Criticizing the Best: Shawn Michaels

#hamler

That's all folks.
I've decided to pleasure you people with PART TWO of my new "Criticizing the Best" series. No matter how perfect the said Superstar is, criticize him. Now's your chance. Feel free to rip posts apart piece by piece. I want a dicussion here. Please, explain your answer and don't Spam.

shawn-michaels.jpg


Shawn Michaels

"The Show-stopper", "The Head Liner", "The Main Event", "The Icon", "The Heart Break Kid", "HBK", Shawn Michaels. His accomplishments alone stand out like no others. He has won more PWI matches of the year then anyone else in the history of the prestigous award. He's won the award in the year 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. He then won the award again in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. There is no doubt his in ring ability was amazing. With credentials such as these, his in ring skill was and will always be un-matchable.

Some say Shawn winning the WWF and World Title a total of 4 times is a disgrace. Others will say he is a perfect example of not having to hold a title to be over with the crowd. Michaels was a great heel in the '90s. He came back after a serious back injury in 2002 to capture the World Title from his "former" best friend Triple H. Shawn's career was filled with great rivalries with the likes of Bret Hart, Undertaker, John Cena, Triple H, and the feud that won him feud of the decade with Chris Jericho. Shawn was no doubt one of the greatest wrestler to ever lace up a pair of boots.

However, Shawn did have his flaws. It's pretty obvious during his coaked up days he had his backstage problems. From walking out on a liveshow to pushing the limits with DX--which leads to the dicussion questions;

What is one flaw you saw in Shawn Michaels?

Would fixing this flaw make Michaels any better than he already was?

If you see no flaw in Shawn Michaels, state why. And please don't fuck up my thread with spam. Explain your answer.

Discuss this shit.
 
The one flaw I had with Shawn Michaels was his WWE title reign in 1996-97. He didn't really get over the way he should've with the fans. I know girls and kids were screaming for him at the time but he held the title as if he was holding the IC Championship. He didn't bring value in the WWE Championship during his 1996-97 run.

Also, TBH he did have lousy matches at house shows back in 1996-97. I was there and I got to tell ya, watching his house show matches was kind've a bore especially the match he had with Goldust in a ladder match for the WWE Championship.

These flaws wouldn't really change him being the man he already is and thats a LEGEND IN THE MAKING:)
 
Getting beat up, hits flying forearm, nip-up, punch, punch, atomic drop, clothesline, scoop slam, elbow drop, tune up the band, sweet chin music, 1-2-3

Shawn was such an adaptable wrestler and when it was required did not need to rely on such a predictable sequence. However, the fact that nearly everyone reading this reply will recognise this sequence from so many matches means that being predictable is something that non Shawn fans will always bring up. I do feel that more variety would have benefited Shawn's legacy - his main luminary of the 21st Century - Kurt Angle, while still mostly finishing with the Ankle Lock, has many different lead ins to this finishing move.
 
Oh where to begin. I'll start with something small. With few exceptions, Michaels has the worst ring music ever. For me it's one step below Billy and Chuck's theme music, that was set out to be gay. To compliment the music was the way he the way he gyrated around the ring. Seriously how can any self respecting heterosexual male call themselves and HBK fan? Sure he had great matches but his character was directed solely to females. Chyna was more manly that Shawn Michaels.

Now let's talk about Shawn Michaels complete lack of integrity. It could be that Shawn Michaels is on the short list of most hated guys in the locker room. Let's go back to 1997 when Michaels had a potentially career ending injury. He came out and gave the fakest speech I've ever seen. Of course the women and kids ate it up. How ironic that this injury came about just in time for him to miss wrestlemania 13 and dropping the WWF title back to Bret Hart. Shawn couldn't even wait a month after mania to get back in the ring. He even had the nerve to tell Bret Hart to his face that he would not return the favor. I'm not entirely convinced that he was still hurt when he forfeited the intercontinental championship to Shane Douglas.

To top it off, HBK starts thumping the bible and we are supposed to forget that he was one of the biggest jerks ever. People fell back in love with him. Same stupid music and same stupid dance. He has had some great matches but he's still a jerk that caters to the females. All male fans should be embarrassed to call themselves HBK fans.
 
I have to agree with FitFinlay4Life...Shawn Michaels matches to me were very predictable...just like hearing the announce team talking about the back problems he has at every match since every opponent goes after that (of course I would too if I knew it was a weakness, lol).
Although, even with his predictability. Shawn was still a very entertaining wrestler. Always, expressing the emotion he felt in whatever feud he was in at that time.
I don't believe that the predictability that Shawn had would've changed how we know him today. But, I do think if he had less in his matches...we would be alot more excited about those matches.
I also agree with WWTNA...Shawn is....A LEGEND!!
 
Well Shawn doing that move set was always on TV for TV matches. Bret Hart did the same thing.

But on PPV and big matches he'd pull out all the stops as evidence with this Mania matches when he'd go to a ground game and even pull out the moonsault.
 
He was flawless, anyone who thinks otherwise is a jack ass. I would leave it at that but dont want to be told off haha.

Legendkiller1979, you are an egg. why would a man be ashamed to call themselves a HBK fan, because they arent a homophobic ********? And you are his body are you, and you can prove he wasnt really injured? I think you have an obvious case of ugly butt face envy and it bothers you even when you can get a girl drunk enough to sleep with you, she is still callling out Shawns name. And as for Chyna she was manlier than HHH, and all other male wrestlers.

Anyway why Shawn is flawless...he has the ability to be loved and hated by all. He was great on the mike. He was amazing in the ring!!! He came back after a 5 year retirement and was as good as ever.

Yeah he was jerk backstage but who cares, I didnt work backstage, in the ring he was awesome!!! And to find God and turn your life around, kick your addictions, and become a better man just makes him even better!!!
 
legendkiller1979
I will have to totally disagree with you...
I was never ashamed to call myself a Shawn Michaels fan. He is my favorite wrestler of ALL time! I loved his theme music and I find nothing really embarrassing when he dances around the ring if anything I found that entertaining because you have never had anybody quite like Shawn before and you see this guy doing this and it's like, "Really, is this guy serious?", but his skills in the ring backed it up. If he didn't have the skills it would've been a different story. His character was directed towards females because he was, "THE HEARTBREAK KID" it was suppose to be towards females. What put his gimmick over is the guys HATED him because all the ladies LOVED him, but Shawn Michaels knew it and that made him arrogant and that made all the ladies HATE him. That's like saying Hulk Hogan was terrible because he catered to children. I look at it this way as long as it got over and brought in the money then it shouldn't matter what his gimmick catered to; kids, women, men, homosexuals, whatever if you have the skill to back it up and you're selling out arenas is all that matters.

Lack of Integrity? You know I really hate how people *cough* Shane Helms *cough* has been attacking Shawn Michaels for changing his life over. He had a problem he was partying every night, take drugs, dealing with politics, and everything came down on him honestly... He just wasn't the happiest guy ever. He changes his life over to God and his whole attitude altered. That is when it is arguable that he started putting on his best matches of his career. He apologized to EVERYBODY he has ever done wrong and all he wanted to do was quote on quote "Wrestle". So I see no lack of Integrity when it comes down to him deciding to make a change for the better.

Predictability? Okay, you're saying Shawn Michaels matches were predictable, but it's not like any other wrestlers had sequences that lead up to their finisher right; Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Randy Orton, Bret Hart, Undertaker, Triple H, the list goes on and on. People have sequences that leads up to their BIG finish which usually puts the guy down, but as we know sometimes that isn't the case. Some of the greatest has sequences that lead up to their finish. It is suppose to keep the fans on the edge of their seats something to look forward to. The sequences don't make the matches Predictable it adds anticipation. Shawn Michaels started to get more variety towards the end of his career hinting the crippler crossface and the inverted Figure Four Leg Lock. He was one of the best when it comes down to being technical in the ring. So I really don't see the Predictability factor or his lack in variety in the ring.

Now I'm not saying Shawn Michaels was flawless because everybody has some. If anything I would have to say the biggest flaw to Shawn Michaels is actually two things. One of them in which I agree with him on. Shawn Michaels sticking to his retirement and never returning to the WWE. I believe that Shawn Michaels left a little to soon. He still was having THE BEST matches on the card. He could still go with ANYBODY in the locker room and make them look good. He could still cut some great promos. I think WWE and Shawn Michaels had a few more years, but I respect him for actually realizing when enough was enough.

I also thought that Shawn Michaels could have had ONE more World Title run. Before he retired he hadn't held a World Championship since 2002 - 2003. People were begging for Shawn Michaels to have just one more run at the top, but once again he cheated himself of that opportunity. I could possibly put these two together and say that his biggest flaw was he cheated himself out of a luxurious career (I'm not saying it's not, but it could've been better) with the retiring so soon, but still being able to perform at his greatest to not wanting any World Titles he could've had the perfect ending (not saying he didn't, but it could've been better). Those are Shawn's biggest flaws in my opinion.
 
Only real criticism I had of him is his selling. At times, his overselling was unbelievable and downright embarrassing. I always hated whenever somebody whips him into the turnbuckle and he flips over. It was so unrealistic and it irritated me in every match.
 
I'm not saying that his flipping in the turnbuckle was overselling....I'm not going to say for sure it wasn't...I may be "delusional" in my thinking...but I've always thought of him doing that as a way to avoid being slammed hard into the turnbuckle because of how bad his back is....everytime he did that flip...he was still standing....unlike when some wrestlers get thrown hard into the turnbuckle and end up on the mat from the impact.
 
He was flawless, anyone who thinks otherwise is a jack ass. I would leave it at that but dont want to be told off haha.

Legendkiller1979, you are an egg. why would a man be ashamed to call themselves a HBK fan, because they arent a homophobic ********? And you are his body are you, and you can prove he wasnt really injured? I think you have an obvious case of ugly butt face envy and it bothers you even when you can get a girl drunk enough to sleep with you, she is still callling out Shawns name. And as for Chyna she was manlier than HHH, and all other male wrestlers.

Anyway why Shawn is flawless...he has the ability to be loved and hated by all. He was great on the mike. He was amazing in the ring!!! He came back after a 5 year retirement and was as good as ever.

Yeah he was jerk backstage but who cares, I didnt work backstage, in the ring he was awesome!!! And to find God and turn your life around, kick your addictions, and become a better man just makes him even better!!!

You misunderstood the concept of the thread. Yeah yeah we know he was great but that's not the point of the thread. The point is the criticize the best no matter who it easy. Nobody is as flawless as you want to make them out to be. Even is said wrestler is your favorite, it doesn't matter. You should still be able to pint out the flaws in "said" wrestler no matter how great YOU think they are. You would have to be a moron not to realize nobody is perfect. Even the best of the best has something they should criticized for. Congratulations, you were just told off.

That being said, my main issue with Shawn was. First off he was an ass before he got his Back injury. There was no to ways about it. I can't help but hate people who demand respect. But that was in the past. He's a changed man now. Other than that He did tend to oversell things a bit. Like when hes tossed into the turnbuckle. Hes somehow got to make it seem like its the most painful thing in to world and flip over. Nobody else does that. I wouldn't of minded it if he did it ever so often but it did it so much it just got on my nerves.
 
Shawn was indeed a legend, but to be honest, he was a whiny little bitch during his heyday.

Exhibit A: (4:28 time) Shawn Michaels bitches out Vader during a PPV match.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EtxXgV3zj0

Exhibit B: Shawn Michaels refuses to job to Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13. He "loses his smile" and decides to forfeit the championship. By the way, he was so depressed, he commentated the main event at WrestleMania.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSWnmyzXGBI

Exhibit C: Shawn Michaels oversells Hulk Hogan to point of embarrassment again on PPV. I don't care how much Michaels detested Hogan (or vice versa). But someone shouldn't bring their problems to the workplace at the expense of the paying public:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyN5sAShqOA

These are the examples of Shawn Michaels putting himself before the business. As much as I respect Shawn's contributions to professional wrestling, it cannot be refuted that Shawn Michaels was an arrogant, self-centered, egotistical, self-righteous, overbearing asshole (especially before he "found God"). Even in this last stretch, he had tendencies to revert back to his old ways on occasions.

Here's the rub though: Being a prick was what arguably made Shawn Michaels "The Heartbreak Kid" both on and off screen. It's that X-factor that makes Shawn stand out from everyone else. Shawn had tons of charisma, and if you take away that drive to be the best and to have things his way, I don't know if he would have had the career that he ended up having. Shawn's attitude drove him to be the very best and ironically, that very attitude came back to bite him in the ass on multiple occasions. The sad thing is that that hot-headed attitude and drive is what separates a lot of the elite superstars in wrestling from the mid-carders. Randy Orton reminds me of Shawn Michaels a lot in this regard. He's been known to be another arrogant, self-centered, egotistical, self-righteous, overbearing asshole on multiple occasions both on and off camera. However, it's this drive that makes him one of WWE's biggest commodities today.

Bottom Line: Shawn Michaels deserves his reputation for being an immature jerk on multiple occasions. However, his drive and emotion made him a marquee talent in WWF/E. Without that P&V, I don't know if Michaels would have been the main event talent that he was.
 
The one flaw I had with Shawn Michaels was his WWE title reign in 1996-97. He didn't really get over the way he should've with the fans. I know girls and kids were screaming for him at the time but he held the title as if he was holding the IC Championship. He didn't bring value in the WWE Championship during his 1996-97 run.

Also, TBH he did have lousy matches at house shows back in 1996-97. I was there and I got to tell ya, watching his house show matches was kind've a bore especially the match he had with Goldust in a ladder match for the WWE Championship.

These flaws wouldn't really change him being the man he already is and thats a LEGEND IN THE MAKING:)

I have to disagree with you 100 percent. First of all he never had a 96-97 reign. He lost it at survivor series and then got it back at the royal rumble. Second off that 96 reign was one of if not the greatest wwe title reign ever. Third of all, i went to a house show in 96 (this was my only house show when shawn was champ) and i saw a great 20 minute match between him and goldust.


That being said, even the greatest wrestler of all time had his flaws. In the late 90's he would get really drunk and stumble around his words alot. He would get pissed at people for being stiff with him. And his in ring ability got alot worse between him getting injured and coming back, (but he was still great in the ring since coming back.) Thats about it.


Also to those who think he oversell, he just made people everyone he worked with look like 100 bucks. If thats a bad thing then?????????
 
Shawn Micheals was indeed a awesome wrestler in fact he is the single reason that i began my training to become a pro wrestler. for years he put his body on the line for us for our entertainment. even when he could have stayed retired after the back injury he came back to give us The showstopper gaves us what we wanted to see. I respect the hell out of what he has done. Now what he does behind the scenes is his. And for the ones who sit infront of thier computers and talk shit about what he has done can really fuck off. you don't know the first thing about being in a ring and proforming and giving your all no matter if yu are hurt or not ... now of course Shawn wasn't flawless but NO Body is. in wrestling you are going to make mistakes hell i make a mistake everytime i get in that damn ring.... and im sure that alot of wrestlers do the word called PERFECTION does not exist
 
Chase Aaroyn 92....maybe you should specify who you are talking about when you say that none of us know the "first thing about being in a ring and performing". I"m sure I'm not the only one...so I will be so bold to say.,..Some of us DO KNOW what it's like to be in the ring giving it our all.
 
I can't really criticize HBK for what was going on backstage simply because I don't know first hand what was going on at that time. That being said, this seems to be the primary criticism of the guy. If what is said about him is true, then I'd say these are his primary flaws. He was, at least earlier in his career (and perhaps by his own admission) a selfish jerk in many situations.

Would changing this have improved him and his career? I don't think so. In fact, I think it would have had the opposite effect. Let's face it, many of those who became legends in the wrestling business got there by being selfish, by being jerks at times, and by refusing to job when they felt it would hurt their careers. Kevin Nash, Bret Hart, Triple H, and even the Hulkster himself are all guilty of this and just look at what heights they managed to achieve. This is how the established their dominance. Yeah, there are a few who were dominant and still did right by their fellow performers (such as The Undertaker) but more often than not, you establish dominance by not losing below your "event level" so to speak. If you've got enough backstage political clout to make this work, you're set for life. So, frankly, I think being selfish earlier in his career actually worked for HBK. Later on, he could afford to turn his life around without destroying his career. I do believe he was sincere, but I also think that, at that point, it didn't cause him any career grief the way it would have if he'd done this much earlier on.

I do have to say something in response to DiscipleofWrestling speaking of the match between Hogan and Michaels. I personally think his total overselling in that match was a mark of Michaels' integrity. Michaels probably didn't feel it right that he, still a big-time main even star, should have to job to a worn-out has-been who'd been out of the game for years, just so Hogan could come back for a massive pay-day. Still, he knew he'd get nowhere arguing against it given the much greater political clout Hogan had. He's Hulk Hogan, for goodness sake. What could Michaels do in protest? Nothing except make Hogan look just as ridiculous as he deserved to look by overselling to the point of obvious comedy. It was a matter of personal integrity, of following the letter of his orders while refusing to be a doormat, and I think many fans secretly respect his unconventional protest.
 
One of the things that made HBK so good was his ability to take such a beating and come back. But it was also one of his biggest flaws. He took such beatings and sold so well that it made his comebacks at times somewhat unbelievable, especially for a smaller man like himself.

His predictability in said comeback was also quite predictable. The best example I can give is when HBK was trying to qualify against Randy Orton for the Elimination Chamber Match this past year. He went into his comeback, flying forearm, inverted atomic drop attempt, knip up, ....and Orton ROLLED him up and pinned him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RUvlDndoio

This is what an intelligent competitor would have done on so many occasions with Michaels. His comeback was always fun. The flying forearm, elbow drop, and Sweet Chin Music never got old. But they did become slightly unbelievable that a seasoned, veteran competitor wouldn't be able to scout said moves, block as Orton did, and make a simple counter.

But this is such a small quibble. The same thing could be said for a John Cena, Randy Orton, or HHH. Michaels is a living legend and a great success story from addiction to salvation. I think the fact that he overcame what he did to become tohe man he did, and be able to walk away with peace, is an incredible thing. So a predictable moveset is the smallest of flaws in a legendary career. Great thread Hams.
 
I have to disagree with you 100 percent. First of all he never had a 96-97 reign. He lost it at survivor series and then got it back at the royal rumble. Second off that 96 reign was one of if not the greatest wwe title reign ever. Third of all, i went to a house show in 96 (this was my only house show when shawn was champ) and i saw a great 20 minute match between him and goldust.


That being said, even the greatest wrestler of all time had his flaws. In the late 90's he would get really drunk and stumble around his words alot. He would get pissed at people for being stiff with him. And his in ring ability got alot worse between him getting injured and coming back, (but he was still great in the ring since coming back.) Thats about it.


Also to those who think he oversell, he just made people everyone he worked with look like 100 bucks. If thats a bad thing then?????????

I know he didn't have a 1997 title reign. I messed up. I meant 1996 title reign. I was think about when he won it from Sid at The Royal Rumble. BTW, I know you have the right to disagree but that wasn't the point of the thread. The point was to tell a flaw "IN YOUR OPINION" about Shawn Michaels so I don't know why you would have to disagree with me not liking his 1996 WWE title reign but oh well. I ain't gonna make a big deal about it......

Anyways, one more flaw Shawn Michaels had was getting involved with Sunny. I know that has nothing to do with wrestling but going out with another wrestler's(Chris Candido) girlfriend is a big NO in wrestling. To sum it all up, his choices and attitude back in the day were his flaws.
 
I know he didn't have a 1997 title reign. I messed up. I meant 1996 title reign. I was think about when he won it from Sid at The Royal Rumble. BTW, I know you have the right to disagree but that wasn't the point of the thread. The point was to tell a flaw "IN YOUR OPINION" about Shawn Michaels so I don't know why you would have to disagree with me not liking his 1996 WWE title reign but oh well. I ain't gonna make a big deal about it......

Anyways, one more flaw Shawn Michaels had was getting involved with Sunny. I know that has nothing to do with wrestling but going out with another wrestler's(Chris Candido) girlfriend is a big NO in wrestling. To sum it all up, his choices and attitude back in the day were his flaws.

if no one was meant to disagree on this thread, then why post. Its like trying to have a conversation with someone, but not letting them talk. Well I felt that the whole point of this thread was to start a discusion. I'm sorry if I was wrong.

And with that last comment. I understand what your saying, but I wouldn't say hooking up with sunny was a flaw. I think that cheating is bad, but i think sunny said they were not together.
 
Actually Lenguy, the point of thread also said to state why you thought Shawn had no flaws....i did get told off however by big brother, apparently you arent allowed to personally attack people. I have read stacks of people do just that didnt realise we lived in a communist society....anyway, yeah back in the day HBK was a jerk out the back, and he says this himself......HOWEVER once again that was out the back not in the ring. IMO his in ring work is flawless
 
This is probably the toughest wrestler to criticize. When you think of a wrestler's legacy you think of matches and promos. And Shawn always delivered on both fronts.

But let's play ball here and nit-pick a few things. The only thing I can say to criticize Shawn is back in the Attitude years he made a lot of his 'professional' feuds into personal ones, with his over-the-top remarks about his rivals. Although he was (often) a professional, he did have a tendency of adding a little unneeded sting to his verbal jabs. I kinda detest that whole 'nugget' thing he started. Not because Owen died, but because it's the kinda chant that just stays with a wrestler forever. Just like 'You Suck'. I mean that stuck to such an extent that Angle had to come out and say " I have earned these You Sucks" when he was face!!

Coming back to HBK, the aforementioned is the only one I got, he got disrepectful towards his peers. I am not bringing in the politicking here because it is heresay, and a lot of them said it just to stay relevant.
 
LOL. i luv the fact that HBK wound so many of you up with his so called 'arrogance' etc, to me this means he was doing his job properly, especially during his heel runs. In this jealous world, not everyone is gonna like everyone but to actually admit you watch pro-wrestling and make a statement that shawn michaels is over-rated etc is quite shocking, i'm obviously watching a different show all these years.

For me, nobody! has put on a better entertainment show in that ring. I agree that arguments can be made for better 'wrestlers', people with better 'wrestling' ability but its not just about the wrestling. weve had this debate many a time with Hogan.

Think this line by J.R. "nobody has ever out performed Shawn Michaels in a big match situation" is a very true statement, and what i respect about Shawn Michaels is that very thing, when it comes to the big events that we as the consumer spend our money on, he ALWAYS delivered. Mick Foley has credited him with having his best match with him, 'Taker showed him respect after their Mania 26 bout (somebody who has been their through all HBk's so called 'backstage politics', so if they are true (and nobody on this site knows that they were true) has managed to put them in the past and recognize his ability as a performer. Bret Hart never critized his in-ring ability. Hell, the man worked a wrestlemania main event with a major back problem back in '98.

Think alot of fans are just never satisfied with what they're given, all the 'one more match' cr*p that gets flung about, please just accept what you're given and view it as a priviledge that this man was able to give us the best years of his life to entertain us!

i cant fault HBK's career in any way to answer the question.

and on a final note, that flip over thing he does in the turnbuckle is for entertainment purposes only!! and obviously a nod to the naitch!
 
I don't know how people can still say he refused to lose to Bret Hart at WM13. Read Bret's book, Even before Shawn "Lost his Smile," and forfeited the belt Vince called Bret and said Michaels was dropping the title to Sid at that Thursday Night RAW, for Sid and Undertaker to main event Mania. HBK wasn't even going to be champ going into WM. Also, Vince didn't want the belt back on Bret, Vince himself said that and Shawn had said that in interviews. That argument is pointless, its just an excuse for haters to hate.

Michaels was not predictable in the ring either. His signature moves of course were in sequence, but so was every other wrestler, especially Bret Hart. Watch the Iron Man match, Michaels pulls out so many different moves and maneuvers that he never did before up to that point and really changed things up and made the match interesting. Also, when he wrestled PPVs he always did different stuff.
 
The only problem I have had with Shawn Michaels is that he is a backstage predator to other wrestlers.

Shawn Michaels backstage attuide has been talked about by many wrestlers in the business for example Bret Hart and even Shawn himself have spoken about it briefly in his promo's and Bret Hart has mentioned it in interviews, his book and even on WWE t.v. I think that if Shawn would have show a bit more respect backstage then the WWE championship would have been his a few more times then it was and he would be remember less off a**hole backstage.
 

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