He was only fired one time in 1987 after the bar fight with Jimmy Jack Funk when Shawn smashed a beer bottle over his own head to show he was tough and Vince found him to be immature. They were hired back the next year after a short stint in AWA and was never fired again. He was suspended once for a failed drug test in 1993. But his attitude especially in 1996-1997 was pretty bad. Watch any of his promos in 1997 Shawn was always either pilled up or slurring his speech in promos.
@@t.ogotdrip4235 actully he was not fired and he was still under contract it was the raw that wwe brought WCW and they was gunna do something with him (in a non - wrestling Role) and they did not fire him he was just sent bk home he was still under contract.
I'm two minutes in and all he's said is "I'm not sayi--but--but- here's the thing and I -- but when you-and if you look-bu-bu-bu--not to say that-look there are-"
😂😂😂😂 Exactly, a whole lot of nothin. Saying someone just "Isn't good enough" is too easy and dismissive. My son is a huge fan of Kanyon who looking back was incredibly innovative in his move set. Then you have John Cena on Howard Stern saying "He's just not good". When that's clearly not the case.
@@ajsgaming83 These idiots who know nothing about what he’s gone through will say anything to discredit him He wasn’t my favorite but I have a greater respect for making changes in his life as a man than as a wrestler in the WWE, even though he’s universally regarded as the best in ring performer there ever was
The fact is WWF was and will always be just picking favourites without anybody legitimately beating anyone so I think Shawn should have at least addressed that.
I met Shawn in San Antonio TX at a Chilis of all places. The conversation started kinda awkward, like Chris Farley - Paul McCartney, (Gen X’ers know), but ended well. In fact after 2 weeks of my pep talk, he was back wrestling in the WWE. You’re welcome WWE fans in the early 00’s mind you, not this last come back 😒.
@@billbrennan2347yes he has, Bret and Shawn have never been nor will they ever be friends. But, even Brett has said they have discussed things privately and he understands things now, he blames Vince alone. After Shawn's retirement match he was even backstage to hug him so I think they are on decent terms even if they arent buddies. Taker and Shawn are friends and Taker never blamed Shawn for what happened he has said himself Vince could of done things differently and chose not to.
I don't doubt that Shawn played politics and through that had some favoritism, but he has an excellent point about others and being good enough. Athletes not making it to the pros, etc. At the end of the day, Vince wasn't stupid and Vince could recognize wrestling talent. If you're good enough you're getting pushed. Shawn, Cena, and so on were only stopping you due to them simply being better. People need to also understand that 'wrestling' is more than just the ability to perform in the ring. You have to sell a story in the ring. To get to the top you have to sell a story out of the ring too. Shawn was S tier as a wrestler and A tier on the mic. His skills would have held you back, not politics.
What a bunch of horseshit. He screwed over people like Austin with his lame lost my smile bit. You're telling me Austin wasn't good enough to get over? Bullshit, Shawn was a spoiled brat.
I don't it's so much about Shawn having better in ring ability than other wrestlers. His skills are forever phenomenal. But it's certain things such as the way Davey boy Smith dedicated his one night only match to his sick sister and having the outcome reversed by Shawn, demonstrates certain things being done in poor taste.
Oh really now? You’re a scum lord if you can’t take a loss for a guy’s sick sister. Especially if it’s against someone who’s there for one night so what’s the big deal of one loss?
No. Because the long term booking plan that they switched to (remember when professional wrestling had actual good quality long term booking?) was for Shawn to win and build up a ton of heat and then build to a re-match the next time they came to the UK. This would have generated a bucketload of cash for all involved as crowds would have paid to see Shawn get his ass kicked. The spanner in the works was only a matter of weeks later though with the screwjob, resulting in Bulldog leaving with Bret (understandably), and so the booking plan was wrecked. But, and this is the important part - remember that Bulldog went along fully with the plan, so he absolutely bought into it at the time. Also, people talk like Bulldog's sister was virtually on life support when this PPV happened when she was absolutely not, she didn't pass until April 1999 - remember this PPV was in 1997. Those are the facts my friend.
@@andrewsmith3257@andrewsmith3257 he did not bury vader jim ross cover that he stopped his push at that time sure but vader did not hold up to his contract obligations Jr was even rooting for him but said he was not too invested
You know a simple Idk Sam I wasn't the best person back then and sure there's probably cases where my competitive nature or attitude back then might have hurt the careers of others but I can't be 100% responsible for all the issues because at the end of the Day it's Vince's company. This weird tangents and stutters was a bad look back then when he said this.
Best damn comment here. He's correct, only the elite make it. However, he famously held back the Rock, didn't want him to get a push. Hart did, and Hart also latched onto Stone Cold, and Taker. The Undertaker saw what Shawn did to other wrestlers and was even prepared to smash the guy over. Hart, Undertaker, Rock, Stone Cold, they aren't saints, but they rarely buried or refused to work with other talented performers out of fear for their spot. Moreover, they saw talent as a means to increase their prestige.
Playing politics is the issue though, he is claiming everyone makes it on skill alone like they mostly do in sports, but the reality is backstage politics played a major role and he was the king of it in the 90's. He absolutely got guys fired and at times has bragged about it, but he claims anyone who didn't make it "just wasn't good enough" So yeah he earned it, but he tries to pretend backstage politics don't play a role Also Shawn was one of the worst drawing champions in WWE history, not like he wasn't over compared to the rest of the roster, but he was never over compared to the other guys who held the belt and had their run as a top guy
@@fabledogifyActually Shawn is one of the top selling people in the business and even people backstage even ones who use to hate him like Bret even stated he’s one of of not the best performer to have laced up his boots. Yes he had backstage politics down to carry him and his behavior did affect him in the drawing rates, however, when he started to clear up his issues he became the biggest draw for a while there. And his backstage politics were backed by his performance quality numerous other stars both ones who liked him and hated him stated Vince only let him get away with everything he got away with because of his performance and drawing rate. And Shawn’s also not wrong a lot of people blame him for their releases from the company at a time that Shawn showed up to maybe one or two tv tapings for that year. And here’s the kicker Shawn the one to two times he was there didn’t even interact with them. Shawn and a lot of other people get blamed for others not succeeding. There are people who blame John Cena for their releases like that guy named Alex Riley who said it was John cena’s fault he was released and Ryback also jumped in on this story. However truth be told Alex was only a decent draw one time and afterwards the audience just didn’t care anymore after his stint with The Miz. He probably got laid of just like Drew did for not drawing enough and being on payroll was more of a liability than anything else. You believe the negative narrative more than anything else.
Shawns got a good attitude about the past. I'm sure he is more than aware of the crap he did in the 90s, more than anyone else. But you can't live in regret. He now has the peace of God over his past. I'm sure if someone came to him and legit had a bone to pick, as he said not when he's in public with his family, like call him up and talk, I bet Shawn would talk about it. But I like what he said though, "where are those guys at now? Did they succeed wherever they ended up?"
They only hate HBK because he was the best .. You know how legendary you have to be for people to try and use how you were 20/30 years ago against you because that’s the only crutch they have
Shawn is like any man, he saw the error of his ways and did what he could do make up and be better. It doesn't excuse the shit he did, but he's trying and thats all anyone can ask
HBK wallowing in obscurity since 1996. HBK doesn't wallow in obscurity, he's on everyone's top 3 list by and large. But I've noticed, HBK can never speak in a straight-forward way, he's so emotional. So intense, he's pulled in several ways as he tries to put sentences together in this interview. He doesn't want to shoot but he does, and he used that your the best I'm the worst line with Bret in 1997. His sort of humbleness or aloofness is a decoy to the fact that he actually has things to say but doesn't want any more heat. His body language (nose touch, face touching are his tells always), like he says one thing and feels something ELSE inside. It comes across in a lot of interviews - never like this one before. If it were just audio you wouldn't necessarily tell, but his body language is so telling. He seems a bit off here. Vince let Shawn do what he wanted to do or at least, speak to Vince the way he wanted to. No one else had that relationship. He's right about the elite comment though - this was obviously before AEW haha #elite.
Lulz it's not that he doesn't want any heat, he's mid fifties here he dgaf anymore....like he said most of his life is in the rear view now and he's busy trying to be a husband and father
It's because if he says what he really feels everyone will get upset with him & call him a jerk. Because people (wrestling fans/marks) in general, cannot handle the truth.
He's right, I love the way he put that so he doesn't "step on any toes" by mentioning any names. You didn't make it not because of anything that Michael Hickenbottom did, you didn't make it because you simply didn't click with the fans, you didn't have any charisma, you didn't have the "it" factor, in short, you wasn't all of that, and it's not anyone's fault, not even that person, it is what it is, you are who you are, and when you go out there and "be yourself" they either gonna like you or they ain't or "yeah we not really feeling this person", so based on the fan reaction, that'll determine your place on the card. I don't know why I'm the only person who sees this for years and I've never been in the wrestling business.
@@gchijioke12 idk about ultimate warrior but the rest of them were doing just fine even when Shawn was at the peak of his career. I think its mostly the way Vince Mcmahon ran the company that made it a toxic workplace. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were part of the kliq and even they left wwf for wcw.
My father played Semi-Pro hockey. He quit because he knew he wasn't good enough, became a plumber and worked 60 hours a week to raise his family. My brother, may his memory be eternal, was a coach for the Royals youth development. He didn't play the pros because he knew he wasn't good enough. I have been in bands my entire life. And I'm at the age where I know that I'm not famous because I'm not the best. All the bands in town that complain about radio or Spotify only promoting certain people don't realize that those certain people get promoted because they're the best and people want to hear them and not us. I bring all of this up to say what Sean says about people just weren't good enough is true. No amount of politicking was going to stop Vince McMahon from making money off of you. And the only reason Sean was able to politic his way anywhere is because he was top five all time.
And he's also a selfish, disrespectful prick. Its sad to see how somebody can love someone so blindly, that they are willing to sweep all the bad stuff they did under the rug 🤦♂️
He wasn’t even the best WWF Champion in his own era He never drew a dime. He never put butts in seats Matter of fact he was one of the lowest drawing champions in his era. And that was his first world championship after Wrestlemania in 96. It was so bad he dropped his strap to Sid Justice at the Survivor Series For him to compare himself to Brady is pretty laughable
Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair are the two greatest of all time You could also put Ricky Steamboat right there with them Shawn Michaels is the greatest in ring performer of all time and for the last 10 years a great promo.Ric Flair is like the Babe Ruth,Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Payton Manning or(Tom Brady)Sorry I'm a Payton Manning fan.I will give Tom Brady the edge and props.) wrestling's iron man,Oh and a 19 time world heavyweight champion,best promo after the plane crash, the sparking robes.Ric Flair put the butts in the seats.Ric Flair even had a match at 73.Ric Flair had the .most 1 hour or plus matches than anyone Ricky Steamboat had alot too
People want to pretend that wrestling isn’t a political jungle where everyone is clawing for a push. As I can tell, it always has been (especially when it was regional). Now it’s more of a business. But when folks cry that Michaels worked the political game I just shrug and think, ‘Yeah, better than you.’
Nonsense,he could be right when it comes to a sport but not entertainment, when you’re in Vince’s ear about a guy then u know vince is going with Shawn,like that time he claimed Marty was drunk and really he was just sleeping,Marty got fired then rehired months later when mr perfect told Vince that Shawn was lying
Maybe HBK might not have acknowledge certain things in public. Maybe in private. Idk just my thought. It's his life. He's probably sick and tired of ppl asking him in interviews about his behavior and actions and hate in the 90s. He don't wanna be a jerk and walk out.
if these wrestlers who are upset with Shawn if they were any good they would have been on top but they weren't they didn't sell it's hard for some people to hear they suck and they need someone to blame
@@jd9119He had an amazing match selling and bumping FOR Vader. Vader messed up a spot and got a potato from Shawn. Vader never recovered from that because he was notoriously fragile with pressure. You can't put guys like that on top.
They was so jealous of Shawn Michaels is the man let em hate Shawn Shawn was the Michael Jordan of wrestling plus he had all the women Shawn just the coolest guy in wrestling him and sting and Scott hall
@@legarianvance6937Its sad to see that people are so blind, they are willing to overlook someone's actions just because they are 'cool'. Shawn Michaels was a lying, selfish, disrespectful prick who always had a chip on his shoulder, always had a grudge, he didn't care about the business, or anybody but himself.
@@bigolebot Basically Shawn was a selfish jerk when he was young and only was interested in himself and his career. To quote Bret about his previous disdain for Heartbreak Kid, we'd be here all day. You can find plenty of his videos about him talking about HBK. Things changed when they made ammends during that Raw episode when Bret finally did return back to the WWE but before then, yeah, Bret was not a happy camper. Nor can i blame him.
And , once you get past all the "Ifs, Ands , or Buts" was one of Shawn's Biggest points..if not his only point. .. Shawn was trying to say "Anyone who says "Shawn Michaels" costed them a Career.. take a good look At THAT person's career? If My (Shawn's) interference was the ONLY thing that stopped them from making it, then perhaps it was not THAT much of a career to begin with??" Bret Legit DID have Shawn Michaels fuck with his career, but that alone, did NOT stop Bret's Career from ever being what it was, nor did it stop him from making the money he did. Shawn Michael's was a pain too it, but he certainly did not "Break" it.
He wasn’t even the goat even in his era He never drew a dime as WWF Champion He was the lowest drawing champion of the 90s His first title run was so awful in 1996 after Wrestlemania XII that he dropped his belt to Sid Eudy
Love Shawn Michaels, Shawn was going to screw Stone Cold out of his first Heavyweight title win. Remember Undertaker threatened to beat Shawn ass if he didn't lose to Steve Austin.
You have the point I scanned the replies to find. Vader is a Kingpin historically who was railroaded by HBK and made into a joke after HBK whined to Vince. Blows the theory that was pushed here by the source.
HBK was simply the best ever all-around performer in professional wrestling. The fans knew it, his peers knew it, and Vince knew it. Luger's Total Package moniker would have been more appropriately applied to HBK.
It is similar to Tom Brady in that quarterbacks older than him don't want to give him credit. Ask Hulk Hogan about Shawn and he dances around saying anything good.
Comparing football athletes and wrestlers are very different. One outcome is staged and one isn’t. His ego is crazy not to admit that he held people down to the best of his power. He even tried it with rock. Rock showed this in his tv series. He was a dick.
What bothers me about Shawn is I wholeheartedly believe his "finding" a higher power (he believes) absolves his previous behavior and he doesn't need to apologize for it because since Jesus forgives him, he doesn't need forgiveness from anyone he's wronged. I'm not the only one that believes this. There is a certain brahma bull that has STILL never had a money feud or even a money match with hbk. Secondly why I believe his "redemption" is a crock of shit is because how he reacted in his match with hulk Hogan. Love or hate hogan, how Shawn acted in the ring was nothing short of a 4 year old throwing a temper tantrum. It wasn't good for business it wasn't good for Shawn or hulk, it exposed the business and the worst part of that fieasco was it was a slap in the face of every single person that PAID to see a match. People demanded refunds. Shawn has never given a rats ass about the people that spend their hard earned money to be able to afford to take their children to a live event. His finding religion is a joke. EDIT: I will NEVER say he isn't an AMAZING talent. I think he is one of the best wrestlers EVER. I just think he's still a pathological liar
I actually believe Shawn in his finding god story. When you think about his career from the 90s till his first retirement. He was self destructive, a drug user, insecure, and had a chip on his shoulder for anyone HE perceived as fake (like Bret) or anyone that wronged him in the 80’s and early 90’s when he was starting his career. That doesn’t take away from his prima dona nature at all; but I think it stemmed more from an obsession to be the best wrestler in the business. You know and I know, no matter how bad he was behind the curtain, when he was out there in the ring it was showtime and he usually gave fans every bit of their moneys worth in the ring. But Shawn struggling with his soma addictions and nearly overdosing in front of his son led him to changing things up; especially when he promised his wife like 3 years prior he would get clean. I think when he returned he still had traits of being an asshole (like with Hogan) but didn’t freak out nearly as bad as he did with Vader. Rather than being enraged something was going wrong and becoming a trainwreck, he simply just hopped along for the ride in an antagonistic fashion like in the First Elimination Chamber. Lots of malfunctions occurred in that match but Shawn was a pro and continued it like nothing bad happened. He definitely could be unprofessional at times but in a business like this you’ll always hear stories about wrestlers doing stuff like that. Now I look back on that Summerslam debacle and laugh at it, like some fans do
Nobody demanded a refund for the Hogan match. That's pure fabrication. Rock doesn't like Michaels which is fine. He was pretty much out of wrestling by the time HBK returned to active ring duty anyway. That doesn't negate Michaels changing for the better through religion or something else. I'm not going to shed a tear for him not being very professional for Hogan. Need I remind you what Hogan did to Sting at Starcade.
@@jackalscorner2787 I COMPLETELY agree with your "what he did to sting" 100%. That was when my heart of WCW broke and i no longer cared to get hyped for ANYONE challenging Hogan or the nWo. I did like Goldberg and my reaction to the match in the Georgia dome was the same as every fan in attendance. WHY was Goldbergs pop SOOOO thunderous? Why did it blow the roof off the Georgia dome? It was because wcw for so long made their own fanbase feel STUPID for cheering for anyone that was anti-nWo. Mach, then piper, then Lugar, then sting, then DDP then Goldberg. Etc. Every old school wcw fan knows how selfish he was. BUT as well as we all KNOW hbks antics and backstage politicing if Shawn was the champ heading into the match..we ALL know he would've phoned in to the PPV and said he needed phantom surgery, or had a heart attack or that he was beat up by an entire platoon of of captain America level super soldiers. Or said he once again lost part of his face...start crying and a month later said all of those things were misdiagnosed and return and reclaim a title that he flat out refused to. People love saying that Hogan was extremely selfish and protective of his spot which IS correct. But they over look the fact that Hogan never dropped the belt to the ring itself.
he struggled how with who he was and that’s why he turned to relgion , to clear his conscious, forget bret remember how he treated chord canidio .. this is just his ego talking
Great wrestler but 90% of those in the business said he was a class one asshole. He may have changed in latter years but during his time there was nobody with a bigger ego, and nobody was a bigger jerk.
Everybody looked out for themselves or their buddies back then and were assholes. He never did anything seriously terrible to anyone so I don't understand why he still gets so much heat after becoming a better man.
He was a pretty boy and i think thats where a lot of the jealousy comes from. They tried to hold him back since he became singles. Thats why he started being an asshole later on.
Right from square 1 the analogy is invalid. True - college athlete don’t make it in pros bc they aren’t good enough (setting aside injury and other factors). That’s because they’re real sports. Completely (well mostly) merit based. Wrestling is the complete opposite. It’s not decided - in the ring or outside - by who’s the best. It’s decided by the promoter. And that in turn can be highly influenced by politics….
Exactly. Tom Brady and college athletes don't get to choose their teammates or even yet, choose or have a definitive say in whether they are going to lose or not. Those are two very realistic possibilities in pro wrestling.
This is completely incorrect. You have to be good enough first for the promoter to push you. Why would any promoter push a guy to the top who wasn’t one of the best? He wouldn’t, what’s best for business is backing the guys who have the skill.
Yes and no. If Vince had chosen Gilberg or Spike Dudley or the Brooklyn Brawler to be the Top Guy, do you think fans would would have been like "oh yeah. This is our guy now!" Hell no! HBK was good and only became a jerk BECAUSE he was good. Thinking you're good and being absolutely garbage just makes you Nia Jax, not HBK. The bottom line is this: The majority of Shawn's career he wrestled for WWE/F. If the real reason most talent didn't succeed was because of Shawn alone, then the majority of these people would have went on to equal or greater things than HBK in other promotions. That is unless you're going to tell me that good old HBK would have been able to call up Ted Turner and say "Dont hire this guy. He sucks!" And then have Ted listen. Lol
Wrestling is decided by who is the best in the ring. If you can't perform to a high level, you won't make it anywhere worthy, period. The people in WWE are there, because they are the best in the world. But notice how not everyone gets to be world champion? That's because that spot is only reserved for the absolute best wrestler. Predetermined matches don't take away from the fact that they only push those who can perform at the top of their game.
@@joshuaberlin9419 yep all the absolute best in the ring become the champs: chyna, honky tonk, Vince McMahon, Vince Russo, Kevin Nash, khali, David arquette, psycho Sid, Al tomko, Kevin Sullivan, Bruce hart…. PS. Creepy video by the way - buffalo bill.
He's not wrong. Most of the wrestlers that hate him were low card acts who had a history of blaming everyone but themselves. If it wasn't Shawn it was Flair or Hogan etc.
HBK is my all time favorite wrestler, but sitting through some of his interviews is rough. He stops mid sentence, in order to start another & uses “ya know” wayyy to much lol
If a apology and changed behavior doesn’t settle it for some, that sounds personal. Shawn does not have to spend his time impressing people that most likely was jealous of him. God forgave him. That settles it!
Really now? Doesn’t seem like to me here that he’s taking any accountability. Saying sorry means shit if you don’t accept the fact that you hurt someone. That’s just arrogance
It's true. The fact that some people would think that Shawn would have the power to put himself over people and bury people in the WWF is funny. Lol... At the same time you're trying to diss him but then you're trying to say that he has all this power to the point where he could bury someone's career?! Lol. Do you think you're giving him too much credit?! I do. Because guys like the Undertaker backstage wouldn't let stuff like that go down. When things got heated to a certain point to where people were screaming and getting physical, The Undertaker would step in and regulate!! No matter if it was Vince that needed to hear it, Brett, Shawn, or whoever!! They say the same thing about Triple H, but neither of these guys had that kind of power, it's all Vince's!! For a short time Vince gave that power to Stephanie and Hunter and then he took it right back. Lol. This time was after all these accusations this was just a couple of yrs ago. Lol. Shawn was a draw, he could sell, he was a good look he was good on the Mic he was good in the Ring he was athletic. So if you are anything short of that mark, Well then the Heartbreak kid was above YOU!! Just because you don't like him and you would have liked to have gone further than him and didn't because he was more talented than you does not mean you say it's his fault that your career didn't go further than his. Lol.
Its sad to see how people are so blind, they are willing to sweep someone's actions under the rug just because they are 'cool'. Tells you everything you need to know about the world we live in.
I love Shawn now but it bothers me that he never apologized or even acknowledged what he did to Chris Candido. Yes Tammy is to blame as well but he never showed any public remorse fo blatantly sleeping with another mans wife.
HBK hasn’t taken accountability for a lot of the damage he did in the 90s, aside from saying “I wouldn’t like the old Shawn either” & stuff like that. He’s never addressed the Sunny situation at all though. I guess he thinks if he never acknowledges it publicly, than it never really happened lmao
"As God is my witness" seems to be his favorite phrase. The same Phrase he uttered to Bret Hart's wife in the locker room when he denied having anything to do with the MTL screwjob.
Thank you, Shawn! As a born-again Christian, I can totally relate to what you're saying. We're new men in God's eyes. The old man is dead, and we can't relate to that person anymore. Although far from perfect and still sinners, we simply can't describe the supernatural power of following Christ to others. Refreshing to hear you describe it so well. People don't get how the old man is dead, and we don't care about that life anymore. God bless you, brother!
this really is some of the dumbest shit you will ever come across. not everyone believes in teh same god that you do and you've got to accept that there's probably no afterlife and if there is the idea of you guys being right about it and everyone else being wrong about which god to worship and how is comical. if you were an asshole in life you don't somehow get absolved from all of that and people have every right in the world to not forgive you and there's nothing godly about forgiving and forgetting when someone was a dick! shawn michaels is one of the most hated wrestlers of all time and he seems to be implying here that it is because he was good and those who hated him were not. is that what jesus would do 🤣🤣???????
Getting "born again" simply doesn't absolve someone of their past actions. People can indeed change themselves and their behavior, but they are still responsible for the results of their actions. If Hitler or Ted Bundy had become born again prior to their deaths, would that have excused the terrible things they did?
People who can't cut it never like admitting they just weren't good enough. It's easier to blame the Shawn Michael's, the hulk hogan's, the John Cenas of the world than just say i wasn't as good as i thought i was. This applies to not just wrestling but practically any career.
It’s ridiculous to think that he didn’t use his influence to keep some wrestlers down. Not saying there isn’t some truth to “if you’re good enough you’ll make it”.
I remember when Sean Michaels made Bret Hart submit with Hart's own move, the sharp shooter. Hart was so furious with himself for submitting and losing the title, that he spit in Vince McMahon and went to WCW!
@Baba Yaga Slobbed a Knobba He's asking if you're serious because the way you described the incident isn't how it went down. It's the infamous Montreal screw job. He wasn't furious with himself. He was furious at Vince because he had them just ring the bell. Brett didn't know it was going down. There are several documentaries here on YT to check out. He didn't just spit on Vince either. He decked him and laid him out in the locker room too. Lol.
Hart was already leaving and refused to drop the title in Canada. He wanted to come out on RAW the next night, when he was no longer under contract, and just hand it over to Vince. Vince was worried he would take the title with him to WCW and trash it Ala Medusa.
It’s a reason I have Shawn and Taker as the GOATs because they were among the best in each decade in terms of in-ring, character work, mic skills, storytelling and having fans interest no matter who they was working with.
Haha. I don't think Rock ever said hbk tried to bury him, I think Shawn was just a cocky rude dick to him. Correct me if I'm wrong. Buuuut, I wouldn't put it past Shawn tho.
But heres the thing: there are "The Stories " especially about a supposed meeting with Vince and The Kliq in a hotel room and it was about a list of early wwf 90's talent and Who THEY thought "Could Go" (shawns words from Heartbreak & Triumph) who are THEY to say who was good and Who WASN'T? Ask PCO ,Shane Douglas etc
He tried to hold The Rock back but he’s too talented to be held back. However, you can’t say Shawn Michaels didn’t hold back people who wouldn’t make it to the very top but still great wrestlers who made a difference.
Lots of wrestlers held people back. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin never did the job to the Rock until Austin's last match, when he was virtually crippled. Austin refused to do the job to Brock as well. So where is your criticism of him.
All the HBK fans in the comments are just like Michaels himself never acknowledging his mistakes and never holds himself accountable. But all that's ok because he found God.
Everyone needs to move on and get over it already. People want to blame someone because they ‘didn’t make it’. Shawn is 100% right. If you were good enough you would’ve gotten to the top. End of story
One of the biggest ones is he gets blamed for the Montreal Screw job, still! It's been said over and over he was just stuck in the middle of it and had to do what he was told. Vince is the one responsible for that, and even Bret himself because he didn't want to stick to the tradition of doing business for someone when you leave a company. I also have heard Douglas blames HBK and the clock for him not making it when a lot of people have said Douglas was way to full of himself and was not great to work with at the end of the day.
He was a good performer and actions have consequences. I am not even talking about the business side just as a person. When you have multiple people say stuff it isnt the Brett Harts, RVD's, Chris Jerichos, etc that were the issue. If he wants obscurity actions speak louder than words. That being said if those guys can move past it other people should to also with the exception of Chris Candino. The only loss is the exceptional impersonation by RVD with cross eyes and all. While I would have expected a more nuanced response from a 51 year old hey we are all works in progress.
The problem with the shawn opinion is he only sees it one way. Like i think if you were to ask actual aspiring where they would wanna work for starters...i can almost be willingly WWE would not be at the top of the list. But yet somehow shawn equates wwe to the nfl or the pros. I dont think the faith in the company. If it were me all the options of places and the money needed. Id probably go for something like learn from create-a-pro at this day and time and shoot for a fulltime gig at say njpw. I dont think wrestlers actually think they can trust wwe to create a great name anymore. Like so many of even of WWE top names built from the indies. My point is thats WWE's problem. They still think they have the dominance of being the only coompany(even though they could never touch njpw). My point its obvious. They have too many wrestlers and not enough staff to oversee enough wrestlers get featured...and even when their is a program for most..its always goes to their number 1 or number 2. Like look at roman reigns...why did he get 2 belts..simple he there number 1 pic. Why did seth rollins get handed the whc belt without doing the honors of not earning it...that simple cuz seth rollins sucked ass and story and entertainment and tried to use the whc to get seth ratings...thereby devaluing the good stories such as the hall of pain, the youngest champions, hell devaluing hhh reign of terror with evolution. Cuz seth rollins failing is not a reason to unretire a good belt with rich history of good storylines. He is number 2 and like roman when seth sucks they will come up with another way to shove their 1s and 2s down our throats. I could on and on about why WWE lives in a delusional fantasy bubble. Its just wise to know that it still does and its best to avoid unless you wanna be devalued as both a wrestler and a watcher.
Great performer and I’m glad he got clean, but he, Nash, Hall, and HHH ended some guys careers behind the scenes with Vince. Guys who had families to support and some guys were on a good ride. They did it for laughs, their own careers, and to push people they liked. He avoided the question about as well as anyone could.
Basically. But he’s matured so much. He can’t even directly answer the question of how shitty he’s been. It’s everyone else’s fault. Everyone is just jealous of me
Shawn helped Vince McMahon during the dark times of WWE from.1994- 1998 and helped him again from 2002- present both as a wrestler and as a evp of talent relations
I guess Vader wasn't good enough when Shawn refused to drop the belt to him at SummerSlam, threatened to get him fired and book the match to make him look like Superman from the get-go so that Vader had no heat was all just him not being good enough
Although he’s done some rude shxt in peoples eyes , this it how it goes down in business , sports .. etc . That’s what made him great , he fought and it wasn’t always pretty 🤷♂️
I met Shawn and Marty Jannety as a 12 year old kid. After a brief conversation with Jannety he shook my hand. When i went to shake Michaels he told me "i dont do that". Total douche
At least people like Orton is big enough to admit that he was a shit head in the past. But he’s grown and looking back, there are things he can admit that he was immature. Shawn didn’t even do half that😑 He was directly asked why do people hate you, not like your attitude, whatever. His answer was basically “because they’re jealous they didn’t make it.” That wasn’t the question asked. He’s still a little boy who doesn’t like to take accountability for his actions
I always find this "X held me back" argument to be so stupid. Were all the backup QBs on the Pats held back by Tom Brady? The best in whatever business always rise to the top and can't be held back. Look at Stone Cold or Rock they weren't held back and couldn't have been held back because they were that good. Modern example look at Reigns, he was booed out of the building and not in a good way most of his early career and now he is a certified needle mover. Another example is LA Knight, always on the outside looking in of WWE and then when he got in he was given the worst gimmicks. Even the "LA Knight" gimmick is just some weird name with nothing behind it but he made it work and got over big time with it. Blaming someone for holding you back is really just saying you aren't as good as you thought you were.
They are elite athletes who don't make it because no one believes in them! And generally if you're not picked the majority of people have to move on life... They've got kids to take care of and bills to pay!? That really has to be factored into the equation, you can't just say the ones who make it , are the only ones who are elite enough or good enough have so.
The guy could certainly put on a hell of a match. Sold well not just how he took a kick but the lasting effects of a move through out a match.
People forget how many times Shawn got fired in the beginning of his career as a Midnight Rocker. He's seen it from both sides of the fence.
He was only fired one time in 1987 after the bar fight with Jimmy Jack Funk when Shawn smashed a beer bottle over his own head to show he was tough and Vince found him to be immature. They were hired back the next year after a short stint in AWA and was never fired again. He was suspended once for a failed drug test in 1993. But his attitude especially in 1996-1997 was pretty bad. Watch any of his promos in 1997 Shawn was always either pilled up or slurring his speech in promos.
@@marmcd2003he also got fired in 2001
@@t.ogotdrip4235 He was working no dates no matches in 2001. He was still a drug addict. He wasn't doing much in WWE at the time.
@@catullusisdead before WM17 they tried to sign him to a deal but once he showed up to raw fucked up they canned him
@@t.ogotdrip4235 actully he was not fired and he was still under contract it was the raw that wwe brought WCW and they was gunna do something with him (in a non - wrestling Role) and they did not fire him he was just sent bk home he was still under contract.
I'm two minutes in and all he's said is "I'm not sayi--but--but- here's the thing and I -- but when you-and if you look-bu-bu-bu--not to say that-look there are-"
😅
You strung that together a lot better then I did
😂😂😂😂 Exactly, a whole lot of nothin. Saying someone just "Isn't good enough" is too easy and dismissive. My son is a huge fan of Kanyon who looking back was incredibly innovative in his move set. Then you have John Cena on Howard Stern saying "He's just not good". When that's clearly not the case.
hes not sorry for anything he did in the past, he's just matured and learned that bad decisions lead to bad times.
no ragrats
@@dogwoodfan777 No rugrats.
how do you know he's not sorry?? did he tell you??
@@ajsgaming83
These idiots who know nothing about what he’s gone through will say anything to discredit him
He wasn’t my favorite but I have a greater respect for making changes in his life as a man than as a wrestler in the WWE, even though he’s universally regarded as the best in ring performer there ever was
The fact is WWF was and will always be just picking favourites without anybody legitimately beating anyone so I think Shawn should have at least addressed that.
I met Shawn in San Antonio TX at a Chilis of all places. The conversation started kinda awkward, like Chris Farley - Paul McCartney, (Gen X’ers know), but ended well. In fact after 2 weeks of my pep talk, he was back wrestling in the WWE. You’re welcome WWE fans in the early 00’s mind you, not this last come back 😒.
He is actually very good at saying nothing
That's what liars do...
boo hoo. when youve been asked about it death for yeras and have made up with everyone, what else can you say?
@@Krillep so he hasnt made up with bret and taker?
@@billbrennan2347yes he has, Bret and Shawn have never been nor will they ever be friends. But, even Brett has said they have discussed things privately and he understands things now, he blames Vince alone. After Shawn's retirement match he was even backstage to hug him so I think they are on decent terms even if they arent buddies. Taker and Shawn are friends and Taker never blamed Shawn for what happened he has said himself Vince could of done things differently and chose not to.
@@sujugothkitten I was being sarcastic because he called Hbk a lair🤦♂️ context is key.
I don't doubt that Shawn played politics and through that had some favoritism, but he has an excellent point about others and being good enough. Athletes not making it to the pros, etc. At the end of the day, Vince wasn't stupid and Vince could recognize wrestling talent. If you're good enough you're getting pushed. Shawn, Cena, and so on were only stopping you due to them simply being better. People need to also understand that 'wrestling' is more than just the ability to perform in the ring. You have to sell a story in the ring. To get to the top you have to sell a story out of the ring too.
Shawn was S tier as a wrestler and A tier on the mic. His skills would have held you back, not politics.
What a bunch of horseshit. He screwed over people like Austin with his lame lost my smile bit. You're telling me Austin wasn't good enough to get over? Bullshit, Shawn was a spoiled brat.
Why not s tier on the mic?
@@Recsmerit I think there a few people better than him. Not many, but a few.
Him, HHH, Hogan, and Cena played most politics in recent history. HHH and his one could argue was more diabolical
@@RecsmeritRock, Stone Cold, HHH, CM Punk, Macho Man, the Miz I can think of 10 better talkers before I get to Shawn. And I love HBK.
I don't it's so much about Shawn having better in ring ability than other wrestlers. His skills are forever phenomenal. But it's certain things such as the way Davey boy Smith dedicated his one night only match to his sick sister and having the outcome reversed by Shawn, demonstrates certain things being done in poor taste.
Oh really now? You’re a scum lord if you can’t take a loss for a guy’s sick sister. Especially if it’s against someone who’s there for one night so what’s the big deal of one loss?
Buried Vader forever. Bret Hart whooped him. He never wrestled The Rock
No. Because the long term booking plan that they switched to (remember when professional wrestling had actual good quality long term booking?) was for Shawn to win and build up a ton of heat and then build to a re-match the next time they came to the UK. This would have generated a bucketload of cash for all involved as crowds would have paid to see Shawn get his ass kicked. The spanner in the works was only a matter of weeks later though with the screwjob, resulting in Bulldog leaving with Bret (understandably), and so the booking plan was wrecked. But, and this is the important part - remember that Bulldog went along fully with the plan, so he absolutely bought into it at the time. Also, people talk like Bulldog's sister was virtually on life support when this PPV happened when she was absolutely not, she didn't pass until April 1999 - remember this PPV was in 1997. Those are the facts my friend.
@@andrewsmith3257@andrewsmith3257 he did not bury vader jim ross cover that he stopped his push at that time sure but vader did not hold up to his contract obligations Jr was even rooting for him but said he was not too invested
vader stinks
He sure can dodge a spotlight when they ask about stuff he's done that pissed everybody off.
You know a simple Idk Sam I wasn't the best person back then and sure there's probably cases where my competitive nature or attitude back then might have hurt the careers of others but I can't be 100% responsible for all the issues because at the end of the Day it's Vince's company. This weird tangents and stutters was a bad look back then when he said this.
Lmao
I love Shawn...... and you're absolutely right!! 😄 🤣 😂
Best damn comment here. He's correct, only the elite make it. However, he famously held back the Rock, didn't want him to get a push. Hart did, and Hart also latched onto Stone Cold, and Taker. The Undertaker saw what Shawn did to other wrestlers and was even prepared to smash the guy over. Hart, Undertaker, Rock, Stone Cold, they aren't saints, but they rarely buried or refused to work with other talented performers out of fear for their spot. Moreover, they saw talent as a means to increase their prestige.
If you have fear of loosing your spot, that just shows how little confidence you have in yourself
Shawn played the politics and was able to attract fans while the others couldn't play the game. Bad or good, Shawn earned it.
Played politics good enough that he had to job Hogan. Hogan was aweful
Playing politics is the issue though, he is claiming everyone makes it on skill alone like they mostly do in sports, but the reality is backstage politics played a major role and he was the king of it in the 90's. He absolutely got guys fired and at times has bragged about it, but he claims anyone who didn't make it "just wasn't good enough"
So yeah he earned it, but he tries to pretend backstage politics don't play a role
Also Shawn was one of the worst drawing champions in WWE history, not like he wasn't over compared to the rest of the roster, but he was never over compared to the other guys who held the belt and had their run as a top guy
@@fabledogifyActually Shawn is one of the top selling people in the business and even people backstage even ones who use to hate him like Bret even stated he’s one of of not the best performer to have laced up his boots. Yes he had backstage politics down to carry him and his behavior did affect him in the drawing rates, however, when he started to clear up his issues he became the biggest draw for a while there. And his backstage politics were backed by his performance quality numerous other stars both ones who liked him and hated him stated Vince only let him get away with everything he got away with because of his performance and drawing rate. And Shawn’s also not wrong a lot of people blame him for their releases from the company at a time that Shawn showed up to maybe one or two tv tapings for that year. And here’s the kicker Shawn the one to two times he was there didn’t even interact with them. Shawn and a lot of other people get blamed for others not succeeding. There are people who blame John Cena for their releases like that guy named Alex Riley who said it was John cena’s fault he was released and Ryback also jumped in on this story. However truth be told Alex was only a decent draw one time and afterwards the audience just didn’t care anymore after his stint with The Miz. He probably got laid of just like Drew did for not drawing enough and being on payroll was more of a liability than anything else. You believe the negative narrative more than anything else.
@@FrankC71That one still angers me.
@@christianhafer9819 Makes sense tho
Shawns got a good attitude about the past. I'm sure he is more than aware of the crap he did in the 90s, more than anyone else. But you can't live in regret. He now has the peace of God over his past. I'm sure if someone came to him and legit had a bone to pick, as he said not when he's in public with his family, like call him up and talk, I bet Shawn would talk about it. But I like what he said though, "where are those guys at now? Did they succeed wherever they ended up?"
Why wouldn’t he? He’s not on the receiving end of it
Look, again, to be honest, you know, it’s like this, I mean. You know it’s like, I’m just, you know, umm, seriously.
Lmao litteraly. Dude said a whole bunch of nothing
They only hate HBK because he was the best .. You know how legendary you have to be for people to try and use how you were 20/30 years ago against you because that’s the only crutch they have
90s hbk had a bad attitude but at least he turned his life around for the better. No denying how great he was in the ring.
Shawn is like any man, he saw the error of his ways and did what he could do make up and be better. It doesn't excuse the shit he did, but he's trying and thats all anyone can ask
So true! People on Facebook talk about him 20, 30 years ago holding wrestlers back or whatever, and I'm like, get over it. It's in the past.
I mean hes kinda like that today too
@@elnino80100 Who is like what?
HBK wallowing in obscurity since 1996. HBK doesn't wallow in obscurity, he's on everyone's top 3 list by and large. But I've noticed, HBK can never speak in a straight-forward way, he's so emotional. So intense, he's pulled in several ways as he tries to put sentences together in this interview. He doesn't want to shoot but he does, and he used that your the best I'm the worst line with Bret in 1997. His sort of humbleness or aloofness is a decoy to the fact that he actually has things to say but doesn't want any more heat. His body language (nose touch, face touching are his tells always), like he says one thing and feels something ELSE inside. It comes across in a lot of interviews - never like this one before. If it were just audio you wouldn't necessarily tell, but his body language is so telling. He seems a bit off here. Vince let Shawn do what he wanted to do or at least, speak to Vince the way he wanted to. No one else had that relationship. He's right about the elite comment though - this was obviously before AEW haha #elite.
Bret had it for a while he was like a good guy golden child for a bit back in the day
Lulz it's not that he doesn't want any heat, he's mid fifties here he dgaf anymore....like he said most of his life is in the rear view now and he's busy trying to be a husband and father
I agree. He goes back and forth a lot. Like he starts to day something, thinks better of it, and back tracks.
It's because if he says what he really feels everyone will get upset with him & call him a jerk. Because people (wrestling fans/marks) in general, cannot handle the truth.
@@wolf7el356 Perhaps.
“I I I I I. Look ya know, and Im not trying to…. Like ya know, im I. I I I I im. Im umm ya know”
yeah had a hard time understanding him lol
He's right, I love the way he put that so he doesn't "step on any toes" by mentioning any names. You didn't make it not because of anything that Michael Hickenbottom did, you didn't make it because you simply didn't click with the fans, you didn't have any charisma, you didn't have the "it" factor, in short, you wasn't all of that, and it's not anyone's fault, not even that person, it is what it is, you are who you are, and when you go out there and "be yourself" they either gonna like you or they ain't or "yeah we not really feeling this person", so based on the fan reaction, that'll determine your place on the card. I don't know why I'm the only person who sees this for years and I've never been in the wrestling business.
Either you have the goods, and you get to the main event and be a World Champion or you do not have the goods accept your place in the midcard.
@ 1:37 "Tell me exactly where they did make it, on top as thee guy..and then we can address it from there...I guess?" *The Rock as entered the chat*
Rock never bad talk him tho
Bret Hart? Undertaker? Stone Cold? Ultimate Warrior? A lot of top guys had bad things to say about him and the Kliq too, he’s being disingenuous here.
@@gchijioke12 idk about ultimate warrior but the rest of them were doing just fine even when Shawn was at the peak of his career. I think its mostly the way Vince Mcmahon ran the company that made it a toxic workplace. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were part of the kliq and even they left wwf for wcw.
@@didthat4835He tries to avoid talking about him period. Goes to show actions speak louder than words.
My father played Semi-Pro hockey. He quit because he knew he wasn't good enough, became a plumber and worked 60 hours a week to raise his family. My brother, may his memory be eternal, was a coach for the Royals youth development. He didn't play the pros because he knew he wasn't good enough. I
have been in bands my entire life. And I'm at the age where I know that I'm not famous because I'm not the best. All the bands in town that complain about radio or Spotify only promoting certain people don't realize that those certain people get promoted because they're the best and people want to hear them and not us.
I bring all of this up to say what Sean says about people just weren't good enough is true. No amount of politicking was going to stop Vince McMahon from making money off of you. And the only reason Sean was able to politic his way anywhere is because he was top five all time.
Wow he hasn't changed at all he just got better at impulse control.
Dude even Bret said he changed. If anyone were to say he's still the same, it would definitely be Bret.
@@JordanBrittPeople are so delusional it’s hilarious. If anyone thinks he’s the same guy as in the 90s you have to be blinded by hate.
Shawn don't apologize for be the greatest of all time u are the coolest dude ever
No he's not
And he's also a selfish, disrespectful prick. Its sad to see how somebody can love someone so blindly, that they are willing to sweep all the bad stuff they did under the rug 🤦♂️
He wasn’t even the best WWF Champion in his own era
He never drew a dime. He never put butts in seats
Matter of fact he was one of the lowest drawing champions in his era. And that was his first world championship after Wrestlemania in 96. It was so bad he dropped his strap to Sid Justice at the Survivor Series
For him to compare himself to Brady is pretty laughable
Greatest in ring performer but not even close to being the greatest of all time.
Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair are the two greatest of all time You could also put Ricky Steamboat right there with them Shawn Michaels is the greatest in ring performer of all time and for the last 10 years a great promo.Ric Flair is like the Babe Ruth,Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Payton Manning or(Tom Brady)Sorry I'm a Payton Manning fan.I will give Tom Brady the edge and props.) wrestling's iron man,Oh and a 19 time world heavyweight champion,best promo after the plane crash, the sparking robes.Ric Flair put the butts in the seats.Ric Flair even had a match at 73.Ric Flair had the .most 1 hour or plus matches than anyone Ricky Steamboat had alot too
People want to pretend that wrestling isn’t a political jungle where everyone is clawing for a push. As I can tell, it always has been (especially when it was regional). Now it’s more of a business.
But when folks cry that Michaels worked the political game I just shrug and think, ‘Yeah, better than you.’
Thank you!!
People hated Michael Jordan too, HBK is the GOAT
Basketball is a sport though not a theater performance.
He looks great healthy and fit. All the best god bless you Shawn for years of memoirs
Its always difficult listening to Shawn trying to get a complete thought out when hes talking. Dudes brain is scrambled or hes extremely ADHD
Lol ikr and it's so weird cause he's nothing like this when cutting promos.
Lmao HBK will tell ya himself he ain't got much upstairs.
Oh that man is absolutely ADHD as hell. It's one of the reasons I vibe with him.
His comments at the beginning about those that make excuses because they’re ultimately not good enough is spot on.
Nonsense,he could be right when it comes to a sport but not entertainment, when you’re in Vince’s ear about a guy then u know vince is going with Shawn,like that time he claimed Marty was drunk and really he was just sleeping,Marty got fired then rehired months later when mr perfect told Vince that Shawn was lying
Shame it wasn’t the question being asked. The question was about his attitude. Not abilities
Maybe HBK might not have acknowledge certain things in public. Maybe in private. Idk just my thought. It's his life. He's probably sick and tired of ppl asking him in interviews about his behavior and actions and hate in the 90s. He don't wanna be a jerk and walk out.
if these wrestlers who are upset with Shawn if they were any good they would have been on top but they weren't they didn't sell it's hard for some people to hear they suck and they need someone to blame
They were good. Shawn used his current top position to powerplay up and comers so that he could keep his pot. He sandbagged Vader.
@@jd9119He had an amazing match selling and bumping FOR Vader. Vader messed up a spot and got a potato from Shawn. Vader never recovered from that because he was notoriously fragile with pressure. You can't put guys like that on top.
They was so jealous of Shawn Michaels is the man let em hate Shawn Shawn was the Michael Jordan of wrestling plus he had all the women Shawn just the coolest guy in wrestling him and sting and Scott hall
@@legarianvance6937Its sad to see that people are so blind, they are willing to overlook someone's actions just because they are 'cool'. Shawn Michaels was a lying, selfish, disrespectful prick who always had a chip on his shoulder, always had a grudge, he didn't care about the business, or anybody but himself.
@@jackalscorner2787 Shawn Michael marks make excuses for him for the way he was acting in the 90s is really pathetic
I would have to say Bret's views on Shawn all these years were valid nor can anyone say that Bret didn't make it.
What did he say exactly?
@@bigolebot Basically Shawn was a selfish jerk when he was young and only was interested in himself and his career. To quote Bret about his previous disdain for Heartbreak Kid, we'd be here all day. You can find plenty of his videos about him talking about HBK. Things changed when they made ammends during that Raw episode when Bret finally did return back to the WWE but before then, yeah, Bret was not a happy camper. Nor can i blame him.
Shawn Michaels had a reputation in the middle of his career as an extremely talented egotistical jerk. From what I understand he has matured immensely
@@badplay156 completely agreed, which is why those two were able to make peace.
And , once you get past all the "Ifs, Ands , or Buts" was one of Shawn's Biggest points..if not his only point. .. Shawn was trying to say "Anyone who says "Shawn Michaels" costed them a Career.. take a good look At THAT person's career? If My (Shawn's) interference was the ONLY thing that stopped them from making it, then perhaps it was not THAT much of a career to begin with??" Bret Legit DID have Shawn Michaels fuck with his career, but that alone, did NOT stop Bret's Career from ever being what it was, nor did it stop him from making the money he did. Shawn Michael's was a pain too it, but he certainly did not "Break" it.
The goat will always have haters.
Nobody argues with his talent, its just a shame that he was a prick
He wasn’t even the goat even in his era
He never drew a dime as WWF Champion
He was the lowest drawing champion of the 90s
His first title run was so awful in 1996 after Wrestlemania XII that he dropped his belt to Sid Eudy
Steve Austin is the goat
Get your facts straight dummy
Love Shawn Michaels, Shawn was going to screw Stone Cold out of his first Heavyweight title win. Remember Undertaker threatened to beat Shawn ass if he didn't lose to Steve Austin.
God HBK doing word salad to try an avoid the Truth, he did bury a handful or so legit.
Does shawn ever finish a sentence?? He does a lot of talking but never actually says anything specific. Almost sounds like hes drunk at times.
Haha. Former drug addict!!
All the top guys were backstabbers behind the scenes. It was just par for the course. You had to be cutthroat if you wanted to stay on top
I just don’t think there’s any humility there - which is unfortunate.
Vader made it everywhere but WWF and so did other Francise ECW , WCW but for Shawn to say he didn't hurt a few
You have the point I scanned the replies to find. Vader is a Kingpin historically who was railroaded by HBK and made into a joke after HBK whined to Vince. Blows the theory that was pushed here by the source.
HBK was simply the best ever all-around performer in professional wrestling.
The fans knew it, his peers knew it, and Vince knew it.
Luger's Total Package moniker would have been more appropriately applied to HBK.
It is similar to Tom Brady in that quarterbacks older than him don't want to give him credit. Ask Hulk Hogan about Shawn and he dances around saying anything good.
Comparing football athletes and wrestlers are very different. One outcome is staged and one isn’t. His ego is crazy not to admit that he held people down to the best of his power. He even tried it with rock. Rock showed this in his tv series. He was a dick.
What bothers me about Shawn is I wholeheartedly believe his "finding" a higher power (he believes) absolves his previous behavior and he doesn't need to apologize for it because since Jesus forgives him, he doesn't need forgiveness from anyone he's wronged. I'm not the only one that believes this. There is a certain brahma bull that has STILL never had a money feud or even a money match with hbk. Secondly why I believe his "redemption" is a crock of shit is because how he reacted in his match with hulk Hogan. Love or hate hogan, how Shawn acted in the ring was nothing short of a 4 year old throwing a temper tantrum. It wasn't good for business it wasn't good for Shawn or hulk, it exposed the business and the worst part of that fieasco was it was a slap in the face of every single person that PAID to see a match. People demanded refunds. Shawn has never given a rats ass about the people that spend their hard earned money to be able to afford to take their children to a live event. His finding religion is a joke. EDIT: I will NEVER say he isn't an AMAZING talent. I think he is one of the best wrestlers EVER. I just think he's still a pathological liar
I actually believe Shawn in his finding god story. When you think about his career from the 90s till his first retirement. He was self destructive, a drug user, insecure, and had a chip on his shoulder for anyone HE perceived as fake (like Bret) or anyone that wronged him in the 80’s and early 90’s when he was starting his career. That doesn’t take away from his prima dona nature at all; but I think it stemmed more from an obsession to be the best wrestler in the business. You know and I know, no matter how bad he was behind the curtain, when he was out there in the ring it was showtime and he usually gave fans every bit of their moneys worth in the ring. But Shawn struggling with his soma addictions and nearly overdosing in front of his son led him to changing things up; especially when he promised his wife like 3 years prior he would get clean.
I think when he returned he still had traits of being an asshole (like with Hogan) but didn’t freak out nearly as bad as he did with Vader. Rather than being enraged something was going wrong and becoming a trainwreck, he simply just hopped along for the ride in an antagonistic fashion like in the First Elimination Chamber. Lots of malfunctions occurred in that match but Shawn was a pro and continued it like nothing bad happened. He definitely could be unprofessional at times but in a business like this you’ll always hear stories about wrestlers doing stuff like that. Now I look back on that Summerslam debacle and laugh at it, like some fans do
Nobody demanded a refund for the Hogan match. That's pure fabrication. Rock doesn't like Michaels which is fine. He was pretty much out of wrestling by the time HBK returned to active ring duty anyway. That doesn't negate Michaels changing for the better through religion or something else. I'm not going to shed a tear for him not being very professional for Hogan. Need I remind you what Hogan did to Sting at Starcade.
@@jackalscorner2787 I COMPLETELY agree with your "what he did to sting" 100%. That was when my heart of WCW broke and i no longer cared to get hyped for ANYONE challenging Hogan or the nWo. I did like Goldberg and my reaction to the match in the Georgia dome was the same as every fan in attendance. WHY was Goldbergs pop SOOOO thunderous? Why did it blow the roof off the Georgia dome? It was because wcw for so long made their own fanbase feel STUPID for cheering for anyone that was anti-nWo. Mach, then piper, then Lugar, then sting, then DDP then Goldberg. Etc. Every old school wcw fan knows how selfish he was. BUT as well as we all KNOW hbks antics and backstage politicing if Shawn was the champ heading into the match..we ALL know he would've phoned in to the PPV and said he needed phantom surgery, or had a heart attack or that he was beat up by an entire platoon of of captain America level super soldiers. Or said he once again lost part of his face...start crying and a month later said all of those things were misdiagnosed and return and reclaim a title that he flat out refused to. People love saying that Hogan was extremely selfish and protective of his spot which IS correct. But they over look the fact that Hogan never dropped the belt to the ring itself.
irrelevant what you believe, its between Shawn and God
@@michaelmclaren1333 Hulk Hogan has jobbed clean to ppl as champion. HBK? Not even once.
the bully never remembers who they bully...the ax never remembers but the tree does.
Love him or hate him you cannot deny Shawn was unstoppable as the heel champ and leader of early DX. Game-Changing.
he struggled how with who he was and that’s why he turned to relgion , to clear his conscious, forget bret remember how he treated chord canidio .. this is just his ego talking
Great wrestler but 90% of those in the business said he was a class one asshole. He may have changed in latter years but during his time there was nobody with a bigger ego, and nobody was a bigger jerk.
Kevin Nash says "Hello".
Hulk Hogan says "Hello" as well.
@@dhenderson1810 I still think Shawn was a different animal most in the business around that time don’t have a single good word to say about him
Everybody looked out for themselves or their buddies back then and were assholes. He never did anything seriously terrible to anyone so I don't understand why he still gets so much heat after becoming a better man.
He was a pretty boy and i think thats where a lot of the jealousy comes from. They tried to hold him back since he became singles. Thats why he started being an asshole later on.
Shawn Michaels comparing himself to Tom Brady 🥹😭💀
Yes Shawn is better
Right from square 1 the analogy is invalid. True - college athlete don’t make it in pros bc they aren’t good enough (setting aside injury and other factors). That’s because they’re real sports. Completely (well mostly) merit based. Wrestling is the complete opposite. It’s not decided - in the ring or outside - by who’s the best. It’s decided by the promoter. And that in turn can be highly influenced by politics….
Exactly. Tom Brady and college athletes don't get to choose their teammates or even yet, choose or have a definitive say in whether they are going to lose or not. Those are two very realistic possibilities in pro wrestling.
This is completely incorrect. You have to be good enough first for the promoter to push you. Why would any promoter push a guy to the top who wasn’t one of the best? He wouldn’t, what’s best for business is backing the guys who have the skill.
Yes and no. If Vince had chosen Gilberg or Spike Dudley or the Brooklyn Brawler to be the Top Guy, do you think fans would would have been like "oh yeah. This is our guy now!" Hell no! HBK was good and only became a jerk BECAUSE he was good.
Thinking you're good and being absolutely garbage just makes you Nia Jax, not HBK. The bottom line is this: The majority of Shawn's career he wrestled for WWE/F. If the real reason most talent didn't succeed was because of Shawn alone, then the majority of these people would have went on to equal or greater things than HBK in other promotions.
That is unless you're going to tell me that good old HBK would have been able to call up Ted Turner and say "Dont hire this guy. He sucks!" And then have Ted listen. Lol
Wrestling is decided by who is the best in the ring. If you can't perform to a high level, you won't make it anywhere worthy, period. The people in WWE are there, because they are the best in the world. But notice how not everyone gets to be world champion? That's because that spot is only reserved for the absolute best wrestler. Predetermined matches don't take away from the fact that they only push those who can perform at the top of their game.
@@joshuaberlin9419 yep all the absolute best in the ring become the champs: chyna, honky tonk, Vince McMahon, Vince Russo, Kevin Nash, khali, David arquette, psycho Sid, Al tomko, Kevin Sullivan, Bruce hart….
PS. Creepy video by the way - buffalo bill.
He's not wrong. Most of the wrestlers that hate him were low card acts who had a history of blaming everyone but themselves. If it wasn't Shawn it was Flair or Hogan etc.
Michaels gladly agreed to job Hart, never appreciating that Hart could have crippled him, ask him about Gay Rumors with Vince
Uhhh was there a coherent sentence in there?
Several, actually.
HBK is my all time favorite wrestler, but sitting through some of his interviews is rough. He stops mid sentence, in order to start another & uses “ya know” wayyy to much lol
@@310bound Uh uh oh ya know I I uh uh I'm not saying uh uh now look I uh uh.
Stop taking it personally. His brain is mashed potatoes.
He literally said a bunch of absolutely nothing
If a apology and changed behavior doesn’t settle it for some, that sounds personal. Shawn does not have to spend his time impressing people that most likely was jealous of him.
God forgave him. That settles it!
Really now? Doesn’t seem like to me here that he’s taking any accountability. Saying sorry means shit if you don’t accept the fact that you hurt someone. That’s just arrogance
It's true.
The fact that some people would think that Shawn would have the power to put himself over people and bury people in the WWF is funny. Lol...
At the same time you're trying to diss him but then you're trying to say that he has all this power to the point where he could bury someone's career?! Lol. Do you think you're giving him too much credit?! I do. Because guys like the Undertaker backstage wouldn't let stuff like that go down.
When things got heated to a certain point to where people were screaming and getting physical, The Undertaker would step in and regulate!! No matter if it was Vince that needed to hear it, Brett, Shawn, or whoever!!
They say the same thing about Triple H, but neither of these guys had that kind of power, it's all Vince's!! For a short time Vince gave that power to Stephanie and Hunter and then he took it right back. Lol. This time was after all these accusations this was just a couple of yrs ago. Lol.
Shawn was a draw, he could sell, he was a good look he was good on the Mic he was good in the Ring he was athletic.
So if you are anything short of that mark,
Well then the Heartbreak kid was above YOU!!
Just because you don't like him and you would have liked to have gone further than him and didn't because he was more talented than you does not mean you say it's his fault that your career didn't go further than his. Lol.
Its sad to see how people are so blind, they are willing to sweep someone's actions under the rug just because they are 'cool'. Tells you everything you need to know about the world we live in.
@@hobnobbob8006Losers always blame winners for then being losers.
Love HBK but man he’s tough to listen to, he’s to busy trying to say the right thing and right words. Just say what you mean to say! Spit it out! Haha
I love Shawn now but it bothers me that he never apologized or even acknowledged what he did to Chris Candido. Yes Tammy is to blame as well but he never showed any public remorse fo blatantly sleeping with another mans wife.
HBK hasn’t taken accountability for a lot of the damage he did in the 90s, aside from saying “I wouldn’t like the old Shawn either” & stuff like that. He’s never addressed the Sunny situation at all though. I guess he thinks if he never acknowledges it publicly, than it never really happened lmao
@@isitoveryet9525 He mentioned it in his book but not in great detail.
so what? its his fault chris chick was a whore? he should of left her ass. instead hbk left her.
@Is it over yet? Or maybe you aren't owed an explanation or apology....
I heard Tammy and Chris candido were swingers
"As God is my witness" seems to be his favorite phrase.
The same Phrase he uttered to Bret Hart's wife in the locker room when he denied having anything to do with the MTL screwjob.
Thank you, Shawn! As a born-again Christian, I can totally relate to what you're saying. We're new men in God's eyes. The old man is dead, and we can't relate to that person anymore. Although far from perfect and still sinners, we simply can't describe the supernatural power of following Christ to others. Refreshing to hear you describe it so well. People don't get how the old man is dead, and we don't care about that life anymore. God bless you, brother!
this really is some of the dumbest shit you will ever come across. not everyone believes in teh same god that you do and you've got to accept that there's probably no afterlife and if there is the idea of you guys being right about it and everyone else being wrong about which god to worship and how is comical. if you were an asshole in life you don't somehow get absolved from all of that and people have every right in the world to not forgive you and there's nothing godly about forgiving and forgetting when someone was a dick! shawn michaels is one of the most hated wrestlers of all time and he seems to be implying here that it is because he was good and those who hated him were not. is that what jesus would do 🤣🤣???????
lol wtf
Getting "born again" simply doesn't absolve someone of their past actions. People can indeed change themselves and their behavior, but they are still responsible for the results of their actions. If Hitler or Ted Bundy had become born again prior to their deaths, would that have excused the terrible things they did?
Sounds like a good way to not take accountability for the past
@@duptygupty
He’s taken accountability for all the things he’s said and done
People who can't cut it never like admitting they just weren't good enough. It's easier to blame the Shawn Michael's, the hulk hogan's, the John Cenas of the world than just say i wasn't as good as i thought i was. This applies to not just wrestling but practically any career.
I uh uh uh I mean yeah right uh uh uhhh
Can I come to your country?
@@dennisantle5905 You must really like to eat rice.
It’s ridiculous to think that he didn’t use his influence to keep some wrestlers down. Not saying there isn’t some truth to “if you’re good enough you’ll make it”.
Always one of my all time favourites
I remember when Sean Michaels made Bret Hart submit with Hart's own move, the sharp shooter. Hart was so furious with himself for submitting and losing the title, that he spit in Vince McMahon and went to WCW!
you're joking right
@@dantecarroll2435, is that a statement, a question, or a realization? There's no punctuation...
@@babayagaslobbedaknobba it’s a question I didn’t realize this was an English class
@Baba Yaga Slobbed a Knobba He's asking if you're serious because the way you described the incident isn't how it went down. It's the infamous Montreal screw job. He wasn't furious with himself. He was furious at Vince because he had them just ring the bell. Brett didn't know it was going down. There are several documentaries here on YT to check out. He didn't just spit on Vince either. He decked him and laid him out in the locker room too. Lol.
Hart was already leaving and refused to drop the title in Canada. He wanted to come out on RAW the next night, when he was no longer under contract, and just hand it over to Vince. Vince was worried he would take the title with him to WCW and trash it Ala Medusa.
He's really going out of his way not to say "Shane Douglas."
Chad Frost
That’s true some people are just not good enough
It’s a reason I have Shawn and Taker as the GOATs because they were among the best in each decade in terms of in-ring, character work, mic skills, storytelling and having fans interest no matter who they was working with.
One of those people who accused Michaels of trying to bury him is The Rock. He did become elite. Does his opinion not hold merit, Shawn?
Lol
Haha. I don't think Rock ever said hbk tried to bury him, I think Shawn was just a cocky rude dick to him. Correct me if I'm wrong. Buuuut, I wouldn't put it past Shawn tho.
@@aspect1200 Check out Young Rock. Chad Frost is based off Shawn Michaels. If that's not a burial, I don't know what is.
@@mr.whisper3338 Oohhhh. I will. I'm on season 2 now. Looking forward to seeing this scene you're talking about!
@aspect1200 If you don't want to wait, Kevin Nash gives his opinion on it on his podcast here.
th-cam.com/video/GqNFj-aWNV4/w-d-xo.html
he was a Backstabber and a Liar.He had such a bad Attitude.
We can't all be perfect like you are.
But heres the thing: there are "The Stories " especially about a supposed meeting with Vince and The Kliq in a hotel room and it was about a list of early wwf 90's talent and Who THEY thought "Could Go" (shawns words from Heartbreak & Triumph) who are THEY to say who was good and Who WASN'T? Ask PCO ,Shane Douglas etc
He tried to hold The Rock back but he’s too talented to be held back. However, you can’t say Shawn Michaels didn’t hold back people who wouldn’t make it to the very top but still great wrestlers who made a difference.
Lots of wrestlers held people back.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin never did the job to the Rock until Austin's last match, when he was virtually crippled.
Austin refused to do the job to Brock as well.
So where is your criticism of him.
All the HBK fans in the comments are just like Michaels himself never acknowledging his mistakes and never holds himself accountable. But all that's ok because he found God.
He is better than you, every day in every way.
Suck it!
Everyone needs to move on and get over it already. People want to blame someone because they ‘didn’t make it’. Shawn is 100% right. If you were good enough you would’ve gotten to the top. End of story
One of the biggest ones is he gets blamed for the Montreal Screw job, still! It's been said over and over he was just stuck in the middle of it and had to do what he was told. Vince is the one responsible for that, and even Bret himself because he didn't want to stick to the tradition of doing business for someone when you leave a company. I also have heard Douglas blames HBK and the clock for him not making it when a lot of people have said Douglas was way to full of himself and was not great to work with at the end of the day.
It wasn't just Vince. HBK and especially HHH politicking
Shawn wasnt Elite at first and people tend to forget that. He worked his ass off to get there
He was a good performer and actions have consequences. I am not even talking about the business side just as a person. When you have multiple people say stuff it isnt the Brett Harts, RVD's, Chris Jerichos, etc that were the issue. If he wants obscurity actions speak louder than words. That being said if those guys can move past it other people should to also with the exception of Chris Candino. The only loss is the exceptional impersonation by RVD with cross eyes and all. While I would have expected a more nuanced response from a 51 year old hey we are all works in progress.
The problem with the shawn opinion is he only sees it one way. Like i think if you were to ask actual aspiring where they would wanna work for starters...i can almost be willingly WWE would not be at the top of the list. But yet somehow shawn equates wwe to the nfl or the pros.
I dont think the faith in the company.
If it were me all the options of places and the money needed. Id probably go for something like learn from create-a-pro at this day and time and shoot for a fulltime gig at say njpw.
I dont think wrestlers actually think they can trust wwe to create a great name anymore. Like so many of even of WWE top names built from the indies.
My point is thats WWE's problem. They still think they have the dominance of being the only coompany(even though they could never touch njpw).
My point its obvious. They have too many wrestlers and not enough staff to oversee enough wrestlers get featured...and even when their is a program for most..its always goes to their number 1 or number 2. Like look at roman reigns...why did he get 2 belts..simple he there number 1 pic.
Why did seth rollins get handed the whc belt without doing the honors of not earning it...that simple cuz seth rollins sucked ass and story and entertainment and tried to use the whc to get seth ratings...thereby devaluing the good stories such as the hall of pain, the youngest champions, hell devaluing hhh reign of terror with evolution. Cuz seth rollins failing is not a reason to unretire a good belt with rich history of good storylines. He is number 2 and like roman when seth sucks they will come up with another way to shove their 1s and 2s down our throats.
I could on and on about why WWE lives in a delusional fantasy bubble.
Its just wise to know that it still does and its best to avoid unless you wanna be devalued as both a wrestler and a watcher.
is Jim Norton on smack?
Great performer and I’m glad he got clean, but he, Nash, Hall, and HHH ended some guys careers behind the scenes with Vince. Guys who had families to support and some guys were on a good ride. They did it for laughs, their own careers, and to push people they liked. He avoided the question about as well as anyone could.
Yup. HHH took it to another level afterwards 😂
Idk, I mean how many times does the man have to apologize? Guy's been apologizing since 2002 and its still not enough.
Shawn Michaels is not everyone’s cup of tea …Every wrestler got an asterisk by their name …Pick the ones you can tolerate and be happy
Sounded a lot like:
Interviewer: “you stepped on a lot of people in the past”
Shawn Michaels: “Yeah, but I was better then them.”
Basically. But he’s matured so much. He can’t even directly answer the question of how shitty he’s been. It’s everyone else’s fault. Everyone is just jealous of me
Shawn helped Vince McMahon during the dark times of WWE from.1994- 1998 and helped him again from 2002- present both as a wrestler and as a evp of talent relations
Some of us fans hate him too. And I don’t mean his character I mean Clique guy
I guess Vader wasn't good enough when Shawn refused to drop the belt to him at SummerSlam, threatened to get him fired and book the match to make him look like Superman from the get-go so that Vader had no heat was all just him not being good enough
Although he’s done some rude shxt in peoples eyes , this it how it goes down in business , sports .. etc . That’s what made him great , he fought and it wasn’t always pretty 🤷♂️
I met Shawn and Marty Jannety as a 12 year old kid. After a brief conversation with Jannety he shook my hand. When i went to shake Michaels he told me "i dont do that". Total douche
he stutters and stammers coz he lies so much .
He was correct also on his personal life and how he fought all demons out.
Shawn is a very smart fellow. I never heard him being himself before.
He can’t string a sentence together😑
@bennu547 that's been discussed; he's had some damage done, a result from all of the bumps and hits
Incredible in the ring, but he was a total ass to Vader and what he did with Davey Boy Smith in London was shameful.
SHAWN MICHAELS LEGEND OF All TIME'S ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Who do you think was a bigger politician in his time
Hulk hogan vs Shawn Michaels
Shawn is right that most of them just weren't good enough. But he did politic and ruin people's careers.
At least people like Orton is big enough to admit that he was a shit head in the past. But he’s grown and looking back, there are things he can admit that he was immature. Shawn didn’t even do half that😑 He was directly asked why do people hate you, not like your attitude, whatever. His answer was basically “because they’re jealous they didn’t make it.” That wasn’t the question asked. He’s still a little boy who doesn’t like to take accountability for his actions
He basically called them haters for calling him out on his behavior 🤣
Everyone knows his character. A tree is known by the fruit it bears.
I always find this "X held me back" argument to be so stupid. Were all the backup QBs on the Pats held back by Tom Brady? The best in whatever business always rise to the top and can't be held back. Look at Stone Cold or Rock they weren't held back and couldn't have been held back because they were that good. Modern example look at Reigns, he was booed out of the building and not in a good way most of his early career and now he is a certified needle mover. Another example is LA Knight, always on the outside looking in of WWE and then when he got in he was given the worst gimmicks. Even the "LA Knight" gimmick is just some weird name with nothing behind it but he made it work and got over big time with it. Blaming someone for holding you back is really just saying you aren't as good as you thought you were.
Vader would disagree with you Shawn, you KILLED his push all by yourself.....
My favourite wrestler of all time. Well joint with Kurt angle. Hatred is a personal perspective. Spirituality in Jesus Christ saves.
They are elite athletes who don't make it because no one believes in them! And generally if you're not picked the majority of people have to move on life... They've got kids to take care of and bills to pay!? That really has to be factored into the equation, you can't just say the ones who make it , are the only ones who are elite enough or good enough have so.