THTRobtaylor
Once & Future Wrestlezone Columnist
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.