HBK/'Taker Retirements

[kylexxx]

There has been bits and pieces regarding the potentially impending retirement of these two for sometime however I couldn't find a thread dedicated to discussing their retirements.

After reading all the talk regarding this, both through the main page editorials and the forum itself, I got thinking as to the best way to pull this off. Now the way I see it happening is HBK will retire first, in similar fashion to the Flair retirement. That is with a match at 'Mania, then a sendoff on the following RAW. The big question relating to this would be, Who will be the one to have Shawn's last match?

Should we have a young wrestler be put over by defeating Shawn? If you think so please discuss who and why.

Or should HBK face the Deadman? This is my personal favorite for this match. I'd like to see another Rumble moment between the two and then a storyline leading up to WM25 and HBK's retirement. Taker will of course win, and keep his streak and Shawn will go out like Flair, losing to another legend.

So where does Taker's retirement fit into this picture? Well as Kevin Kelly wrote in his most recent article, Taker's character doesn't require an 'offical retirement' and with that in mind I see the following occurring.

Survivor Series '09, Undertaker vs ??? In a Buried Alive match or Casket Match. Im not sure as too who deserves the honour of this match and push (if you have thoughts I would like to hear them). 'Taker obviously loses and there maybe be a eulogy on Smackdown following the PPV. This leaves it open for occasional returns to build superstars that want to challenge or tarnish the legend of the Deadman, and could be used over the couple of years following to make the next big stars.

So there is my idea for the potential exits of the next two legends I see leaving the company.

 

[The Undercover Man]

I think that Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker may retire on the same night. Their retirements are obviously going to happen at WrestleMania and i think it would be the perfect way for two incredible sports-entertainers to bow out. They could feud at the end of this year or possibly at the start of next and propel that feud into PPV's and also into inter-brand matches. I could see them both retiring next year at Wrestlemania 25. Its in Texas and i think its both their home town.

I don't think its right that any of them go out to younger competiton, it just would'nt be right. I'd prefer both legends to go out by facing eachother or by facing another opponent, with the same amount of status as them both. I just could never see Ted DiBiase walking out of Wrestlemania as the man that ended Michael's career or The Miz that ended The Undertaker's. It just would'nt fit with anyone.

If you think about it The Undertaker does'nt need a retirement, keeping in kafaybe he is already dead. So alternatively The Undertaker could have his last match like a Buried Alive match,that way he would be "dead" and i think that would be the easiest way for him to retire fully. I still think Shawn Michaels should be the man to end Taker's illustrious career though.

Taker's gimmick is unique in the way it can almost come back at anytime. He has proven this over the years when he's had to have operations or taken breaks, away from wrestling that he can comeback at almost any moment and surprise everyone. So if Taker did retire next year, he could still have a role in the WWE. Be it, having the odd match here and there or even having a small contract in which he appears at the odd PPV. There are so many possibilites open to Callaway and the WWE,but of course its Callaway's decision.

 

[klunderbunker]

Taker is by far the easier decision here. With his gimmick that has been carried so far beyond kayfabe taht nothing else comes close, he coudl come back at any time after "rising from the dead". He's died what, 5 or 6 times now? The person that can kill him off for good will be a god. That will be the greatest rub of all time.

Shawn is much more complicated. Every time it looks like his career needs to end, he comes back one more time and reminds us why he is one of the greatest workers of all time. He is still as solid in the ring as almost anyone in the company. Yes, he does the same thing, but that's quite a same thing to do. Say he's overrated all you want, I still enjoy watching him. The guy brings his A game when he has to, and that's what he's supposed to do. His retirement is going to be huge, almost as big as Flair as HBK is one of the handful of lifelong WWE guys. His rub won't be as big though as he's lost to a lot of guys. Still a big deal though.

 

[Lithium66]

Yeah i read about kevin kelly talk about this BUT do you want hbk/taker to retire now as i see it they both can draw big numbers they both can still do main event.

Like if they was becoming bad and having sloopy matchs then yes.This two can still perform and i expect maybe in 2-3 years they will retire just not wrestlemania 25 its too short to start doing a angle now to retire.this two are legends at least give them their own time to retire

 

[Bap]

I always thought that Undertakers retirement would be the same time as Kanes and thus believe that it should go like this...

Kane Vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania in a Buried Alive Match the stipluation being that the one buried is gone forever. I would love if Kane finally buried Undertaker and while celebrating above the burying area Undertakers hand raises and grabs Kanes ankle dragging him beneath with him. Amazingly dramatic and fitting. The next day on Raw they announce that due to both being buried both won and thus they must both retire. A wicked twist and the end of two great talents that have always worked well together and have laced their careers around each other. But thats my opinion

 

[OIL]

For HBK, I'd have his final match against Triple H. These 2 have great chemistry in the ring, and most of their matches are very good. Solid, and tell a good story out of them. However, having HHH turn heel on Shawn has been done, and it become stale because of that, so this storyline would have to be done properly, somehow not making it stale for it to work. HBK should retire at a WrestleMania, because in every WrestleMania he has appeared in, he has been amazing. The in ring work has been second to none, and at WM no-one can match him.

For 'Taker, have him retire at Survivor Series. It's where he started his carrer so it would be fitting to have him end it there also. A buried alive match would be too gimmicky for his last match which could take away from the actual event, so I would have him in a straight up 1 on 1 with someone. My favourite would be Kane at the moment, just because of the history with these two. They could have one hell of a storyline together, hopefully something which will have been done over the course of a few months to really let it develop as then the fans can really appreciate the final match more, and the whole fued.

 

[Checkmate]

Well, they both would likely retire around the same time, if not the same night. Wrestlemania and the night/week after Wrestlemania make perfect sense for both, as this is where both solidified their careers.

For Taker, I see some options. Many think his career will end when the streak ends, and some think that he will reach a set number of wins and just hang it up. I don't know how I'd go about ending his career, but it would have to make sense (like Michaels and Flair). If he loses at Wrestlemania, it would have to be to a huge face, to avoid the revenge match. If he wins, it would have to be a long, hard battle, where he barely wins and shows respect to the other guy afterward. Either way, he could finally Rest In Peace.

There are already so many options for HBK to go out that I can't keep track anymore. Some want him to lose to Taker at Mania, though barely. Some want him to win and just hang it up (like the opposite of Flair). Again, I have many personal opinions, but there are just too many ways to look at it right now. No one knows exactly when it will happen, but I'd wager that we'd be able to tell a few months beforehand.

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

I feel that if you are a real wrestling fan, then you will almost never want to see Shawn Michaels or Undertaker retire ever. I am one of those fans who would never want to see HBK or Undertaker retire, but I know they have to some day. If you look at any recent match involving HBK or Undertaker, you will see that they are not slowing down at all and from the looks of it, they won't retire any time soon. If either man were to retire at Wrestlemania 25, then something has got to go terribly wrong between now and then to make them have no more abilities to wrestle.

Actually, to tell you the truth, I don't feel that either of them should retire at Wrestlemania, because they both have a very important reputation at Wrestlemania. Undertaker with his 16-0 record and Shawn Michaels with his ''Mr. Wrestlemania'' nickname, despite having more losses than wins. I feel that if either man were to lose at Wrestlemania, it would put a little bit of damage on their legacy especially if both lost at the same WM to different opponents and happen to retire that same day.

When Shawn Michaels does retire, I have a hard time finding out what his role in the WWE will be after that. He obviously will have be spending more time with his wife and kids, but I just wonder if he will still be under contract with WWE after his retirement. As for Undertaker, he already has something to fall back on after retiring (if I am not mistaken, he is in real estate or something), so it's even harder to know if Undertaker will still be with WWE after he retires.

In conclusion, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker are 2 very valuable assets to the WWE and shouldn't retire any time soon if they can still perform at top level. Also, whenever these 2 do decide to hang up the boots, it is very hard to know what role they will have in WWE and they will both go down as being the 2 biggest superstars in WWE history.