IYO:HBK

[GD]

He doesn't like working for smackdown! he doesn't want championship gold and has got the tag of a future hall of famer. In your opinion- Shawn Michaels.

[Dave Youell]

Quite simply, the greatest overall worker this business has seen

Not on drawing power, but as far as having all the right tools:

Wrestling
Promo skills
Look
Charisma

He was the closest to perfect your likely the get

The only thing that held him back from being 'Hogan' big was that the male fans in the 90's never really got into him, because he was in effect a male stripper, in some matches it was like the Cena stuff we see today, plus he was limited by his hieght and overall build.

If he were 4 inches taller and weighed another 30-40 pounds he would be the greatest ever IMO

[.44 Magdalene]

You know how Christopher Daniels is like, solid at everything, but not really amazing at any particular feature?


Shawn Michaels is like Christopher Daniels at 200%. Everything is just fucking great.

[GD]

Wish he would stop jobbing at ppv main events.

Super Cena facts: Super Cena has defeat HBK at 4 ppvs.

1. Taboo Tuesday
05.
2. New Year's Revolution 06.

3. WRESTLEMANIA 23

4. Backlash 07.

[BigDaddyCool]

HBK, he alright. The whole reason I started watching wrestling back in the day.

[NeanderCarl]

The best all-rounder of all-time, if you take crossover appeal/drawing power out of the equation. Better even than Flair.

Excelled in tag team and in solo. There aren't many top guys who had amazing tag team runs as well as singles, and he beats Bret in the promo/character stakes.

Equally good on the ground or in the air, equally good as a bump machine heel or an underdog face.

Not my personal favourite of all time, but I gotta hold my hands up and say within the confines of the arena, he is probably the greatest of all time.

[Jordan]

I think he is the best worker in WWE right now. I wish he would change his look big time though. He is balding, his hair is horrible. Plus his pants are so lame, his tights were so much cooler.

[Heros Welcome]

When I first came across wrestling back in the day, it was HBK who caught my eye the most. He was and still is the greatest Wrestler I have ever seen. He is just the total package, has every intangible needed to be successful. He may not have had the drawing power of someone like Austin, but regardless he will still go down as one of the greatest of all time. My all time favorite.

[Avenger]

My favourite. I've always said it.

HBK was the only heel I ever really rooted for.

He's the best the ever was. Better than Flair, Hart or whoever else you will throw at me.

[Renaissance man]

Hbk is a wrestling god. simple as that

[What Would Kevin Do?]

HBK is probably the single greatest wrestler ever. I don't think he can ever be replaced. People talk about "it", and he is the definition if "it." His return match vs HHH at Summerslam is still my favorite match of all time. The drama in that match was unreal.

[ttetf]

The best (and sometimes only) reason to watch WWE today. A damn shame he hurt his back in 98 because he probably would have catapulted to the level of Hogan or Austin had he been able to compete in a majority of the Attitude years.

[NeanderCarl]

I don't know about him reaching Hogan/Austin levels if he'd stuck around in the Attitude era, but I could see him in that Roddy Piper role, an extremely high profile heel. As great as HBK was and is, he was never in danger of pushing Austin off his pedestal.

[Rob]

You know how Christopher Daniels is like, solid at everything, but not really amazing at any particular feature?


Shawn Michaels is like Christopher Daniels at 200%. Everything is just fucking great.


Daniels couldn't lace Michaels' boots really.

[Bad Company]

Shawn Michaels is the greatest, Except for Hogan.

[NYDon]

He doesnt want the gold because that just adds to his schedule. Who want that with the guaranteed money hes making

Smackdown is for suckers tbh. let me clarify, i mean who wants to be on a show that doesnt evne have a TV deal right now :)

[Avenger]

HBK is probably the single greatest wrestler ever. I don't think he can ever be replaced. People talk about "it", and he is the definition if "it." His return match vs HHH at Summerslam is still my favorite match of all time. The drama in that match was unreal.
Also my favourite match of all-time.

Let's not forget HHH's role in that match too, but for Michael to come back after 4 years and put on the greatest match we had seen in a LONG LONG LONG time. It boggles the mind how good he is. He's probably the most talented person to ever step in a wrestling ring.

[Pardeep 619]

While I don't deny his in-ring ability and popularity, I don't particularly rate HBK. I just don't see what is so good about him. Sometimes I feel like I want to be a mark for him becuase of the amount of tv time he gets etc, but no matter how much I try to like him I can't.

I do admit though his match against HHH at Summerslam 2002 was great, and I do admit his erformance in the Survivor Series elimination match in 2003 was great.

[SammyG]

He's not a boy toy

[.44 Magdalene]

Daniels couldn't lace Michaels' boots really.

Well, that's pretty much what I'm saying. Daniels is mediocre--not bad at anything, but not great at anything. Michaels is damn near perfect at everything, but doesn't quite excel in any one feature to cement himself like alot of other guys have--his charisma falls just below Rock level while still being amazing, so forth. He's a damn good wrestler in every department, but he can't seem to find that niche that'll put him up with the Stone Colds and the Hogans in the eyes of the casual folks. I mean, fuck, alot of smarks don't even like to admit that he's that good--it's impossible to deny, but he's never had that sort of "huge star" appeal. He's a legend trapped in a midcarder's body, I guess is what I'm saying.

[.44 Magdalene]

Though I sort of tangented off of my original Daniels point.


I compared Daniels to him because Daniels is shaping up to be a lesser HBK thus far. He's got that solidness about him--while Shawn's absolutely amazing at everything, Daniels is... meh, not bad at everything. He needs to improve, of course, but alot of guys out the door struggle with specific parts of the game--they're absolutely awful in the ring, or on the mic, or somewhere. Daniels doesn't totally suck at anything specifically. Michaels doesn't suck at anything specifically to the maximum extent of totally not sucking.

[NYDon]

he can't seem to find that niche that'll put him up with the Stone Colds and the Hogans in the eyes of the casual folks.

that's a blessing in disguise imo

Artie lange said it best on the Howard Stern show the other day "I'm so glad I'm not that famous".

for example, Hogan's son does something dumb and it's all over the paparazzi, HBK has the luxury of flying under the radar so to speak

But the kliq works in mysterious ways so im sure thats all planned out

[JT]

I think he is the best worker in WWE right now. I wish he would change his look big time though. He is balding, his hair is horrible. Plus his pants are so lame, his tights were so much cooler.

I think he looked best in 2002 (though that's probably just before his hair started thinning out). The shorter hair and the white HBK tights looked pretty good imo.

[JT]

The best (and sometimes only) reason to watch WWE today. A damn shame he hurt his back in 98 because he probably would have catapulted to the level of Hogan or Austin had he been able to compete in a majority of the Attitude years.

I think that whole back injury is extremely overstated. I think he just didn't want to be around during the Austin and Rock era, and only came back after he cleaned up and they left the company.

[Avenger]

LOL bullshit

[NeanderCarl]

Ask Shawn's doctor if the surgery he performed on him in January 1999 was "overstated".

[Zen v.W.o.]

Almost as good as Bret, Piper and Pillman. About even with Owen, and a ton better than anyone currently around.

[Avenger]

lol He is twice as good as Bret. Talk about overrated!

[What Would Kevin Do?]

I love Piper and Pillman.... They're not in Shawn's league though. Bret either really. HBK really is in a league all his own. He's the perfect blend of entertainer and in-ring performer. He's in a category with people like Kurt Angle and Eddie Guerrero.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Shawn Michaels is very, very, very good, but I don't think he's the clear cut absolute best ever. Definitely worthy of contention, though.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Shawn Michaels is very, very, very good, but I don't think he's the clear cut absolute best ever. Definitely worthy of contention, though.

Total package, I can't think of many people who would be above him. Like I said, Kurt and Eddie are the only real competition I can think of.

Entertainer alone, the Rock takes the cake by far.

In ring is really subjective. America, he's definitely in contention for the #1 spot... Worldwide, definitely top 10.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Chris Jericho is damn good, too. As far as technical ability goes, Chris Benoit is worthy of mention. There have been a lot of great wrestlers that can hang with HBK.

Right now, I think HBK is being underused by the WWE, however. He should be their biggest star in this time where there is really no one else. HBK and Y2J should be headlining WrestleMania, I stand by that statement.

[Zen v.W.o.]

I love Piper and Pillman.... They're not in Shawn's league though. Bret either really. HBK really is in a league all his own. He's the perfect blend of entertainer and in-ring performer. He's in a category with people like Kurt Angle and Eddie Guerrero.

Pillman before his ankle injury was on par with HBK in the ring, and on the mic Pillman was his superior.

Had it not have been for injury and awful luck, followed bu sudden death, I wouldnt hesitate in claiming he would have been the main guy with Austin ruling the wrestling world. He was better than Austin while teaming with him, and he was in peak form. Had he gone with the character and personality he had while in the ecw and wwf, with a fully healthy body, he would have fucking been great.

Piper is the all time greatest on the stick. I love the man.

Bret is the all time best in the ring.

HBK is top 5 in most any category. Thus he's well rounded.

I give him his props. Saying HBK is top 5 is nothing to scoff at.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Bret is not the all time best in the ring. No way in hell.

[Jeritron]

HBK about even with Owen Hart hahaha. Zen, you crack me up.

Owen Hart botched moves almost as often as he botched promos. That's all the time. And he got progressively more and more boring when he wasn't riding Bret's coattails.

Owen was a very talented perfromer and from what we hear, a great human being. He died tragically and that's a shame. But overall, the guy couldn't lace the boots of whoever laces the boots of Shawn's bootlacer.

[Zen v.W.o.]

Shawn over sells, isnt the technician that Owen is, and Owen was the superior athlete..probably the greatest pure athlete that the wwe has had. Owen, hell, this guy was more versed in many different styles of pro wrestling than pretty much any other guy, except perhaps Dynamite and Benoit.

HBK doesnt botch? Everyone fucking botches from time to time.

Please, a little respect.

Owen wasnt the best promo guy, but he had the charisma and the lol factor needed...he fucking owned KOTR 96 on commentary alone.


It's not harmful to HBK's rep to be below a certain number of guys....which would include all these names.

Now that's enough.

Thread title was called, IYO. Opinion given, move on with your lives.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Michaels is pretty great, but like some people have said, I never root for him to win. I look forward to his matches, but I never want him to win. Maybe because I was a Bret Hart mark? I dunno.

I will say that I really enjoy his matches with Mr. Kennedy, and I hope Kennedy goes over HBK at Wrestlemania cleanly.

[NeanderCarl]

(Owen Hart) fucking owned KOTR 96 on commentary alone

Yip.

I've been saying that for 12 years.

[NYDon]

Michaels is pretty great, but like some people have said, I never root for him to win. I look forward to his matches, but I never want him to win. Maybe because I was a Bret Hart mark? I dunno.

I will say that I really enjoy his matches with Mr. Kennedy, and I hope Kennedy goes over HBK at Wrestlemania cleanly.

Rofl

Keep dreaming

[Dave Youell]

Shawn over sells, isnt the technician that Owen is, and Owen was the superior athlete..probably the greatest pure athlete

That's more of an insult to Owen than anything else

Billy Gunn was named that as well

As was Shelton

How could you do that Owen?

[Anybody Thrilla]

Rofl

Keep dreaming

What is so far fetched about that?

[NYDon]

What is so far fetched about that?

That match will not happen at Wrestlemania. All signs point to Flair vs. HBK at the moment. Kennedy already beat Michaels a few weeks ago on Raw anyway. Clean as a whistle.

[wwe2222]

Hes pretty much the only reason ive tuned into Raw in the past year or two. Definitely my all time favorite.