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Why did Vince have such a "Hard-on" for Shawn Michaels back in 1995/1996?

21K views 35 replies 29 participants last post by  dave 1981 
#1 ·
I know Vince "loves" his top stars, no matter what era. But during 1995/1996 he would go absolutley wild on commentary whenever Shawn Michaels would enter the ring. Vince would be like "OHHHHH YEAAHHHH!!! LOOK AT HIM!!! LOOK AT HIS BODY!!" And he would do this almost every time HBK would come out, lol. He would just go crazy over HBK. Also, Vince was on commentary for when Bret was champ and a lot of other guys too, but he never went so wild like he did when Shawn would come out and perform. It was like he had a Hard-on for Michaels every time.




There are other videos where Vince goes even more crazy over Michaels
 
#6 ·
I think it's because Shawn was that charismatic guy that he had been looking for since Hogan left. Plus, he wasn't huge like guys in the previous era were so he didn't have to worry too much about getting heat for steroid use among his wrestlers. No offense to Bret;but he was never charismatic enough to fill the void that Hogan left and Vince knew it. Luckily, Hart was over and had good international standing and was a damn good guy to promote as the face of the company. When you look at the guys that were in the main event after Hogan left and up until HBK won the title at WM 12, you can tell why Vince went so crazy over Shawn.
 
#11 ·
Michaels got away with so much back then, I really hated him a lot especially after what he did to Vader... But looking back on it now I do kind of forgive him and he has brought us some fantastic matches. I do believe he has changed for the better and am glad that in the end Vince didnt fire him :)
 
#21 ·
As great as Shawn Michaels is, I dont understand how a guy who took several years off because of a back injury ended up as the No. 1 superstar of all time in that DVD over the likes of Austin, Rock, and Undertaker. Shawn Michaels was the best in ring performer, but head draw and story teller? Hell no.
 
#23 ·
After the 'steroid scandal' in which Hogan testified against McMahon and the WWE they decided that the best way to get all of the negative press away was to push smaller guys to the main-event, most notably Bret and Shawn. It worked in that the negative press went away but the business suffered greatly, almost to the point of no return. Thankfully Vince got his head out of his ass, hired Vince Russo and the Attitude Era was born. Unfortunately, when Russo left in mid/late 1999 the business went to shit (slowly) again, with Vince hiring small guys like Guerrero, Benoit, Malenko and Jericho.

In almost identical fashion, when the Benoit tragedies went down and all of the 'steroid' talk resurfaced Vince and WWE went the same route - pushing and hiring small guys like Punk and Bryan. As it was back then, business suffered. Thankfully for WWE there isn't a rabid competitor like WCW around to capitalize on waning interest in WWE.

The sooner WWE drops this internet-darling, skinny-midget obsession the better.
 
#26 ·
I don't think there's any need to dance around the subject. Where there's smoke there's usually fire. None of what Hawk said in that interview sounded outrageous to me. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if there was some sexual relationship between Vince and Shawn. The guy got away with murder and was proclaimed the #1 superstar in the history of the WWE. Vince clearly has some kind of affinity for him.

Lots of born again christians have (or once had) secret homosexual tendencies. I dunno, maybe it's all bullshit but then again... maybe not.
 
#29 ·
I can't see there having been any actual relations between the two. That kind of thing would have got out (imagine if significant rumours had reached Bischoff?) so I just don't see it.

Vince definitely had a soft spot for him though. Which is common amongst lots of people without there being a sexual reason. If you've ever worked in a job amongst a large group of people you'll see that there are those who get away with lots of stuff just because the boss likes them for whatever reason. Probably the same with Shawn. It also probably helped that Shawn is the definition of what Vince looks for in a wrestler.
 
#30 ·
it's obvious vince has gay feelings over michaels especially at that time. Michaels' was probably his favorite toyboy.
 
#31 ·
Shawn Michaels was fast becoming the most popular wrestler on the roster once he turned babyface in mid 1995 and had the all round package of in ring skills, charisma, mic skills, popularity, marketability and wasn't a big size which after the steroid scandal was what Vince McMahon needed badly. From late 1992 there was Bret Hart who was popular and a great in ring worker but who was nowhere near as charismatic or flamboyant as Shawn Michaels who had everything Bret Hart had but was also a great show man which is why Vince McMahon basically spent 1995 transitioning Shawn Michaels into the top guy and face of WWE.

Vince McMahon is known to sometimes be unhappy in pushing someone he didn't help create as the top guy or to a main event spot as seen with many ex WCW and ECW wrestlers over the years but he always wanted to have someone like Ric Flair who could do it all. Once Shawn Michaels really broke through in 1994 during the Shawn Michaels/Razor Ramon feud heading into and actually at WrestleMania 10 we saw Shawn Michaels become more and more prominent and he began to really rise as a major star within the company.

Basically Shawn Michaels became to WWE what Ric Flair was always in NWA and early WCW which was that as the best all round in ring performer in the company and probably the world who could be put in any feud or match and make it great. It is also said that Vince McMahon actually liked the fact that Shawn Michaels would stand up to him and argue with him so much as Vince McMahon has always said to actually like confrontation. I remember when Stone Cold Steve Austin walked out in 2002 it was always said the thing that annoyed Vince McMahon the most was not having the chance to have the confrontation with him and i think they talk about that on The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin DVD.
 
#34 ·
I guess all the Shawn Michaels marks also forget that he never drew or did anything for buy rates when he was champ the 1st time.

When he won the belt the second time he faked an injury and dropped the belt 2 weeks later on thursday raw thursday bitching about ughhhh I lost my smile.

When he won it for the 3rd and last time he was a transitional champion.
 
#36 ·
But don't get me wrong Shawn was great in the ring and had great mic skills. But as far as being champion and a main event draw the guy was mediocre at best.
Do you realise that there have been very few major draws in the wrestling industry full stop. Off the top of my head there has been Gorgeous George, Bruno Sammartino, Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Ultimate Warrior, Sting, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Goldberg and John Cena as far as wrestling in America goes. I posted the list of ratings from when Bret Hart was WWE champion against when Shawn Michaels was WWE champion and with Shawn Michaels as WWE champion Raw actually saw the highest ratings they had ever seen and then WCW went and pulled The New World Order out.

It isn't the mark in me that believes Shawn Michaels to be a draw but no one else in the history of WWE had to compete with anything like The New World Order and i've heard Vince McMahon himself say that no one could compete with that at it's peak. Shawn Michaels was never a major draw but he no less a draw than Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Triple H and Randy Savage and this is a list from Dave Meltzer who whilst i don't usually agree on his match ratings is very good at things like compiling lists,

Dave Meltzer has compiled a lost of the top 54 biggest draws in WWE history based on gates/ratings the wrestlers drew as main eventers.


1. BRUNO SAMMARTINO

2. HULK HOGAN

3. BOB BACKLUND

4. ARGENTINA ROCCA

5. HHH

6. UNDERTAKER

7. STEVE AUSTIN (Undertaker and HHH have passed him in recent years since he finished his career in 2003. Had he not retired at the age of 38 due to injuries, as well as missed what probably would have been his biggest drawing year in 1999 with neck surgery, he would have been No. 2 on this list by now. Nobody ever in company history was a bigger drawing card or merchandise seller then he was at his peak.)

8. THE ROCK

9. PEDRO MORALES

10. SHAWN MICHAELS

Countless people like Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Gerald Briscoe, Mick Foley and Chris Jericho to name a few have said that had Shawn Michaels not been as great as he was when The New World Order were at their peak they dread to think where WWE would have been because he basically carried the company alone whilst Bret Hart went on hiatus for six months. I remember Tully Blanchard saying something that is very true and that is it doesn't matter how much management like you if you aren't making them money then you don't main event and Shawn Michaels was main eventing PPV's when not WWE/World champion or even in a championship match in his first and second run.
 
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