Shawn Michaels could have returned by 1999

[THTRobtaylor]

Shawn Michaels coming back in 1999 at that stage would've probably put him in danger of ending up like Brian Pillman, no joke. I'm just happy that the guy was able to get straight whatever he needed to, come back at the level he did, and put on that many more awesome shows.

I honestly think at one point the whole "I lost my smile" line was a pile of garbage, and I still think at that time, it probably was. Later on though, it became pretty evident that he was in no mental or physical condition to come back. When he did finally return, it was a night and day difference. So I'm just happy for what we did get, and I'll take the two Michaels Vs. Undertaker matches over Michaels Vs. The Rock.

This stuff makes me angry! End up like Pillman? No Joke?

Brian Pillman was a guy who beat throat cancer as a child, made it to the NFL, then became a pioneer of High Flying and the true father of "Attitude". Pillman was never a joke cos he beat the odds to get what he did, created something genuinely new with his "Loose Cannon" gimmick in WCW, had a good hand in creating the man who became Stone Cold and made the best of the crap hand he ended up with. If anyone needed a pass to medicate/do what they needed it was this guy, I am sure he did more than he needed but to ever use him as a cautionary tale is plain wrong.

He had a lot of fun but ultimately it was a car wreck that ruined him and led to his death. Whatever you THINK you know, the only facts are that he had a car wreck that destroyed his ankle and he had to take painkillers from then on, as just weeks before he had signed a deal with WWE and had to live up to it...and he did as best he could.

I am certain he lived "the life" but to dismiss that as "another Brian Pillman" is really offensive to me considering the impact the guy actually had on the biz if you look coldly... He was Attitude before 3:16 by half an hour and ultimately his health was against him since day one, he beat it and a stupid car wreck ruined it... As someone who was born with a defect that should have killed me at 4, Pillman actually inspired me to do something with the crap nature sometimes gives you...

Seriously, Pillman is not a negative on the business or WWE, if not for that crash he would have been where Shawn is now, it's why Vince wanted him and at the end of the day I'd rather have Pillman in the HOF than Shawn any day.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

This stuff makes me angry! End up like Pillman? No Joke?

Brian Pillman was a guy who beat throat cancer as a child, made it to the NFL, then became a pioneer of High Flying and the true father of "Attitude". Pillman was never a joke cos he beat the odds to get what he did.

He had a lot of fun but ultimately it was a car wreck that ruined him and led to his death. Whatever you THINK you know, the only facts are that he had a car wreck that destroyed his ankle and he had to take painkillers from then on, as just weeks before he had signed a deal with WWE and had to live up to it...and he did as best he could.

I am certain he lived "the life" but to dismiss that as "another Brian Pillman" is really offensive to me considering the impact the guy actually had on the biz, and ultimately his health was against him since day one... As someone who was born with a defect that should have killed me at 4, Pillman actually inspired me to do something with the crap nature sometimes gives you...

Seriously, Pillman is not a negative on the business or WWE, if not for that crash he would have been where Shawn is now, it's why Vince wanted him and at the end of the day I'd rather have Pillman in the HOF than Shawn any day. rant over.

I don't even know what in the hell the whole beginning of your post is about. Did I say anything about him beating throat cancer, or being in the NFL, or being a great wrestler?

No, I didn't. I acknowledge all of that. Me comparing him is in part a COMPLIMENT, because both were outstanding wrestlers. The difference is that one's life got cut short, and the other didn't. One died young, the other was on his way to dying young, and didn't.

Pillman, for WHATEVER reason, was seriously addicted to drugs and alcohol. That's come from several sources. It is extremely likely that this contributed to his death in addition to his heart condition. If you had a similar condition, good for you. Here's your goddamn medal of valor.

Would you feel better if I compared him to Eddie Guerrero or are you going to be "offended" by that too?

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Wow, just wow...

Ok... So to start, you don't know what my post is about but comment this way (and with a PM to boot)

My problem is that you used the phrase "ending up like Brian Pillman" without any qualification or actual acknowledgement of the stuff you now say "I acknowledge " cos I raised it... did you even know he beat cancer for example?. Brian was addicted due to pain from an accident, not cos he was an abuser in the same way someone like (not necessarily) Shawn was where it was mainly recreational or to "come down" they are two different situations. If you want to compare like for like, Shawn and Crash Holly or perhaps Kurt Angle would be better comparisons.

I could answer your personal insults but I won't... that's my medal of valor...

 

[HatchetMan84]

I just re-watched the entire 1999 shoot interview with Shawn. It's about the 3rd time I've watched it, and I still picked up some new things that I hadn't heard before.

Regarding the injury - he says his plan was to rehab it, in fact he tried rehabbing it for almost 8 months, the doctor told him he was going to need surgery, and that's when he called Vince and said that was it. This would have been about November/December 1998, which fits in during the "commissioner" angle, which I guess thinking retrospectively was done to keep Shawn in the company while they sorted out what would happen with his back.

He started to say that he "wouldn't be able to work anymore", but almost immediately corrected himself and said, "listen, anybody can wrestle if they really wanted to". He said that was not how he wanted to wrestle and even Vince argued that Shawn could still wrestle, do this or that, and he told Vince that wasn't how he was going to work or be remembered. Shawn said he told Vince he was the boss and if he "made" him wrestle, then he would have wrestled. Shawn did say after that discussion, Vince never pushed him to wrestle again.

So devil's advocate here, Shawn is obviously very loyal to Vince, what if Vince said "Shawn, we aren't going to pay you 750,000 a year to do nothing, you're going to wrestle again", Shawn by his own admission in this 1999 interview would have done it. So what matches hypothetically could have been had? To me the most sense would be have a match against Triple H, I know that was the original plan pre-injury. I'm thinking one singles match against Triple H, like a street fight (ironic that this would happen all those years later), or perhaps in a tag-team match where Shawn fights against DX, since Shawn wouldn't have to do much in the ring, kind of like Animal from LOD. It would not have made sense to put Shawn against Stone Cold again at this point, since in this hypothetical situation Shawn likely only has a few matches left. Like Summerslam and maybe WM...

 

[IT Factor]

As a fan, I'm glad Michaels didn't come back until 2002. He was in rough shape and if he had've kept going, he probably would've been another victim to the brutal drug beast in pro wrestling. Instead, he got fired in 2000 and found religion. Whatever the case was or still is, he returned and ended his career on a high note and had some of the greatest WrestleMania matches with The Undertaker. He got a great sendoff and had a great final run with amazing matches. What more could you ask for?

 

[theHeadliner]

Wow, just wow...

Ok... So to start, you don't know what my post is about but comment this way (and with a PM to boot)

My problem is that you used the phrase "ending up like Brian Pillman" without any qualification or actual acknowledgement of the stuff you now say "I acknowledge " cos I raised it... did you even know he beat cancer for example?. Brian was addicted due to pain from an accident, not cos he was an abuser in the same way someone like (not necessarily) Shawn was where it was mainly recreational or to "come down" they are two different situations. If you want to compare like for like, Shawn and Crash Holly or perhaps Kurt Angle would be better comparisons.

I could answer your personal insults but I won't... that's my medal of valor...

It doesn't matter if you start out as recreational user, if you take narcotic painkillers and Somas in high amounts every day, you will become addicted, your brain chemistry will change, and you will need to dose to escape withdrawal symptoms. Shawn was taking high doses of each. Shawn had some injuries as well... His knee was always bad and he said his back started bothering him a lot towards the end of 1997 and he felt the Casket fall was the straw that literally broke his back.