Your thoughts on Shawn Michaels

[DLVH84]

Well, it's official: The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXVI. Therefore, Shawn's retired after 26 years in the ring.

My very first memories of Shawn was when he debuted in WWE in June 1988 with Marty Jannetty. The Rockers were my favorite tag team, because I loved how much they gelled as a tag team with their creative double team maneuvers. Their rivalries with The Brain Busters and The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers were tremendous. Their later matches with The Hart Foundation, Demolition, and The Orient Express showed the ability that they were a premier tag team, despite not winning the Tag Team titles.

[Volare]

Didn't take long to start this thread.

[The Franchise]

he aight

[Poit]

I'm expecting him to become the Raw GM when the guest hosts are done.

[AngryMidjit]

who's shawn michaels? some some random indy guy?

[HTrain90]

My first memories of wrestling was during the "Boyhood Dream" angle of 1996. I started watching shortly after the Royal Rumble, and followed up to WM. I still remember being yelled at by my 'rents for having "that wrestling crap" on the night after WM12 - and jumping up and down and marking out like crazy when I heard that Shawn had won (I was 7 years old at the time). His first title reign hooked me into wrestling.

When he left after WM14, I knew he was in bad shape. Even being way too young to know the extent of his problems, I knew he wasn't coming back for a long time - if ever. When he made his return in 2002, I was stunned. I was stunned not only because he was back, but because he was just as good as he had ever been. The past 8 years have been a renaissance for the wrestling mark inside me, and it's been a joy to watch him perform. WM26 was the first PPV I've ordered in 5 years, but I did it because I knew there was some chance of this being his last match. Even if it was not, it was worth it.

There is a sizeable portion of me that wants to see him come back and wrestle a couple more. But my heart of hearts wants this to be it. It would do the ending justice - the emotion of that end made it tough to watch, yet I was hooked as HBK walked up the ramp, perhaps for the final time. Only time will tell, but he is the only reason I got hooked on WWF back in the day, and has been (for quite some time) the only reason I've kept up with the WWE in its current incarnation.

HBK 4 Life. Can't go in the HOF soon enough.

[Rammsteinmad]

I can't remember my exact first memory of Shawn Michaels, but just generally remember him from '93 or whenever when he went heel as a singles star and had Diesel as his bodyguard.

[Rammsteinmad]

Also, I don't know if he'd rate in my personal top five (def top ten though), but I think it goes without saying that Shawn Michaels is easily one of the top five pro wrestlers of all time.

[FourFifty]

One of the things that helped keep my family together in certain periods of time has been pro wrestling. My twin brother (who has since stopped keeping up with the industry) and I had a thing for tag teams. The Nasty Boys, Demolition, LOD, The Natural Disasters... but there was one team we LOVED more than anyone else.
The Rockers.

Ever since The Rockers broke up I have given him shit for Marty causing The Rockers the tag team titles, and then Marty jumping through the barber shop window like a coward.
I sent him a text message tonight.

"Revenge is yours. HBK wrestled his last match tonight, and I hear Marty is still taking indy bookings."

[dronepool]

He's one of the top best entertainers from the WWF/WWE. I always liked him.

[Tazz Dan]

*SPOLIER ALERT* would be nice. For those who haven't seen the show yet. And accidentaly scroll over the thread title. Which isn't me... :shifty:

But whatev. :-\

[Aguakate]

...i am going to see the encore presentation, just in case HBK DOES win this time.

[Xero]

Earliest memories on TV was probably his feud with Austin in 97. Loved him then.

But before that were the ladder matches against Razor from renting them on video. Loved him from that point on.

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>Honestly, I began watching wrestling regularly in late 1998. By that point, Shawn had begun his first retirement and I only saw him on TV in non-wrestling roles. Obviously, I've since seen older stuff...but I'm most familiar with the Shawn Michaels from 2002-present, the only time I've been able to see him regularly and follow the storylines he's in and such.

And I have to say...even if I had only seen 2002-present, what a performer...HOF caliber. Always at the top of his game, and I definitely think he should have had more than just that one-month World Heavyweight Title run in 2002. I'm pretty sure Shawn himself said he didn't want the belt...but damn did he deserve it.</font>

[Aguakate]

You look at Shawn Michaels from 2002-2010, and even though he's older, he wrestles BETTER than he did from 1985-1998.

[ORANGE-LOCKE]

One of the Top Performers in Wrestling History, and always brought his "A-Game", especially at the biggest shows of the year. A few of my top memories or appreciations of him were that he never jumped ship for his boys or money for that matter and went WCW when it seemed like "all the cool kids were doing it" and that, after he returned in 2002, he was a changed man, and also had a strong testimony to go with his storied career....

On a personal note, i just wish he would have gotten 1 or 2 more title runs in the latter part of his career, i mean, he obviously didnt need the title to be over, but it would have been nice. It's just a shame he only has 4 world title runs (3 WWF, 1 World) and someone like John Cena has 9...(still wish HBK would have went over Cena at WM 23)

[Heros Welcome]

He will always be a Hero to me.

Back when I was in second grade, the time I really started to get into wrestling, he was the guy I gravitated to, the one person that really caught my eye. I watched him all the time, I still remember to this day the time I went to Caldors and I had bought his best hits VHS and watched it non stop.

http://cdn1.ioffer.com/img/item/119/809/027/ktAN.jpg

When he lost to Austin at Mania 14 I was crushed since I was such a big fan, and after that I thought he was gone forever. From that day, with all that I had seen I still felt he was the greatest I had ever seen.

His comeback in 2002-2010 was an unbelievable ride. The man was like a fine wine, he got better with age and it was really incredible. I would rank his second run above his first run. With these Taker matches the past couple of years provide to be a great debate to take over my all time fav matches, HBK's match with Chris Jericho at Mania 19 is still tops for me. He has really given me a lot to remember as a fan and made me realize why I love this business. Forever he will be known to me as the greatest in ring performer I have ever seen. Yes I know this is wrestling and nobody ever really leaves but for this moment I think Shawn does have the stones to end on a high note. There is nothing else for him to do. He just had what i would consider 2 of the best matches of his career in the past 2 years on the biggest stage of them all. He is Mr. Wrestlemania and thats the perfect way to go out.

Long live The Heartbreak Kid, The Showstopper, The Headliner, The MAIN EVENT...THE ICON!