First Round: Denver - Jeff Jarrett vs. Shawn Michaels

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round matchup in the Denver Subregion. The ring and arena are universal throughout the first round and the organization is not a factor. There is a 20 minute time limit. Vote using any criteria you like. Most votes in the poll at the end of the time period wins. In the case of a tie we will go off of the number of written votes. In the case of a second tie, both are eliminated.

Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado.

Jeff Jarrett

Vs.

Shawn Michaels

Voting is open for 4 days.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Shawn Michaels, no question. These two fueded for the IC title back in the early 90's and Michaels was better than and has always been better. Shawn draws better, wrestles better and just performs better. Jeff's had so many title reigns because HE BOOKED the latter portion of those reigns. Shawn had to work hard for his. He took 4 years out, came back and never looked like he missed a beat. Shawn michaels is one of the all time greats, Jeff Jarrett is a footnote champion IMHO. Vote HBK.

 

[Ferbian]

Here it goes.. yay!

Shawn Michaels is the obvious choice in this match up, why? because he's been putting on consistent great matches throughout 26 years, in any environment, be it gimmick matches, be it tag team matches, or be it simple hold for hold singles matches (Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels says it all about this guy, his matches vs Triple H in my opinion says anything that needs to be said about the abilities in gimmick matches Shawn has)

Shawn is without the shadow of a doubt one of the greatest wrestlers to step into a squared circle, and I'll be damned if I'm to see Jeff Jarrett of all people booting Shawn out of this tournament.

Jeff Jarret in my eyes is overrated, 15 world titles (12 you could say, and 2 in minor promotions, but none the less it seems as if it's counted as 15.. but then again TNA is counting Kurt Angle as 13 times, so what do I know)

I know I'm gonna come off biased on this, and probably very unknowledged about this guy, but I really can't name much that this guy has done to achieve the status of "innovator" in any form, except for the fact that he created TNA, which in my eyes is perhaps one of the few memorable things he's done, that and winning an NWA championship during a stint between WWF and NWA, only to get his ass stunned by Stone Cold in his hunt to proclaim his dominance in the 1998 Royal Rumble.

And to think about it, I believe I've heard the words so many times "The Stroke sucks"..

Shawn Michaels can out wrestle, cut a better promo, and is overall more of a star and hall of famer of any form than Jeff Jarrett ever will be, no matter how many title reigns this guy gets stacked from head to toe.

 

[Shocky]

This sucks, because I genuinely like Jeff jarrett, and he got a raw draw here. I know this is going to be a squash, and hell, I'm going to vote for HBK, but to discredit Jeff Jarrett is a bit of a stretch.

He is a ten time World Champion (say what you will about the time frame, whatever), and he is almost solely responsible for TNA being what it is today. Without him laying the framework for that company, it wouldn't be where it was today. Did Jeff book himself as champion, of course, but he was the only reliable guy that would stay loyal to the company, and in the process made guys like Abyss and Styles into the stars they are today.

It's a shame that Double J's return to the WWF ended how it did. I brought it up last year, but his beef with Austin backstage certainly didn't help him out. The what if's are the big thing. Russo was pushing hard for Austin to drop the title to Jarrett, but Austin would have nothing of it, and Double J is out of the company and back in WCW.

I am voting for HBK, but don't dismiss Double J.

 

[Theo Mays]

I've grown to Double J over the past year or so, as I was never really a big fan of him. But this is Shawn Michaels we are talking about here. Jarrett is great, HBK is greater. This would be a great match and Michaels would take a beating but he would do some vintage HBK and make the comeback and nail a sweet chin music and move on to round 2.

 

[JGlass]

Jeff Jarrett is undoubtedly a very skilled and entertaining wrestler, but he got one of the most skilled and entertaining wrestlers ever in the first round.

It's a rough draw for Double J, but HBK is going to be a hard act to beat in this tournament. In every generation in which he wrestled, HBK made a huge impact and was always relevant. I suppose the same could be said for Jarrett, but he was never as humongous as Shawn Michaels.

It's sad to see Jarrett out so early, but you gotta go with Michaels on this one.

 

[Mr. Truth]

I just don't like Shawn Michaels in any way shape or form. For any of his matchups in the tournament this year, I will be voting against him for that reason. Plus, Jeff Jarret has a guitar. In kayfabe, ref's back gets turned and he clubs HBK over the head with it, followed up with the Stroke for the win.

 

[GenMe]

Double J is a very entertaining wrestler with good wrestling skills, but I honestly think that Shawn is a better wrestler than Jeff Jarrett. Shawn Michaels is just plain awesome, Shanw Michaels is also good in the mic and he know how to turn a boring and stale match into a good 5 star match. I'll give my vote to HBK on this match here.

 

[PsychoBlack]

i cant stnad shawn michaels so my vote goes to jarret he innovated the king of the mounatain match and TNA was at its best when he was booking it shawn is a guy who has it in good with the company as well their wrestleing ability is equal (jarrett is extremly underated) so for my personal reasons im going with jarrett

 

[Tastycles]

Jarrett is a great allrounder and probably deserves better than this. However, if there is ever any need to show that number of world titles is irrelevant, it is this match. The quality of opponents that Michaels has dispatched over the years is far superior to that of Jarrett, and seeing as a large portion of Jarrett's career consisted of hm getting DQ'd to save titles, it's not likely he'll be able to use the guitar here, so he'll lose.

 

[gd]

I really hate Jeff Jarrett. Not sure why, guy just rubs me the wrong way. I have to admit that his epic fights around the arena on Impact the last few weeks have somewhat changed my feeling about him, but not really. He's still pretty shit. HBK was probably one of the best ever, just looking at in ring stuff, and kayfabe wise he would easily beat JJ, whose won a fair share of his World Titles in shitty KOTM matches.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Yea, Jeff Jarrett is shit. Pretty fun during his Double J days in the new era, but beyond that, shit, and annoying shit, becuase he attempts to put himself in places he has no buisness being. Ruins Impact for me (well, among other things) on a weekly basis.

HBK is fucking HBK. Easy vote here.

 

[thrilla11]

What I remember about Jeff Jarrett during his WWF days? He was a country singer who wrestled. His WCW days? Slap Nuts. Funny shit. But seriously. He's going against Shawn Michaels. THE Shawn Michaels. 20 minute time limit? Not needed. This is how i see it going down. Jarrett comes out and talks about his album after Michaels has already entered the ring. Bell rings. Jarret goes to the corner to put away his guitar. Turns around. Bang. Sweet chin music. 3 count. Fastest win in the tournament.

For those who care, here's a great match between the two for the Intercontinental Championship in 1995:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtHhTg9Aac0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn0NIZA8lE4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw5643QSD70

 

[X]

What a terrible draw for Jeff Jarrett, who I am officially convinced is one of the most underrated wrestlers to ever live. This guy has worked his ass off for over 20 years in almost every major promotion, has been a World champion in most of them, and has left behind a sizable legacy all over the United States and in the history of professional wrestling, and he still gets shit on a seemingly daily basis about how he sucks. It's absolute bullshit and it's really starting to annoy me, the man's a damn good worker, a damn good promo-cutter, and an all-around good guy to boot. I just do not understand the hate he gets.

Really shitty draw for Double J though, because HBK is indeed the superior wrestler and even a Jarrett mark like myself won't pretend to argue otherwise. These two had an absolute CLASSIC match up at one of the early In Your House events, and I'd expect this match to be no different, probably ending in the same result that their IYH match did, with HBK getting the hard-fought victory at around the 20 minute mark.

Stop hatin' on Double J though man.

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

Isn't a match like this on Heartbreak and Triumph? One of their classics from IYH over the Intercontinental Title I do believe. That match ends the same way this will, with Michaels walking away the victor. HBK is simply better, even with The Roadie at ringside and Figure Four at his disposal. Hell, HBK even does his own version these days.

 

[Miko]

Even though I am convinced that HBK would win this match, a hard fought match it'd be though, I am going to vote for Jeff Jarrett simply because I like the guy, he's pretty entertaining and while not the level of performer HBK is, doesnt really deserve to be completely washed out in this match.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I'm not going to bother writing a long post on why Shawn wins. First, because I don't have the time. Second, because Ferbian is doing a great job pushing him, and third, because I'll save the long post until later; no one needs convincing here - Shawn would win easily.

I don't hate Jarrett, there have been many, many worse wrestlers than him over the years. There are, however, better wrestlers, and one of those is Shawn Michaels. Even some people who have voted Jarrett have admitted in this thread that they believe Shawn is the better workers. Shawn's recent retirement was a very sad day for the business, as they've lose one of, if not the, best wrestler of all time. Shawn is fantastic in the ring and fantastic out of it. There are few he hasn't beaten, and none he's had a bad match with. Shawn should win this whole thing, and, with no disrespect to Jarrett, should defeat him by a lot.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

HBK. I am not a huge HBK mark, but I respect/like him a hell of a lot more than J-E-DoubleF, J-A-DoubleR-E-DoubleT. Shawn has had an absolutely legendary career. He has put on some of the best matches I have ever seen (Taker/Hell in the Cell '97, Bret Hart/Wrestlemania 12, etc.).

Hate would be too strong of a word to describe how I feel about Jarrett. Just not a fan. Never saw a match of his that excited me, or made me a fan of his. Solid worker who was dominant during a shit era in WCW. Shawn gets my vote, no question.

 

[Mr. TM]

Jeff Jarrett was one of my favourite wrestlers in WCW when he was The Chosen One. I know a lot of people hated him back then, because no one thought he deserved it, but I always thought he did fine in the role.

People also critize Jarrett for winning the title all the time back in TNA, but for a guy to build up a company that has done as well as TNA has, that is something.

Shawn is better as a talent than Jarrett, and should get all of your votes however. I wont, because when I met Jarrett in person, the guy seemed like an incredible person, despite it not being long after losing his wife.

 

[8thwotwATG]

While I'm not the biggest HBK fan on the planet, I'd be an absolute knucklehead not to recognize one of the greatest talents ever to set foot in a wrestling ring. From his early years with the Rockers, through his heel run in the mid to late 90's, up until his final couple of years here in WWE, I can't honestly say that I ever saw him have a completely suck match; even when in the ring with some first class stiffs. I have nothing against Jarrett, who has been a very solid performer for the bulk of his career, It's just that HBK is on another level. Kayfabe shows me a nip and tuck match with no clear advantage for either wrestler, until near the end when HBK hits SCM to end for the 3 count.

 

[The Wrestling God]

Jeff Jarrett got made a lamb to the slaughter in the first round, I have always been a mark for Jarrett but in the world of Kayfabe Shawn Michaels takes this.