"STEP UP YOUR GAME SHEAMUS!"

[Jeritron]

From WrestleZone

I spoke to a source within WWE this morning who relayed to me a very interesting story concerning a recent backstage encounter between Shawn Michaels and former WWE Champion Sheamus. According to the source, Michaels approached Sheamus and said, "in case you haven't heard, I'm not going to be around much after WrestleMania, and it's time for the guys like you to step up and main event with all the current top guys, and then bring up the next tier and make them top guys. Your time is NOW!"

Words to that effect.

We have been reporting for several weeks now that Shawn Michaels plans to take time off after WrestleMania, but this time around it might be different since there is no time table for his return. This doesn't mean that he will lose to The Undertaker at the PPV, but that his time off could be significantly longer this time around that it was last year after WrestleMania 25. I was even told that HBK could be held off until next year's 'Mania when he can do the big sendoff much like WWE did for Ric Flair.

I was also told that Sheamus is being told by guys like HBK to step up in every conceivable way, and that he needs to to be a leader to the young guys, but at the same time he needs to be very careful not to step on Randy Orton's toes. That's as big of a part of this story as anything, because a lot of the locker room really likes Randy because he has stood up when the time's right, and also because they all feel he's truly the best in the ring right now, even though his temper tantrums in and out of the ring have some people pointing fingers.

Interesting stuff, if true. I'd like to hear some thoughts on who should be stepping up, and how they can do it. It's important that if WWE expects them to step up, they should allow them to.

Like I had thought, it sounds like Shawn will stay gone for the majority of the year and return for next years Mania for a real last match. All along I've thought this would probably be against HHH: Career vs WWE title.
Honestly, I think if anyone deserves to retire champion, it's Shawn. After a big victory at Mania, and HOF honors, I'd like to see a Raw sendoff. Maybe even Vince present him with the Winged Eagle belt.

Plus it would lead to a tourney for the WWE belt, which is long overdue.

[Juan]

This kind of falls in line with the promo HHH and Sheamus had last night on Raw. Pretty interesting stuff. Probably the most interesting storyline HHH has been in a long time. (I'm not counting the feud with Randy Orton last year, because that started good but the payoff was shit)

[Droford]

and here I was thinking HHH would bury him at WM in under a minute, exacting his revenge on the Ultimate Warrior through Sheamus.

[HBPunk]

Im so glad that this source guy is always nearby when something is said, they always seem to whisper it to a good friend who then posts it on one of the many many wrestling rumour mills, its such a wonderful coincidence. HBK/Taker could both fuck off til next years WM after HBK wins at WM26, rubber match at WM27 to finish the feud when both are inducted into the HOF

[Emperor Smeat]

Assuming HBK means more than just Sheamus with his "you guys" talk, could this be the start of Kofi being pushed more similar to his start during the Orton-Kofi feud ?

[Jeritron]

I would assume he means guys like Sheamus and Punk, who are already there in the main event stepping up to join Orton and Cena at the top tier.

From there, the guys like Miz, Morrison, and whoever else capitalizes on potential would be moved up.

[Emperor Smeat]

I would assume he means guys like Sheamus and Punk, who are already there in the main event stepping up to join Orton and Cena at the top tier.

From there, the guys like Miz, Morrison, and whoever else capitalizes on potential would be moved up.

I assumed HBK only meant RAW wrestlers but yeah Punk and other quality Smackdown wrestlers I could see get boosted the most by given the chance to lead a brand. Miz is a no-brainie on benefiting a lot just from the way he's allowed to mentor Danielson/Daniel Bryan on NXT and his rise on Raw with the 3 belts he wears.

[The Franchise]

Interesting indeed. It's going to be sad to see Shawn and Taker retire. While Flair and Hogan were "bigger stars", I think most people on this forum and the IWC in general grew up watching HBK and Taker more so. There is also guys like Austin, Rock and Bret, but their careers weren't as long as these two so it's going to be a huge loss to the business seeing these two go. Hopefully they can be involved behind the scenes helping younger guys.

I'm just surprised that Sheamus is the guy getting this talk. I hope this is meant more for Punk, Miz, Morrison, Christian etc

[jskinnyg]

I like where this is going... This all needs to happen!

[PullMyFinger]

Randy Orton is the Shawn Michaels of the 90s. Great performer, hot temper.

[DaVe]

Ha, good call.

[Droford]

Randy Orton is the Shawn Michaels of the 90s. Great performer, hot temper.

Maybe he'll lose his voices.

[Juan]

or his smile

[Rammsteinmad]

Or his hair. :shifty:

[ClockShot]

This story happened last year when HBK came back from his break or whatever and asked what top guys Raw had produced and there was nobody while Smackdown had about 10 guys ready for anything.

The man's right. Michaels, HHH, 'Taker ain't got much in the tank left. You look at Raw and you can mention Sheamus, Kofi, Christian, Ted Jr. etc.

It would make for an interesting poll. Who on the Raw roster is ready for the next level.

[The Franchise]

Maybe Orton will convert to buddhism in 2013

[Anybody Thrilla]

I'm not sure about the truth behind the statement, but I will say that I really like how they started to build the Triple H/Sheamus match. It's somewhat based in reality.

[Jeritron]

Their promo Monday night really helped sell me on the match as something more than a random midcard pairup

[Kane Knight]

I think Sheamus really could be decent with some work, so I'm curious about how this ends up.

[Nicky Fives]

From WrestleZone



Interesting stuff, if true. I'd like to hear some thoughts on who should be stepping up, and how they can do it. It's important that if WWE expects them to step up, they should allow them to.

Like I had thought, it sounds like Shawn will stay gone for the majority of the year and return for next years Mania for a real last match. All along I've thought this would probably be against HHH: Career vs WWE title.
Honestly, I think if anyone deserves to retire champion, it's Shawn. After a big victory at Mania, and HOF honors, I'd like to see a Raw sendoff. Maybe even Vince present him with the Winged Eagle belt.

Plus it would lead to a tourney for the WWE belt, which is long overdue.

Evrything you said, I completely agree with

[Swiss Ultimate]

I think that the Miz has already stood up his game. He went from mediocre in the ring and decent on the mic' to entertaining in the ring and golden on the mic.

Same with CM Punk...

There is kind of an issue here though...the last group of guys to really make it big were: Austin, Rock, Foley, Lesnar, Goldberg, Paul Wight in WCW only, and Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. As far as kayfabe legitimate and their ability to draw ratings these were the go-to guys of a period of time beginning with "Attitude" and ending with Golberg/Lesnar's send-off.
Foley passed the torch to HHH. He made HHH legitimate.
Who did Austin make? The Rock? How about Lesnar and Goldberg?
Okay, exception that proves the rule: Lesnar cemented Eddie and now Eddie is dead.

All that momentum just went away. The only person that got a rub from the old era was HHH.

It's easy to tell someone like Sheamus to step his game up but, when he can't even get pushed 1/2 of what HHH was pushed at in his feuds with Foley, Austin and The Rock that sounds kind of bullshit to me.

*Cena would probably be more palatable to the rest of us if he had gotten the rub from The Rock or Austin before turning into Superman. That's my guess at least.

[The Franchise]

Who did Austin make? The Rock?

The Rock made himself. There was a bit of assistance obviously but nothing major. His feuds with Austin, HHH and Foley helped but for the most part he made himself a mega star without having a big win over a main-eventer. When he faced Austin at WM 15, Rock was already a big star.

As for Stone Cold, he helped out Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit quite a bit in 2001.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Good call Franchise. But, that leads me to: 2/3 of those wrestlers are no longer in the WWE and Jericho went on a long hiatus before returning.

Jericho didn't even necessarily need Austin's help to become a supremely over and popular star either.

Kurt Angle is in TNA.

And I don't know who that other jobber you mentioned is. Does he wrestle for Chikara?

[Mr Amazing]

HBK and taker have gave a rub to alot of guys
Taker has given rubs to kane in 1998 Lesnar in 2002,Cena in 2003 ,
HBK gave Austin a rub in 1998

[Mr Amazing]

as for wrestler that need to step up are Morrison,Miz,Punk,Kofi,Ted Jr,Rhodes,MVP,Swagger,Sheamus,McIntyre,Christian,etc

[The Franchise]

Taker has given rubs to kane in 1998

lol

[Jeritron]

The Rock put over Brock huge

[Droford]

The Rock put over Brock huge

Sure is helping UFC out I guess.

I can hear vince now cussing over that.

[Anybody Thrilla]

The Rock's program with Brock has no bearing on his UFC success.

[Emperor Smeat]

If WWE had done more with The Hurricane, it would have been possible to say The Rock "made" The Hurricane without needing to wrestle him just based on the superhero promos those 2 had for a few weeks.

[Damian Rey]

I think the idea of older guys telling youngins to step up is ridiculous, seeing at the young talent has little control over whether or not they are actually allowed to sept up and pushed to that level.

Randy Orton was on fucking fire in 2004. He got mad over, got a push to the top, jobbed to Triple H, lost all charcteristics of what got him over in the first place, lost momentum, then got hurt, and didn't see another title reign for years. Not really his fault there.

Christian was another guy who as hot as anyone summer 2005. He was getting face pops despite being a heel, and could've been a guy that could be pushed to the top and stay there. Instead, his blowoff with Cena comes in the form of a triple threat match where does the job, he gets shipped to SmackDown and shortly leaves for TNA. Awesome job letting a younger guy "step up".

If HBK and Taker and the other older guys want the kids to "step up", they need to push Vince to actually book these guys legitmately. I had zero problem with Sheamus getting an out-of-nowhere push to the top. The problem was he was booked like a fluke and beat absolutely no one during his run. It was a wasted oppurtunity.

[Emperor Smeat]

Agree on Orton but Christian's de-push was all because of Vince so no amount of good will by the veterans would have changed his mind compared to his idea of a "champion" wrestler image.

[Damian Rey]

Agree on Orton but Christian's de-push was all because of Vince so no amount of good will by the veterans would have changed his mind compared to his idea of a "champion" wrestler image.

True, but the image can change. Benoit, Eddie, Rey, Edge, Jericho, and Punk are all guys who got their first no earlier than 2004. None of them fit into the mold of Vince's "champion" image. And in the case of Jericho, Edge and Punk, they've been given numerous runs as the top guy. And on raw no less.

I think Vince has cooled down a lot over the years about his prototypical champion stuff. And I'm more than certain that if guys like Taker, HBK, and Triple H came up to him and said that so and so is the guy that needs to be put on the next level, he would listen. Vince won't listen to his fans, but I doubt he'd ignore his top company men.

[NoRoolz]

Jericho did, in 2002, but I see what you're saying.

[Kane Knight]

The Rock's program with Brock has no bearing on his UFC success.

Nor anything else of consequence to the question of who the Rock put over.

[Rock Bottom]

This sounds like some total bullshit thing that Shawn Michaels said just for the sake of talking