How To Kill a Mocking Bird...Or a Showstopper

Xero

I was lucky enough to buy a copy of my favourate wrestler of all time's latest DVD

Shawn Michaels: From the Vault. Among the matches on the DVD is his return match

with HHH. i recall the huge pops from the crowd durng HBK's entrance and all the

pops he got during the match, but one thing stands out more than anything. The

gasps of fear from the audience when HHH did a backbreaker on shawn or

whenever shawm did a move which involved him landing on his back. see the fans

that are "INTERNET SMART" are well aware of why shawn michaels had to retire but

so are the people who never look at the net, the "AVERAGE FAN", but on that night

every knew how seriously hurt shawn could be, they knew his back injury was

serious to the point where one bad fall would result in bad news. well the reason i'm

writing this is because of two resons, one being at wrestlemania as shawn was for

the first time since his comeback, getting genuine boo's from the crowd, although

the main reaon for the boo's may be fans desire to see a benoit title win, that fact

remains that just over a year and a half since HBK came back, his sacrifice is being

taken for granted....which leads me to my second reason for writing this; i recently

came accross an old interview from wwe.com where wwe writer Brian Soloman

wrote a piece entitled "Shawn, get out while you still can", might seem a bit of a

dramatic title but when u read the piece u realise just what shawn michaels is

risking everytime we watch him on PPV or on RAW, to give you the gist of what i

mean i'll paste what shawn has to say regarding his condition

“I have a herniated disc in my lower back…Your lower back supports your entire upper body. I had the fusion surgery, two plates and four screws, but the problem is they only did one level. The one that was done was the L4/L5 [vertebrae]. They are now fused. L5/S1 is also damaged, and needed to be done. But because I’m young, they didn’t want to do more than one level. When I’m older, I’ll probably need to get the other fused, because it’s severely damaged.

“A dramatic way of describing it is it’s a kind of paralysis. You have numbness in your leg, because when the disc gets crushed, it presses up against nerves, and when the nerves can’t fire you lose feeling in your leg. They put bone in there, so there’s nothing pressing up against the nerve. The problem with my injury since then is the disc above and the two discs below it are damaged also. If something were to happen, I might need to have four levels fused, which means that a large section of my spine would be all bone. I’d lose range of motion, plus if something were to spur and go into nerves, I’d lose feeling in my legs.”

Basically what all this means is that no matter how much shawn tries to protect

himself, even if he works with people he trusts, ONE bad fall, thats all it takes and

we could be watching HBK being carried out of RAW on a strecher without any

movement from the waist down. when i watched that match at SUMMERSLAM 02

everyone worried for shawns safety, but a year and a half later we dont worry as

much, we take him for granted, the more we see shawn the less we worry. i just

thought i'd write this so that maybe a couple of people might read it and the next

time they see shawn drag a great match out of batista on RAW or the next time

someone is tempted to complain about seeing HHH v HBK part 21, maybe someone

will remeber that it only takes one bad fall.

Exit

Interesting read! I agree completely with the sentiments of what you wrote. Unfortunately every fan takes the wrestlers for granted. For instance, Michaels is your favourite wrestler so I can understand why you wrote this for him, but would you have taken the time out to write the same thing for a Scotty 2 Hotty or a Mark Henry if it were the same case for them? I'm not just calling you out, so don't take it personally.

I was under the impression that his back wasn't as bad as they made out for his comeback match. Otherwise, why would he have taken so many back shots, especially that back drop on the chair?

For what it's worth, that was the girlfriend's first PPV and she loved that match, and actually really got into it, even seriously being shocked when Michaels got the sledgehammer to the back. So you're right about casual fans being concerned for his back, and the match told that story very well.

markomac316

Let him wreck his back for all I care the guy loses his smile to often. I hope he makes the slip so he can sit out for the rest of his life, he's done nothing to ever gain my respect and never will.

Xero

Ah the typical bret hart supporter

things happen....get over it, i didnt make the post to have a SS'97 debate again.

Even people who hate hbk recognise that he's more than likely the best perfomer

there ever was. if u dont think so....meh, no sweat off my sack. if u hope he hurts

himself while dragging out a performance out of a regular RAW slug like batista or

mizark henry and ends up paralyzed then think twice before u moan when u are

forced to watch someone else try to carry one of them. call urself a wrestling fan

dude? dont hate hbk because he played a part in brets departure, if it wasnt him, it

wouldve been somone else. i didnt make the post to have a debate, just wanted

people to have a thought about what could happen every single time u watch hbk

take a bump on his back. if one person appreciates hbk that bit more after reading

it, then cool, i'm happy

markomac316

No I dont appreciate anything HBK has done to many times he's refused to do the job. On his come back match on a Raw it was the first time he wrestled on a Raw in X amount of years, and this was going back to his title rein. The guy is a toss pot who has to much control and only cares about number 1 as he's stated many a time. He has no respect for the business and if he was to get hurt it would be no skin of my nose. Id be more worried about someone like Chris Benoit getting injured whose neck is pretty fooked at the minute, or if Kurt Angle was to continue wrestling again, Booker T as well, even the Big Show.

HBK has done more bad than good for WWE.

Xero

Oookaaaay.......Well opinions are like noses....some people have good ones

On his come back match on a Raw it was the first time he wrestled on a Raw in X amount of years, and this was going back to his title rein.

huh? What was ur point there exactly?

HBK sold RVD's moves pretty well in that match as i recall, and RVD had the match won after landing the 5star on shawns back until HHH's run in....so.....how did hbk do an injustice to RVD there exactly?

markomac316

U took what I said out of context...Im saying during HBK's title run before he was injured he didnt wrestle on Raw for 5months or slightly longer thats what im saying..BECAUSE HE REFUSED TOO!!!!!!! thats a good fighting champion right:rolleyes:

The show stopper the main event doesnt even wrestle on the flagship show will done HBGay.

whosurpaddy

im on the verge of writing a piece about how hbk's wreslting just dosent do it for me atm, and tbh it hasnt done anything for me since that match at SS02 with HHH. Your piece has made me think about his back and what he has gone through to be back, but tbh it dosent make me excuse what i see as a guy who (for me) just cant cut it anymore, and refuses to move aside and retire gracefully.

if he wants to come back and be in the business again, then take a job as a road agent, a spokesperson, sign autographs, pr, hell be a truck driver, or an on screen role like a manager, GM, or even a part timer like mick foley.

theres numerous things he could do without endangering his back and be back in the wreslting business. hell doesnt he also run a wreslting school somwhere(spanky was trained by him anyway) but the reason shawn does what he does now, is not to give back to the business, elevate new talent (all the right reasons for coming back) but because shawn is an attention whore.

its the only reason i can come up with. he cant need the money after having so many successful years in the business. he's a born again christian so he's hardly coming back into it for all the hoes. Its hardly a great lifestyle, maybe he likes travelling.

and to echo marks sentiments id be much more worried about benoit or angle. their worth 10 of shawn imo,

Xero

Are u serious? at 37 and with a back literally held together by string, he's still the best performer in the wwe.

your wondering why he's back...the money? the women? maybe he likes the terrible schedule?

um....maybe he just likes wrestling?

benoit deserves his run as champ, i agree, but there IS a reson why he's had to

wait till now to get a run with it....alot of people were just better all round than he

was, by that i mean, abilty, look, mic work, charisma, and the "it" factor....worth 10

hbk's? he is not. benoit has always had the ability and that intangible "it" factor

about him, but he's never been great on the mic, his charisma has come a long way

in the past year, and as for having the look, he's a bit short., but hey, he DOES

deserve to be champ at this point in his career, i like how they've used him lately.

Angle has all of the above qualitys, hence why he's a 4 time champ at this stage.

i just find it funny that some people are still bitter because hbk was involved in brets departure

Bungalow Bill

Originally posted by markomac316
Let him wreck his back for all I care the guy loses his smile to often. I hope he makes the slip so he can sit out for the rest of his life, he's done nothing to ever gain my respect and never will.

I think the least you could do is respect what he has done for the business and respect the conditions that he currently works under to stay in it. Paralysis is a scary thought for any wrestler and he is risking it every week.
The fact that you couldn't care less if he ends up in a wheelchair doesn't reflect well on you either, even if you don't like him.

Exit

Have to agree with Bungalow Bill. I wouldn't wish injury on any wrestler no matter how much I dislike them. By saying that about Michaels because you hate him, then you're saying that it's alright if someone says that about Bret Hart. You wouldn't be pissed about a comment like that?

I'm not a big fan of Michaels' personality, but he is a great wrestler, and I respect everything he's done in the ring. And this is coming from a huge Bret Hart fan. Not all of us are completely biased

markomac316

Im not biased for what he done to Bret Hart, im more pointing out the fact that he didnt preform on a Raw for 5 - 6month while WWF Champion, im talking about how he was on the brink of walking out and not preforming at all because he didnt want to do the job. Im talking about the politics he plays, if Bret Hart comes into that at all then fair enough but I dont think he does at all.

How can you have respect for a guy who claims to have a passion for the business but does that.

Ill say Ive seen some great stuff from him I cant deny that at all but I just dont like the guy. His ego is the size of the empire state building, if he helped elevate anyone maybe id change my tune but until that time when he does something to make me say wow he's really changed ill continue having no respect for him what so ever.

Skud

I agree with both opinions here, michaels great performer but he can't cut it anymore. If it was that bbad why come back 4 years later? maybe it is and we'll see him out soon (hopefully not). He hasn't put anyone over because he doesn't really fight that much. Why waste it on amateurs who could potentially end his career? would you rather work with Steven Ricahrds or Chris Benoit? That's why the HHH michaels feud has been so long standing...

Exit

Where they are on the card doesn't affect there ability in the ring.

Goldberg - main event superstar; not the safest guy to work with.
Lance Storm - Heat jobber; presumably safe enough.

What I'm trying to say is that putting over someone lower down the card doesn't necessarily mean you'll be working with someone who is unsafe in the ring and can cause you injury.

Anyway, I think he's been doing a good job recently of putting over Benoit, physically and verbally.

jongore

Originally posted by Skud
He hasn't put anyone over because he doesn't really fight that much. Why waste it on amateurs who could potentially end his career? would you rather work with Steven Ricahrds or Chris Benoit?

Steven Richards could put Micheals Superkick to shame if he was allowed to use it. The likes of SR are not likely to cause an injury ot HBK, some of Benoits moves (The triple suplecks esp) are much more risky to an injured back.

HBK could take a lesson from HHH's recent actions (Wow I never though i'd be using trips as a good example:D) he put over Bengiman without lessing himself, would HBK do likewise for a young upcoming wrestler?

Xero

how many of the people moaning about hbk were at least 15 years old before he retired?

jongore

A good bit older then that I'm afraid:D
I'm not really that down on HBK but I think he could do more for the up and coming generation.

whosurpaddy

just for the record: i never mentioned bret in my posts , hes got nothing to do with how i feel about shawn. the montreal thing has been blown way out of proportion imo.

Hanza

Shawns match with Flair last year was one of the most entertaining matches in a long time. I was excellent worked, put together, plenty of pops, high spots in the right place, excellent.

I really love when a real match is put together. Im not getting on the anti-high spot band wagon again. But when Michaels puts his mind to it he can deliver a 5 star match. Actually, Shelton Bengerman at the mo, really reminds me of the late 80s, early 90s Shawn Michaels. Thats why I love his matches with HHH at the mo sooooo much and


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Cant wait for his match with Ric Falir at Backlash. It going to be excellent!

Hanza

Xero

well all i have to say is whoever hates hbk right now, u wont like him at all if he turns heel in the near future

Hanza

HBK wont be turning heel. Raw has to many heels at the moment!

HBK has to get Kudos due to that amazing match on this weeks RAW (Thats the 8 man match im talking about now) That was a great match. Well worked, spots in the right place. Brillinat! HBK working amazingly with the MAN Ric Flair as usual.

Props....

Hanza

Exit

He'll be a heel tonight, whether he likes it or not!

Xero

its just a pity they had HHH in the match, as much as i'd rather have hbk as champ it would've been so much better if they had a heel hbk tap out to the sharpshooter tonight in canada. it just wouldve been a moment

a-hole

ive never been one to let back stage politics rool over what wrestlers i like because we dont know what realy goes on but you dont become a top star in wwe without kissing a$$ and not jobbing to everyone, kane and big show are finding it hard to get back to theyr high times because of jobs, hbk is the best performer on raw, he is the only wrestler to get you emotionly conected to the match so on this ground i think hbk is the best on raw

Xero

Well Said

Hanza

Well I dont think there is any dening that HBK is an excellent worker especially after last Sunday night.

Another man that diserves props now is HHH. He has gone from 14 matches 11 of which were title defences in 16months to preforming top notch each week, in 5 star matches and putting other younger stars over. Looks like Paul Leveques head has been surgicly removed from his ass.

Hanza

a-hole

hhh was always good, he was just injured

Hanza

Thats not what everyone was saying!

Every thread about 2 months ago slowly and painfully became a anti-HHH thread, it anoyed me cos I have always tolerated him as a talent. When he is good, he is exceptional, reference... NO WAY OUT 2001. AMAZING!!!

Hanza

raven136

i see where you coming from in a way.there is no doubt that hbk is one of the greatest workers ever in the ring(mind you by all accounts an asshole outside the ring)but the booing of him at wm20 was understandable.the mania audience is a very knowledgable and they wanted to see someone who toiled for 19 years to finally hit the big time.thats why they cheered benoit
hbk has always had his so called clique in the business and so would always be near the top whereas benoit was a technical wrestlers who never hit the spot fest like hbk and so he had to work harder for his title.the crowds know this and cheer for the underdog and the guys who deserves it more..again benoit.
also hbk is good but not the greatest of all time.take his iron man match against bret...it was good but benoits match against bret is an all time classic.i personally would take a bret,angle or a benoit any day over michaels and i hope this title reign of benoits lasts a long time.