I'm sympathetic to HBK.

[Serious Mozzarella]

And I think that's a sign of good writing. HBK obviously doesn't agree with what HHH is doing with the company, but that's none of his business, especially because he's not going to let some kid he trained get in the middle of his friendship with the only person who didn't turn his back on him during his rough years. If I saw someone hurt my best friend, I would have jumped in too.

HBK isn't a heel here. His friendship goes beyond some kid chasing a title for a company he used to work for.

 

[ABMorales787]

Oh, don't worry. He'll be a heel soon enough.

 

[Kris Benwa]

That's what I like about the WWE recently most of the heel/face turns actually make sense! There was a thread talking about the lost art of the turn and while I agree how they turn has declined the reasons make much more sense. When Ryback first turned heel he had a valid reason to and his promos actually made sense which is great. When HHH just did it's because he has to run the company and he knows Orton is a good face for it so again it makes sense. You're right about HBK he was just defending his best friend. Can you really boo a guy who helps his best friend or who doesn't want his future company to go to shit or who is mad because he didn't get the same kind of help he gave out? I've found myself reasoning with and siding with the heels most often not because it's trendy or edgy but because they actually have a reason to do the things they're doing which I think is awesome.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Did people consider that a heel turn?

 

[Dirk]

When Trips had Big Show by the short & curlies, Show still got booed. Fuck wrestling logic.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

There's a lotta subtle heeling going around. What Steph and H say, kinda makes sense, and that doesn't exactly endear to the faces.

HBK played his role. He was again, making sense.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I didn't think he was a heel at all until the very last part of his promo where he was spouting off about Bryan being pompous or something similar. Then Bryan attacked him to a chorus of cheers and I wasn't so sure. The whole promo had a sort of heelish vibe, like HBK was talking down to Bryan almost saying that he had to shake his hand or else, he doesn't regret what he did but he should shake anyway and from a personal perspective I could understand Bryan not shaking his hand, not letting personal feeling getting the way of such an important match even if he did attack HHH. I guess I'll wait until the next signs to judge because it's either way at the moment, he could still be salvaged as a face, but will likely come across as more heel.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

Daniel Bryan deserves some good ol' Sweet Chin Music for the lack of respect he showed to Mr. Hall of Fame. Bryan is the heel here folks!

 

[George Steele's Barber]

HBK is a bad guy in all of this. Maybe after nuance and logic will persist. But this is as simple as HBK=bad.

 

[Shocky]

HBK knocked out the face, while the face was protecting himself from two heels. HBK = heel.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

HBK = Meanie.

 

[Serious Mozzarella]

I didn't think he was a heel at all until the very last part of his promo where he was spouting off about Bryan being pompous or something similar. Then Bryan attacked him to a chorus of cheers and I wasn't so sure. The whole promo had a sort of heelish vibe, like HBK was talking down to Bryan almost saying that he had to shake his hand or else, he doesn't regret what he did but he should shake anyway and from a personal perspective I could understand Bryan not shaking his hand, not letting personal feeling getting the way of such an important match even if he did attack HHH. I guess I'll wait until the next signs to judge because it's either way at the moment, he could still be salvaged as a face, but will likely come across as more heel.

HBK is a guy who, for better or for worse, thinks of himself as someone who is deserving of respect, having accomplished everything there is to accomplish in the business. I don't know why that personality trait is so inherently consistent with being a heel in the eyes of the WWE, but that's the simple fact of it, and Daniel Bryan throwing a temper tantrum and attacking the only guy that's been helping him selflessly made Daniel Bryan look like a bitch.

HBK knocked out the face, while the face was protecting himself from two heels. HBK = heel.

I'm not okay with that level of simplicity. I'd rather keep my current thought process and be wrong and interested, than adopt this black-and-white mentality and be bored to tears every Monday.

 

[The Butcher]

HBK = googly eyed fool

 

[Барбоса]

It is proper wrestling logic for a heel to believe that he is in the right and what he is doing/has done is justified - but always with something of a flaw in their logic.

HBK exemplified that. His friendship with HHH made him attack Bryan but it did not make him count Bryan out. Also, a face would have accepted that Bryan was not going to shake his hand because of what he had done.

Also it is pretty heelish to demand respect. He might have earned it but to demand that he is treated that way, especially after he has purposely cost a face the WWE title, just screams heel.

The sheer fact that JBL ranted and raved about the poor treatment of HBK suggests even further that Michaels should be viewed as a heel in the situation.

 

[Dr. Mantis Toboggan, M.D.]

HBK = googly eyed fool

Yeah thanks a lot Kane

 

[MrMojoRisin]

And I think that's a sign of good writing. HBK obviously doesn't agree with what HHH is doing with the company, but that's none of his business, especially because he's not going to let some kid he trained get in the middle of his friendship with the only person who didn't turn his back on him during his rough years. If I saw someone hurt my best friend, I would have jumped in too.

HBK isn't a heel here. His friendship goes beyond some kid chasing a title for a company he used to work for.

He's a heel. A babyface doesn't berate Daniel Bryan into accepting an apology that he never gave like HBK did.

The best heels though, can make you understand where they're coming from, and logically explain why they are doing what they do.

HBK is being the heel here, but you can at least look at him and say "yeah I get it."

 

[Serious Mozzarella]

He's a heel. A babyface doesn't berate Daniel Bryan into accepting an apology that he never gave like HBK did.

The best heels though, can make you understand where they're coming from, and logically explain why they are doing what they do.

HBK is being the heel here, but you can at least look at him and say "yeah I get it."

But what if I actually agree with him? His sentiments resonated with me in the sense that, Shawn spent all this time and energy training Daniel Bryan, backing him up when people were telling him that he was no good, and paving the way for him to even get a spot in the main event in the first place, effectively making sure that he would always have a place there, instead of being looked at as a flash in the pan, but he won't give him a hand shake in the middle of the ring of the biggest wrestling company in the world on live TV because "waaah I cost you one match"?

Not shaking his hand wasn't heelish. Attacking him and humiliating him in the middle of the ring was heelish. He could have just walked out, and his point would have been made.

HBK could have gone about things a different way, but I think Daniel Bryan was the bad guy here.

(Kayfabe conversations are fun)