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WWE 1996 - HBK Question

2K views 15 replies 14 participants last post by  tducey 
#1 ·
For the members who were in USA in 1996 during HBK's run.

Was HBK as booed as Reigns is when he was champion? If so, who actually was the crowd favorite?
 
#8 ·
It wasn't as bad as Reigns but he was booed in some towns and cities during his WWF Title Reign. I remember them being there when he faced British Bulldog as KOTR 96 and Vader at Summerslam 1996. But they were really obvious at Survivor Series 1996 at MSG. That was HEAT!
They got more apparent in 1997 after he "lost his smile". People just got sick of him as a character, as well as Vince going OTT on commentary for him. In fairness to the WWF, they done the sensible thing and turned him heel.

The crowd favourites in 1996 were Undertaker, Sid, Ahmed Johnson and Bret Hart. Razor Ramon and Diesel were still really over before they left for WCW too.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I think Shawn getting booed was a by-product of the fanbase changing. The more guys like Austin and Sid were getting cheered, the more faces like HBK, Bret & Rocky were gonna get booed. The happy-go-lucky, cookie cutter good guys became officially outdated.

If HBK had kept his cocky persona at a 10 and not gone into the cheesy "boyhood dream" Rocky Balboa ripoff, he would've been fine. Him being the wrestling equivalent of Lightning McQueen sounds like a much more appealing story for his reign.
 
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#11 ·
Back then, the only real smark town was NYC. So, by the time SS '96 rolled around, they cheered for Sid. Outside of that, he was cheered. Watch 1996 Raw one day, he was cheered. But it could've been so much better if Vince just listened to Shawn from the get-go and went in a different direction with the product before he finally did in mid 1997 or so.
 
#13 ·
"Boyhood Dream" Shawn Michaels was far more entertaining than both John Cena and Roman Reigns in the last 12 years. He was never booed every week like those two except for at Survivor Series 1996.

I get Shawn wasn't a great draw in 1996 and cocky Shawn Michaels was a way better persona than "Boyhood Dream" Shawn but I never hated "Boyhood Dream" Shawn, he was still awesome to watch, still popular with the crowd and had a great reign with the WWF Title defending against a variety of characters in power guys like Bulldog and Diesel, monsters like Vader, psychotic guys like Mankind and Sid.

Same with Diesel in 1995 who faces the same criticisms. Not a great draw and monster badass Diesel was way better persona than cookie cutter champion Diesel but the dude was still popular and cheered by fans.

Even Lex Luger in 1993/1994.

The numbers go against these guys but they weren't hated and faced the wrath of the live crowd every single week like Cena and Reigns have for the last 12 years.

Give me those 3 as FOTC over Cena and Reigns as FOTC any day. I loved Luger, Diesel and Shawn even as the cookie cutter faces who didn't draw. I can't say the same for Cena and Reigns, who have made more of a negative impact on WWE than those 3.
 
#14 ·
I don't recall that he was ever booed as the WWF Champion in 1996.

The only time he got booed was at Survivor Series 1996 in his match against Sid. But they should have kept HBK as a cocky babyface Champion. The thing with me is that they have taken the cocky, arrogant, thinking he is better performer than you style away from him once he won the Royal Rumble 96.

I would have booked his babyface Champion role better with the same opponents but made small changes. He would have still beaten Diesel, Bulldog, Mankind and Vader.
@ShowStopper
 
#15 ·
I went to Raw tapings that year in August. Shawn Michaels was definitely getting a lot of boos at the Raw tapings I attended. Most of the men there were booing Shawn. I was a 13 year old boy and I was also booing him lol. I appreciated the talent but couldn't stand his character at that time.
 
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