Would Shawn Michaels legacy be greater or less had he NOT come back in 2002?

[RBH]

This is the question I have been pondering for a few days. Let's see what you all think. Shawn Michaels as we all know stopped wrestling in 1998 after a back injury became too severe and he had his last match with Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania 14. So my question to you all is would his legacy be the same, would it be better had he NOT come back? Would it have been worse? I think it would not have been the same because by coming back, Michaels was able to add some great feuds to his resume

1. His fued with Triple-H: This was one of the greatest feuds I have seen the Game engage in. Though Trips won most of the matches, HBK made sure that every fight was entertaining. Hell, they even had two straight last man standing double countouts (with Trips title on the line). HBK went over once at Survivor Series 2002. That was his last world title he ever won.

2. His feud with Jericho 2003: I believe that this was a great feud in essense because it made Jericho such a great heel in the way he beat the shit out of Michaels almost on a weekly basis. Michaels got the upper hand and beat Y2J at Mania only for Jericho to fake a hug and kick Michaels in the balls. It was suffice to say classic stuff. His feud with the new Jericho IMO was not as great because Jericho and Michaels did not have the same chemistry and the feud dragged on.

3. His match with Ric Flair: Many will say that this was a horrible match but as someone on these forums would say, a match is determined not by technical skill but by the story it tells. HBK and Flair told a hell of a story and every fan was into it. If HBK does not come back, we dont get this match.

 

[ad21k]

I think there are a couple more higlights that can be added to that list.

His feud with Angle. Produced a couple of very good matches, and there match at mania was definatly the best on the card.

His feud with Cena. Cena is bigger now than HBK ever was, he has surpassed HBK as a wrestler in my opinion, as much as HBK is a great seller and in-ring worker Cena as a package just works more. HBK been able to headline wrestlemania with Cena will be a huge honour, because Cena is likely to be seen as one of the biggest wrestlers in history in a couple of years time, and still has a fair few years after that left in the business.

I also think HBK had a lot to prove after 1998 and while there are still questions over him about how sucessful a champion he was. I think he has proven again that he is one of the best wrestlers ever too due to his ability to have a good match with almost anyone, and do it on a consistant basis in the big time matches.

 

[ztwhite]

Cena is bigger now than HBK ever was, he has surpassed HBK as a wrestler in my opinion...

Dude, I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but can you seriously make a comment like this ?? Cena is an abomination. He's full of three to six moves and can't even slap on the STF without hesitation.

HBK is a classic in the purest sense of the word. I'll concede, he's no Harley Race, no Kurt Angle, no Chris Benoit and no HHH... but I don't know a single wrestling fan who would say Cena is a better "wrestler" than HBK.

 

[avi01]

Cena is bigger now than HBK ever was, he has surpassed HBK as a wrestler in my opinion...

you`re serious?? I`m not a huge HBK fan but come on that is probably the very first i`ve ever heard this. I don`t think Cena can even be compare to HBK.....HBK is just levels above Cena as a wrestler. Cena is simply not a great wrestler.

The only domain where Cena is on par with HBK (probably better) is the commercial aspect...Kids love Cena and it generates money.

 

[reddevil69]

Shawn was one the best in ring performers of his era, but unfortunately his biggest years where he was the main focus of the company,being 1995,1996,1997 were considered a low point for WWF as a company and many fans have overlooked just how good he really was at that time...as the saying goes, a great match is not just about technical ability, it's about the story being told, and during that time, there were not a helluva lot of people interested in the stories being told by WWF...

I definitely think HBK's return solidifies his legacy...he's been having great matches for the past six years, and he's been showcased on an international stage with the biggest wrestling promotion there is, no WCW stealing his thunder... and there should not be a doubt in anyone's mind at this point how important of a performer he is....and I personally cannot wait for WM when he and Undertaker step in the ring and put on what I believe will be the best match of the night and a true classic.

 

[[email protected]]

First of all, he completely lied about saying he "would never wrestling again" which is what he told fans the following week of Raw after being introduced as the newest member of NWO in 2002. Secondly, returning as "The Heartbreak Kid" only cheapened his legacy because he was clearly an old, balding, washed up shell of his former self, who wasn't relevant to anyone let alone women. I personally believe Bret Hart got the last laugh as far as I'm concerned, because Bret was on top of his game when he left and will be remembered as such. While everyone will forget the brash, cocky and arrogant ladiesman that "Hairpiece" Michaels once was.

 

[corvis]

Been an HBK mark since he won the Royal Rumble in 1995, so I'm probably not the best to ask.

If anything I think his legacy will be greater because of his return.

In my eyes he's been in some flat out fantastic matches since his return, ones that spring to mind:

vs Kurt Angle - WM21, Raw, Vengeance

vs Triple H - Summerslam 2002, Raw (end of 2003), Royal Rumble 2004, Vengeance 2004

vs Chris Jericho - Anything from 2003 and 2008

vs John Cena - Wrestlemania 23, Raw from a few weeks ago and the episode in the UK where they went about an hour

vs Undertaker - Royal Rumble 2007 and 2008, I know they're not technically matches but I dug there encounters

vs Ric Flair - Wrestlemania 24

I know there is a few more, but hopefully you get my point.

So if anything, at least in my eyes he's solidified his status as future HOF'er

 

[Tenta]

First of all, he completely lied about saying he "would never wrestling again" which is what he told fans the following week of Raw after being introduced as the newest member of NWO in 2002. Secondly, returning as "The Heartbreak Kid" only cheapened his legacy because he was clearly an old, balding, washed up shell of his former self, who wasn't relevant to anyone let alone women. I personally believe Bret Hart got the last laugh as far as I'm concerned, because Bret was on top of his game when he left and will be remembered as such. While everyone will forget the brash, cocky and arrogant ladiesman that "Hairpiece" Michaels once was.

..... Sigh...... First let's ignore the fact that you're obviously biased against Shawn. No one is ever going to "forget" Shawn. Bret did anything but retire on top. If anything, Bret was a shell of himself at his point of retirement in WCW. Can you name me more than three significant matches Bret had at WCW? Because either than his match with Ric Flair, and his match with Chris Benoit following Owen's death, Bret really never brought too much to WCW. Now, compare to the number of terrific matches he's had since he's returned. His Summerslam match with Trips and his match with Hogan, his Mania matches with Jericho, Angle, Cena, Flair, and even McMahon (I feel it took a lot to make Vince look good), His recent work with Jericho, his Armageddon match with Trips (Three stages of Hell). The fact is, even at this point, HBK can only make people look good. Even wrestlers who are way pas their prime (Hogan, Flair) to wrestlers that aren't exactly the best (Vince). Shawn just doesn't have bad matches. Period. His legacy is still intact.

 

[Megadeth]

I think it has helped him by coming back, not necessarily just because of his feuds and on air character, but his backstage reputation as well. If he had stayed gone after WM14, he probably still have a reputation for being difficult to get along with and refusing to put other guys over. To be honest I never really cared for Michaels during the 90's, and it wasn't that I didn't think he could wrestle, I just always thought he seemed kinda like a jerk in real life. Since his return, I haven't really felt that from him as much, and the fact he was willing to put Hogan over I think kinda proves that. And whether that is because he has become a "born-again Christian" or if he has just become more respectful with age, I don't know, but it has made me appreciate him more.

 

[ad21k]

Dude, I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but can you seriously make a comment like this ?? Cena is an abomination. He's full of three to six moves and can't even slap on the STF without hesitation.

I don't understand your argument why does it even matter how many moves he knows/executes, as long as he is wrestling good matches.You can't argue that he hasnt been having good matches because his matches with HBK + Jericho have been very good. Besides he uses much more than 3-6 moves...

HBK is a classic in the purest sense of the word. I'll concede, he's no Harley Race, no Kurt Angle, no Chris Benoit and no HHH... but I don't know a single wrestling fan who would say Cena is a better "wrestler" than HBK.

Ha HBK is actualy better than all of those wrestlers. HBK is great because he's a great seller, and he's very good at storytelling in matches. He's abit hit and miss with promos, occasionaly has a bad match, but the main reason Cena is a better wrestler is because he is a bigger draw.

HBK has an advantage over Cena because HBK has had the oportunity to feud with some of the biggest names in wrestling i.e. Austin, Hart, Angle, Jericho, Hogan, and Cena himself. However I think once WWE creates some more huge stars for Cena to feud with that Cena will go down as one of the best in WWE history. However you can't blame Cena for there been less big names, also remember HBK has been wrestling much longer than Cena.

 

[Vlita316]

He's abit hit and miss with promos, occasionaly has a bad match, but the main reason Cena is a better wrestler is because he is a bigger draw.

However I think once WWE creates some more huge stars for Cena to feud with that Cena will go down as one of the best in WWE history. However you can't blame Cena for there been less big names.

I do agree Cena is popular and a bigger draw, but i completely disagree that he is a good wrestler because he's popular. popularity doesn't mean much in terms of wrestling skill, remember there are wrestling fans out there who wouldn't understand a good match if it came up and introduced itself. He's not necessarily popular because he's a good wrestler. because in my opinion he sucks up to the fans a little. His fan demographic is mostly women and children, the more oblivious of wrestling fans.

as for WWE creating bigger draws for Cena to feud with...how can they? Cena decimates every veteran and up and coming stars nearly every week. He's won more times than any other wrestler in recent memory (except HHH and we all know how THAT was). so how can ANYONE be serious competition for Cena when McMahon makes him bullet proof?

getting back on topic tho with HBK, i do agree with you when you said that it's a good thing HBK came back in terms of his backstage rep. his job coming back wasn't to be "bigger, better" than he was in his prime, but to help the younger generation coming in (especially Cena)

 

[corvis]

Corvis ! !
There is no triple h Vs shawn micheals at vengeance 2004.
I think you're confusing it with bad blood 2004 where they met in a hell in a cell match (which was awesome by the way).

Thank you kind sir.

Regardless, I still dug the hell outta the match

Apparently this is considered spam because I didn't go into enough detail...(I made 1 mistake get off my case man)

I dug the match because:

1. The length of it, it was a great way to end the Trips/HBK feud.
2. The fact that at the end it took something like 2-3 pedigrees to keep Shawn down and Trips got and kicked out of a superkick, I think this actually made it look more of a "battle" if you know what I mean.
3. It goes to show in a HIAC match that (again) there doesn't need to be any major bumps off the cell.

 

[klunderbunker]

I think Shawn's comeback has been a plus to his legacy. He's been back going on 7 years now. When you think about it, that's almost as long as he was around BEFORE he got hurt. He debuted in 1988 and left in 1998. He was there just under ten years the first time and it'll be 7 years since he came back this August. That's a very long time when you think about it. I could see him being around for another ten years, making this the longer of the two runs. It's not like he's embarassing himself now as his character has some distinct differences but he's still solid in the ring. he's had great rivalries with Angle, HHH and Cena, he's won titles and he's main evented another Wrestlemania. Most impressive and shows how great Shawn really is.

 

[Mr. TM]

It has to be a plus. In reality, Shawn Michaels retiring in 1998 would have created a major hole in his career if we looked back on it in ten years. Most would but Shawn in the top twenty of wrestlers all time, but I would hardly have him in the top forty before 1998.

He has put on some great performances since his return, some of his best feuds, and some of his greatest stories since coming back. We all remember Kurt Angle, Triple H, John Cena, Ric Flair and many other Michaels matches, but if he hadn't come back, all he would be remembered for was being a cocky jump wrestler who was arrogant. His return into a wrestler that is more "centered" has created a performer who we now have the chance to look back upon and call him a legend.

 

[ssvegita77]

I agree that HBK's legacy has only been enriched by returning in 2002. There was a lot of negative feelings about him backstage and quite honestly had he not returned he'd be remembered as being one of the greats that was cut down in his prime. Not returning would have raised alot more "what if ?" questions.

His feud's with all the young guys (which he has mostly put over) has given his legacy a new life. It's essentially one of the business' most selfish guys washing away his past mistakes often at his own expense.

As far as his in-ring work goes, it's still stellar. HBK is slightly slower and less nimble but he's still got the ability, know-how and psychology to give you a fivestar match everytime. Perhaps the only guys to outshine him are Jericho and Angle, and not by leaps and bounds. My only regret is we never got a real HBK vs. RVD feud. That's would be a Wrestlemania headliner.

Lastly to put a guy like Cena in the same category as Michael's is ridiculous. I used to like John Cena when he was a heel who would come out and insult your mother. He was good at this. Now he's this mediocre talent who virtually blows the fans on a weekly basis (while still being booed by half the audience) and has not grown as a wrestler. He used to be the guy who deserved a come-up and was doing a great job of learning on the job. Now he's just stagnant both as a character and wrestler. HBK is a guy who evolved from a promising tag-teamer, to the greatest of the Flair clones, to a successful world champ (despite having a weak supporting cast), to a controvertial veteran and finally to the prodigal son returning to give back to the institution that made him. HBK is one of prowrestling's greatest legacies...hands down.

 

[Shocky]

If anything, the comeback has made his legacy greater.

When Shawn Michaels left in 1998, he was the insufferable backstage prick that held others back and used his stroke to keep himself at the top of the company. Now when he left that little life of luxury spilled over into the nice and capable holding down hands of his running mate Triple H, but that's a topic for another thread.

HBK 1998 and before was a helluva wrestler. He put on great matches, but that's about it. In the end, the guy was going to be known as the asshole that screwed Bret Hart out of the WWF Title and the WWF, the guy that along with his crew, made sure that they were int he spotlight all the time, and the guy that still to this day is the lowest rated champion in Raw's history. Those are facts.

Since he has came back, he has all but shed the selfish prick image of his former self, and if anything, has proven that he is a better in ring performer then what was originally thought. He has had, in my opinion, the two best matches in Wrestlemania history, one against Jericho, the other against Kurt Angle. Shawn Michaels is involved, in my opinion, in the best feud of this decade against Triple H (see, I can say something nice after all). Also, the guy has done more to put over younger talent then just about everyone on the roster, the exact opposite of his running mate. The years off and the finding of Christ has definently changed Shawn Michaels, and his legacy, and for the better.

 

[KatieVick4life]

There's no doubt in mind that HBK's legacy has been enriched. First of all he steals the show every year at wrestlemania aka the only time that wwe puts forth any real effort. HBK is simply in a league of his own. He is so good to the point that he does not require any championship belt. All he needs to be is HBK to sell to an audience. On the other hand, I would say that if he doesn't retire in the next 2 years that he could tarnish his legacy. This is because he doesn't have anything left to prove. To the this point he has proven that he puts on the best matches, delivers some of the best promos, is one of the greatest heels when WWE lets him, and has been in some of the greatest stables.

He has fought just about all the top names as well in five star matches. The three guys that I wish that he would've had programs with in no necessary order would have to be:

1. The Rock- Perhaps the biggest wrestlemania caliber main event, aside from Hogan/Austin that the company couldve put on. Only a guy like the Rock can effectively match HBK's personality and speed. HBK as a heel in this match has possibilities. Look what he did when he was heel against Hogan. It brought the feeling of the match up tenfold

2. RVD- It just would've been an incredible match

3. Brock Lesnar- If anyone remembers that clip of the last raw before HBK's summerslam return against HHH when HBK came down and superkicked Lesnar, who oversold it like nobody's business, it was truly entertaining. I see alot of potential if they ever worked together


And to touch upon the comment earlier that John Cena has "surpassed HBK as a wrestler".......that has to be one of the most infuriating things I've ever heard. To my knowledge, Cena may be the first wrestler that WWE has tried to disguise the fact that he gets so many boo's by saying "well...he's just really controversial." No actually he's awful, has had the same gimmick of Raw's corny spokesperson for the past 4 years, and has 3 moves that he hits all in a row at the end of everyone of his matches. Unless you're a female or a 12 year old, I don't understand what the appeal is. Have you seen the guy throw a punch? I mean, have you seen it? And, when its all said and done, HBK will go down as the best wrestler of all time.

 

[GUMBO2ndcoming]

Well I kinda torn on this. Here's why....
Shawn back in his hay-day was the champion during the lowest time of the company. You cant blame it all on shawn but like i said the evidence is there. He had a great run but his legacy wouldnt be anywhere near as great had he not come back. I'm a huge Hbk fan so it was hard for me to say that last comment. This run right now has rejuvenated him and his career. The great feuds he's had since then have only added to his resume' Feuds with guys like HHH, Jericho both times, Angle, Cena, Hogan, and the Re-birth of DX made great tv. So this run made his legacy greater.

 

[Showtime]

Had he not returned in 2002, Shawn Michaels would've been to wrestling what the Great Bobby Orr is to Hockey. A talented athlete who's career ended much too soon. Of course Shawn added to his legacy when he returned in 2002 and has made it way greater since. Shawn Michaels was a talented performer in his younger days and wrestled in some incredible matches and helped innovate and made popular several gimmick matches such as the ladder match, iron man, and HIAC, but he also champion during a time when WWF was losing the battle with WCW, he had quite a bad backstage rap, and may of been remembered so much more because of the number of memorable and great moments he was apart of rather than him being the best performer.

When Shawn returned, it's been a different Shawn. It's never always been about him, he knows his role and has put over many wrestlers since his return. The only title reign he had was at Survivor Series some 3-4 months after his return that lasted 1 month, but that isn't to say he hasn't been not over enough to deserve one or that he hasn't wrestled well because since his return he's put together some amazing feuds. His feud with HHH had some incredible matches and the feud it self pretty well lasted on and off for 2 years. Equally impressive have been his feuds with Jericho (both), Orton, Angle, and Cena. As KB pointed out, he's been back for almost the length of his first run, so yes, definitely Shawn coming back made his legacy greater, as well as pushed him into discussion as the greatest wrestler ever, whereas if he didn't come back, I'm not sure we'd be having that discussion.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Wow, excellent thread topic.

Its hard to say really. I would almost be coherced to say his legacy wouldve been greater, just becuase people like to say "what if". He was at the height of his contributions when he got hurt, and had a huge mystique about him. Remember Wrestlemania 2000, the video game for N64?? He had legend status, an unlockable. He was a huge fucking deal. Held in the same light as a Bret Hart is now. No one can ever say the grandure of what people wouldve forecasted he couldve been "had he not been hurt". Hell, we cant even say that NOW.

In the end though, I have to say his legacy has been enhanced. although he has had no memorable title reighns, he has had some of the greatest spectacles of wrestling we have seen since, especially at Mania. From the skill and grace of his match with Jericho at WM 19, the brutality of his match with Mcmahon at WM 22, the chaos of the triple threat at WM 20, the emotion of the Flair match at 24. and ALL of it rolled into one, in his classic against Kurt Angle at WM 21. Let us also not forget, the possibility of yet another classic, against the Undertaker, upcoming next month. If he had never come back, we would have none of this, and thus in my opinion, a lesser legacy. If anything, he will also have redeemed himself for being a total cock mongus for the last few years before he got hurt.

 

[deadstealth]

To answer the original thread starter: Before he 'retired' shawn was 3x wwf champ, and the 1st grandslam/triple crown winner. That alone gives him a spot in the future wwe HOF. 1st ladder match, 1st hell in the cell. He was a great salesmen then, could play heel or face well and proved he was a good athlete in the iron man match. He almost single handedly ushered in the attitude era from the previous era for austin and rock, and changed the pace main event wrestlers wrestle at for years to come. He was one of the first small guys to get the big belt, and was emulated by many many wrestlers in those 5 years he was gone. So he was already a legend then. The only way to improve is to add title reigns and/or reinvent/new angles.

When he comes back he has a much more 'classic' style, with submissions and better chaining together of holds/throws, yet wrestles matches just as brutal as ever. 1st elimination chamber. He changed his gimmick up totally, expanded his moveset, and accomplishes all his big accomplishments over again, the whole time being involved in some of the biggest angles in the company. You can match old and new angles - vader, owen, bret, dx, ut; hhh, angle, orton, flair, jericho. Its all classic stuff and all makes HBK a LOT better than cena....lol


edit: so my post gets edited but the cena loving hbk thread jacker isnt????????

 

[supergav67]

Its difficult to say.As someone already pointed out,his real title holding days ArE considered wwFs low point ratings wise ,with Hogan having gone to WCW & gubbing WWF in the ratings..But who better orchestrated the Attitude period better than DX.(Ok,Austin,& co asides) .A period Vince can only DweaM of right now.which ,given any Poll, would overshadow if not top that Montreal,,,incident..
The fact that he went through the ranks from tag partner to world champ ,like The Rock,& all with WWE will further his legacy in Vince,s eyes.,Gawd knows after his injury Vince kept him on somehow in roles like GM,special reporter & stuff.
The fact that he seams to wield some near Triple H type influence in the locker room,,has remained loyal to WWE AnD is still going obviously means we,re talking about HiS legacy here more than his title rivals from 96-98 like say Psycho Sid for example .I hear he has a Wrestling School to fall back on which produced Lance Cade & Brian Kendrick amongst others so I would expect some Stone Cold/Ron Simmons type appearances after he retires.
I think his legacy WoulD be as good & he would be in the HoF by now.I hear though ,the knees are going so its just a matter of time before HiS Ric Flair scenario.Much as Im glad this JBL/HBK thing didnt over run ,wouldnt it have made a great career ender.Beat JBL at WM25 or retire in poverty.I woulda added that just as HBK was about to win with some sweet chin,He,s distracted by someone at ringside.Good gawd almighty,its BRET!.JBL hits HBK with Clothesline.JBL wins.HBK out.Bret RevengE.JBL-You screwed Shawn-You screwed Shawn! ,,,(sorry,time for my medication-Nurse!)

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

There's a number of things that come to my mind when i think of pre-return HBK.

1. His name is synomynous with WM and a number of WWE innovated gimmick matches ie Ladder (although they didn't do it first), HIAC, and even AFTER his return with the EC.
2. He's one of the ONLY guys to stick with WWE throughout the good and the bad, even during his injury
3. On the flipside to that though, you could say he only appeared to be on TV for the money and the spotlight during his hiatus.
4. The origianl DX didn't hesitate to mock professional wrestling for their own amusement. While humorous, it did cheapen the brand and the profession greatly.
5. Anyone who started watching WWF after '98 would only look back in retrospect and think HBK was a prick, which apparently back in the day, he was. I think if the whole Screwjob thing hadn't happened, none of the fans would care about HBK's backstage attitude. It's just because it was Bret Hart that got fucked over, that so many people give a damn. If, the same thing had happened in say, a singles match against Sid Vicious on Raw i doubt we'd get 'you screwed Sid, you screwed Sid!' chants.

When he first returned with the NWO in '02, i didn't care at all. He claimed he wasn't going to wrestle again, and i thought 'ok, they've brought you in to make us care about this group that NOW consists of Nash (yawn), X-Pac (the instant heat magnet), the Big Show (who's done nothing of interest), and Booker T (to make it seem that history isn't repeating itself completely)'. Then suddenly, he's wrestling again.

I've complained a lot about the repititiveness of HBK's matches, and still stick by it, but damn he does really push the boat out when the occassion calls for it. It's evident that a lot of people think so because he's won so many MOTY, these past 3 or 4 years alone (whether he actually deserved it or not).

If HBK is in there with a young guy who can really go ie Shelton or in a big fued with someone equally as charasmatic as him ie Jericho then you're guaranteed to enjoy an HBK segment regardless of your other feelings towards him.

He may not have made loads of innovations like he did before '98, but we've still had some classic memories courtesy of the Showstopper, so i'd say his return has only benefitted his legacy.

2 other things, based on previous comments:-

Cena<HBK<Angle in terms of W-R-E-S-T-L-I-N-G ability, not draw power.

I can die happy if they have HBK v Taker at WM25

 

[Slyfox696]

Would his legacy be greater? Not a chance. Just like Ric Flair, the only reason people think he's so great is because the hype that the WWE has given these guys since their return. When HBK retired the first time, he was known as a selfish and narcissistic worker who cared nothing about the business, wouldn't put people over, and was the worst drawing champion in WWF history. Hardly an impressive legacy. Would he have been Hall of Fame worthy? I don't know. But, he certainly would have been forgettable.

Now, though, the WWE (thanks good buddy Triple H) has completely rebuilt his image and he's looked at as one of the greatest ever, a complete tragedy in itself.

So, his legacy would be much less if not for his comeback.

Dude, I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but can you seriously make a comment like this ?? Cena is an abomination. He's full of three to six moves

Do people still really believe this?

and can't even slap on the STF without hesitation.

Perhaps because he doesn't use an STF, but rather a STS which is a completely different move?

HBK is a classic in the purest sense of the word. I'll concede, he's no Harley Race, no Kurt Angle, no Chris Benoit and no HHH... but I don't know a single wrestling fan who would say Cena is a better "wrestler" than HBK.

Any wrestling fan who watches wrestling objectively would say that.

 

[Crush1]

Shawn Michaels wouldn't be Mr Wrestlemania if he didn't return to the wrestling industry. Back in the old days the guy was over, and people put a lot of fate in him to lead the company. You could say that he went from an upper-midcarder to a leading main eventer. But because of an accident he had to retire and many viewed that as the biggest loss of talent in recent history. He eventually became someone who got on TV but never got to wrestle. So after a lot of drama he returned and that's when his career started to skyrocket.

His feud with Triple H was one of the most brilliant feuds in history and even though HHH came on top the feud gave both men a lot of momentum. Afterwards the guy became popular again started feuding with the likes of Angle, Cena and Hogan. When he first came back most of the fans had forgotten about him, but after his return you could hear everyone say that this guy was a very good wrestler in the 90's. Shawn Michaels is now the most popular superstar in the WWE. Just look at all of those little kids and the parents who now cheer for HBK a 43 year old man.

HBK would have never, ever got the same momentum in the old days as he does now. If HBK never came back, I think most people would say that there was a guy in the 90's that was pretty good but not over the top good like Cena.