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WRESTLING COLUMNS

Why I Hate Shawn Michaels
May 19, 2005 by Rob S.

Let me start out by saying that this is only one OWW fan's opinion of "The Showstopper." I realize that many of you probably grew up loving the guy and that's fine. I myself was 12 when Degeneration X formed and thought that they were the coolest thing since the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Oh how wrong I was. Whether you grew up loving him or not, you should now respect the fact that he is a slime ball. Many of you are most likely saying, "But Rob, you have to respect the fact that the man is a great wrestler." No, no I don't. There are many great wrestlers out there and a lot of them aren't pieces of garbage like this one. Allow me to explain point by point why I despise HBK.

It's all about Shawn - First and foremost, the man is arrogant, cocky, and so full of himself it makes you sick to your stomach. You can see it even when he's not playing the role of the heel who is full of himself. From what I hear, he's the same person in the locker room that he is in the ring. He's a pain in the ass to work with and refuses to job to people he doesn't like or for whatever other reasons he can think of. This includes Bret Hart (who is my favorite wrestler of all time by the way). When people say that Shawn screwed Bret, I don't think of Montreal. I actually don't blame Shawn for Montreal at all. The fact that he lied about his involvement in the incident pisses me off, but I shall return to the point. He screwed Bret by not jobbing to him at WM XIII as was the original plan. Bret jobbed to Michaels at WM XII even though he hated the guy, so why wouldn't Shawn return the favor" Oh I almost forgot, because he's an asshole.

Vince - Of course Vince let this go because he always had a thing for Shawn (for some reason unknown to this writer) and Shawn always had just enough of his anatomy up Vince's rear to keep Vince happy. Thank God McMahon forced him to lose to Austin at WM XIV since Michaels reportedly didn't want to do that job either. In the late '80s when he and Jannetty were fired for partying too much, I shudder to think what Shawn did to Vince to get his job back (if you know what I mean).

BAC - No, this doesn't stand for Blood Alcohol Concentration, rather it stands for Born Again Christian. Ah, the worst kind. Has anyone else noticed that born again Christians always seem to be alcoholic or drugged out losers who decide to sober up when they magically "find" Jesus" Give me a break. He and W. should go on a nice picnic and discuss how they each found Jesus at the bottom of a bottle of rum.

The Kliq - That pack of idiots that supposedly ran the show in the mid '90s in the WWF. Scott Hall (ugh), Kevin Nash (double ugh), Triple H (more like Triple Ugh), and Sean Waltman (to whom I still chant 1-2-3! at live events). Of course Shawn was right in the middle of all these guys during the gangbangs.

The gimmick that never dies - The Heart Break Kid. The man is now pushing 40...when is the "Kid" name going to die" Never. "It's classic" is everyone's reasoning behind that one.

The song that never dies - I admit that while it was catchy the first 350 times you heard it, by number 351 you're muting the TV for his entrance (or anytime he does commentary or speaks at all for that matter).

The superkick - What a lame finisher. This is comparable to Hogan's leg drop or Macho Man's flying elbow. If anyone else does it, the guy kicks out. But somehow Shawn Michaels has the greatest leg speed and strength in the world. And when he is supposed to miss it, it looks like a half-assed attempt where he sweeps his leg over his opponent's head. You always know when it's not going to connect.

Repetitiveness - I know some people knock on Bret Hart for being repetitive with his moves in the ring, but in his defense there are only so many ways to injure your opponent's legs. Shawn's big repetitive move in every damn match he did was totally unnecessary and stupid. You all know what I'm talking about. He takes a whip into the turnbuckle and instead of just taking the shot to the back he flips up over the post like the velocity of his opponent's Irish Whip made him do it. He always pulled this crap in Royal Rumble matches even though you knew he'd never fly out of the ring. All his flubbing around in the ring is really annoying too. Again, people accept it because it's "classic Shawn."

His real name - Michael Hickenbottom. This one almost explains itself. Hickenbottom. Not only does it have the word "hick" to start it off, it just sounds goofy. I wish he would have wrestled under this name. This criticism isn't exactly fair since we can't choose our names, but it's still funny.

So for HBK fans out there, I got two words for ya...SUCK IT!

by Rob S. ..

John Knott wrote:
Righttttttttt first of all can people actually get with the present. The Kliq was about as far backward that you can get without looking at a time when Hogan had hair. So what if he has some backstage influence. So. If you actually look at the record sinse he returned his PPV record is pathetic. He jobs ALL THE TIME. Cough (Edge Angle Benoit) Also give his finishing move a break. The crowd love it. Yes i can the=ink of all the times preople clap when triple H nails a pedigree, or when Paul London does a 450 splash. So overall give him a break he is one of the most influencial stars ever!

Erkka J�rvinen wrote:
Ok so it seems like they let anyone to write a column these days. Jeez, you really think you know something about backstage politics" Your whining is based on rumors so shut the hell up already like you know whats going on in there. When you write a column mister whatever, atleast try to do it in a polite manner. With this column i bet you get 0 people really listening your opinions. If you wanna make a valid point then its better to express it in a reasonable way. Now, just to tell you i am not a Shawn Michaels fan...just being irritated by some guy insulting Shawn to the ground without facts.

L.A. wrote:
First of all I would like to start out by say opinions are like ass holes everyone has one. First of all put more fact behind your article. Shawn has competed in two of the greatest matches in history. His ladder match durring WMX til this day is considered one of the greatest matches ever and guess what" Shawn played jobber to Razor Ramon. Bobby Heaton (the greastest manager to ever live) said that his match against Kurt Angle durring WMXXI was the greatest match he ever seen and he's seen some great matches (Hogan vs. Andre). Oh yeah, Guess what" Shawn played jobber in that match also. As far as "Sweet Chin Music", what makes people fall in love with a finisher is the fact that its unpredictable and its quick. Shawn comes out of no where with it to defeat his opponents. Ric Flair who many would argue the greastest of all time even said that Shawn was the man durring the WCW/WWF battle days. Apparently rob your someone who hasn't been in the business and someone who don't really no much about it. I am 25 years old and I can say I've been following the sport for 21 years. Show me a qoute from more than one hall of fame wrestler or manager say Shawn is not respected in that ring and he doesn't give his all and leave nothing in that ring and I'll concede the arguement to you. Oh yeah, as for the "Montreal Screw Job", Earl Hebner gave Brett his word that nothing like that would have happen but apparently he screw Brett as well and you can't put the blame tottally on Shawn. That incident probably saved the WWE.

Al Fucsko wrote:
I have hated Shawn Michaels since he was a curtain jerking Rocker, to the world champ, to DX, and now as the WWE's main face. I couldn't agree more with this great article; 12 years of the same cheesy gimmick, to the almost never EVERRRRRRR putting a guy over clean, to the never ending list of injuries, to the Jesus stuff, Shawn Michaels is total crap and shouldn't darken a WWE doorway again. He is sickening!

Jacob Kuhn wrote:
Rob, though I have been an 'on and off' Shawn Michaels fan for a while, I can see a lot of your reasoning. I myself have been a huge fan of his and alternatively couldn't stand the guy.

When Shawn was IC Champion in 1992-1993, I thought he was one of the best in the game. He had the ability to make good matches with crappy wrestlers (ie Tatanka, Jim Duggan, Crush, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall). His matches were a fresh alternative to the generally boring performances put on in WWF. In fact, Bret Hart was the only other decent wrestler in WWF to watch.

I first turned against Shawn when he became a face after Wrestlemania XI. Where I found his cockiness and ability fun as a heel, he similiarily was annoying as a good guy. His matches became boring and developed that repetiveness you were talking about. I got so tired of seeing flying forearm, nip up, elbow drop and then that stupid stamping his foot on the mat before the super kick. Talk about telegraphing a move. His matches lost all of their depth and became routine and boring.

His attit ude with not dropping the belt back to Bret Hart was annoying as well. Possibly the only thing more annoying was the two faces of the Kliq. I hated how he always called his fans that, and the only thing worse was the way he manipulated things to his liking behind the scenes.

I can on and on, but my feelings go back and forth on Michaels. I liked him as a heel, but he went severely downhill afterwards. For the past several years, he has been shadowing the same HBK during his first annoying championship run.

What I have noticed, however, is that as a Ric Flair fan, it's generally a rule to hate Hulk Hogan. It seems now that for Bret Hart fans, the same applies to Shawn Michaels. :) It's nice to see traditions continuing.

Wesley Martinez wrote:
Well, you're just asking for flames, aren't you" Describing you hate Shawn Michaels, and then telling his fans to "suck it"" Oh, you are a smart one. Also, the gay innuendos really aren't necessary. Oh yeah, references to homosexuality are REALLY clever! I don't know where the hell you thought of that! Please. While I respect your opinions, I don't respect the way you present them.

Johnny Speckman wrote:
Let me start out by saying that this is only one Shawn Michaels fan's opinion of "Rob S." I realize that this article you've written has got to be the biggest piece of self-indulgent crap that I have ever read. The second that I started reading your article I knew the name Bret Hart would appear. For the life of me, I can't understand why people split their focus with these two. Outside of myself and a few close friends, I don't know of anybody who likes both wrestlers. People have let The Montr�al Screw Job affect them one to many times. Sure it was terrible what happened to Bret Hart but let it go people! I'm still shook up by the whole Matt, Edge, Lita situation but I still love Edge as a wrestler and think he deserves the title.

To get back to the point, Shawn Michaels is a great wrestler. Inside the squared circle he is one of the best. True he might not be liked backstage but who the hell cares" The Shawn Michaels you watch on TV is a character. If that's the way he is behind that curtain it has nothing to do with how one should react to his onscreen character. Backstage politics are ruining the views of simple-minded fans. I, on the other hand, know what goes on backstage yet I chose to ignore it and continue watching as if these wrestlers didn't have lives outside the business.

Sure there are some things about Shawn Michaels I don't like...wait no there aren't. I like everything right down to the Sweet Chin Music. It's a simple yet effective finisher. Plus it looks bad ass from any distance, be it eye to eye or to an opponent leaping off the top rope clear across the ring.

All and all you gave some of the most pathetic reasons for not liking a wrestler that I have ever heard. Basing your opinion on liking a wrestler should have nothing to do with their entrance theme or whether or not they go by their real name. It should be based on their in-ring ability which Michaels has to spare.

I could go on and on with a subject like this but I have other idiots to attend to in the OWW column section.

fobbe christopher wrote:
I have been a fan of the "Heart Break Kid" for years, infact, the first RAW main event I ever saw was Shawn taking on Mick "Mankind" Foley, in a great match, that may have been some kind of rematch from the In Your House Mind Games pay-per-view. But, I am not sure, I was six when I watched this match.

I was wandering around the OWW website, when I saw the title of this column, I was interested to how someone could hate Shawn Michaels. THEN I read the reasons. And no offense to the writer, I found this...weak.

Its All About Shawn Yes he is arrogant, yes he is cocky, and yet, so are "legends" like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and even less greats like The Rock or Triple H. I have heard that he is nothing like that character he portrays on television. In fact I heard he is somewhat shy and reserved, at least when it came to making the first move towards his future wife. When Shawn denied his involvement in the "Montreal Screw Job" it probably wasn't his idea. And if you bring up Shawn refusing to job to Bret, lets bring up Bret refusing to job to Shawn, when Bret was the champion AND on his way out to WCW. Now Shawn wasn't risking the credibility of the WWF title by refusing to job to Bret. But, Bret was. So I guess we can call them almost equal, but I find Bret's offense a tad bit more severe.

Vince Shawn was in the bosses good favor his whole second run right" Uh...no! Shawn got fined for stuffing gauze down his shorts and crotch chopping during an interview with J.R, if he had been "Vince's Boy" he probably would have gotten off with a "firm warning." I remember reading in "The Wrestler' that Shawn and Marty cleaned up their act to get back in, and if you were trying to get rehired for that big of a pay check, you'd kiss up a little too.

BAC Shawn found religion. Maybe he had gone through a few hard years, and once he had a family decided to find something that not only would do him good, but his wife and young son. I am not an overly religious person, but I basically, found the beliefs I have in life out of no where. Maybe god works is strange ways.

The Kliq Maybe these guys did run the show. But think about this, Nash was a main eventer, and for at least a year of being a Kliq member he was WWF Champion. Both Shawn and Hall were Intercontinental Champions for runs during this period. Triple H, or Hunter Hearst Helmsley as he was called at the time, was a top heel and a great foil for upper mid-card faces like Marc Mero, Henry Godwin, Goldust, and even the Ultimate Warrior, although I do share a hatred of Triple H to this day. And Sean Waltman, a.k.a. 1-2-3 Kid, a.k.a. Syxx, a.k.a. X-Pac, a.k.a. Syxx-Pac, was the top baby face under dog at the time. I mean c'mon who didn't get the warm fuzzies when he beat Scott Hall" So maybe they ran the show, but they did all hold important positions.

The Gimmick That Never Dies Yes, Shawn Michaels is no longer a kid any more, but Ric Flair is no longer a "boy" but I hear no remarks over his nick name. I mean your right, the reason it never dies is because it's a Classic" but thats why we have bene calling Ric Flair "Nature Boy" for years, and even farther back with Buddy Rogers, who was also called "Nature Boy," both were way past boy hood, but they were always called that because it was "classic."

The Song That Never Dies It wouldn't be Shawn Michaels without the music, just like it snot Ric Flair without "2001 a Space Odyssey." Once again, you comment on Shawn's faults, but not another great wrestlers. Plus, no entrance is as annoying as the screeching rhythem of Bret Hart's entrance.

The Superkick Yes, its looks uneffective, like Hogan's leg drop or Randy Savage's elbow drop. But, its somehow not near the ineffectiveness of The People's Elbow or The Worm. Or what about other classics like the Gorilla Press Slam, or even the Clothesline From Hell. Compared to these moves the Superkick could kill someone.

Retitivness Yes, Shawn is repitive, but aren't most great wrestlers" I mean thats one thing that makes them great, that one moment where the fan knows whats going to happen, and because they know they go crazy. Like when Flair gets whipped into the corner and does the delayed reaction fall on face. Or when the rock pulls off his elbow pad and throws it in the crowd. The people go wild. Even when Triple H spits water. Or RVD's thumb pointing at himself. All great wrestlers do something repitive.

His Real Name Well this is the worst reason of them all. He has a lame name. So does RVD. But your not insulting RVD for his lame name. So what is has the word "hick" in it. What does the S stand for" So what, it is his name, he has no choice over it. You went from mildly passable points, to Elementary school insults.

Steve-O G. wrote:
why i got nothing against Shawn Michaels

i don't get how you say hes just like his gimmick, cocky and full of himself. shawn at one time was like that but now hes older and seems to care about life a little more then he did befor. after all the guy has taking the time to show his love for god. how can you say he never jobs to any one, how many times did he job to Christian when they were f euding with each other" what about when he was fight with Muhammad Hassan & Khosrow Daivari, Khosrow beat him on his first match on Raw and he looks less then a cruiserweight right now and all the time that they beat him down on Raw"

This is where it all comes together when you said that Bret Hart is your favorite wrestler of all time, now you just sound like all the other fans of Btret Hart who are mad about that one match when are you going to lest that one match go all ready, nothing you say is going to make it any better. first off Bret never jobbed to Shawn in that match he never knew that he was going to lose that match to him and did you ever think that he would never lose to him is because he was over with the fans better then bret was. i'm not even going to get in to the hole Christian thing for my own reasons.

There was no Kliq in the mid '90s because Triple H was just starting with WWF and starting to be pushed but was far from the top of it all and Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were soon to be in WCW and both of them were also far from the top but were on TV just not in the title runs. so that just leave Shawn, he was on top because he was over with the fans as a face or heel that why he was give titles. why should the HBK gimmick its the gimmick that made him be known all over the world. whys it metter how old he is the fans still chant it and i think they all know that hes not in his 20s any more. whats wrong with keeping the same song and never getting a new one" how many other wrestlers have kept the same music; you have Y2J, The Rock that been the same for the most, big show, and Triple H for some.

You know you hit low when you have to make fun of some ones last name. why does it mater what word is in his name. but i guess for you it explains evey thing that is Shawn Michaels and what he is from the sound of it from what you were saying.

Dev Hasan wrote:
Yes. I agree with it all...I didnt like D-Generation X till Shawn left. I only liked it when they had it was Triple H, X-Pac, Chyna, Road Dogg and Badass Billy Gunn.

He screwed Bret. This born again christian crap doesnt play along with me. He is like Vince Russo "Im a born again christian" yeah RIGHT.

When Bret asked him about him about him knowing anything about the screw job after the match he goes " I swear to God, my hands are clean on this one " yehhhhhhhh right!

Another thing about the "Kid" it is dead. That's why Chris Jericho called him the "Has Been Kid" which he is.

And him not jobbing to Austin. The reason he did is because The Undertaker said to Shawn that if Shawn doesnt job to Austin he'll beat him up. Shawn got scared and jobbed. This is true. Any real wrestling fan would tell you that was true. Austin is bigger than Has-Been Kid would ever be.

As for his finisher your right again. It is lame. For some reason when someone else does a superkick people kick out on 2 but when Shawn does it...some how it feels like a lightning strike or something. He couldent be orignal as he claims he is. Bret was orignal enough to event the Sharpshooter with Stu Hart.

And people cant knock on Bret either for his moves...why would they" the guy never injured his opponents or refused to put people over like Shawn did. Bret worked his ass off longer in the buisness than Shawn did.

Gabe Riddell wrote:
That was the most offensive thing I have ever read. first of all have you ever been super kicked" It hurts like hell, and would nock you dirty mouth up through your arse. secondly as a born again Christian I found your criticism of christianity absolutly sickening and un-needed. It didn't help you in the article but maybe it's you that needs Jesus. thirdly, Shawn Michaels "Heart Break Kid" gimmick the "kid" part stands for his ability to mentaly stay young and always be productive in his maneurisims. Fourthly, I don't like Shawn Michales as much as alot of people but you should have respect for him whether you like him or not, as an up and coming wrestler I would love to get the crowd reaction that Shawn Michaels does, they pop for him because they respect him. fifthly, don't bash the Kliq, that group it probably the base on which DX and the nWo where born and if you don't believe that those two groups where big then you've lost your mind. Nash, and Hall, And Triple H all started out in the Kliq and became some of the most influentual (although contriversial superstars to ever live) and get your mind out of the gutter, Vince hired HBK back because of his true love of the business, love of the crowd and the crowds... Respect for him. ok, bye.

Hbk550 wrote:
Rob non of your points were very legitimate. To me it just sounds like an other person still holding on to Montreal even though you tell yourself your not. Half your column is hear say, what you have heard people say. Lets start off with "It's All About Shawn." He's cocky, he's arrogant, he's acting his character. If HBK was a humble character you would be complaining about how he is too nice, to respectful to people who don't deserve the respect. You then go on to talk about how he wouldn't do certain jobs, if I recall Bret Hart, your favorite, did not want to jobs to people either. That is the reason why Montreal happen, Bret not wanting to job to the Heart Break Kid. Then "BAC" if's fine that you don't like them, but how can you say what they actually did or did not find. Are you him" Then you go on all about his character and his moves. When you find something that works, something that the fans love and moves that get pops your going to stick with it. Every wrestler out there has repetitive moves. The Undertaker, Triple H, Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair. When you find something good you stick with it. Why dump something that gets a good pop or reaction when you do it. And finally you rag on his real name. Like he really had a choice in picking it. Lay off the dude, so he has a funny last name. I bet you're name is any better. I've read what people say too and I've heard all the rumors. He may very well have been cocky or a jerk back in the day. But It's really messed up you can question his change. Just because he's changed his life for the better. He's married, has two kids, loves life and found religion. I'm sorry if that is a bad thing from someone to do. I guess many people are slimy and crappy out there for improving their lives. I met Shawn a few years ago and he was very respectful, not arrogant at all and I just find it retarded that you question someone's life, the way they lived it, and how they changed it when you have barely lived your own.

Jose Jimenez wrote:
My personal opinion is that you really dont seem to know a lot of what went on... now, im not going to say that Shawn didnt knew about the Montreal screw job, but sadly Shawn and Vince are probably the only people that know for sure, however the thing is that even if he knew, he had a job to do ordered by his boss, now again, im not saying that it was the correct thing to do, it was crearly something unethical, unfriendly and many other "un" things that you can think about, BUT he still was, and still IS working for Vince, and we know that Vince has some preference with some wrestlers, but we also know that Vince does not have any trouble of cutting anyone in the bussniess if he wants to, so perhaps Shawn was forced to choose between screwing Bret, or losing his job... also the fact that either Shawn or Brett didnt liked each other did not helped the matter.

again, im not saying that Shanw did the right thing, but sometimes we have to be in the shoes of a shoemaker to really know what making shoes feel.

about the other things, im not even going to go there as is obvious that you have personal issues about most of the things you list, except fot the "Repetitiveness" item that in a way i can even agree, but like you said, i put with it because it's "classic Shawn", and i personally like it...

Mike B. wrote:
Of course you hate Michaels. Your a Bret fan. It's compulsary that all Bret fans whine and moan about HBK, just like the Hitman himself. This is all because of the 'screwjob'. It was 8 years ago! Get over it!!

You article is very immature, you try to insinuate that Michaels is gay with your "I shudder to think what Shawn did to Vince to get his job back (if you know what I mean)" comment. Then you try to say he's an alchoholic!"" "discuss how they each found Jesus at the bottom of a bottle of rum". Then another gay comment! "Shawn was right in the middle of all these guys during the gangbangs" These are all things Bret was supposed to have accused Michaels of! Your just repeating your hero.

What's wrong with 'Kid'" I never hear anybody crying about the Dynamite Kid. You know you love his entrance music. Everybody does. I find no problem with the superkick because as we all know, wrestling isnt real. If his finisher was slapping you with a paper cup it would still get the win because it his finisher! And besides, if somebody ran up to you and kicked you in the face im sure you would be ko'd.

Repetetiveness" It's called character definition. All wrestlers have a move set that they bust out every match. It makes them unique.

Ok now your ripping his name!" That's just pathetic... "So for HBK fans out there, I got two words for ya...SUCK IT!" Actually that's even more pathetic.

Your entitled to your opinion but the truth is you dont know Michaels and never will so it really doesnt matter.

Max Ogden wrote:
You have some very.... Weird points. Shawn Michaels is so good because of the way he acts, the way he doesn't back down, and the way he connects with the fans. So, let me start off with some of my points why he is so great.

It's all about Shawn - Yes, he's cocky and arrogant. However, isn't that what people like" Chris Jericho, even when he was a heel, no matter how much people booed him, we loved him. And well, Chris Jericho is face now... He's still like that. Besides, if you're a Grand Slam Title Winner, who wouldn't be cocky and arrogant" In my opinion, it's good to see a Face Superstar that's cocky and arrogant, becausae cocky and arrogant heels (Triple H, Edge, etc...) really piss me off. HBK doesn't go on for 20 minutes about "I was robbed! I'm the Game! I'm the best!" When HBK talks, I like to listen because he actually has a point in talking. And when HBK talks, it creates Storylines, or just makes fans smile. When Hogan saved HBK from Hassan and Daivari, I think that was the best thing WWE has done since D-X.

Vince - If you're talking about Vince liking Shawn, you're crazy if you don't talk about Vince liking HHH. Yeah, HHH walked out, but he's bound to be back. Vince LOVES Triple H. But HBK, yeah, he likes him, it's quite obvious. But HBK, he deserves the attention. Survivor Series 2001, HBK's return match against Triple H, No Disqualification. HBK jumped off Ladders, Jumped onto a Table, took a beating, and still got the win. Probably the most inspirational match I'd seen in a long, long time. HBK deserves the attention he gets, The Showstopper, because hell, he even admits he wants the spotlight. And well, when you give it to him, he shines. So I think you should thank Vince, not be pissed off at him.

BAC - You're mad at him for his religion" Wow, that's all I have to say.

The Kliq - "That pack of idiots that supposedly ran the show in the mid '90s in the WWF. Scott Hall (ugh), Kevin Nash (double ugh), Triple H (more like Triple Ugh), and Sean Waltman (to whom I still chant 1-2-3! at live events)." Well, that was your opinion. You know what I find funny" HBK, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Triple H all won the world title. And Sean Waltman, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining superstars to watch, whether he's face or heel. Triple H, whether you hate him or love him, you have to respect what he's done in the ring, and The Kliq DID run the 90's. Scott Hall, probably the best mic-user in the world. Whenever he talked it made you laugh, smile, or hate him, exactly what a Superstar is supposed to do when they talk. And Hall, his finisher, The Razors Edge, definately effective. Kevin Nash, Diesel, whatever you want to call him, someone who I think is pure greatness. Even in TNA I love watching him. He's not the most exciting to watch, but Big Boots and Jacknife Powerbomb's are fun to see, especially when he lifted up The Giant for one and ended up dropping him on his neck.

The gimmick that never dies - Okay, I can agree with you, he's not a kid. But if there's one thing I've learned about WWE and life, it's this. No matter how stupid it may seem, if the fans or other people love it, keep it going. Fans love the HBK gimmick, because all of my friends still call him HBK! And when you hear chants for him, it's not "Shawn Michaels CLAP CLAP CLAP" it's "HBK, HBK!" As long as the fans love his gimmick, he's going to keep it, period.

The song that never dies - Okay, yeah, it's not as cool as it used to be. However, whenever it hits, the roof comes off the arena. I was at Wrestlemania 20, and when his music hit, I swear to god I almost went deaf. And the last Raw in Madison Square Garden, when his music hit, I lost my voice screaming, and I'm sure the rest of the arena did. The roof comes off when his music hits, and that's why he keeps it.

The superkick - I have no clue why it works for him and only him, but it does. That's the same with a lot of moves. If the Undertaker hit a Leg Drop running off the ropes, Kickout. Hulk Hogan does it, the match is over. The People's Elbow, I love this move, but it's an elbow drop! However, people love the Sweet Chin Music. Whether it's the build up, or it's the out of nowhere Kick to the chin, we love it.

Repetitiveness - Why do we accept it" It is Classic HBK, and it's funny. I think it's cool because the look on the other guys face is as confused as why it happened as ours is. If you're going to knock on HBK for doing it, knock on Ric Flair too, because I believe he does it the most.

His real name - Okay, you got me... How do you judge how good a wrestler is on his real name" Do you think Sting would've been as big if he used his real name" Steve Bordon... NO. Hate Shawn Michaels and think he sucks for his real name" Crazy man, crazy.

Those are my opinions on that, because I think Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, The Undertaker and Stone Cold were the best superstars of the 90's, and Taker and Michaels still some of the best of today.

Rhey Higgins wrote:
WHAT IS YOUR FRIGGIN PROBLEM" (Don't worry, Kirsty...this won't turn into the same "Why Undertaker should win at WM21" reply...I'll keep it moderately sane this time). I'm not much of an HBK fan, but your column still pisses me off. Although there's a lot of reasons for this, the main one is your Born Again Christian comments. Yeah, I can see absolutely loathing a wrestler. I can see hating the very ground they walk on. I feel that way about Cena, some people feel that about Hogan, Bret, Rock, etc. But to go after someone's religion because of this is ABSOLUTELY uncalled for. You go as far as to say people are just playing the Born Again Christian thing while secretly being a total drunk just makes me sick. How someone could even say something like that (let alone believe it) is unfathomable to me. Your attacking of someone's religion out of pure spite is just sickening.

Phil T wrote:
Rob this was a great column. I haven't seen more crap in one place since Yokozuna took a crap after eating an entire cow. Great job!! Allow me the pleasure of commenting on each point you made. First, HBK doesn't job to people" Let's see, who won the greatest match at Wrestlemania 21 this year" If I remember correctly it was Angle and not HBK and if my memory is correct not only did HBK do the JOB on the greatest stage of the year he TAPPED out. Now you also bring up some points of HBK not jobbing to Bret in the past. (I'm really going to have fun with this one.) When Bret won his second Intercontinental Championship, who was the man that he beat all over the world, night after night, for about four months" I believe it was the same man he defeated in the very first ladder match in the history of the WWF, HBK. Who did Bret make tap out in his first major WWF Title defense in 1992 at the Survivor Series" OH MY GOD!!! It was HBK yet again. As far as the original plan for Wrestlemania 12 was to have Bret go over, send me any written or video proof of that to be the case and then I'll buy that one. Call me crazy, but why would Bret take eight months off after Wrestlemania 12 if he was supposed to go over. As far as your bit on Vince McMahon, this shows you have absolutely no class.

Now on to your BAC comment. It was well documented up until 1998 HBK lived life in the fast lane and many believed he was traveling down the wrong path. If it took Jesus to bring the man back on the right road I don't give HBK credit, but Michael Hickenbottom. Yet again you show how much class you don't have Rob. As far as the Kliq goes, why do you keep bringing up points that occurred ten years ago" Compared to the power the Kliq had, HHH by far has more power in the WWE right now then the Kliq ever did in the WWF. The gimmick that never dies comment I thought was priceless. Rob, this is what put HBK on the map, HELLO! Here's an analogy, let me take Ric Flair, "The Nature Boy". Why don't we call him, "The Nature Grandpa"" I rest my case on that one. As far as HBK's entrance music goes, that song sums up his entire gimmick, so I still don't know the point in even mentioning that topic.

Now on to Sweet Chin Music, yet again you have made me smile. This is in no way a lame finisher. Any move that can be hit in less then a second and completely bring an arena to its feet is in no way LAME. As far as you always know when it's going to connect, I'm jealous of you Rob, I wish I had your psychic abilities. Did you catch Raw a few weeks back when HBK decapitated Shelton Benjamin" I'm sure you knew it was coming then to, didn't you. Not only did those two deliver an awesome match, but that was one of the best finishers to a match I've seen in a long while. Repetitiveness and his real name comments I won't even waste my time going into except to say you truly have no class. HBK is one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step into the ring. You are blind as a bat if you can't see that Rob. You can SUCK IT!!

Jake McDowell wrote:
Firstly the montreal screwjob was Bretts own fault(Brett who is my worst wrestler of all time, and Shawn is my favourate). Brett was so arrogent that he refused to drop the belt even though he was leaving the company so Shawn and Vince did waht they needed to do. And Vince did have something for Shawn,he saw talent and decided that the company needed Shawn back after he was fired. As for the Kliq I hate Scott Hall and Kevin Nash but HHH and X Pac are good wrestlers.

As for the Heart Break Kid gimmick, who cares how old he is, its a good gimmick and suites him. And as for the song, Shawn doesn't have ages left wrestling so whats the point in getting a new song for that short time when the one he has now is fine. And how can you say Sweet Chin Music is a crap finisher, its one of the best in the WWE, lets let him kick you in the face and see if you get up before a 3 count. Also maybe now HBK matches are a bit repetitive but in his prime they weren't,even though i havn't seen all of his earlier matches as they were before my time(I'm 14) the ones I'veseen were better than any Brett Hart match that I'v seen. And then the name. Who cares what his name is, Iwouldn't have cared if he had wrestled under it, he'd still be the same great wrestler.

LanceCrucifix wrote:
Dumb, Shawn followers. While I do give the man known as the Heart Break Kid, credit for doing so much for the sport, the author of this column, has many valid points. Shawn, while a good all arounder, dosn't use the skill he has, and hasn't since the Montreal screw job, with a few occasions, being besides the point. Though, Shawn was involved in my favorite match ever (Jericho vs Michaels at Wrestlemania19), I still see through what Shawn does. Defeating Shawn Michaels, at Wrestlemania, would have been great for Jericho, but because Shawn thought it would hurt his popularity, he refused to lose the match. Vince, is basicly Michaels bitch, until it comes to a Triple H, Rock or a Stone Cold Steve Austin. I respect Shawn, but he was giving fame most other wrestlers are more deserving of. (RAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!) Where Michaels is talented, I can name four people who have way more talent, Elix skipper, Christopher Daniels, Lance Storm, Christian, Matt Hardy, Ron Killings, ok so I named six. Whil the Montreal screw job thing has been in debate, the fact is, on both parts, both men were in the wrong. While, Michaels did lie and say he didn't know what was going on, Bret, did say he was leaving to WCW, and planed on takeing the title with him. Vince did what he thought was right, and formulated a plan, which resulted, in vince, catching a right hand to the left eye. And those are my thoughts....

Nick H wrote:
Ok, Rob first i got to ask what made you finally stand up and vent on HBK cause it seems you have been harboring quite alot of ill will toward him. Now as for the points you attempted to get over.

His personality backstage: sure it may have been that way at one time but who are we to say it is that way now are we back there to find out i think not.

Refusing to job: oh really well then what do you call WM21, or that loss to Daivari. seem he's doing the jobs to me. Now the forever noted Montreal Screwjob noted he did lie at his involment in it, but it was done because Brett was going to WCW but also you must ask yourself why didn't Brett want to job to him up in canada cause if memory severs that was another reason why it happend and i'm pretty sure Vince could have drummed up another suitable oppent for Brett if there was one who could carry the company.

The BAC factor: you can dislike somone due to that and if you do you also got to bash on Sting let's not forget he is one as well. But Shawn chose not to make a movie out of his story on that.

The Kilq: true they had power, but that all has faded except for HHH, and if he was Vince's boy as you said i think he would have been the champ when he came back not HHH.

His gimmick: true he's not a kid, but is the undertaker really a dead man, so it your going to bash gimmicks based on name sake check your facts and btw last time i checked your hero Brett was never a contract killer not much of a hitman then is he.

His music: ok before you bash his music there are alot worse to hear such as Hassan's and Simon Dean's

His finsher: let's see here i have been kicked in the mouth before and it's hard to pop right back up so it's not lame and you stated when somone else does it they kick out at 2. Well let's see here in ECW Steven Richards pinned people with the Steive Kick which is oddly enough a superkick, and before you say well he never used it in the WWE beg to differ it was the morality check then and guess what he still pined guys with it. Also when Shelton Bejamin started out on Heat he used a superkick as his finish and it worked to. Huh your reasoning on this looking a little shotty if you ask me.

Repetitiveness: ok so he is as you pointed out his forarm to nip up he does in every match. Ok so what about HHH high Knee, or Taker's big boot, or Brett Hart's forarm from the second turnbuckle. So in hind sight what sucessful guy in wrestling isn't"

His real name: Come on man being the quote unquote intelligent wrestling fan you may be with you wonderful use of facts here, that your final thought was based of his last name. That's just a waste of good website space right there and that's all I'll say on that.

In fact that's about that's everything i need to cover so i said my peice and i'm done here, but my advice try a little harder when you really want to hate some one then and then wish to write up a publiclly view colum about it.

Navin Panesar wrote:
Wow now that was the most pathetic load of rubbish ive ever heard in which this stupid idiot has basically gone on his stupid little mindset and he obviously just has a grudge for whatever reason. And many guys have actually said that he is a pleasure to work with and he is a well liked guy around the locker room as many of the guys have said. And wow this so called article bored the hell out of me and made me really want to punch 'Rob S' lights out for not even getting any facts and the ones he actually did get, manage to twist them into the biggest amount of bollocks ever. Now I know why you didn't put down anything more than 'Rob S' because your scared about the amount of hate mail your going to get with this because you for some reason just have a grudge against the guy. But it is self explanatory if you're a die hard Bret Hart fan and don't want to let the Montreal Screw Job ever go away, there is nothing wrong with Shawn Michaels as a performer and yes everyone has little things that get on others nerves but that's something that you have to deal with because Bret Hart Gets on a lot of peoples nerves but he doesn't get hated on and slagged off by random people does he. Oh and next time actually put some facts in the article because that's is what an article has to include instead of a long boring line of opinions

Dev Hasan wrote:
I just read what everyone said here...some are saying those stuff were a rumour about Shawn. Actually "Rob S" was telling the truth. He didn't diss the fan's of Shawn's. He didn't diss Shawn, he just told it how it was...well the "Suck It" was unnecessary.

WrestleMania 14 was actually a FACT that Shawn refused to put over Stone Cold Steve Austin. Want to know who convinced him at the end" A big guy who is 7 foot tall, over 300lbs named The Undertaker. The real story behind it was. Taker heard Shawn refusing to Stone Cold and he walked over to Shawn and told him if he refused to put over Austin he'll simply kick his ass.

Undertaker isn't a man to really mess with...when Shawn SCREWED Bret. Vince locked himself into the locker room and Taker pounded on the door telling his own boss he better come out and apologise to Bret. Which he did and Bret of course punched out McMahon.

Shawn is a liar. He told Bret in these EXACT word when Bret asked him if he had anything to do with it after the match in the locker room you'll see it on the Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows - He said "I swear to God man, my hands are clean on this one" YEH RIGHT. Another lie, oh did I forget to say he refused to put over Bret that night cause he told Bret "I cant be willing to return the favour back" after Bret put him over in the Iron Man Match at WrestleMania. Some sportsman ship...

Shawn Michaels trying to convince everyone he is some Christian...the one claiming to be religious swore on the name of God that his hands were clean...His hands were as clean as his ass.

As for his finisher. A super kick...like the columnist said you can ALWAYS tell if he'll connect or it will be countered or not. It is lame and its un-original. Sure theres weaker and other finishers that aint all that. Exaple The Peoples Elbow, It might be all that great like Taker's Tombstone Piledriver. But at least it's original. I'll get someone saying "oh but when someone else does the elbow, its weaker" it's done in a different way and no-one else does it like Rocky does.

As for calling Ric Flair "The Nature Grandpa" they have a nickname for HBK too. Has been Kid. And as for some HBK fans in here. They can't even spell his name it ain't "Heart Break Kid" it's "Heartbreak Kid"

The gimmick died...same music, same boring un-entertaining, un-funny promo's, same matches, same moves, same dumb entrance. How many times over and over did we see HBK vs HHH " 2 and half years...since the start of 2002.

Jake McDowell you said your 14...and when did you last see or remember a Bret Hart match when you was 7 or 8" Cause Bret hasn't wrestled since 1999....Im 18 in August and I don't remember all of Bret's matches but Im sure someone younger will....[if you cant tell im being sarcastic] My lil cousin is 6 and he knows Bret is the greatest, hell, he's seen loads of Bret's matches I lent him on video etc.

To end my comment here..I ain't a BIG hater of HBK...I just dislike the stuff he did to Bret, refusing to put people over and lying to THE FANS. He told fan's he had nothing to do with Montreal...a few years later he says he was in it all along....**sigh**

Steven Brooks wrote:
WOW! You are WAY too hard on this guy. Let me break up my thoughts the same way you did.

Its all about Shawn: You obviously don't know anything that goes on backstage. Most people who have wrestled with him don't say what you said about him. I can hardly remember a guy who said he was a pain in the a$$. Oh yeah, Bret Hart.

Vince: You are talking about how he didn't want to lose the belt" Well do you know how the Montreal Screw Job started" With Bret Hart not wanting to lose the belt in Canada. And he was about to leave the WWF! As for coming back after the Rockers situation you even said it! You started your thoughts by saying he was a great talent who you just didn't respect. Well at that time Vince was looking for new great talent. Michaels fits the description!!

BAC: How dare you insult a man for finding religion! If you haven't noticed when most guys put "In JBL we Trust" or "The Animal" Shawn Michaels has a cross that says "The Source". That is religion.

The Kliq: Look at who was in the Kliq. A U.S. champ, (Ramon) one of the few light heavyweight champs,(Pac) and 3 former World Heavyweight champs (Nash, HHH, and Shawn) !

The gimmick: I think Fobbe Christopher hit it right on the button. The first time I read your article I thought of "The Nature Boy". You aren't writing an article about how you hate Ric Flair (Greatest champ to walk the Earth) and do you know why" Because you can't write an article about saying you hate a 40 or 50 year old veteran just because his gimmick includes the word boy or kid.

The song: Oh come off it. The song is Shawn Michaels and has been around as long as his single competition feuds have. It is a fun song to listen to and it goes great with his entrance. Now who wants to see Shawn Michaels change his music and let down his millions of fans" (which definitely doesn't include you, Rob)

The Superkick: I can hardly recall a recent finishing move that someone in the past has made. If it has been used before then someone has probably kicked out of it before. Besides tons of other wrestlers use Superkicks as finishers. Chuck Palumbo did and so did Shelton Benjamin before he was using the T-bone. And at least Micaels doesn't say it's unbeatable like Bret Hart's Sharpshooter.

Repetitiveness: Sure Shawn does a lot of moves over and over again (such as the forearm, the Irish Whip, the elbow, and the inverted atomic drop) but his night to night comeback doesn't involve the same 10 moves every night like Bret's did.

His name: How can you make fun of someones real name" He was born with it. I'm sure if he could choose his last name he wouldn't have chosen Hickenbottom.

If you read this ,and heavens knows you got enough replies, then I hope you learn something.

Anthony Mcmullen wrote:
I agree, Shawn sucks. he has suposively become this born again christian. its all an act. he hasn't really become a born again christian. as for anyone who buys into it , 'I pity the fools, i do, i do, i do'. And even if he is a born again christian, how do's that make him a better person. and he also has always used pollitics(even during his 21st century run eg; his world title run, thuis has been being in the main events,etc)

TwistedArachnid wrote:
While I agree that I don't like Shawn Michaels as a person, he does entertain. Anway, when I read articles, I skim pretty much, then if it looks good, I read the whole thing, or if the title looks interesting I read it. But I stopped when I got to your BAC paragraph. I'm mortally offended that you have the nerve to insult Born Again Christians by insinuating we're all drugged out alcoholics. I, myself, am a Born Again Christian, and to hear you saying that, is...unbelievable. While I noticed some replys saying 'I respect your opinion, but not how you presented it' I dont even respect your opinion. How someone can stand there and insult, and assume things about religions and the people in them, is just sickening. I hope OWW gets smart next time you send an article and they don't post it. Since you seem to be some wannabe journalist who feels the need to insult things.

tylerreis wrote:
HBK was a true babyface to those of us who grew up on 90's wrestling. He had that true fan connection, he justs seemed liked the cool friend you always wanted to hang out with. Sean Micheals brought the laid-back, kind of smart-ass view of the business, reminding everyone that pro wrestling is about having fun. He should really be on this list. Thanks.

Johnny LaRue wrote:
Ironically it seems the HBK fans and Bret supporters (like myself) will never see eye to eye. LOL

Don't fire the kid quite yet since I am more than willing to help him put his thoughts down with logic and clarity for his second column.

That being said I do feel bad for the kid and feel need to back him up. So please post the following (I'll keep it brief since I am going out to drink in a few minutes):

Lighten up fellow posters! The kid is 14 YEARS OLD!! Do you honestly expect an article with zero flaws in logic" Most of you are quick to point out the faults but dismiss his good points.

What baffles me is most of you HBK supporters duirng the DX days were HUGE nWo Hogan bashers. You said Hogan was too old, his finisher is lame, he is repetitive, trying to be young and hip at age 40 is stupid, ..etc. Yet as it happens HBK somehow gets a free pass. Also now that Hogan (who is 10 years older now) is teamed with HBK it's somehow "cool"" But when Hogan teamed with Savage in the nWo and it's considered the senior citizen tag team" Somebody puh-leese enlighten me on this.....

Kyle Bauer wrote:
You know, there are Christian smarks out there too.. I'm insulted. Listen, hating someone because of the way they act is fine, but their relegion" That's not fair. Then again, you're obviously someone who hates Micheals. That's fine. Hate him, for who he is, what he does in the ring, but that's like saying I hate you because of the fact that you're (obviously) an athiest. Learn some tolerance. I could rather easily make this an insult fest, but I won't. Grow up, you're no better than a racist.

Joe L. (Original Author) wrote:
And people said I was going to get flamed big time due to my "Who Should Go"" article. Still, given your wrestling knowledge, I respect the fact that you actually wrote something that was gutsy and encouraging and at the same time risk-taking. Although I'm an HBK fan, I understand that you're a fan that cares a lot about wrestlers and not some prima-donna ass-kissers who bullshit their way to success and that's why what you wrote was inspiring.

Sadly, this trend of bullshitting and ass-licking continues as of this day with Triple H, Jeff Jarrett, the Undertaker, Stephanie McMahon and Dusty Rhodes holding down the talent at the expense of their own interest and their own goals. It's articles like this that shows why wrestling isn't interesting anymore.

But let's be honest. Shawn has INDEED cleaned up his act since finding religion. Call it a publicity stunt all you want but Shawn now works everyday, as opposed to never wanting to work on house show weekends in the past and is able to give other wrestlers some space. A couple of weeks ago, he held an interview that says Shelton Benjamin has a very bright future. When was the last time he ever gave a rub to the younger talent like that"

In all honesty, however, you hit the bulls-eye target with how much bad publicity HBK brought to the WWF rather it's the fake knee injuries or the Montreal Screwjob. Business or not, it's deservedly a concession of thorns to Michaels' wrestling career. We can never get over the bad needs Shawn Michaels and his buddies created in the mid 90's and it's sad because he is an excellent athlete that works harder than anyone in the business.

Still, a very good article that doesn't strive for partiality.

Ray Clancy wrote:
I've read some pretty harsh articles in the past, and even wrote a couple...BUT THIS BY FAR GOT ME GOING THE MOST! Anyone who doesn't at least respect Shawn Michaels deserves a swift kick in the ass. "It's all about Shawn"" What the hell kind of statement is that"! If it were all about Shawn Michaels, would he not have a better win/loss record than he does over the past three years" If it were all about HBK, would HE not have the World Heavyweight Championship around his waist" If it were all about HBK, would HE not be like The Undertaker and refuse to put people over" How many guys in the past three years has Shawn Michaels put over....hmmm let's see. Randy Orton, Edge, Muhammad Hassan, even Daivari, and I'm damn sure that there are others. Many people say ALL Canadians hate Shawn Michaels but guess what. I was born and raised in Canada and he is by far my favourite of all-time...thought I'd throw that out there right now before I continue. Now in my opinion, HBK lost at WrestleMania XIV because everyone knew he was hurting and needed time off for his back...oh yeah who did HBK put over that night""" STEVE AUSTIN! As far as "Born Again Christian" goes, that's Shawn's personal choice. If he believes that deeply in God, LET HIM! That's not your place to judge, Rob! It's a good think Shawn Michaels has the gimmick that will never die. Too often in this business you see people flip-flop gimmicks. It's good that someone has had such a successful one for such a long time. Why do you think Undertaker went back to "the deadman"" The same reason Shawn Michaels will never let the "HBK" gimmick die...BECAUSE IT WORKS! The song is even more classic than the name...did Hulk Hogan's song change much over the years" And you can't tell me for one second that Shawn Michaels song isn't a catchy one. It gets me dancing and for God's sake I hate dancing! This next one got me going pretty good...the lame finisher" OK Rob I got an idea for you...why don't you stand there and let Shawn Michaels just completely step into you and lay you out with one of those superkicks. Did you not see RAW when the Gold Rush Tournament started" If you were Shelton Benjamin on that night don't you think that might have hurt just a little...how about a lot"! Lame finisher...I think not! Just hearing Shawn Michaels connect on that move kinda makes you go "ouch I feel bad for the guy that just got nailed with that one!", so how is it a lame finisher. There's been way worse moves than that over the years, Rob. So don't let that statement go to your head! And who the hell cares what his real name is...I couldn't care if it was Michael Suckmybottom! His real name means nothing to his wrestling ability. So to conclude this rather long rant that I shortened up I'll go out like this. Shawn Michaels has done some questionable things over the years, I'll give you that. But there is simply no denying the in-ring ability, microphone and on-air presence that is Shawn Michaels. So you don't like Shawn Michaels...big deal! I'm almost certain that there's millions of people all over the world that can rule you out of the equation. Shawn Michaels has been and always will be in my opinion "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be"...to hell with Bret Hart. That tagline belongs to Shawn Michaels. He has been a part of soem of the best, if not the best matches in the history of professional wrestling...and why would that be"" Because there truly is only one Heart Break Kid. And whether you like it or not Rob...HE'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE! So I got two words for YOU that should help you deal with it...SUCK IT!

Rob S. (original author) wrote:
Wow! When I wrote this article in 15 minutes I never dreamed that it would get such a plethora of reactions. I would just like to thank all of you who responded or emailed to me personally. I would especially like to thank those that supported me. I would also like to thank those that disagree with my opinion since you gave some very funny reasons for doing so. Like the guy who argued that it does indeed hurt to be kicked in the face and asked "Have you ever been kicked in the face"" That one had me rolling on the floor for awhile. And the others who used suck it to mimic my article. How creative! I never thought ANYONE would be so smart as to do that. Kudos.

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