's game was the same thing over and over too. It was just a few punches, maybe an Irish Whip, some boring holds, a spear and/or a Spinebuster, topped off with a Batista Bomb. 2007 wasn't really the best year in the WWE but I mean come on.

And now he moves to Raw, hoping for some more Title Shots and some rivalries with JBL.
I'm not saying the year is completely over yet but it's been another so-so year for Batista in my opinion.

HBK, I don't think isn't THAT much different to.. The WWE really stretched that Jericho/HBK rivalry as long as they could. But what do I know, it could be continuing. HBK's barely on Raw, and when he was it was just promoting views, not any good matches that could raise Raw's rating or anything..

I know I haven't gone into detail with HBK yet, and I'm sorry I just want to keep this short. Which apparently that ship has sailed as it's already been 6 paragraphs of me going overboard with this. Bottom Line : Both Wrestlers aren't excelling at the time

*The above has been completely my opinion