HBK Mania 19 or 21?

[RkoMachine]

Mr Wrestlemania has had a lot of epic mania matches which we all know! BUT that is not what this thread is about! Please dont turn this into a "HBK best mania matches" thread because im pretty sure one of those already exists!

I'm talking about 2 matches and 2 matches only!

Hbk vs Chris Jericho at WM 19 or Hbk vs Kurt Angle at WM 21

Both of these matches we're highly anticipated after being announced and neither disappointed! But my question to you all is which match did you like better?

My pick would be HBK vs Kurt Angle but it was a very hard decision since both of these matches were Flawless!

So on to your opinions? Which match do you feel was the better of the 2?

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

Personally, I like the match between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels by about a mile compared to the Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels match. I thought that the WrestleMania 21 match was great, but I personally believe the Jericho match was a lot more personal and had a better background to it.

The main selling point of the Angle match was an inter-promotional contest between two top-quality performers for the first time. The thing I liked a lot about the Jericho match was that it had a long build with Jericho claiming that Michaels was an idol that he had to eliminate and had become greater than. What I liked about that was that they had weekly interactions between the two and the drama kept increasing with each week. Jericho wasn't just facing Shawn Michaels to beat him. He was looking to erase him from wrestling period and skyrocket his own career in the process.

As far as the matches themselves, the Jericho-Michaels match should be held at higher esteem for a lot of reasons. First, I personally believe that Jericho and Michaels have a tiny bit more chemistry in the ring than Angle and Michaels. Angle and Michaels had great matches in their feud, but I prefer the type of action that was in the Jericho-Michaels match. Secondly, one has to consider when the match took place. Angle vs. Michaels was both a heavily promoted match and one that happened a few years after Michaels returned. The Jericho-Michaels match is more special because it was Michaels' first WrestleMania match in 5 years, and they had to attempt to steal the show from four other main-event quality matches. Jericho and Michaels weren't given that type of promotion, but by the end of the night, most wrestling fans were clamoring over Jericho and Michaels as opposed to several of the main events that night.

In the end, I wouldn't blame anyone for saying the Angle match was better. It was a good enough match to be worthy of consideration, but if I'm ranking the Shawn Michaels WrestleMania matches, the match with Jericho is a few matches ahead of the Angle one.

 

[RkoMachine]

Personally, I like the match between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels by about a mile compared to the Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels match. I thought that the WrestleMania 21 match was great, but I personally believe the Jericho match was a lot more personal and had a better background to it.

The main selling point of the Angle match was an inter-promotional contest between two top-quality performers for the first time. The thing I liked a lot about the Jericho match was that it had a long build with Jericho claiming that Michaels was an idol that he had to eliminate and had become greater than. What I liked about that was that they had weekly interactions between the two and the drama kept increasing with each week. Jericho wasn't just facing Shawn Michaels to beat him. He was looking to erase him from wrestling period and skyrocket his own career in the process.

As far as the matches themselves, the Jericho-Michaels match should be held at higher esteem for a lot of reasons. First, I personally believe that Jericho and Michaels have a tiny bit more chemistry in the ring than Angle and Michaels. Angle and Michaels had great matches in their feud, but I prefer the type of action that was in the Jericho-Michaels match. Secondly, one has to consider when the match took place. Angle vs. Michaels was both a heavily promoted match and one that happened a few years after Michaels returned. The Jericho-Michaels match is more special because it was Michaels' first WrestleMania match in 5 years, and they had to attempt to steal the show from four other main-event quality matches. Jericho and Michaels weren't given that type of promotion, but by the end of the night, most wrestling fans were clamoring over Jericho and Michaels as opposed to several of the main events that night.

In the end, I wouldn't blame anyone for saying the Angle match was better. It was a good enough match to be worthy of consideration, but if I'm ranking the Shawn Michaels WrestleMania matches, the match with Jericho is a few matches ahead of the Angle one.

You make a LOT of great points here! i guess i should have explained why i like the HBK/Angle match more.

The main reason is because i was able to be there for this match which definitely made it more memorable to me! But also the fact that at the time of the Y2J/HBK match i was actually pulling for Y2J to win that match (tho i do love HBK) so i feel i pay more attention to Y2J and his abilities in that match. But the mania 21 match i was strongly on the side of HBK and to see him go out there and give it has all (in losing fashion of course) meant more to me

 

[pepentorresHHH]

they were both great matches but ive always felt HBK/Y2J went 5 minutes too long.... thats not a knock on the match cause the build was good and it went from december to march, the entrances were awesome with shawn shooting confetti and the pyro at the top of the stadium and the match was great!!
on the other side shawn/kurt you saw the two best pure wrestlers at the time and probably history, going at it. what i love about the match is that although kurt went in as the heel he didnt display heel characteristics, he just went at shawn and tried to beat his as bad as possible just for the pride of being the best (why couldnt we see this angle in the pre rivalry from wresltmania against big show or post wrestlemania against booker?) they both hurt each other and displayed every move and counter in the book until after being trapped in the ankle lock for like 2 minutes, shawn finally had to tap out....
my nod goes to HBK/Angle

 

[8kcht3]

Sorry I couldn't read the question I was too distracted by your PICTURE. Lol but in all seriousness Id have to go with Angle VS HBK at 21. One of my favourite matches Ive ever seen, other than the HBK matches against Taker.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Wrestlemania 21 all the way.

That was probably the best Kurt Angle match ever and that's saying something.

HBK vs. Jericho was a great match but there was a lot of boring moments in that match and I feel it did go longer than needed. I also feel HBK vs. Jericho put on better matches than their WM19 match.

I felt Angle vs. HBK told a better in ring story and was definitely the superior match of the 2. They had some great spots and I thought it was cool trying to see Michaels actually outwrestle Angle. I thought the ending was perfect and I thought they complimented each other amazingly.

 

[rocksaviour]

For me it would be the Micheals/Jericho match not knocking the Micheals/Angle match but that is my opinion.

The storyline was better going into it and on the night it went past my expections also I maybe a bit bias as since then I have called it my fav match ever along with Bulldog/Bret @ Summerslam '92, but still it was a fun match and should of gone on nearer the end of that card for me perhaps shuffled down in between Hogan/Vince and Rock/Austin. My view on Angle/Micheals was it was the best match on that card better than MITB but not much else on that card really blew me away.

 

[King Patrick Star]

I’m going with WM XIX for many reasons. Angle is number 3 on my Top 5 list, whereas Jericho is number 1. Angle’s match with Michaels was exactly that, a match, whereas Jericho’s match with Michaels was a personal feud. It’s a very close comparison, but I give the slight edge to Y2J.

 

[ProWrestlingFan]

Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 21. Great Buildup and a a great match. Two of the Greatest of all Time - Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels delivered a 5 Star Match at Wrestlemania 21.

BTW Kurt Angle is a way better Wrestler, Athlete and Performer than Chris Jericho.

 

[Steve0904]

It's HBK-Angle for me. If we forget about buildup and all that for a second I think technically wrestling wise HBK-Angle is a better match, not by much but by enough to make it noticeable. I liked the buildups to both honestly and I thought they were both well played out. In the Angle match you had Angle saying in a promo one time about how he won a gold medal in 1996 with a broken (freakin) neck as he liked to point out often, but how he was overshadowed by the WM 12 Iron Man Match because Shawn put on a "wrestling clinic." I think the WM 12 Iron Man Match was overrated btw but that's another story for another time.

And with Michaels-Jericho you had Jericho wanting to end Shawn Michaels essentially because he kept making the claim that he had surpassed HBK, the person he used to emulate. So all in all both were great, but my vote is for HBK-Angle.

 

[The Brain]

Definitely 19 and it’s not really close. By saying that I am in no way disrespecting the WM21 match. I do recognize it as a great match. Instead I am showing how much I loved the WM19 match. That is one of my all time favorite matches. I thought everything went perfectly and the pacing of it reminded me of the classics from the 90s. I was looking forward to the WM21 match more. I had high expectations for that match and while it didn’t necessarily fail to live up I think my expectations were so high that it would be impossible not to be at least a little disappointed. Both were great matches but when I list my all time favorites the WM19 match is listed well above the WM21 match.

 

[Singularity_A*]

I have a slight bias when saying that I liked HBK/Jericho better than HBK/Angle. Personally, HBK and Jericho are probably my two favorites. If I had to say which one was a better wrestling match, I would concede it to WM 21, but not by much. Other than the bias, there are several other components that just made this match better for me.

-HBK's first WM since the unfortunate back injury. I was nervous in anticipation to see if he could still deliver the goods on the grandest stage the WWE has to offer, and my goodness he did. It was awesome seeing that slight arrogance I grew up to love out of HBK when he placed himself on the turnbuckle after the first few exchanges of grapples and holds. Jericho stayed true to his arrogance and cocky ways, especially the emulations of HBK during the match. Also, Jericho said it best on his DVD when he said how HBK was definitely nervous but you can see him feeling it as the match progressed. (HBK's pyro/intro was pretty sweet too)

-The fact that this wasn't even a main event match, yet it was for sure a show stealer. Those are the types of matches I kill to see at Mania.

-The ending. I have an affinity for matches that end not due to a finisher (see Bret vs. Owen WM10). It threw me off as I thought for sure Jericho had it when Michaels got caught in the Walls of Jericho after attempting the sweet chin. Plus, great to see that hug at the end, and Jericho staying true to character with the low blow.

-I enjoyed the style these two had to offer just a slight bit more than how HBK/Angle went, again not to put that match in a negative light at all.

It was these components, not just including the wrestling itself, to where I would say I enjoyed this one better than WM21.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

For me its 19 and its not even close.

Brock v Angle is one of the greatest WM matches ever and could have very well been the best ever if it weren't for Lesner coming up a little short on his shooting star press.

Rock V Austin the completion of the trilogy and The Rock finally beats Austin and does so clean. Fantastic match like the 1st two as expected.

Michaels V Jericho was fantastic. It was Michaels first Mania since 14 and you could feel how special it was.

 

[HBKperfect23]

Very hard call. 2 matchs that will never be forgotten.

19:Michaels and Jericho compliment each others styles better. What a great feud leading into the match.

21: The 2 best athletes in pro wrestling history. Another great feud with bringing Janetty/Sherri the 96 angle.

I really cant decide, HBK is my favorite ever and I am a huge fan of Angle and Jericho. Ill have to go with 21 just because I enjoyed the match more.

 

[MrExcitement]

WM21. Angle vs Michaels was one of the best Wrestlemania matches ever and definitely a highlight in both careers and thats saying something. Both men didnt need a title to make the match, they just went out there and entertained the hell out of the fans.

 

[WallsofZakku]

Both were excellent matches but im going to have to go with 19 against Jericho largely due to the background of the match and how it had that personal motive for happening. Jericho idolized Michaels and it made perfect sense for him to want to after him and win to feel superior. not to mention Jericho after the match when Jericho went to hug Michaels after the match only to low blow him and get incredible heat.

Michaels vs Angle was great too due to two highly decorated performers squaring off in the ring on the biggest stage and delivering. but to me it lacked a greater storyline that the Jericho/Michaels match provided along with a memorable in-ring performance.