Jim Cornette on Problems With Shawn Michaels

[@chuckfourhman1317]

It's because he was literally Vince's " Boy Toy"!

[@raymondsolisjr.1262]

Yup

[@TheTigerdurden]

But that’s not what Shawn says in his ring music.

[@wolfgangfrost8043]

I've heard people put forth the same theory about why Vince McMahon kept putting up with Ultimate Warrior's bullshit. He had a thing for him personally.

[@PeteUnsigned]

@@wolfgangfrost8043 it was Linda McMahon that had a "close" relationship with warrior, they would have "personal talks" in private at the McMahonsion. Every time warrior was threatening to leave she'd "convince" him to stay.... He insisted she was the one to induct him into the hall of fame.

[@Stoneman180190]

He had his mouth and hand on Vinces 🔔 end.

[@SharksRule86]

"Welcome to my world in 1996." HAHA!

[@myquest666420]

SharksRule86 god damnit, I’m about to do it again on another video. Pretty cool we both like Cornette and hockey though lol GO BLUES!

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

I don't think Shawn and Vince were fucking but I think Vince was scared to be without him because of how close WCW was. But then he struck gold with Stone Cold 😂

[@Loe_Jist]

Vince was always fixated on finding his top 1, MAYBE 2, guys. He always wanted a figurehead and a leading man for the company. He always had workhorses and decent wrestlers, but was obsessed with pushing a top babyface to be the king of the hill. By 1995, he was desperate. Bret Hart was great, but not charismatic enough. Michaels was undeniable as a wrestler and had charisma, but he was a loose cannon behind the scenes. WCW was manhandling WWF in the ratings and attendance at shows was low. McMahon loved Michaels like a son and knew he was the best shot WWF had. That's what happened when he only pushed 1 or 2 real stars and took most of the rest of the roster for granted. We saw it with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar in the 2010s until just the last several years: not enough natural charisma, low ratings, bad writing, neglected talent given brief pushes only to be dethroned shortly after winning the belt with little follow through. McMahon wanted Michaels out of desperation. He knew Michaels was terrific, but Michaels couldn't handle the pressure of being the top guy. Too many demons, pills, booze, and backstage feuds. His turnaround and redemption in the 2000s is one of the best personal character arcs in wrestling history. It's an inspirational sports movie caliber story.

[@trurobertson]

I noticed HBK in his big match with British Bulldog at one point he was like f**k this I give up ...

[@DrknssRules1]

One of my favorite stories is from Hardcore Holly's book. He would come back from his matches expecting dinner but he never got a meal because apparently Michaels had been ripping up his food card because he was a dick. Savage saw him doing it and told Holly so when he came back from another match and had no food, he went into The Kliq's locker room and said that if Michaels ever messed with his food again he would cut his fucking thumbs off with some bolt cutters. Needless to say Holly enjoyed a meal the next time he finished a match.

[@isitoveryet9525]

Lmao That story is B.S. He also said that he confronted Nash, Hall, 123 kid & HBK and they all backed down 😂😂 Michael's was a puss, but he surrounded himself with people that would protect him, and there's no way in hell all 4 of them were scared...especially Nash and Hall.

[@chadmcfly1299]

You’re an idiot if you believe hardcore bob holly lol

[@Ingenuity009]

@@isitoveryet9525 Dude Hardcore Holly is one tough mother fucker.

[@authenticdarkness4933]

@@isitoveryet9525 I don't know, Holly looked like a legitimate "zero bullshit" kind of person. He was respected in the locker room.

[@zlinedavid]

WWF never had “food cards”. Talent could eat whatever they wanted from catering. Back in the 90s, it was mostly grilled chicken, pasta and salad, but talent could go in and put a pounding on however much they wanted.

[@chef7423]

i’m a big HBK fan but listening to corny tear him apart is hilarious

[@chicagotristessa]

no youre not

[@chef7423]

@@chicagotristessa i understand your parents didn’t give you any attention as a child but lashing out won’t fix that problem. seek therapy, friend.

[@chicagotristessa]

@@chef7423 i will. thanks oprah

[@Dave-rf1zj]

What's funny is Jose Lathario, when he was wrestling, was known to be a pain in the locker room and a primadonna as well. Must be where Shawn Michaels picked all his antics up from.

[@joeyzapata6786]

Jose Lathario? Really? This is the first I've ever heard of this.

[@iamdalibor]

Best in ring wrestler to me will always be the whole f'n show rvd. Nobody could do the moves he did. And he made the other wrestlers moves look so good.

[@kepapurdy1489]

iamdalibor it’s not about doing fucking moves. There’s so much more to wrestling.

[@iamdalibor]

@@kepapurdy1489 You can judge wrestling how you want. I'll judge it how I want. To me I prefer the moves over some ridiculous story line or wrestlers with a 5 move set. Like I said, rvd had moves nobody had and made other peoples moves look so good and not over the top like some certain wrestlers I won't name. Just watch rvd and jerry lynn matches. Then come back here and tell me all that. Those two guys had was awesome moves and the chemistry between them... you could never match with a storyline. THATS pure wrestling to me. The best is having both but to me... the chemistry between the wrestlers and the moves is what I really liked about wrestling. Those rvd jerry lynn matches were just amazing and never seen two wrestlers duke it out like those two guys. You never knew what to expect when they wrestled because the moves they did was so fluid.

[@kepapurdy1489]

iamdalibor brother, I grew up on ECW from before they were televised, to the TNN run until it’s eventual collapse. RVD was one of my favorite wrestlers. I seen Jerry Lynn too. I remember the whole Fn show vs the new Fn show. They had phenomenal moves. What I’m telling you is it’s not just about moves. The match itself will tell a story. Not just the story of why the match is taking place. Pure wrestling is not just moves and chemistry. So I don’t need to go re watch shit I already seen and come back and tell you what I already know. As great as RVD and Jerry Lynn were, there were better WRESTLERS than them. Here’s the list: Shawn Michaels, Bret and Owen Hart, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, AJ Styles (currently) Randy Orton (currently) Dolph Ziggler (currently) would you like me to go pre 1996? Different promotions perhaps?

[@rudylugo2157]

People like rvd and steamboat were graceful performers. And I agree that moves have a lot to do with being the best in ring wrestler. Theres nothing more to wrestling because your job is to already know how to act and sell the product, the key is to not screw up and botch all the time.

[@FITWITHSID]

There ain’t no comparison between hbk and red Hbk is 🐐

[@kryceksangel]

Omg Brian is speaking my thoughts

[@jayanxiety]

I've always enjoyed HBK's matches and charisma and love how he's COMPLETELY turned his life around in recent years, but he WAS a back-stabber, manipulator and coward back in the day. Apparently, there wasn't one wrestler who Shawn could have beaten in a legitimate fight. In any real back stage fight, he got his ass kicked. In one instance Bret Hart once gave him a beat down and tore out some of his hair. In another, he got punched out by a non-wrestler in a bar. He surrounded himself with bigger, stronger and like-minded individuals because he was legitimately afraid of some of his fellow performers. It's a good thing that Bret Hart's friend Rick Rude chose to leave before he could get his hands on Shawn because that man was a legit tough guy.

[@alexandereckert5939]

It’s a show I love how so many wrestlers shoot about how tough they actually are. They are 99% total posers who would get put to sleep by any blue belt level grappler.

[@jayanxiety]

@@alexandereckert5939 Except maybe Hakku, Rick Rude and a few others.

[@RKO1988]

1997 Shawn Michaels heel promos are something to behold tho. Although he could still deliver these in his Post-Christianity phase see Montreal

[@nicholaschase768]

Dude, ravishing Rick Rude was a strong mofo that took no shit.

[@pogotheclown5642]

He's still a dick kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKivp615jq-Gjc0

[@raddmann99]

Shawn got away with stuff because Vince said 'suck it' and Shawn obliged.

[@josephhuffman240]

I tend to agree with you.

[@charlesbingham2084]

raddmann99 yep

[@maturanita]

raddmann99 that pretty much sums it up

[@SpaceGhost92]

Or maybe it’s because he’s the best fucking worker in the history of the business

[@Imdoom1991]

😂😂😂💯

[@davidgerow]

For all the shit Shawn got away with, he must of had something on Vince or was doing something to Vince.

[@MightyJabroni]

Maybe he let Vince take a dump on him, every so often.

[@fightsports66]

I know I sound like a conspiracy theorist but I have always believed Shawn and the clique had something on Vince. I suspect it had something to do with the steroid trial.

[@scottpickens2597]

the only thing he had on vince was that he was the greatest and vince needed him. he is the only thing that saved wwf from wcw.

[@fightsports66]

Scott pickens the only thing that saved Vince from WCW ? Shawn was out with two blown out discs in his back during the whole attitude era run. It was Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock that kept WCW and Nitro from putting Vince out of business. Credit to Mick Foley as the Scottie Pippen to the two Michael Jordan's in Austin and Johnson.

[@Tur1883]

Scott pickens what!? Two words saw WWF win the war, Austin & Rock

[@durden2480]

Scott pickens well said

[@revans100591]

If that's the case that would explain why Hogan is always welcomed back with open arms to the WWE as well but honestly I doubt that's the case because if that were true both Nash and Hall would have high ranking backstage jobs by now or would at least be receiving a month check to stay quiet.

[@raymondsolisjr.1262]

Shawn was Vince's boytoy

[@gazof-the-north1980]

Andre the Giant would have sorted out the Windbreak Kid Shawn Michaels.....

[@BishopM1]

He got away with it because Vince was infatuated with the guy and wanted to be him. Shawn is his favorite wrestler of all time.

[@jonw.1043]

Vince is George Costanza and Shawn is Tony.

[@TuMalditaMadre]

Vince's favorite wrestler was Dr. Jerry Graham

[@Kylersinjin]

Letting Vince and Pat Patterson tag team him probably didn't hurt

[@PeteUnsigned]

I don't think it was "in-ring wrestling" vince had on his mind when he looked at shawn - look at the fucking gimmick he gave him: a more feminine version of the biker from the village people, ruby red, assless chaps an' all and christened him the "sexy boy, boy toy"! Have you heard the unrestrained passion in Vince's voice when he sang the demo version of "sexy boy" yet? He didn't want to be him, he wanted to be INSIDE him!

[@sammycg]

They were lovers. Everyone knew..... Just like Vince and Rock / Vince and Cena / Vince and Roman

[@IAmTakeo]

This makes me question the validity of these things. They keep asking how did micheals get away with everything. He was signed before the big money came in, already under contract. So that is why, he was getting paid less than others that came after him. So he was good for business, got less, an Vince let him act out, better than paying him more money. At least that's the obvious reason.

[@revans100591]

Nah I saw a interview awhile back on this subject and from what was said he was making about 750,000 a year roughly and didn't like the pay so he started to complain about it and eventually threaten to leave the WWF for WCW like Nash and Hall did if he didn't get the pay raise. Vince eventually caved and increased his pay. The acting out and being a ass to people behind the scenes or on TV was something Vince always let his money makers do history has shown that.

[@Aphelion_k9f]

@@revans100591 Sounds valid since Mark Henry had the highest paying contract in WWE up to that time when he debuted in 1996. It was like a million a year for a decade.

[@felicity4711]

0:10 *kerfuffle

[@emightis]

Sandman took on the Harris Twins......drunk.....and he got his ass kicked.

[@PatricksCrazyPlace]

"No I wasn't there, but I popped" LOL!

[@andrewr1773]

Ron, Don, and Shawn.

[@TheHypnoManNation]

Shawn got away with it because He was getting "Spit Roasted" by Vinnie Mac & Pat Patterson...

[@andrewmcgovern9997]

The knee in the apron story I lost it 😂 😂 😂 😂

[@frankconley5953]

I do not think that shawn had dirt on vince or was in a special relationship with him or anything like that. I do however think that Shawn was never called out on his behavior and it just got progressively worse over time.

[@AnTunZee]

I think you’re right. I think what happened is Vince let his antics fly because he wanted Shawn to be his top guy. By the time Vince wanted to hitch his wagon to SCSA, it was too late to tell Shawn to cut it out because he was letting it slide for so long.

[@ryansanchez319]

I said mooooove, mooooove

[@jackmcgregor4025]

Vince had a crush

[@JoseFlores-xc7wu]

He got to the top by stealing his two signature moves from better wrestlers than him the flying elbow he stole from macho man and his sweet chin music he stole from rakishi. When rakishi was thin he use to use the kick to the chin as one of his move

[@piperar2014]

SCM is Gentleman Chris Adam's superkick with a gimmicky name.

[@soulofanerd9364]

Chris Adams Superkick was the classic version for me

[@Vikashar]

How long ago was Rikishi thin?

[@joshuapittman4663]

Literally every move ever created has been reused by other wrestlers, no one has a problem with it so long as they don't work the same promotion. Btw Rikishi didn't create superkicks and macho man didn't create too rope elbow drops..

[@buddywilliams5650]

Haku did the kick back in the 1980's.

[@ZakH644]

I was laughing my ass off imagining Corny struggling to get over the top rope 😂

[@herzkine]

Yeah its so easy to Vision right away

[@christhornycroft3686]

It's interesting to me that Michael Hickenbottom is the guy causing problems when you've got Brian Pillman, who is probably my favourite wrestler of all time behind Bret and Steve Borden, running around acting manic all the time (I'm sure the coke and the painkillers didn't help). From what I've heard, people have nothing but good things to say about Brian. Boytoy, not so much.

[@ProAmGolf]

Sting to you 🤣

[@donnydizzle2781]

Sid had said that there was talk about Nash wanting to do something about the Harris brother that choked Shawn but Sid said Nash wasnt gonna do anything because Harris woulda beat his arse..

[@mcculler1993]

I think Brian asking how Shawn got the belt is a question we've been asking since he won the belt and we've never gotten a actual answer.

[@Matt-cr4vv]

Meh I think it’s fairly easy to see why he got it. It’s not like he had it for a super long period of time. He was seen as one of the best in ring workers of all time so that’s one aspect. The company at the time was already in an elongated period of declining business. Revenues were down the prior two fiscal years before Shawn won the belt for the first time. So the first instance was also seeing what he could do in the role as other people in the role for the prior years werent resulting in big business. Maybe if the company was exploding with the belt on somebody like Bret prior to Shawn getting it then he doesn’t get the belt. But when business has already been down there’s little to risk by seeing what he can do with it. He held it for a good chunk of the next fiscal year and revenue dropped again from $85.8M to $81.8M. Part of that has to go against your champion but another part has to fairly consider what impact the explosion of the NWO had on that fiscal year as well. He won it the second time largely just because the Royal Rumble was in San Antonio and they thought the hometown hero thing would spike things. That aspect makes sense too. The third and final time was largely since Bret was leaving. Shawn hadn’t been exploding business but neither had Bret but Bret cost twice as much. If Bret wasn’t leaving I think they would’ve left the belt on him until WM for Austin to win it because they knew they were going with him next and wanted that crowning moment to be there. Obviously he never won the WWF belt again largely because he took his hiatus/retirement but with how business exploded under Stone Cold and the emergence of the Rock shortly after I doubt he would’ve won it again outside of maybe some quick shock wins to lose it back to one of those guys akin to some of the Mick Foley title reigns. For example, Mankind won the WWF belt three times but held it for a total of 35 days. I think that would’ve been the reality once business has exploded for other guys. When he won the WHC when he came back after all the years he only had it for 28 days and never won the world belt again. All in all under fair analysis it shouldn’t be all that wild to understand why he got the belt. Now let’s say he got it during the era of Hogan or Stone Cold when business was exploding and then there was a huge decline under him? Then it would be hard to understand. In the context of the times and recognizing that nobody was exploding business taking the chance on someone new being your top dog makes a lot of sense.

[@chasam1]

​@@Matt-cr4vvdoes people forget that from WM9 to King of the Ring 93 Hogan was the champion and from KOTR 93 to WM10 was Yokozuna? WM10 to SS 94 was Bret, then Diesel, SS 94 till SS 95? So, why people keep mention Brett's name on this ratungs decline topic?

[@jpmorgain912]

Although WARRIOR is the greatest mortal being to ever breathe - I love Jim - He says he's not an athlete all humbly but he is 👍

[@michaelallanrubin2376]

Shawn was a jerk

[@fffghfyfffkjlo7656]

@1:20 because HBK looked good!! & the fans liked him

[@MoreThanWrestling]

Yet in the wwe documentary about Shawn, it’s said by HHH that the Harris Twins immediately came up to him and Shawn following the Montreal incident and told them they had their back and rolled with them to the locker room as protection. What gives?

[@DLRX]

I've always wondered that too. Either Triple H was just flat out lying or the Harris Twins are massive tools.

[@jrlonergan6773]

Triple H is gonna say anything to make himself look in the right

[@randallhubbard654]

DLRX hhh lied he lied about being sorry about exposing the business why wouldn’t he lie here

[@CzLstudios]

I wanna give Shawn the benefit of the doubt and say due to that amount of money and fame we was receiving he started to really get big headed

[@jeffreymann6990]

Austin and McMahon.......that's what won the war.

[@gametimex3969]

And Foley and Rock

[@timmutohfan]

can't wait to see who bitches about brian pointing out that hbk never drew..

[@SAM-ru4vx]

are we talking about 1993-1996? sure Bret Hart drew not Shawn Michaels. but when DX started to get hot it was all HBK.

[@MrGhostVI]

tim mutohfan its mid 90's WWF no one drew....that argument is always funny to me. Like I get what cornette means but it doesn't actually make sense.

[@mfdixon1985]

Yeah. It's not so much disputing that he didn't draw, but who did? Mid 1990's were just a bad time for the business. HBK's first (and longest) title reign also significantly overlapped with the NWO storyline in WCW. Also, saying he doesn't draw isn't exactly a complete argument, because he was the reigning champion going into one of the most important and successful Wrestlemania's ever against Stone Cold. There's a lot to criticize mid-late 1990's HBK for. Shoot, even he says as much now. The drawing argument is just kinda weak.

[@mikeyoungblood1642]

Michael Dixon I agree with you. HBK was not the best World Champion, but 93-96 the business for both companies was in the shitter. Diesel in 95 was not a great worker, but the creative forced him with fucking Mabel. Shawn did ok with Davey Boy, but to me Owen Hart woulda made a better World Champ.

[@HatfulofHallow]

I love how even the ring ropes aren't as good as southern ones, up north according to Jim. Lol

[@seanbhoycfc4834]

Out of all Klique members HBK is the only one Bret went out his way to say he was sure Shawn had regrets about all the immature shit that they all did. Best of all time

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

Bret said that about Nash. As he and Nash have a lot of respect for each other, but said that Nash couldn't have been proud of the way he acted when around the Kliq members.

[@leomdk939]

Cornette over the top rope was great ... was like Humpty Dumpty having a great fall.

[@jonathanbrunner5202]

The best thing about these podcasts is the guy asking Jim questions automatically agrees with Jim before he has a chance to answer. Definitely a yes man.

[@Matt-cr4vv]

Brian disagrees fairly often but obviously they have similar beliefs on things. Brian isn’t afraid to disageee when he does.

[@ramseydoon8277]

Lmao the end of the clip is them disagreeing, ya big dummy!

[@rowdycmoore]

@@Matt-cr4vv See how Brian hates JBL almost as much as Jim hates HBK but Jim will forever defend JBL's bullying attitude.

[@mrbobevans]

Never did like Shawn Michaels. He always had short man's complex. Ron Harris should have kicked Shawn's ass.

[@Burger-urger]

@movie madness but I bet anything that he could have kicked Shawn's ass. We aren't talking about him being a draw.

[@TNO73]

HBK is a great in ring performer & a shitty person. Same could be said of Dynamite Kid. Taking nothing away from HBK, but I prefer teh in ring style of guys like Bret, Angle, & Benoit. In fact I outright stopped watching after the Benoit tragedy.

[@slamrobot6584]

Bret Hart was the best worker in the business.

[@michaelperez5172]

Bret was the best of his generation.

[@paulmartin7378]

I always thought Brett had aura of being so damn tough to beat and a great technical wrestler. He was never the best performer but his matches always seemed believable.

[@nickfanzo]

He couldn’t promo for shit

[@cksavage5072]

Well,no matter what, Bret was an overall better worker then that over rated bitch Shawn Michaels

[@joeyzapata6786]

@@nickfanzo he had great promos in 1997.

[@rawsko0316]

How did he get away with all that? Ask shawn if Vince tastes "Gamey" .....

[@playinragz8183]

You watch Cornette bang his squid.

[@KaoticReach1999]

Wait Shaun had low ratings? Really?

[@jabari-chan2272]

This was when Nitro was at its best

[@ComaAlpha]

If Shawn joined WCW and the nWo, Hogan would've had to be turned back to a face. WWF would've died before Austin and Rock even gained traction. People ask why and how Shawn got away with his antics? Because his antics attracted eyeballs and that equated to money. Down south Scott and Kev were doing damn near the same thing.

[@FITWITHSID]

💯

[@Matt-cr4vv]

I doubt that. I don’t think how business did under Shawn as champ can be fairly thrown on him entirely as so much of it does stem from the NWO. In the 8 weeks that followed Shawn winning the belt and Scott Hall debuting on Nitro 7 of them were head to head and Raw won 6. In the 6 they won ratings were up but they saw a big continuing decline as WCW began the giant win streak following the jump to WCW. But Shawn alone wouldn’t have made things jump so much higher to kill WWF. It’s true that there was a ton of worry to let anybody jump once they saw what happened with Hall and Nash. That’s largely why Bret got the amount of money he did. But when Shawn did try to leave it was less than a year before Austin won the belt. And when Vince went to Bret about his contract it was less about that he truly couldn’t afford to pay it but more so buyers remorse and the knowledge that the future wasn’t Bret but was actually Stone Cold. Vince told Bret he couldn’t afford his contract in late September and a month later told him the money situation had changed and that he’d like him to stay. But when Bret wanted creative guarantees Vince presented uncertainties that he probably knew Bret wouldn’t be happy with. When you look at how strategic Vince has always been I think the entire way he handled Bret was done in a way that he could come off looking like the good guy. Bruce has told stories that after Bret had signed to stay in the WWF that he would at various times mention about how he’d taken so much less money to stay. And that presented a chance to tell him to go. He didn’t want to come out and say he didn’t think Bret was worth it so he presented it as he couldn’t afford him but he’d be happy to let him get more money at WCW. After Bret had a month to negotiate with WCW I tend to think Vince came back to offer to keep him believing that he would have an offer in hand to leave and then be able to say that he’d done what he could to keep him but that he was happy he was able to make more. But at the deadline when the WCW offer came in and Bret tried to get Vince to keep him he was intentionally vague knowing it would push Bret to take that deal. I list all of that because I think the stories that WWF was so destitute they couldn’t afford anything are overblown. Yes they were struggling but once Vince saw his future in Stone Cold I have no doubts that he would’ve ate the losses to his own pocket to get to that wrestlemania. And once that wresrlemania happened business exploded. I have a lot of doubts that Shawn making a jump let’s say a year before that Austin explosion would’ve ended the WWF before it could happen. In reality I think a lot of the stories about how hopeless WWF was in 1997 are winners narrative by the WWE. Presenting that financial picture makes their choices about Bret make sense and adds to the winners story about how they were almost done but then blew back and won the war. But if you look to the fiscal year that’s measured ending a month after WM 14, even if it does included the revenue of that WM which is unlikely considering how slowly the proceeds of a PPV actually got to the company back then, the company did $44.4M more in revenue and $8.45M in profit. So I don’t think the financial picture and death teeter portrayed is genuine nor do I think HBK jumping to the NWO would’ve suddenly been the death knell. For one thing Shawn wasn’t bigger than Hogan and at this time Hogan as the head heel was still a lot of the driving force of the story. Bischoff wouldn’t have felt like he had to turn Higan face to accomodate Shawn nor could he have done so if Hogan didn’t want to do it. And with how the NWO was doing I highly doubt Hogan would’ve been on board.

[@jamalwalker04]

Exactly people are on here writing gay fantasies between him and Vince (y'all are exposing yourselves). The real answer is that Shawn and Bret were the only guys he had that he could effectively push as "the guy" .

[@niteporter]

I swear Vince McMahon and Hbk had something going on. Everything he did and pulled, the supposed back injury (and got paid while he was out). He wasn't that great.

[@darnellmajor8895]

Plus it's how great was with the Rockers but then became a bland solo performer for the most? So yeah something had to have went on between him and Vince for him to be pushed so big was offering little at the same time 😂

[@revenge8215]

@@darnellmajor8895 I think he probably the best in ring performer besides Bret heart

[@maturanita]

He was incredibly talented, and truly an innovator. Certainly a top 10 of all times, and that is including all promotions. But that isn’t why he got away with all of it. He got way with all that shit because he had sugar in his tank, the kind of sugar that makes a muscle freak like Vince take his jack hammer and dip it way deep into that tank. HBK’s marks cannot admit it, but he was Vince’s boy toy, just as Triple H was his.

[@jumbothompson]

He was not top ten of all time. He couldn't draw in the worst era in pro wrestling 92-96 not counting the crap that came after the attitude era.

[@maturanita]

@@jumbothompson that makes him NOT a top 10 DRAW of all times, but as an in ring performer, he might be

[@bigolebot]

​@@jumbothompsonbut bret couldn't draw either

[@felixcolon599]

As much as I love hbk my passion is.just like Bryan lasts. He got away with so much shit ud think hes hogam

[@jblack4644]

3:10 Flummoxed 🤣🤣🤣

[@kingdza]

When you really think about it, he’s a horrible draw. When WCW was beating WWF, Shawn was the top guy. Thank you to Stone Cold and The Rock for saving WWF.

[@alexello1189]

For those wondering, The bump he talks about around 3:30 is on KZbin here kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZDQn2ygm5yFn9U Look at the last 30 seconds of the promo

[@jaiwilkerson5034]

According to Dutch undertaker gave them the heads up Shawn was in the locker room by himself. So they went in and roughed him up.

[@Dave-rf1zj]

I know it's subjective, but I can name 10 better workers than Shawn Michaels during the 1990's (and I'm sure others can as well). So i don't see where this best worker in the business thing came from.

[@Dave-rf1zj]

@J Crash wow.....you're just a fan too dude. Also, my opion on Michaels has zero to do with his backstage antics. I never said he wasn't a great worker, I felt thst he wasn't the greatest in ring worker. And there are people, both wrestlers & fans alike that would agree. This us all subjective. I don't understand why fans like yourself think that your opinion carries more weight than any other fan. Yeah, I'm a fan....and? So are you. Another thing I'll never understand is the attitude towards another fan that has a different opinion by internet know it all nobody fans like yourself for having a different opinion. "You fans"...you're a fan too dude. You don't agree with me....ok....why resort to shit talking? Is one fan's opinion of Michaels that important to you?

[@Dave-rf1zj]

@J Crash Ok....again. i never said he wasn't great. I said he wasn't the greatest in my opinion. And i never said wrestlers would agree, i said I'm sure others would agree, and there are many fans and wrestlers that would. This is all subjective and a comment section where people give their opinions. And I'm a fan just like you dude, your opinion carries no more weight than mine.

[@Dave-rf1zj]

@J Crash name what wrestlers? Ones that said Michaels ain't the greatest? Hell...half the wrestlers you named including Michaels himself said Ric flair is the greatest. Again...all this is subjective. It's a matter of taste.

[@Dave-rf1zj]

@J Crash i don't understand your rationale here. You're sitting here acting like cuz I'm a fan that i can't have an opinion, and that your opinion matters more. Plus you keep ignoring the fact i never said Michaels wasn't great...i said he wasn't the greatest. And many wrestlers will say ric Flair was the greatest....even Michaels. Bottom line is all this is opinion. You have an opinion....i have an opinion. Yours doesn't mean anymore than mine. This is a comment section where people state....opinions.

[@Dave-rf1zj]

@J Crash what names? That said what? HHH, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Jim Cornette all said Ric Flair was the greatest.

[@brokencigarette3017]

Never been a fan of HBK and even less now after hearing the many, many stories from Jim and other guys around him during his days wrestling.

[@revenge8215]

Did you know he would fuck sunny during a show and have the clique watch out for people

[@Anomalous602]

Same! I’ve always been a Bret hart fan since I was a kid and just didn’t take hbk seriously as a wrestler.

[@Josh_J91]

Shawn is the greatest ever

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

Never. Wasn't the biggest drawing champ, amongst other things.

[@bigdaddy0614]

Two Words: Pat Patterson..... He was one of Pat's top play toys

[@ChristopherJames1993]

At that point nothing drew really because the business was in flux.

[@rangergeorge6808]

Shawn Michaels likely got away with his prima donna antics, despite not being a draw, because Vince loved his Playgirl photo shoot.

[@Pugiron]

When you're Vince's secret gay lover, you get away with a lot of shit.

[@TheHypnoManNation]

Exactly...

[@apr8189]

Yep

[@thelastmotel]

That reminded me of the Scott Hall and Kevin Nash story about Vince telling them about his first gay encounter, and Scott said, "What? As opposed to your most recent one?".

[@kbarrett63]

Sugar baby Shawn !!

[@DreChilly]

Looking back on it it was Sean's STYLE in the ring that allowed him to get away with shit the combination of high flying and technical ability mixed in with this arrogant flair and ladies man persona was just enough to win the crowd over even as a heel. Keep in mind this was pre-attitude era.

[@ajsgaming83]

do you mean Shawn??

[@DreChilly]

@@ajsgaming83 yea ...... let's get technical

[@ajsgaming83]

@@DreChilly its not technical just his name, sean and shawn are 2 different names

[@DreChilly]

@@ajsgaming83 well technically its pronounce the same way right ???

[@ajsgaming83]

@@DreChilly no

[@guitarguy4630]

Then dang ol cerfluffals

[@timothyfrantz9443]

Was Shawn Michaels getting a “push” from Pat Patterson ? 😮 Was he Pat’s “Boy Toy” ?

[@V3rmundr]

HBK is still my favourite of all time.

[@mikeirish4692]

I truly believed Vince was pegging HBK.

[@Mere_Puffery]

You should probably look up what ‘pegging’ is. Unless you think Vince literally has no cock?

[@pallyboy6005]

My theory is that Vince McMahon had a secret homosexual fixation on Shawn Michaels. That's why Shawn could get away with being so remarkably unprofessional on so many different occasions, and be so leniently punishrd for it. And it's why Vince called him "The Heartbreak Kid", because he knew he could never come out with his true feelings.

[@revenge8215]

😐

[@jamalwalker04]

These dudes are creating gay fanfiction ​@@revenge8215

[@shmuel2361]

WRESTLERS says Shawn Michaels has SUGAR IN HIS TANK. AC/DC Vince boy toy.

[@ralphschillo8198]

wrestlers say a lot of dumb shit.....

[@Mike--Oxmall]

Shawn did actually draw a lot overseas.

[@observer7555]

The push of Shawn Michaels after The Rockers split is why I gave up on the WWF/E for good. He (and HHH) are sorry excuses of human beings. Once WCW folded, pro wrestling became extinct.

[@knightshiningarmour]

Really? You didnt watch any stone cold, the rock, nwo or any of that? I don't see a problem with triple h though

[@StephenWestSyd]

@@knightshiningarmour he is talking about 1993-1995, probably the worst financial years of the 1990’s in WWF. When they tried pushing Shawn and turning Luger into Hulk Hogan 2.0

[@qgill778]

Let’s be real .. Like any argument in life I’m sure there are true points on both sides and I love Jim Cornette he’s a legend in the business in his own but let’s be honest what MJ was to Basketball Shawn Michaels was to wrestling in the 90s

[@spitshinetommy3721]

MJ of wrestling?! BWAHAHA! Michaels wasn't even the biggest name in 1996 when he was at the peak of his career - that was clearly Hulk Hogan.

[@qgill778]

@@spitshinetommy3721 Yeah as far as the WWE.. Hulk hogan went to WCW in 94 bro and is more known for his run in the 80s

[@nicholaschase768]

Hulk made the WWF and Austin saved it. HBK was a great performer but was deplorable.

[@RealFuckingReviews]

In what world is any of what you said true?

[@RexMundi_UTC]

Shawn is exactly the type who pat Patterson lusted for. What's the odds he put out to get his mega push. Even that theme music....yikes.

[@heathbranch1823]

Bc Shawn was fucking GREAT. That’s why he got away with everything. Cornette doesn’t like him bc Shawn probably could treat him anyway he wanted to and he couldn’t do a mf thing about it and whoever the co host is doesn’t like him bc Jim doesn’t. If Shawn was a wrestler from 1976 who used a uppercut as a finish then him would praise him 🤷🏻‍♂️💯💯

[@noahintahlequahsmithh5303]

I saw him throw you out of the ring the night after he won the Rumble. You were working with Owen Hart and Shawn was guaranteed to go to WrestleMania. And you had him but his WrestleMania title shot on the line against Owen. You landed awkwardly. He threw you over and I just knew you either injured your leg or knee. I am glad you cleared that up. You were so funny. But Zi knew you hurt yourself.

[@iversongoat4280]

how was hbk not a draw? he was a huge draw the reason me and most people watched

[@RealFuckingReviews]

he couldnt draw flies to shit.

[@RealFuckingReviews]

lmao at the reason most peopole watched. When exactly was michaels the reason why " Most peopole" watched?

[@iversongoat4280]

@@RealFuckingReviews literally created DX the most popular wrestling group ever and its not close. hbk had every1 suspended from school doing suck it. he is the best in ring performer of all time and is great on the mic too. jim cornette just salty cause of how hbk was towards him and others but hbk was way more box office than bret no personality hart

[@RealFuckingReviews]

@@iversongoat4280 lmao @ dx being the biggest group of all time. So the nwo was never a thing? Your an idiot.

[@ronaldomontero3624]

​@@RealFuckingReviews Steve Austin

[@TylerAnselmo11]

Lol "kerfluffels" greatest word ever

[@wrestlingtapes2036]

Imagine HBK being your favorite wrestler. Somebody who posed for a gay magazine and came out dancing like a chip and dale stripper who is 0 for life in real life fights. Lolololol. To each his own. Lololol.

[@CR-ye6jq]

"How did he get away with ........." Because he was the best performer in the WWF from 95-97. Not necessarily hard to understand.

[@Cherubim666999]

no

[@CR-ye6jq]

@@Cherubim666999 tell me who was better? Everyone has said he was, even those that couldn't stand them. Fact.

[@RealFuckingReviews]

@@CR-ye6jq Austin and Bret shit on seans life in 97.

[@sirnoname6943]

@@RealFuckingReviewsother way around lmaoo

[@kryceksangel]

I've never liked hbk

[@iceman-hw7kb]

Brian last he had Vince mcmahon

[@Riese79]

hbk the super Junkie.

[@barelymanilow7079]

HBK was a good wrestler, but oversold to a ridiculous extent too often. He was a dick to other wrestlers.

[@healingchurchpotluck5352]

Hbk's born again gimmick seems like another self serving angle to boost his ego. I highly doubt he's offered a helping hand to the people/families of people he got fired years ago over nothing.

[@cksavage5072]

Ya his born again gimmick IS bullshit. Shawn is so see through

[@RKO1988]

He got away with it bc Vince thought he was cute 😍

[@revenge8215]

As do I my friend, as do I

[@guardian08527]

Vince put up with Shawn because he was shit out of options really.

[@60BloodyChamp60]

I can’t believe HBK catches so much hell, besides about Montreal, but Montreal is actually a reason he got away with so much in a roundabout way because he went out there and did that whole thing for Vince. But as for everything else including Summerslam 05 which he still catches hell for, I don’t get it. He gave Hogan a dose of his own medicine which was long overdue. Hogan of course backed out of jobbing to Sting the day of the match that they’d built towards for over a year, backed out of jobbing to HBK, went on a racist tirade in between scenes on a sex tape wtf? The most socially unacceptable thing at the time...O he was just forgiven. But HBK can’t live down a hissy fit or 2 in 1998.

[@joeyrko1]

Call him what ever ya want, god knows I wasn’t a fan of the person but the in ring performer HBK is arguably the greatest there has ever been when it came go time between those ropes

[@guyincognito5706]

joeyrko1 another mark believing WWE’s revisionist storytelling 😂

[@joeyrko1]

Guy Incognito Na, just reporting what I’ve seen since 88 bro. I honestly don’t care enough to be a mark lol

[@aboriginalson]

@@joeyrko1 Sure you do mark with that bullshit you spewing.

[@jorgechavez8774]

I never was a fan of shawn. Never understood why hes considered to be great in the ring. Sagave and hart were 10 times bettervthan him.

[@zeldaeitro]

I hope Jim gets this iv heard agree and live your thoughts on outlaw wrestling recently I saw a match wrestler vs invisible Man just to hear him rant live JC

[@kylehayden4885]

I get cornette had a lot of issues with Shawn back in the day and that Shawn was a giant POS, but its been like 25 years now, cornette has to let some of this go

[@elland37]

Hmmm I know they don't use steel cable, but the WWE ropes have always been very sturdy and tight.

[@immortalmp1720]

Nobody could touch hbk in that ring

[@sinbad2247]

Except Vince on the bear skin rug

[@wombatgirl997]

Jim Cornette Flop Doller-ed himself!

[@dane21dc]

Last has an ego bigger than Texas

[@set1237]

3:05 hot

[@jackstraw522]

I’ve always believed the reason michaels didn’t draw was a lack of really good opponents

[@TuMalditaMadre]

Bret Hart, Diesel, British Bulldog, Vader, Mankind, Sid, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Ken Shamrock and Owen Hart, all guys Shawn had feuds with during his first two title reigns. He was facing hall of fame talent pretty much every night. Can't blame the opponents in this case.

[@codyzempel5506]

No fact of the matter is this guys a fucking world class moron and facts and info prove Shawn saved all their collective asses and ushered in the attitude era so not drawing? Ha sheer fucking ignorance hes one of the most lucrative WWF/E champions period

[@RandalfElVikingo]

Bret Hart once said he could not understood either why WCW was doing better at the ratings if WWE had the better wrestling. So I think Shawn has more of a draw with a certain audience; one fan on You Tube wrote a long time ago "The Shawn Michaels syndrome" everyone in the wrestling world knows him but nobody outside of it.

[@mikegillette3021]

Maybe it was Shawn that was the issue not the opponents

[@Kylersinjin]

Maybe the fact that every time he had an angle with somebody he tanked the story instead of passing the belt on. Any good Rivals hated him by the start of the Attitude Era

[@jackmcgregor4025]

I lost a lot of respect for Michael's everyone pretty much say the same thing

[@JordanBritt]

Jack McGregor You do realize this was over 20 years ago right?

[@rogueprince1341]

He was a a good in ring talent but he was not the best in ring worker. The Rock was more charismatic and was just as good a in ring worker and he wasn't a complete douche bag.

[@SpaceGhost92]

Anthony Lankford The rock is nowhere close to being as good as Shawn in ring.

[@vita1ogy.]

I love The Rock, especially his promos. But Shawn was the better athlete. Rock was extremely limited in the ring. Shawn is the best to ever do it. If Flair and Hart say that he's the best, and people say they're the best, you know he's the G.O.A.T.

@@husqua5362 by children lol hbk was 20 times the charisma as the rock and his corny kid jokes about dog turds u obviously only saw hbk after 2002 and no t in his prime years

[@batmaneatspizza]

oliver closehoff shawn is not on rock’s level pal

[@aboriginalson]

@ Who is hbk's demographic? women, children and gay males. You must fit the gay role.