Is the WWE missing Shawn Michaels?

[danny_the_legend_killer]

Firstly i have looked for this and never found it , so if it has already been made then im sorry.

Right back to Shawn Michaels now we all know that at wrestlemania 26 he lost to the undertaker as a result was forced into retirement, and now that he is gone i find myself less interested is the wwe as hbk was boyhood hero i literally grew up watching him and he was my idol, and im just wandering if anyone else feels like the wwe is missing Shawn Michaels and whether anyone else feels less interested in watching raw because Shawn Michaels isnt there.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I'm missing Shawn Michaels about as much as I missed him during the Attitude Era.

For the past couple of years he was phoning it in, one good matches at Mania each year and several good performances with quality opponents on lesser shows doesn't change that. He was a boring character and towards the end a boring wrestler. Like most WWE headliners he needed to be off TV for a significant period of time and he needed a change of attitude or scenery.

I'm glad he's gone, I like to be left wanting to see one more match from somebody of his stature.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Well, to be frank, yes. The Company misses Shawn Michaels like they miss Bret Hart (in the ring), Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Rock and a lot of other big names that were cornerstones in their Company.

However just because they miss the profit and fan boost those names brought in, does not mean they need them back. For every older Wrestler who was admired by a fan from that era.. brings in a new Wrestler who'll capture the attention of many from this era.

I suppose it can be said, I too, grew up watching Shawn Michaels and he was a personal favorite of mine. I'd love to see him come back and Wrestle again. I still believe he will, for what its worth. But I simply am not that naive to believe they'll miss a step, or suddenly hurt over losing him from their future roster.

And besides, when in doubt I think their typical mode of action is to produce another $20.00 DVD tribute. No offense, but Eddie Guerrero has double the amount of DVDs out (dead) as he had out, alive.

 

[motorcity madman]

i will admit i do miss Shawn Michaels, but at the same time i will also admit over the last year or so with the exception of wrestlemania 25 and 26 his matches were getting kind of sloppy, for as happy as i was to see Shawn in the ring i also looked at his matches a lot of times and said to myself "oh my god what a fucking train wreck", you could see it in his face the guy was hurting and it was time to go, I'm just glad he didn't stick around long enough to ruin his legacy (like Nash,Hogan,etc)

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

Of course, he did so much since returining in 2002, quality wrestlemania matches every year...this happens after every wrestler retires though..just liek austin, you think he should have one more match...expecially the rock...wwe miss him now, if he was here he would be face right now instead of cena and he would be making us laugh at every show...Shawn Michaels is just another one of them now, he will be missed in the ring...i think the next man to take his place in the wwe is Chris Jericho...but yes...he will be missed...but wwe have to just move on now..like they did when austin and rock left..

 

[Post]

Shawn Michaels is my all time favorite. I've followed every step of his career, and I truly do miss him. I attended Wrestlemania this past year in Glendale for the pure fact that I knew it would be his last match. Even though I was in the nosebleed seats with obstructed view, I felt that this was a way for me to honor Shawn. I left the arena with an empty feeling, knowing that it was the end of an era.

But as one Era ends, another begins. The door is open for someone to step up and run with the ball. The WWE is surely missing him, but that is just part of the business. The younger talent has really been stepping up. Initially, Raw was a little lack luster for me, without Shawn there. Raw is improving. The WWE will survive without Shawn, even though this thought seemed impossible for me just a short time ago.

My only regret is that Shawn did not end his career on top, and retire as the WWE Champion.

 

[MelodicLullaby]

I think that the WWE does miss Shawn Michaels; but as it was stated earlier, they'll always miss their Cornerstone competitors. The Rock, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart -- it's to be expected. Shawn was definitely exciting in the ring (at least for me), and he could be funny with his antics and give the crowd a good show. I mean, in the beginning, he did cause some unnecessary drama, but every star that lets things get to his head ends up doing that anyway.

The majority of the WWE Universe will miss the Heart Break Kid, without a doubt. But at the same time, I'm happy that he can finally get the break that he needed to spend more time with his family. Besides, who knows? He may end up making some cameos later on (coughBretcough).

 

[Tougie]

I think WWE is missing him big time and they know there is no way they be able to replace him and they know that. At any time HBK could make anyone look like a million bucks in the ring, and really the only people left that can do that are Jericho and HHH (Maybe). And the overall effect he had on Raw, with that gone I don't even care about Raw anymore. With WWE in general really. All the people I grew up with watching are leaving and there is no one besides Jericho, Punk, Edge, and Orton left that actually draw my attention.

With HBK gone WWE has taken a hit in popularity but merch has most likely sky rocketed since he retired. So yeah WWE misses him, but their stupid enough to think that a current guy will be able to fill his spot.

 

[Nicole13Edge/HardyFan]

Is the WWE missing Shawn Michaels in a word yes. The WWE knows that Shawn is irreplaceable. Nobody will ever be able to replace HBK.

Now the question is do I miss HBK yea I sure do.He was one of my all time favorites the only person that I like better than HBK was Stone Cold so that makes HBK my second all time favorite. Just like a lot of you I grew up watching HBK he was one person that I always liked I mean I didn't hate him one week and like him the next I always liked him. Now since he is gone when I tune into Raw each week it feels like something is missing. So yes I definatly miss HBK.


I don't really think that the WWE is going to try to replace HBK because they know that they can't he has done everything possible in the business. Hopefully they will let HBK guest host Raw in the very near future.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I miss him greatly and I don't enjoy the show as much as I used to. I still love it, I just don't have the same passion or urgency to watch the show - I can wait a few days before watching Raw without any real problems. But few probably think like I do, as few were as obsessed with him.

The company misses him, he certainly helped the show. That being said, I've always been of the opinion that one man doesn't make a show and therefore the WWE is missing him in the same way they miss all their other legends. While it's sad to see them go, the WWE doesn't have negative implications such as a drop in ratings.

 

[jmyers19]

I certainly don't feel less interested in Raw ever since HBK left. To me he was and still is the greatest wrestler out there. He never put on a bad match, at least within the past 7/8 years anyways. I'll even go as far as saying he even made Kozlov look good and he's probablys the second worst guy they have behind Khali, both do nothing for me. Anyways back onto Shawn. WWE surely miss HBK, he was a top draw and always entertained the fans, he was the total package. Right look, right attitude for the business, loyal, and the right skills to go toe to toe with any sizeable opponent. His match against Mysterio early this year was fantastic. But WWE understands what its like, he has a family he needs to be with. WrestleMania 26 may have been the last time we seen him wrestle but I think he'll make one off appearances here and there.

 

[thomas1027]

I DO NOT MISS HBK AT ALL. IT WAS HIS TIME TO GO. VINCE DOESNT MISS HIM EITHER. RANDY ORTON IS TURNING INTO SOMETHING LIKE STONE COLD. AUSTIN WAS THE RATTLESNAKE. ORTON IS THE VIPER. PEOPLE JUST LOVE HIM AND ANY POLL, HE TAKES THE POLL BY A HUGE MARGIN. PEOPLE SHOULD JUST BE HAPPY HBK SHOWED HIS TALENT FOR ALL THE YEARS BUT DIDNT WANT TO TURN INTO HOGAN OR FLAIR AND BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT

 

[Ferbian]

Shawn will always be missed due to the fact that he was definitely a go to guy if you wanted a great match for a talent to be either put over, or just have a great match.

Shawn was the guy to deliver every time he went to Wrestlemania, something that only a small margin of wrestlers can brag about ever accomplishing.

I miss Shawn, I'll say that, cause he's always been my favorite wrestler (or well for the most of it) and I have a great respect for him, he's accomplished a lot in the business, and has always been there to keep me entertained through microphone time or in-ring time.

But on the other side, Shawn definitely was great, but he made room for new stars when he retired, he's not "taking up air time" which in no way should be considered negative, but he gave space for the future, and in that manner we shouldn't miss him because we wouldn't be seeing as great of a rise in the future stars of the business with the old ones sticking around.

But yes I think Shawn is missed, but mostly for being the go to guy for great matches and great feuds.

 

[Sean Valjean]

Is WWE missing him? Eh, I doubt THAT much. His merchandise will still sell like hot cakes (especially DX gear) and he was never a huge draw to begin with. Sure, he was very popular; but never a ratings grabber.

But like Ferbian said, he'll likely be missed more for his reliability to put on great matches and build talent than anything else. That's what he was best at anyway. But even then the show will carry on without him. It already has.

On a personal note, HBK is my all-time favorite wrestler and while I do miss him, I still enjoy the show as much as I did before he left. In fact, a part of me is glad he retired when he did instead of hanging around too long and becoming a broken shell of his former self.

So yep, those are my two cents.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I doubt they'll miss Shawn Michaels that much. They were just fine when he was taking time off and I'm sure they'll be fine. Other than the one or two great matches a year, they really are not going to miss much because they have plenty of others to have great matches.

I think WWE is missing him big time and they know there is no way they be able to replace him and they know that. At any time HBK could make anyone look like a million bucks in the ring, and really the only people left that can do that are Jericho and HHH (Maybe). And the overall effect he had on Raw, with that gone I don't even care about Raw anymore. With WWE in general really. All the people I grew up with watching are leaving and there is no one besides Jericho, Punk, Edge, and Orton left that actually draw my attention.

With HBK gone WWE has taken a hit in popularity but merch has most likely sky rocketed since he retired. So yeah WWE misses him, but their stupid enough to think that a current guy will be able to fill his spot.

How is it going to be hard to replace HBK? There are plenty of superstars out there who have and can have great matches. I doubt the WWE will take a hit in popularity because he wasn't that popular outside of the wrestling world and won't draw non-wrestling viewers in like maybe a Cena or HHH would.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Frankly No, I really don't think that the WWE misses Shawn Michaels too much if at all. There is no doubt that Shawn Michaels is easily one of the greatest performers in wrestling history, but at the same time there have been A LOT of bigger names that the WWE lost that weren't missed too much. Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Steve Austin are a few names that come to mind (I really don't miss any of these 3, and when I say Hogan and Flair I mean the REAL Hogan and Flair, not these 2 shells currently given to us that just don't know their careers are over) and the WWE got along fine without them. At this point the only 2 wrestlers that the WWE might miss are The Rock and Brock Lesnar (because those 2 would for sure bring in more ratings), but at the same time they certainly aren't losing any sleep that these 2 aren't in the WWE anymore, the WWE is making money hand over fist these days, so there is no reason for them to dwell on the past, they're doing just fine in the present.
Shawn Michaels was incredible and I will certainly miss his performances in the ring (and I'll just have to get over the fact that Wrestlemania's will never feature Mr. Wrestlemania again) but honestly, there have been bigger superstars, better superstars, one's with better mic work, one's with more charisma, that left and were not missed.

 

[danielwingo]

Now I do believe that the WWE is missing Shawn Michaels!! Being a big fan of his since I was a child knowing is has the talent to still main event...But with the talent the WWE has I don't think will amount to Shawn.Even if they had the new superstars now face Michaels to boasts their careers I just don't see anyone at this moment being able to face him in the main event and get pushed.It's only becuase I believe the talent they have now are getting pushed way to early and superstars that have been there for awhile are getting anything.examples shelton benjermin.He now realizes that WWE isn't doing anything with him so he decided to leave becuase charlie haas didn't want him to sign another contract with WWE.but what do you think TNA will do with shelton if they aren't even doing anything with Haas!! And people like R-Truth. he was the shit in TNA but now he has been in the WWE for what 4 or 5 years and now they finally give him a title!! I think people like drew mcintyre and sheamus just got moved up way to fast and I just don't neither one those superstars amounting anything near what Shawn Michaels or even be put over by shawn.What if Shawn did come back how do you think it would effect things??

 

[UseYourBrain]

In case people haven't noticed, the WWE programming is f*cking awful to anybody who isn't living in a "wrestling fan" bubble. Nobody outside of the wrestling bubble knows or cares who Kofi is. No non wrestling fan stops and says "Wow, the Miz is really entertaining!". The talent pool sucks right now. It sucks bad. I read things like "Orton is really stepping it up!" but when it comes right down to it, no... he's not. So he has good ring psychology. Doesn't matter if nobody's watching. I'd say that Undertaker is the last of his generation, but I'm more inclined now to say that HBK was simply because Undertaker seems to be "phoning it in" more than HBK ever was. HBK was done two years ago and hung around because Vince asked him to. To knock him because he's not the guy he was ten years ago is bullshit. The guy did what was right for business even when his body told him not to. You can say he wasn't a good draw but you'd be a moron to think that. Was he Hogan, Austin, Rock? No, but then again, nobody is. Not even Cena himself, who hit his peak in popularity about three years ago and whose child fans are now growing up and waking up.

The wrestling bubble sees things through it's own warped view. A lot of wrestling fans actually ENJOY what WWE puts on TV, but most people know wrestling has been next to dead for about five or ten years now. Ask Joe-Average about wrestling and he'll say "Man, that shit's ******ed now. It's over." It's why I hate reading and writing on these forums sometimes. So many people here are so out of the loop. If you guys quit worshipping the mediocre, then maybe WWE/TNA would be forced to actually step it up. But you won't and you don't, so they'll keep on giving us midcarders whose lack of pushes you guys blame on the company and not the wrestlers themselves.

The days of old are gone, at least for now. Does WWE miss HBK? Are you freaking kidding me?! OF COURSE THEY DO!!!! Watch the magic of HBK vs. Angle, Razor, McMahon, Hogan, Austin, HHH, Undertaker, Jericho, Cena, and others and tell me that your new favorite nobody even comes close to measuring up. He doesn't. Michaels stole the show from the main eventers when he was a midcarder. He didn't need the spotlight. He took it. I dare you to show me where any of the other young guys and current top guys have done the same thing without being booked to look awesome and invincible. Other than Jericho, there are none. The natural talent required to make a successful wrestler isn't really looked for or needed anymore because hardcore wrestling fans and little kids will cheer whatever they give us. The wrestling bubble may think that HBK hasn't left a huge hole in the product, like that ESPN writer said, HBK's last Wrestlemania = MY last Wrestlemania. It's time to know when to step away.

I haven't been able to get through an episode of Raw since HBK left... and I was barely able to before he did. Enough is enough and I'm tired of being treated like a sophomoric idiot who laughs at things like somebody saying "Deez nuts". I learned to say "when" and I don't watch anymore. I wish the wrestling bubble fans would wake up and learn to say "when" too.

 

[Loveless]

Well I've watched about an hour of WWE since Wrestlemania, that should tell you all you need to know. There's no-one left who interests me and it's not worth the effort of staying up til 4am for RAW anymore.

 

[theHeadliner]

I think its funny that there's all these reports coming out starting last month saying Michaels is enjoying retirement and has no urge to come back...He always takes 4-5 months off after Wrestlemania anyways, and the first report came out in May, a month removed from Mania. The def. miss him. With Bret Hart as GM now, they could have had some great angles. The ratings have steadily decreased and I'm less interested, but I'm more of the nostalgic fan anyways.

 

[Validus]

Nope . They don't miss him , the appreciate him , but they don't MISS him . I definitely miss him , because he was a great entertainer and by far my favourite wrestler of all time . But , I won't cry about his retirement everyday , I will always remember him for the things he accomplished .

 

[Honkey_Kong]

I miss him greatly and I don't enjoy the show as much as I used to. I still love it, I just don't have the same passion or urgency to watch the show - I can wait a few days before watching Raw without any real problems. But few probably think like I do, as few were as obsessed with him.

The company misses him, he certainly helped the show. That being said, I've always been of the opinion that one man doesn't make a show and therefore the WWE is missing him in the same way they miss all their other legends. While it's sad to see them go, the WWE doesn't have negative implications such as a drop in ratings.

I still watch the show (mostly because I'm addicted to wrestling and would watch raw even if Hogan was facing the Brooklyn Brawler in the main event) but yeah without HBK, it's just not the same.

That being said, HBK left a big spot for somebody else to fill, the question is who is going to fill it? I have a feeling Bryan Danielson is going to fill it, but who knows.

I also got to say, that signature you got is awesome.

 

[Tougie]

Well elighten me Jerry, who can replace HBK as a guy who ca have a great match with anyone at any time? Who will be able to move the merch he did alone and as a member of DX?

It isnt going to be hard to replace HBK. Because its impossible to replace HBK. Also on what you said of drawing outside viewers. I highly doubt Cena's subpar movies (I Personally like them) or his appearences on Jimmy Fallon will bring in non wrestling fans as well.

And Useyourbrain, great post.

 

[goldbergiswrestling]

I dont really think so, all he has done in the past few years is be a member of a watered down DX, had a good fued with jericho and a couple of good matches with taker., I acctually miss the long history of him and HHH at each others throats. shawn was great in his day but he was getting stale. over all I respect shawn, I am happy with what he gave to this business and Im happy with my memories.

 

[mvalley]

Do I miss HBK? Of course. He's a gifted athlete and was decent on the mic. He won the match of the year award multiple times and for good reason.

However, at the same token, I realize the last six months for HBK were rather quiet ones. He and Triple H feuded with Legacy, fought Cena, won and lost the tag title, then went their separate ways for their Wrestlemania matches. In a lot of ways, DX winning tag team gold, and him reconciling with Bret, seemed to be a way for him to end his career.

And as stated before, Shawn's injuries are getting up there. His back and knees have to be in bad shape. I'm glad he got out before he ended up like Hogan; barely mobile.