Which Shawn Michaels did you prefer? 1984-1998 or 2002-2010
 

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Pre-born again Christian HBK (1984-1997)

or

Born again HBK (2002-2010)

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Do you think his in ring work was better in his 1st half of his career or 2nd half? Nice to know he really came full circle. When he came back in 2002, I thought it was a one time thing. But he just kept going and going. I liked that he had more of an edge in his 1st half. He lost the bad boy persona in his 2nd half, but he was still good, this time in a different way. I'm surprised he went all the way to 2010. He really had the perfect career, that's why he's WWE's #1 Superstar of all time

I'd say his entire career was simply awesome. You really can't choose.

Too hard to decide. Wish he had one more WWE or WHC title run

When he came back, knowing how bad his back used to be, I thought he would be just another wrestler who was coming back for a check and basically crapping on his legacy. Turns out he had just as many classic matches after his return than before. Can't really pick.

Equally as impressive...be it his rise, his height, or his twilight.

His in-ring work was better from 2002-2010...however, characterwise, I prefer 1984-1998, especially his heel run with DX.

...It's tough to call ONE GUY "The Best Wrestler of All Time"...but I'd say HBK probably is the closest to being so.

Am I the only one who thinks Shawn Michaels was an arrogant piece of shit the first 13 years of his career? Thus, I say the second half of his career was better.

you summed it up for me right there :y:

No, I am talking about him as a man. The way I see it, he was no better than Nash, Hall, or Waltman. his politics behind the scenes were some of the worst in the business.

He not only accepts he was arrogant, he also says he was immature, on drugs...

...so, NO, SaskatchewanChamp...you're not the only one who thinks Shawn Michaels was an arrogant piece of shit the first 13 years of his career...

...Shawn Michaels does as well.

Truthfully, the night he looked Bret in the eye and told him he had nothing to do with what happened, and when I saw that, I wished death on the fucking coward. He is a top notch performer though, and he should be praised for his matches, but as a human being, I wishes death upon him. He seems ok now though.

I'm gonna say his 2nd run. He was always booked in dream matches that exceeded expectations. And when he wasn't booked in dream matches, he took the "meh" looking matches on paper, and made them MOTY candidates.

So I guess the deciding factor for me was that his "legendary status" in his 2nd run allowed him to be booked in those "dream matches" that made for a lot of great moments/matches, since he took those "meh" matches and made them amazing throughout his entire career.

2nd run, way more better matches than the 1st run, ie - Angle, Jericho, Cena etc.

84-97 big time

I prefer the 95-98 HBK.

Damn good question. I, like Soccer Legs, only really know him from 2002-2010. But I've seen a lot of his past interviews and matches and such.

Personally, I curse a lot, I'm all for it, and there were a few years before PG where he could have been edgier, but it doesn't really matter. HBK was still just as good with his language toned down. Always was interested in his promos. Still was able to be funny. "I just kicked Stan" was a funny moment to me.

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Anyway, without knowing much of his work in the past, I think his attitude made this run better. He headlined 3 Wrestlemanias since his return, and almost every single one of his Wrestlemania matches in his return were worthy of being the actual main event...win or lose. He didn't bitch about jobbing, he just put on the best match he could. Don't know if he always did that pre 2002.

He was definitely a better work before 1998 but he's had more great matches in the last 8 years because there were better workers to wrestle.

And as a character, he was better before 1998 but only as a heel. I was always hated babyface Shawn Michaels from 1996-1997.

I'm gonna reasonably assume you are Canadian and you were fairly young at the time. I didn't start watching wrestling until I was 14, I thought HBK was a prick, but when I listened to fans of the business for so long- I realize Bret truly screwed Bret. Shawn was doing his job.

I know we are all aware he was a prick at the time, but Michaels deserved no hatred for this moment alone, as far as Bret should have been concerned. I'm sure there were more than enough reasons for Bret to hate Shawn otherwise.

Everyone in the lockerroom over the years, minus Hurricane of course, probably loved having HBK around. I'm sure everyone hated being around him in his first run as well.

True, Heartbreak is better than Heart Throb

Character wise?

Pre 2002.

This.

His pre-injury run was great, but let's face it, after his return he had a much better roster of wrestlers to work with.

lol he should've done that more often. Just randomly superkick people backstage

What does Triple H say it in the end? "I don't know if that'll get to Virgil, but it sure was funny"

LOL. He said he didn't know if it was controversial.

Best way to say it for sure.

Old School Michaels had more personality.

New Michaels was so much better in the ring, something I didn't think I'd see from a guy whose career seemed to be over.

I don't think I can really choose between the two.

I choose 2002-2010. With his character "toned down", I found that I could REALLY get in to him. Before, I still enjoyed his work in the ring, but enjoyed his character and personality less.

Disliked his feud with McMahon and most of the new DX stuff though.

Both runs for different reasons. Overall he is the perfect wrestler and THE greatest of all time. There will never be another Shawn Michaels

I agree altho he carried the belt for 8 months in his first run which would be a huge achievement these days, even back then that was awesome. He was so far ahead of anyone on the roster, talent wise, in 1996 and is unfairly blamed for the ratings loss that year.

Why wouldn't he be arrogant?! he was 28 years old when he alone created the ladder match which is still to this day the most popular gimmick match. Shawn Michaels can be solely credited with that. He won the WWF title at 30 and was well aware even then that he was at the very top level, he knew he was the best wrestler in the WWF. Thats not arrogant, he was right. Bret and Owen Hart were the only guys at that time who deserved to share a ring with Shawn Michaels.

I didnt know you were in the locker room after the match in Montreal, you saw it ya?! Bret Hart didnt wanna drop the belt, he was punished, end of story. And you are canadian so of course you remember things as seen through your big shiny pink glasses. I bet your parents would sit you on their knee when you were a kid and would tell you of the evil Shawn Michaels out performing and out wrestling Canada's King, national hero and brightest star. In reality Bret Hart is the best wrestler to emerge from Canada's answer to the Manson family. He's lucky he even had a life considering he was assfucked in a dungeon for the best part of 15years.

Ahhhh its nice to be proven right in the end

Can't decide, he had great runs and matches in both of his career. this guy has never ruined his legacy.....yet. maybe in his first run he refused to put certain guys over but in his second run he didn't mind. even if he comes back 5 years later he'd still put on a great show.

Character, def the early years... In ring work was stellar his ENTIRE career...

"Gold jacket, green jacket, who gives a shit?"

Both eras are equality as awesome. Shawn is my all time fave.

lol

i prefer the old arrogant prick shawn michaels but only marginally. he's just too good all around to make a definitive pick.

I like the HBK on cocaine and pills