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

[thelcon21]

Are some of you watching the same matches that I watch? There is no way John Cena is a better wrestler then Shawn Michaels. In fact in the 4 matches that they have wrestled Shawn has carried he in each match. The only reason John Cena is bigger than Shawn right now and the WWE refuses to take the belt away from him is that Shawn is ending his career and kids under 15 buy into the John Cena hype and BS.

Too answer your question since Shawn has come back in 2002 I don't think he is legacy has been hurt but it hasn't improved much. This is mostly his fault because he doesn't want to be Champion anymore. If he had the belt 2 or 3 more times since his comeback he probably would have built a stronger legacy. He had an amazing fued with Triple H where they probably wrestled every match in the book and his matches with Angle, Flair and Jericho have been great. He probably would have been better staying retired or coming back for a year just to prove he could do it again. Instead of beating these guys like Cena and Orton in none title matches and not being able to beat them for the title.

 

[Pimpin]

It's not much that his legacy has improved. It's more his attitude that has improved. Shawn Michaels before he got injured for 4 years was a prick to anybody & everybody except to his good friend Triple H. Now that Shawn has returned he puts people over, he does more positive things for the WWE, still has a great gimmick & still can put on great match.

 

[RBH]

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.

Do people still really believe this?

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

Any wrestling fan who watches wrestling objectively would say that.

Well said Slyfox but please everyone don't turn this into a Cena thread. Cena is cool and all but this thread is about HBK. God Honest I didn't see HBK much until he returned so I didn't get a clear image of the man until he came back. I will say that because he came back, his image has been improved and so has his legacy. Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and so many others have been able to work with HBK and they have all been able to do what they best :entertain us. And not to change the subject Sly but you want to talk backstage politics, look at your idol (your first one) and thats all I am gonna say about it. But the fact of the matter is that I am happy that HBK was healthy enough mind, body and spirit to come back and perform for all his fans and even for those who hate him. I doubt any one of us would come back from a serious back injury to do just that.

 

[DDPK7]

shawn micahels is one of the greatest of all times and has had amazing matches with anyone no matter how talented his opponents are, look how good his match with vince was at wrestlemania a few years back, vince has 2 moves max and isnt a wrestler but that was a great match because of hbk

 

[klunderbunker]

I think with Shawn's second career if you want to call it that his legacy has improved because he's in a role he's better suited for: the veteran. When he was the top guy in the company, it's no secret that it didn't work. Shawn simply isn't a person that's a long term champion. He never has been and he never will be. Putting the title on him for a month when he came back was a nice flashback kind of thing but it wasn't long term which worked well. Now he's sort of like the Finlay of Raw. He's someone you can put in the main event in a pinch who will give you a solid match but isn't going to win anything. He's been putting more people over while giving them good matches at the same time. Shawn as a veteran that puts people over is something that he's much better suited for than carrying the company like he did 11-12 years ago.