Who was the man that retired Shawn Michaels? Texas Red. That's who.
Fair enough, Undertaker once wrestled as Texas Red. In 1984. When did Mark Calloway, Texas Red, debut? 1984.
Who was the man that beat The Undertaker in 3 minutes? Bruiser Brody that's who.
What you're conveniently leaving out is that this was Texas Red's debut match. Are you really going to argue that Undertaker was in his prime in his debut match as Texas Red?
Brody was an animal. He was aggressive, cheated, and outright slaughtered oponents. Brody wins here, Shawn couldn't beat Texas Red after 30 minutes; what makes you think he could be Brody when he manhandled him in 3 minutes?
All good points, I suppose. But only if you're going to conveniently ignore the rest of HBK's career against Undertaker. First Hell in A Cell match? HBK defeated the Undertaker. Casket Match at the Royal Rumble? HBK again. In fact, leading up to their match at Wrestlemania 25, Undertaker had never beaten HBK. Ever. Not in single's matches, not in tag competition, not in gimmick matches.
So if you want to use Brody beating Undertaker in his debut match match as argument that he'ld beat Michaels, you're off to a poor start. Because HBK had more then his fair share of success against Undertaker. The difference is he didn't beat him in his debut match, he beat him in his prime. The same can't be said for Brody.
This is the WWE region, where Bruiser Brody was eternally doghoused for allegedly getting into a scuffle with Gorilla Monsoon. You think locker room goldenboy Shawn Michaels would lose to Bruiser Brody? 20+ years after his death he was allowed to have action figures, footage, etc by the WWE thanks to a legends contract signed by his widowed wife.
Except this isn't a WWE-run tournament, it's a Wrestlezone one. And what we're voting on here is who would go over in a wrestling match, not who was in the doghouse when. But if you want to go that route, I do recall times where HBK got himself suspended several times, once having to forfeit the IC title as a result. The only reason he wasn't suspended for the MSG incident was because he was the champion at the time. He wasn't the golden boy you paint him out to be.
But this isn't about locker room and backstage politics, it's about who would win in a wrestling match.
Shawn goes over here. Not because Brody was worse than he was, not because Shawn overcame all odds, but because Brody would be in the doghouse. Had this match occurred in the international region I'm almost certain Brody would tear into Michaels with great ease.
I don't think it matters what region this match occurs in. You used Texas Red as proof that Brody would beat HBK, failing to note that Texas Red was Undertaker's gimmick in his
debut match. And it was Undertaker who ended HBK's career, not Texas Red. When both were in their primes, HBK was undefeated against The Undertaker.
Next you want to being up backstage politics, which means screw all in a one-off tournament like this. The region doesn't matter: If you think Brody would have beaten HBK in a wrestling match with no extraneous influences, then say so. Because that's essentially what this is.
HBK has beaten bigger and badder then Brody. For all the whining people do that HBK refused to job to people in his career, Brody was far worse. That's why he never lasted long in any promotion. Brody was the type of guy who refused to sell for other people, and being ,matched against a guy like HBK would bring out the worst in him. While I don't see HBK pinning Brody here, I do so an instance where Brody takes the DQ or countout loss, frustrated with HBK getting up after enduring his offense.
He essentially "quit" in a cage match against Lex Luger, who's to say he wouldn't do it against a much bigger name in HBK if the match wasn't going his way?
Whether it be by DQ, countout, or straight up pinfall, HBK wins this, regardless of where this match is held. Brody was a monster, but many of his matches ended in DQ or countout losses for himself. It would be that anger and frustration that led to so many of those losses lead to a loss to Michaels as well. He wasn't the most focused of competitors, and is exactly the type to lose his cool, get distracted, and eat Sweet Chin Music. Twice, if necessary.
HBK wins this.
