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If HBK hadn't missed 4 years of action...

7K views 57 replies 40 participants last post by  RyanPelley 
#1 ·
During the late 90s early 2000s, how would it have panned out? Shawn Michaels was absent from 1998 to 2002, and it was in these years which we saw the rise of Rock and Austin, as well as stables like the Ministry and DX.

If Shawn hadn't missed those 4 years...

- How do you think his legacy would've been affected, if at all? Positively? Negatively?

- How many more world titles would he have won?

- How do you think his character would've been used creatively?

- Do you think that he would've altered the course of "superstardom" the top faces of the company? Would he have still been in contention? Most importantly, would he have been the top face? Or would he share the spotlight with someone like Rock/Austin did?
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
Had Shawn not missed those 4 years,we MAY(yes I know its a big may but still:D) had already seen this match:

:rock4 vs :hbk
 
#5 ·
Unlike Cena, HBK knows how to share the spotlight,despite being call the "The Showstopper". He was the one that boosted careers of people like Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Triple H.(The Kliq)

If HBK didn't missed 4 years of action, maybe The Rock/Austin will ever have a higher "superstardom" career.(if that's even possible)
 
#8 ·
Unlike Cena, HBK knows how to share the spotlight,despite being call the "The Showstopper". He was the one that boosted careers of people like Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Triple H.(The Kliq)

If HBK didn't missed 4 years of action, maybe The Rock/Austin will ever have a higher "superstardom" career.(if that's even possible)
You have a VERY selective memory dude, he got three of his best friends to the top tier of the company, that doesn't mean he knows how to share.
There are a million and one stories about him being a douche around that time and trying to hold people down intentionally. He's pretty much admitted that himself, he wasn't an angel.
 
#6 ·
this has been brought up waaaay too many times. He would've most likely had more attitude problems, but without a doubt would've reached the ultimate creative peak with all the new people to work with, the new attitude (even though he was already attitude before it became a catchphrase) wouldve let him amplify everythin he had going for him. wouldve definitely been like a 10x world champion lmao. HBK had so much power, of course alot of history would've been changed.

the 4 years off were for the best, for himself and other rising guys
 
#9 ·
This topic has been done to death, but its hbk so it gets a pass

1) Positively to all of us, but probably negative backstage
2) Its wasn't passed around that much back than so many 2-3 more ?
3) Top Heel still, maybe #2 after Rocky
4) yes maybe Rocky abit ? his best friend HHH
 
#10 ·
Honestly... he'd probably not have survived to 2002 the way he was going. He would have ended up another in the long list of tragic wrestler deaths.

Now if he got cleaned up somehow and stayed... can you imagine that attitude sticking around and going toe to toe with the Rock and Austin and even McMahon? That would have been ridiculous. Just thinking of those possibilities makes it a "why why why couldn't we have that?!". As for titles... he probably would have won at least two more titles.
 
#11 ·
I think he would have been the top heel as opposed to HHH tbh. Assuming healthy, of course. Had he actually wrestled during those years in the condition he was in, forget about it. He wouldn't be able to walk right now.
 
#13 ·
He would easily be a 10+ time world champion instead of only 3-4 times he was world champion throughout his career. In today's WWE where guys like Sheamus and ADR have been world champ multiple times already in their so far short careers. Even though HBK is considered as one of very best even though he missed 4 years towards the end of his prime, if he stayed injury free and continued wrestling he would be in the same catergory that we hold The Rock & SCSA.
 
#14 ·
As others have said he would have died. Still if he had stayed around but cut back on the drugs I got to think he would have jumped to WCW in 1998 and joined the NWO and he probably would have been a key signing for the WWE during the invasion angle.
 
#15 ·
Shawn might have successfully kept The Rock from becoming a main eventer, at least before WrestleMania XV. Someone said the push Rock got in late 1998 was supposed to go to Triple H. Because of crowd their crowd reactions, they took it away from Triple H and gave it to Rock.

With Shawn's pull, he'd of gotten his friend that push and kept Rock in the upper mid card. In the long run, no one would have kept Rock from becoming a star.
 
#21 ·
1.He would have died

2.If he was alive,the person who would have been affected the most would have been HHH.That would have been disappointing.Shawn Michaels maybe the best when it comes to putting matches but I would rather have HHH.HHH had a GOAT heel run and served as a great antagonist to many babyfaces during his heel run
 
#31 ·
There's a reason rock has never worked with shawn as it was rumored that shawn was trying to get the rock out of the wwf at that time to push his buddy triple h. It would have been a shame if the rock didn't get the career that he had due to the politics of the clique at that time. In hindsight it worked perfectly well that he got out of the ring for those crucial 4 years as it was beneficial to both him and the wwf. Not many people missed him after the attitude era gained full traction and the wwf was red hot.
 
#32 ·
If Michaels stayed Rock would have worked with him at some point. In 02-03 the ball was in Rock's court, but if he refused to work with Shawn in 98-99 he would jeopardize his push.

You have to work with the top guys to be a top guy. Rock worked with Shawn's buddy and he did perform spots with Michaels as well.
 
#35 ·
HBK and Rock didn't do much together in that video.

Someone asked Rock back in 2005 or 2006 if he'd comeback for a dream match with Shawn Michaels. Rock said Michaels wasn't a big enough star for it to be a dream match.


If HBK didn't take 4 years off we would have seen a lot of his rivalries from his comeback years in the AE. Kurt Angle, Triple H, maybe Benoit and Jericho. He probably would have tried to get out of putting Austin over again.
 
#36 ·
He's also said that Michaels, Sting, and Mysterio are the 3 stars he'd like to work with at the 09 HOF. Whatever beef there was they squashed.

In 98-99 Rock wasn't high enough on the totem pole to ignore Michaels. If Vince asked him to work with Shawn he pretty much had to say yes regardless to personal feelings. 02 He could say pass and it's rumored he did that too.
 
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