How Would You Be Remembered?: Shawn Michaels

[kris8524]

I don't smoke.

Shawn may have had his ability on the microphone, he was a very good promo cutter, but I just consider the Miz to be an incredible promo cutter, he has a lot of charisma, which sure Shawn Michaels has as well, but I wouldn't put him as one of the greatest promo cutters.

Shawn's magic was in the ring, the wrestling side of it, not the promo side, it was just a well placed perk to an already incredible talent if you ask me.

Shawn did some of the greatest promos after learning the ways. His promos were always personal or funny, He put so much emotion in it and inlike the Rock and Miz he didn't need catch phrases, and wasn't scripted or told what to right the majoprity of the time. Off topic but the miz does the same promos whoever he is against like the rock. HBK was one of the best promo guys there has ever been because like Flair he showed true emotion and talked about wrestling miz is in no way close at all, i mean really ferbian really better than shawn lol no offense meant but not close.

Now, I will remember HBK for always in any amount if pain putting on the best match of the night against any one, I mean his match against Cena on Raw went almost an hour and probably was the best Raw match ever. I will remember gim for being loyal also just like Sting because WCW offered him a great deal of money and he stayed with what made him.

 

[JR83]

He was the best at what he did. Of all the things I'll remember about hbk, being one half of one of the greatest teams to officially never hold the titles. The Rockers had wicked chemistry and put on great matches with the foundation, demos, orient express, fabulous rougeau bros and many others at MSG.

April 28th 1990, Rockers vs. Hart Foundation from SNME. I already liked wrestling but that match hooked me for life.

 

[ThePh3nomonal1]

I will remember Shawn for being one of the most entertaining and best wrestler for just over 20 years. But the other thing I will remember him for is how he did the right thing and retired while he was still on top and didn't hold back the youn guns.

 

[Ferbian]

Shawn did some of the greatest promos after learning the ways. His promos were always personal or funny, He put so much emotion in it and inlike the Rock and Miz he didn't need catch phrases, and wasn't scripted or told what to right the majoprity of the time. Off topic but the miz does the same promos whoever he is against like the rock. HBK was one of the best promo guys there has ever been because like Flair he showed true emotion and talked about wrestling miz is in no way close at all, i mean really ferbian really better than shawn lol no offense meant but not close.

It's all a matter of opinions, yes Shawn cut amazing promos and they were for the majority of times personal or funny promos.

It's funny how you say Shawn didn't need catchphrases? may I remind you that D-generation X was surrounded by catchphrases ? "If you're not down with that, we got just 2 words for ya" "Who's the showstopper? me yada yada yada who's the greatest force in the wrestling business today? the kliq"

You could very well say that Shawn was one of the few to have more catchphrases than the regular wrestler.

And Shawn wasn't scripted for some of his D-generation X promos that may very well be right, but I refuse to believe that Shawn went his whole career not scripted, but either way you turn it, there's no doubt that Shawn was a great guy on the microphone, I'm just saying I consider Miz and The Rock to be just a bit superior, Shawn is up there, don't get me wrong, but he's not on the top.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I'll remember him as the biggest piece of crap to ever lace 'em up. He weasled out of losing belts by saying "i lost my my smile" and for keeping most of the talent down that was around him. I'll remember him for screwing Bret, I'll remember him for being the biggest waste of space to ever be in the wwe. Come to think of it i won't miss or remember him at all please die Has Been Kid. Y is it all the good wrestlers die and some piece of crap like him gets to live makes no sense to me, he's done as many drugs as all those that have died before him. In 3 simple words I HATE HIM.

Are you just trying to be funny? Or maybe an idiot? Your NAME is 'Benoit4ever' and you're saying you hate Shawn for 'doing drugs' - something which is completely false in the sense you mean? He was addicted to prescription painkillers because of how much pain he was in - something that he did for THE FANS. How dare you even say something like that while you're advocating a murderer? Shawn was a fantastic wrestler, and the fact you can even hate him while loving Benoit is fucking laughable. Just to be clear, it's morally okay to kill a woman and child, but not to be addicted to painkillers?

Shawn will be remembered as one of the best of all time. His promo work, his ring work, his look - second to no one. He's the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be

 

[The Big Gunnzbowski]

I'll remember him for screwing Bret,

I'll remember him for coming out, 12 years later, apologizing publicly, to Bret's face, shaking his hand, and hugging him.

I'll remember him for being the biggest waste of space to ever be in the wwe.

Gobbeldygooker, anyone?

Come to think of it i won't miss or remember him at all please die Has Been Kid. Y is it all the good wrestlers die and some piece of crap like him gets to live makes no sense to me, he's done as many drugs as all those that have died before him. In 3 simple words I HATE HIM.

I'll remember him for having the strength and common sense to quit while he was able to and turning his life around...

I'll remember him for being the guy, no matter what kind of person he was morally, who came out every night, gave every match 125%, and could make anybody look good in the ring no matter the person... (Much like Flair, Shawn Michaels could put a mop over in the ring) I'll also remember him for being one of the greatest showmen, charismatic, magnetic personalities the ring has ever had the grace of holding...but most importantly, I'll remember him as being the one person who kept me coming back to that TV every week to be amazed. I was lucky enough to be at Wrestlemania this year and witness his final match. I'll remember him for giving me that last great moment, which happened to be the ONLY time in my 27 years that I got to see him in person...at the "Grandest Stage of Them All!"

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

It was a quiet evening in spring and my little TV flickered on. I was 9 years old when I saw a man dancing atop a giant arena and then glide into a sea of people. Perhaps THE greatest entrance ever by (for me) THE greatest professional wrestler of all time.

Whether it was his promos or his in-ring abilities, whether it was his good looks or his panache for the controversial, the man will always will be an absolute Legend.

I got hooked to pro wrestling because of him in the mid 90's and as I write I am watching him in his last match (so far) vs The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26,and I feel what a huge hole in wrestling has been left.

He was the complete package as so many have mentioned and one of the most recognizable names worldwide, trust me I live across the globe and people might not know Cena but they know HBK.

Whether the Ironman Match of 96 or the IYH match with Taker; His larger than life return to produce one of the best matches I have ever seen at Summerslam 2002 or his classic with Angle at WM 2001, He is without doubt the reason a whole generation got hooked to this sport and for that..
I thank him!

HBK- the greatest ever.

 

[dxparza]

I will remember Shawn Michaels as being the reason I got into wrestling and the reason I kept watching. I'll remember being 6 years old and saw Shawn Michaels kick his partner and throw him through the barber shop window. since that day I was hooked. I was a fan of the rockers and became a bigger fan of shawn michaels. I'll remember the classic iron man match from 96 and seeing him acomplish his boyhood dream, and of course the greatest entrence ever that night.. I'll remember seeing him in agonizing pain at WM 14 and still put on a helluva match with stone cold ( I can only imaging how good it would of been with HBK 100 percent) and the fact he came back and had a 7+ year run after is return is just amazing. I'll remember him and Taker stealing the show at WM25 and WM26. I was lucky enough to be at WM25.. I regret not going to WM26.
but probably I will remember the most is being at the right place at the right in 2001, I was at an airport and happen to see him at one of the restaurants, I didnt wanna be an annoying fan but I just had to meet him. I simply went over to say thank you for the memories and how wrestling aint the same without him. What started off as a simple thank you turned into a near hour long conversation about wrestling and his life outside of wrestling. I always knew I'd be a shawn michaels fan for life but getting to meet him and actually getting to talk to him for a long period of time just cemented that fact... the conversation ended wit me saying ''man, it would be someting special to see you wrestle one more time'' he said '' yeah, you never know, maybe I got one more in me''

Shawn Michaels will always be remembered by me as the greatest of all time.

 

[Takerfan93]

It's more of a playing along / shutting someone up kind of joke, I do the exact same thing myself.

And sure I may not come off as portraying him as an incredible guy on the microphone, but he indeed was, but let's not get overconfident on his microphone abilities, he had his moments but he wasn't perfect, Shawn Michaels remains better on the microphone when he's a heel character, than when he's a face, especially in the later years of his career around D-generation X where his verbal aspect of his character was very demented like portrayed if you ask me, the whole fact that there's a complete WWE.com segment with Shawn talking about reforming D-generation X with Triple H, and Triple H telling him they already did that, only to have Shawn return 5 minutes later and ask the same thing.

Fair enough then.

But I am not getting overconfident on his mic abilitites, he is definately much better than you make out. He was absolutely fantastic on the mic! And no, not just as a heel, as a face too. The recent DX comedy routines were not brilliant, no, but they weren't meant to be serious at all so it wasn't that Shawn wasn't performing well on the mic, it is just that the script they were given was entirely bad humour. HBK was amazing on the mic as a face and a heel and I would go as far to say that he was the most compelling guy in WWE on the mic for the better part of 10 years. Whenever he did a promo, heel or face I was so interested and it felt so real, HBK was gold on the mic no matter what.

Again, I liked Shawn much better as a heel when it came to being on the microphone, he was cocky, he was entertaining, he was the complete package.

Well most people prefer wrestlers mic work when they are heels, because it is just more entertaining, simple as that. It is not that Shawn was worse on the mic as a face, he wasn't. But generally heels are much more fun to watch, faces are more boring. I mean even guys like Undertaker and Stone Cold who get face reactions from the crowd, got over by heelish tactics and used many heel tactics throughout their career. Hell, look at Orton, the crowd got so behind him in his recent heel run because he was so entertaining with it, it is much more difficult to be entertaining as a face. I know I always prefer to watch heels or tweeners.

That's the exact thing that may very well make Miz better, due to the fact that I think Miz may very well be able to remain amazing on the microphone during comedy skits and face promos as opposed to what Shawn sadly didn't succeed in being as opposed to the things he did and said when he was a heel.

And sure Miz overreacts heavily at times, but he remains entertaining and remains to be someone you watch with excitement, as opposed to Shawn who could at times loose it a bit when he was a face, sure he was damn well entertaining every damn time as a face, but he had his moments where I, as a big Shawn Michaels fan, even found myself facepalming.

The Miz is good yes, but the only reason he is STILL good on the mic during WWE's awful comedy routines is because we know nothing better. The reason people hated the more recent DX comedy routines was because we were all comparing it to the comedy GOLD that DX produced back in the 90s. It was impossible not to, so of course the new DX "comedy" skits were going to look bad compared to them. But unlike some, I loved the 2006 - 2007 DX stuff, absolutely loved it! I was laughing so many of the times, like when they took over the production truck and impersonated Vince and Shane. I did not like the 2009 stuff though, because with the new PG rating it made DX suck as they couldn't do any of their usual type jokes.

I completely agree, he is one of the best, and one of the best all-around talents of all time I may very well say, but he just isn't the best, the best act(s) on the microphone the last 20 years in my eyes is Roddy Piper and Ric Flair.

Oh and yes the promo on Hogan, Bret Hart and Canada as a whole in 2005 was absolutely golden, and I absolutely loved the small "attack" on Canada with the whole "Oh Canada, how I hate this place.. oooh Canada, I'm gonna kick, Hulk Hogan, right in the face". absolutely golden, but again, it was Shawn Michaels being a heel, where he excels the most.

Well, I completely disagree, I believe Shawn is well up there with those guys. If I look at his heel promos, I consider them around the same level as those guys. I would always listen to his promos because they were really captivating.

Yes it was a heel promo, but heel promos on the whole are much easier to do. You can just go out there and be a complete ass, as a WWE face you basically have to kiss the crowds ass. Heel promos, regardless of who they are, are more entertaining than face promos, easily.

 

[Ferbian]

But I am not getting overconfident on his mic abilitites, he is definately much better than you make out. He was absolutely fantastic on the mic! And no, not just as a heel, as a face too. The recent DX comedy routines were not brilliant, no, but they weren't meant to be serious at all so it wasn't that Shawn wasn't performing well on the mic, it is just that the script they were given was entirely bad humour. HBK was amazing on the mic as a face and a heel and I would go as far to say that he was the most compelling guy in WWE on the mic for the better part of 10 years. Whenever he did a promo, heel or face I was so interested and it felt so real, HBK was gold on the mic no matter what.

I fail to see how you consider him to be much better than what I make him out to be considering I make him out to be one of the best of all time on the microphone as well? in the top 10 to say the least, but just not quite in the top 5, perhaps he's number 6 below Piper, Rock, Flair, Miz/Punk/Jericho (I'm having a hard time putting one of those 3 above the others)

Shawn was definitely a very compelling guy on the microphone for the majority of his career, but he just didn't shine enough in either position as opposed to what other people has managed to put on, I credit Triple H as being the best heel promo cutter in the past 10 years time due to his time with Evolution, Shawn didn't reach the level of heel promos that I believe Triple H did, but he's close, just not there completely, while Triple H lacks in his face promos, someone else takes over the position of being better, and that guy I would perhaps credit to be Chris Jericho when it comes to face promos.

Well most people prefer wrestlers mic work when they are heels, because it is just more entertaining, simple as that. It is not that Shawn was worse on the mic as a face, he wasn't. But generally heels are much more fun to watch, faces are more boring. I mean even guys like Undertaker and Stone Cold who get face reactions from the crowd, got over by heelish tactics and used many heel tactics throughout their career. Hell, look at Orton, the crowd got so behind him in his recent heel run because he was so entertaining with it, it is much more difficult to be entertaining as a face. I know I always prefer to watch heels or tweeners.

I don't necessarily credit someone for being much better just because he's a heel, yes some people thrives better on heel promos, but some people are just better as a face as well, Christian to make a good example, always preferred him as a face.

And perhaps you're right, perhaps Shawn wasn't worse as a face, just more boring due to the fact that he had been reborn as a Christian, and wouldn't let himself be the entertaining cocky HBK that we grew to love in the 90's, while I still loved Shawn as an overall talent, I credit his mic skills to be superior in the 90's

The Miz is good yes, but the only reason he is STILL good on the mic during WWE's awful comedy routines is because we know nothing better. The reason people hated the more recent DX comedy routines was because we were all comparing it to the comedy GOLD that DX produced back in the 90s. It was impossible not to, so of course the new DX "comedy" skits were going to look bad compared to them. But unlike some, I loved the 2006 - 2007 DX stuff, absolutely loved it! I was laughing so many of the times, like when they took over the production truck and impersonated Vince and Shane. I did not like the 2009 stuff though, because with the new PG rating it made DX suck as they couldn't do any of their usual type jokes.

I am in no doubt that I think Miz could very well still be considered one of the greats when it comes to promo cutting if we weren't watching a PG product, let's remember, D-Generation X would most likely have been just as damn edgy they were in the 90's in 2006 if it hadn't been due to the fact that Shawn had converged back to Christianity.

And I have to admit I liked any incarnation of D-generation X.

Well, I completely disagree, I believe Shawn is well up there with those guys. If I look at his heel promos, I consider them around the same level as those guys. I would always listen to his promos because they were really captivating.

Exactly, his heel promos, the guys I listed, could damn well cut a promo no matter the alignment, Piper and Flair set the bar for mic skills in both the face alignment and the heel alignment.

Yes it was a heel promo, but heel promos on the whole are much easier to do. You can just go out there and be a complete ass, as a WWE face you basically have to kiss the crowds ass. Heel promos, regardless of who they are, are more entertaining than face promos, easily.

Yes a heel promo as a default is much easier, but in the end, to cut a proper heel promo that really gives you hatred, really gets you over, it's not as easy, you still have to be able to time and have the charisma to come off as a very serious heel, I have to admit Jericho for example and Shawn had me laughing over their heel promos (even the current Jericho) and the fact that they maintain a straight face, while being entertaining in a bad guy way, is definitely a + in my world.

Again, yes Shawn is one of the greater guys on the microphone, but, I know it's gonna come off as a cheap excuse, but I just prefer Miz as an overall guy on the mic, and having been a of Shawn for so very long, I sincerely doubt I'm gonna change my mind now cause I've always believed Miz is just a little bit better, not much, just a little.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Benoit had dementia and had no idea what was going on, thanks to mcmahon making him be on the road 300 plus nites a year diving off the top rope, getting concusion after concusion.

That's right, because Benoit had no other choice but to Headbutt from the top rope, regardless his age or anything...and it wasn't like RVD, Eddie Guerrero, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, or even HBK ever went to the top rope and did a diving move....

He's the greatest wrestler ever to lace em up if you doubt that go back and watch an angle, jericho or eddie v Benoit match. But no you'd rather watch that garbage that was taker v. has been kid at manias.

Just because he had good feuds with other technical wrestlers doesn't mean he is "the greatest wrestler ever to lace em up". I'm sure you're the same kind of person who says O.J. Simpson was "the greatest football player ever to put on a helmet". At least there is reasonable doubt he didn't kill..

No thank you, and just becuz someone apolagized that's supposed to change things, "well your honor i'm sorry i raped that woman can i go now" take his apolagy and shove it up his and ur ass. thank you idiot.

Okay by far you are the worst poster I have ever seen, and I have seen my fair share of idiots. I usually don't come out for a debate when trolls make their prescence known in WZ, but pilgrim you have simply went too far.

1. Comparing a "screw job" to actual rape is the most dispicable thing I have ever read in a wrestling forum. Jesus Christ, it's just wrestling and hell did Michaels "ring the bell?" Umm no that was McMahon but HBK apologized.

2. Uh yeah it's professional wrestling and it happened 12 years ago. If you can't get over it then stay in your parents basement. The rest of us moved on. And if we didn't for 12 years, we definitely did a few months ago. Get a life.

3. I find it ironic how you compare HBK's apology to a rapist's when you think Benoit is the best wrestler ever. Bet you're one of those guys that say "Yeah, he killed himself and his family but he was the best wrestler to lace his boots". Oh wait you did. Wow irony-overload



Shawn Michaels will be remembered in my mind as the man who gave us the first (and best IMO) Ladder Match in the WWE, not to mention the first Ironman Match, Hell In A Cell, etc. He made Wrestlemania look good and he didn't even win most of his bouts. It was a priviledge to see him strut around the ring with his charisma being felt throughout the arena, and it was a damn shame some idiots can't get over The Montreal Screw-Job.

 

[Jsaturn14]

For my own sanity I will ignore the completely fucking moronic Benoit lover, and just give my own perspective on this. I have already spoken about this so many times, so I think I will just copy and paste things I have already said Yes, I know, how lazy of me

I will remember HBK for coming back after 4 years away to heal, and wrestling better than or as good as anyone has this decade, He consistently put over the younger talent (Shelton Benjamin, Batista, Randy Orton, Chris Masters, Carlito, The Legacy), he won the PWI Match of the Year award the last 5 years (soon to be 6 when his match with Undertaker wins this year, for a total of 11 times.) he had some amazingly awesome promos, either in DX or on his own, he constantly stole the show at Wrestlemania this decade, he had some of the best feuds this decade (vs HHH, vs The McMahons, vs Jericho) and his matches were some of the most memorable:

Unsanctioned Match with HHH (Summerslam 2002)
First Elimination Chamber (Survivor Series 2002)
Three Stages of Hell with HHH (Armageddon 2002)
vs Chris Jericho (WrestleMania 19)
Last Man Standing Match vs HHH (Royal Rumble 2003)
Triple Threat vs HHH and Beniot (Wrestlemania 20)
Hell in a Cell Match vs HHH (Badd Blood 2003)
Team Austin vs Team Bischoff (Survivor Series 2003)
vs Kurt Angle (Wrestlemania 21)
vs Shelton Benjamin (Raw) (Who will ever forget that Super Kick at the end!?)
vs McMahon (Wrestlemania 22)
The God Match (Backlash 2006)
Hell In A Cell vs The McMahons & Big Show
The Royal Rumble Match 2007 (I will always believe that the ending to that match with HBK and Taker going at it for I believe to be 10 minutes will always be one of the three best endings to a Rumble ever)
vs John Cena (WrestleMania 23 & The Hour Long Match in London)
vs Ric Flair (WrestleMania 24)
His entire Feud with Chris Jericho in 2008
vs Undertaker (Wrestlemania 25)
Submission Match vs The Legacy (Breaking Point 2009)

In short, I will remember HBK for being my favorite wrestler of all time. I will remember HBK for being one of the hardest working people the industry has ever seen. I will remember HBK as a guy who could get a good match out of a pile of toothpicks. I will remember HBK as a guy who walked away at the right time for him, and not because people forced him out, and I will remember HBK as the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

P.S. just as a side note, HBK has been a singles wrestler for 18 years. you minus 4 years for his back problems and he has actively wrestled as a singles competitor for 14 years. Out of those 14 years, HBK won the PWI match of the year award 11 times, 11 TIMES! There was only 3 years when HBK did not have the best match. only 3 times. I just find that amazing. Nobody beats HBK in terms of in-ring entertainment, and ability. NOBODY. and for all the people who say "So what? It is just the PWI award. It is not a big deal." You do know that the PWI Awards are voted on BY THE FANS! The Editors don't decide anything. It is decided in an open poll by the fans. So yeah, it is a big deal that HBK has only lost it 3 times. It is a very big deal.