When Michaels retires...

[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyCool Saying Goldberg, who was a flash in the pan, is more of a wrestling legend than Shawn Micheals is like trying to say the Ultimate Warrior was more of a legend than Rick Flair. Goldberg had a huge out of no where push then as quickly as he went up, he went back down. Micheals has done more for the business than Goldberg has took from the business.

I never said that Goldberg is more of a wrestling legend than Shawn Michaels.

Originally Posted by Xero Just because someone is known outside the business for the business doesn't make them better. A "great" wrestler needs to be all-around great in all areas. Michaels matches that. Goldberg just happened to get a push at the right time. Anyone who was big, could grunt and dominate a match for five minutes could have been Goldberg. I stand by my opinion that Kurt Angle is the greatest to step into the ring. Awesome in the ring, on the mic, great charisma, can play both heel and face, etc. He wasn't/isn't a HUGE draw, but to not include him with the "greats" like Austin, Flair or Hogan is ridiculous. Same goes for Michaels. If someone knows of, say, Hulk Hogan, yet has never watched a wrestling show in their life, what does that really do for the wrestling business? Nothing. He didn't draw those people in, he just happened to be big enough for the word of mouth or media whoring to get around.

Everyone here is overlooking just how big Goldberg was in the day, I feel. And I'm not saying that makes him better than Shawn Michaels. I'll take HBK any day, and place his importance to the industry higher. I was just agreeing with Heyman when he listed Goldberg and was questioned for it.

Of course some non-wrestling fans know who Shawn Michaels is. I've heard people talk about fucking Scotty 2 Hotty. If anyone took my comments on Michaels not being known by anyone outside the wrestling consciousness literally, they are a fucking idiot. My point was that Shawn Michaels, for some of the reasons listed by Dave and Jeritron, has never been a part of mainstream pop-culture. I'd possibly call Shawn Michaels the greatest to have never been a big "draw." But I am of the belief that to truly be the greatest ever, you have to do your job, do it well (something that can be questioned about Goldberg, for example), and yes, I do believe you have to make some money.

It doesn't help that "greatest" is such a broad thing to judge. Are we talking solely based on an individual's wrestling skill? Their promo ability? What they have done for the industry? You're going to get a varying array of answers for "Greatest of All-Time," because people place importance on different qualifiers.

But to answer the question of this thread: I believe that the WWE will put HBK over as one of the best of all-time, because he is. I don't think they will flat-out call him "the best," but you might hear more specific adjectives thrown out for him.