How great was HBK?
 

Only the greatest of all time. I’ve recently taken it upon myself to re-watch/relive the wrestling from my youth. Anyway, for my money 97/98 HBK is the greatest heel in the last 30 years. Change my mind.

2004 JBL

04 Jbl was someone I thought about as an honourable mention, but Hbk singlehandedly kick started the attitude era. Jbl was playing a larger than life character of himself , hbk was just being himself and didn’t give a fuck. It’s just an arrogance that you can’t fake. He believed he was the best ever and that he was so much better than everyone he could do and say what he wanted. He was on another level. Untouchable so to speak.

I really like heel HBK especially 94/95.

I guess it's all opinion, but one argument could be for CM Punk whenever he was a heel.

All opinion.... but to me HBK just came across as annoying at that time. Being a legit annoying douche isn't a "sustainable model" for a heel, and doesn't make him memorable in the role at all.

Gertner said JBL, and that is probably a great response. Even past 2004 he was so great.

HBK wasn't a true heel. He got just as many cheers

HBK is my favorite wrestler of all time but his 97/98 heel run is my least favorite version. It’s like he was trying to be more of an over-the-top character but it was just in time for Austin and The Rock to blow everyone away in that realm.

Then he came back in 2002 when those guys were winding down their time as full-timers and instantly re-claimed his spot as the best all-around performer by a mile.

HBK at his peak was probably a top 20 wrestler of all time :y:

The greatest heel in the last 30 years is Vince McMahon, followed closely by Flair, Angle and Hogan.

I went back and watched all the 97 and 98 Raws in order.

DX does not age well at all. He doesn't even get a ton of boos due to the Bret feud. And teenagers found them hilarious. I love HBK but this era isn't his best work.

1995 HBK is by far superior to 97/98 Shawn

1990's Rocker Shawn was better than both

Lol I used to love the "running in place with high knees" fired up Rocker Shawn on the hot tag . Martel used to do that a lot too.

I loved that spot they would do where they'd break a guys neck then drop top rope elbows on him for another fifteen minutes while he was in critical condition.

My favorite spot was when Dean Malenko would take a Rocker Dropper in court.

I hear he was pretty good.

Shawn was a great heel, but was better as a babyface. He is the opposite of Jericho.

His first face run was bad, it didn't really fit him and his caracter and you could see that he hated it. His return face run was good but it was because of the beloved legend status. The mini heel run he had with Hogan showed how great of a heel he was !

He was no Kane, that’s for sure.

HBK is one of the greatest wrestlers who ever stepped in the ring.

That Straight Edge Society run was really excellent.

As far as HBK, I've always had a soft spot for his run with Sensational Sherri. Such a great pairing. His rise felt both organic and deserved. Watching more of that stuff back now on OSW review and just wherever the fuck else, I'm starting to appreciate him even more.

HBK's finest moment as a heel in his career:

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SummerSlam 94 on the website today!

Trying to narrow down when Shawn went crosseyed

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Is this Calgary Sun interview he mentions, available anywhere?

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Clearly nothing has changed with Jim Cornette.

NOGGERS UNITE

I'm not even going to lie about it, HBK's googly eye is pretty much the whole reason I hate him now.
Creepy bastard.

I can't imagine the amount of pills Shawn was on during that interview.

I haven't watched any but from every still he looks like he's working on some serious cotton mouth.

It's from 2000, so prime pilled up Shawn territory

Rocking some dip though. Fucking eh.

I bet he never tried to boink his daughter though.
That's why Jannetty was such a special talent.

I will try chewing tobacco someday, I tried Snus once and it was fucking nuts. Makes you all dizzy.

I used to do a tin a day. The hardest thing I've ever done was quit.