Jim Cornette on Why The Rock & Shawn Michaels Didn't Work Together

[@rhey81]

Michaels injury was probably the best thing for wrestling at that time.. Who knows how much he would have screwed the Rock and Austin.

[@budwyzer77]

Oh, there was GOING to be some sort of injury, that's for damn sure...

[@msr187]

Another retirement, another lost smile

[@agentallstar7]

Rhey fake injury

[@michaelallanrubin2376]

It wasn't a fake injury

[@artisticskillz01]

@@budwyzer77 Taker was gonna whoop that Ass for damn sure!

[@jaskopdx6342]

Shawn Michaels and triple H were jeleous of the Rock.. the rock knew this and he knew Shawn and Triple H would bury rock if they could.. I think rock despises them for backstage politics they play.

[@supermanXL]

i heard that they were trying to fuck with rock and bury him. the poop sandwich story started because the klique was trying to fuck with the rock

[@jordanhutton5787]

@@supermanXL and ended up getting Mark Henry

[@supermanXL]

@@jordanhutton5787 I feel for Mark for putting up with them. Strange that Mr. Ass was the one that ended up training Mark.

[@obersveyourmind]

@@supermanXL What the f#ck? Poop sandwich? Oh Lord. What's wrong with these people?!

[@supermanXL]

@@obersveyourmind they were ass hole they even told the world they did it while in Black face

[@Duk3Silv3r]

What's even funnier is the fact that Hulk Hogan had many problems letting HBK beat him... But The Rock beat Hogan, twice.

[@bigglilwayne7050]

Hogan would only do jobs for guys such as the Rock that could believably beat him, not skinny little pillheaded bastards like Shawn Michaels

[@ellgeee7376]

Shawn Michaels ego is as shinier than his bald ass

[@christhornycroft3686]

True, but that was well after his run main run in either WWF or WCW. He didn’t have the same cache at that point.

[@skippythealien9627]

as great as an in-ring performer as Michaels was, he never had that bodybuilder physique, and I could see the size difference really bothering Hogan since Hogan is known for being very protective over his image. Whereas with Rock, Hogan was fine with a guy like him getting the win.

[@Toast960]

Rumor I always heard was that Rocky and Hunter were always jocking for the same positions and Shawn wanted Hunter to get over more than Rocky. Didn't help that Rocky was also friends with the Harts.

[@viqneuman.5111]

Hatfields and McCoy's this wrestling business be.

[@nasirjones9149]

He definitely respected the Hart family, which is why he used the sharpshooter.

[@michaelbull4344]

Yeah word is Rocky was bullied and mocked by Shawn and hunter when Ricky first came to wwe bret hart talks about it

[@Rich-km7pr]

Lmao he tried the impossible. Triple H would never be more over than Rock, no matter what he did. He didn't have it. Some people just have it. That was Austin and Rock. Heck, even Kurt Angle was more over than Triple H. He's another one that has the it factor.

[@thomasmoore8096]

Rock also had a lot of people watching his back. Between vince, pat patterson, BSK, the Harts, Rock's cousins, and just about everybody else

[@christhornycroft3686]

Shawn Michaels is perfect evidence that it really doesn't matter how athletic or talented you are, if you're only getting yourself over at the expense of the promotion you work for, you're not a big draw. The girls and the kids liked him because he was flashy and fun and flamboyant and especially later on in his initial WWF run, said and did a lot of the things teenage boys wish they could get away with. Bret Hart would have been a much bigger draw himself if he had more established heels to work with. Nobody credits Bret for his influence on the Attitude Era. By the time he left WWF in late 1997, he'd set up a bunch of guys to be the big stars going forward. HBK never got anyone over except himself and his buddies.

[@davidjackson9680]

All he set up was Austin

[@bigolebot]

Bret didn't set up The Rock, Pat Patterson did. Sorry if Google isn't working for you

[@Sefa376]

​@@bigolebothe played a part in getting the rock over

[@marcusmajors6196]

Bret Hart didn't want to beat the Rock. The Kliq wanted Bret to go mid card and the Rock out of the IC contention. The match between Bret and Rock ended I think in dq cuz Bret wasn't tryna bury him

[@migueldebarros1989]

Marcus Majors you right Bret himself said that the rock was going to be a big star back then and had seen Shawn and HHH get jealous of what the rock would become before his stardom erupted

[@kylebyrne8076]

Plus as far as i know the harts were good friends with the Samoan wrestling dynasty

[@marcusmajors6196]

I think Rocky Johnson wrestled for stampede

[@KingGeorgieIII]

Bret Hart is a G💯

[@smarkslowplay3512]

Rock and Austin talked with Bret in late 2000/2001 and said HBK had no say anymore in WWF, Bret could come back and had their back

[@tylerbushong3452]

Bret Hart said that, so take it with a grain of salt.

[@bigolebot]

Bret said that but it's probably a lie like the majority of Bret's stories

[@zenoftupac9096]

The dueling Shawn Michaels jokes at the end made me lol

[@InvincibleYoungEmpire]

lmao

[@lordvader450]

Not me. Make me cringe and get angry, alot of it was uncalled for. Shame on the guy interviewing Jim.

[@joaomendes147]

@@lordvader450 The guy interviewing Jim? WTF are you saying? LMAO

[@hectorrico8661]

A specific moment. In Bret Hart's book, when Rock and Bret had their match on Raw. Bret was supposed to win his IC title. HBK and HHH kept trying to convince the bookers to bury Rock. Of course Bret put over Rock. But I think that has something to do with it too. In the Rock's book. If you really read between the lines. When he talks about how fucked up wrestlers egos can get. You can tell hes taking jabs at HBK but doesn't wanna name names. He's careful around the "lost my smile" storyline, which got him his IC title.

[@ronaldcharlemagne7149]

Best promo with Shawn and The Rock when they dissed DX and the Rock was pulling up the catch phrases of Hogan, Flair, Bret and Macho Man. So hilarious!

[@youngtruthspitta3655]

I seen it a million times and it’s funnier each time 😂😂😂😂

[@JDotWill]

I always heard it was because of Rock’s respect for Bret why he never worked with Shawn

[@habadasheryjones]

I despise the clique. They held two different wrestling programs hostage creatively for years and drove one straight into the ground with their selfish politicing. Hogan deserves some blame too, brother.

[@jasonmyers8600]

Once Hall and Nash left and hbk went away with a sore back, the cliq's power in wwf was severely limited. Austin wanted to work with Rock at WM 15 when dx were telling vince it should be HHH vs Austin lol. As for Hogan, Hall and Nash owe their success to him. If Hogan hadn't turned heel, the nwo gimmick would've died within a year or 2.

[@lsunationalchamps08]

He cut his hair...which one??? Damn Cornette is brutal 😂😂😂

[@K-dawg26]

At least Shawn can grow his hair back.

[@travismcdonald6576]

kyle strong Where?

[@K-dawg26]

@@travismcdonald6576 he has sort of a buzz cut thing going on.

[@MrOpportunity45]

strong he's going bald, that's why

[@K-dawg26]

@@MrOpportunity45 no, that's not why.

[@wce05308]

The rock is a man's man whereas the kliq were just frat boys.

[@LizzyMessilove10]

And now the rock is more famous than all of them put together.

[@TL2354]

You were around all of them?

[@wce05308]

@@TL2354 idiot.

[@nasirjones9149]

Well said that’s basically how I describe them.

[@mapleleafhitman1796]

Rock got more money than those bastards that they can ever even dream of

[@tankwfw]

The problem was when Rock really took off was about the time Shawn "retired" for a few years around 98. I guess they would have had a small window

[@Immortalangel14]

And by the time shawn came back was at the end of rockys full time career

[@jasonbink5276]

Cuz the Rock says, “know your damn role.”

[@darthroden]

Maybe Bret saw it but others at the time didn't think that Rocky was going to get above mid-card. Mick Foley mentioned in his first book that he and a bunch of others thought the WWF(E) should cut their losses with him even though he was a third generation wrestler...and let's face it if you saw the Rock when he started out you probably wouldn't have thought he'd get anywhere, and maybe it wouldn't have if Stone Cold hadn't suddenly had to leave to recover from his own injuries. But when the Rock took off he really took off and that was because he was able to build on his original gimmick and was free to be as entertaining as hell while doing it. When you saw the Rock in his early career and someone told you he was going to have the biggest Wrestlemania pop of all time with Hulk Hogan, you would have thought the person telling you that was a WCW troll or simply high off their ass.

[@DJYC21215]

Nah, Everyone knew the rock would be big, They were just envious and hating. It was only a matter of time. Dude had the Look, The voice, The Promo, The in ring ability, The body. Everything.

[@dexenationgracey1979]

​@@DJYC21215 Eh, not in 1996. The Rock didn't really find his stride until late 97/early 98.

[@bigolebot]

​@@DJYC21215stop rewriting history, no one didn't see The Rock as a big star during his Rocky Miavia gimmick, Foley said it, Taker even said it. My goodness these zoomers rewriting history about an era they didn't live through

[@darmon931]

HBK or any of his cronies will never be rocks level

[@MontrealCanuck1]

Impressive the rock did it alone basically.considering hbk and others wanted to keep him down

[@wce05308]

@@MontrealCanuck1 exactly. Rock did it alone whereas Shawn needed a crew behind him.

[@pk_1]

FACTSSS!!!!!

[@darmon931]

A crew dedicated to getting only themselves to the top as well

[@newlookknicks1]

Rock as a character and promos and getting over, I agree. As far as wrestling skills go, HBK is better.

[@joemixon834]

Main reason why is Shawn was out of wrestling from 98 to 02 and by the time he came back the Rock was basically gone to Hollywood. So basically two ships passing in the night.

[@MASTER3371]

It was suppose to happen at WM 20 but Rock refused & that’s why HBK was forced into the Benoit HHH match. They had their times to face each other

[@YoungGrizzly82]

HBK circa 1996-97 vs Rock circa 2000 would've been EPIC

[@wolfpacsyxx]

Nash and Scott Hall and Waltman all had their best matches with Bret actually. Oh and HHH still hasn’t had a great match.

[@Alb-fx9hq]

Triple h has had many good matches.

[@wolfpacsyxx]

Mclovin Mclovin wow, to you to me he just has the same shitty match he’s always had...just a bunch of brawling

[@Alb-fx9hq]

@@wolfpacsyxx you could say that about many wrestlers...cena always does the same 5 moves, so does taker,orton,shawn and so on lmfao

[@wolfpacsyxx]

Mclovin Mclovin well no you aren’t comprehending, those guys despite that have different styles of matches....HHH only has one type of match a brawl. He can’t have anything but that, that’s regardless of moves.

[@Alb-fx9hq]

@@wolfpacsyxx he has had plenty of technical matches aswell...you are just hating for no reason like everyone does, hhh isnt a bad wrestler like many say he is people just like to jump on the bandwagon

[@jamalabdelbaset6635]

2:32 Brian had me dying!!!

[@helpoj]

I thought shawn had said something racist against rocks family and rock got into a scuffle woth him

[@91mercedez]

But theres also a story of the rock telling Shawn and triple h that he was not black that his dad was white or somthing

[@Meko_tah]

@Tyrone Rollins just like how y’all delusional ass fans be entertaining a lot of bullshit stories and narratives that’s not true

[@LucrativeLessonsWithLandy]

@91mercedez that’s made up bs.

[@skippythealien9627]

my dream match would have been The Rock vs. Randy Savage more than rock vs. hbk

[@marcmick3651]

Apparently Rock wanted that match at Mania 21. But y’know.

[@pk_1]

COULDVE WITNESSED TGE GREATEST MATCH IN HISTORY!!! But I guess Michaels didn't want to put him over and his ego got in the way. Triple h and Shaun Michaels were always jealous of the rock.

[@PTminatoPT]

Actually, Nash and the X-Pack had their best matches with the Hitman...

[@seanscrew]

He cut his hair - cornette : which one? 😂😂

[@1burnman]

The best thing that ever happened to wrestling is Shawn Michaels losing his smile because it introduced the fans to Stone Cold Austin

[@americanstalker5265]

Jim cornette you are scared to talk about Pat Patterson and his scandals probably because you slept with Pat Patterson for your job

[@elhajjmalikel6266]

This match DEFINITELY should've happened! I mean, come on, Shawn Michaels being the special guest referee screwing The Rock on the premiere episode of Smackdown!(even though it wasn't the first Smackdown) against Triple H for the World Wrestling Federation Championship and screwing the The Rock again at Judgement Day 2000 against Triple H again for the WWF Title. This match would have such a story and build behind it!

[@jordanhutton5787]

That superkick on SmackDown was said to be the cause to an altercation between the two afterwards..... It definitely didn't come close to his chin

[@batmaneatspizza]

Millennial Smark I think he did, the clock was already over when shawn counts the dq so hhh breaks the draw

[@GAURAV25855ify]

After that incident the Rock should have buried shawn michaels had a match with if only he wasnt injured Or on drugs sure he must have kicked his ass backstage.

[@DreChilly]

@@jordanhutton5787 exactly and he spit on the Rock if u go back and watch the video closely after the sweetchin sean spit on him

[@jordanhutton5787]

@@DreChilly YEP he damn sure did!!

[@TNLable]

Oh. So maybe that's why Dwayne put over AEW over NXT (cuz NXT is a HHH and HBK project)

[@Him_Downstairs36]

Said he looks like he was hit by lighting😂

[@JaskiratSGrewal]

Shawn Michaels and Triple H tried to bury The Rock when he started up in WWE. Bret Hart always helped The Rock. It’s funny to see Triple H and Shawn Michaels suck so much Rock D now. Bret > Shawn

[@MrSeandv1]

Hilarious bit from Cornette

[@maldini883]

Nothing wrong with finding humility through God. People change it may be hard for people to fathom that through personal bias.

[@chrischar1969]

most of the time religion is a work

[@MASTER3371]

Nobody is gonna believe anybody that does them wrong at the very moment will change. Only when they make that exact change

[@raymondsolisjr.1262]

Shawn Michaels is a drama queen

[@mr.sundaynight]

Popular opinion the rock and stone cold Steve Austin are better than HHH & Hbk .

[@bigthizz2039]

and now the rock is the biggest action star in the world. Still has his smile as well!

[@dhackdaddymac]

This would be a huge draw to have them both do one last WrestleMania draw. Have the undertaker be the referee.

[@Deadpool_64]

Mid 2000s HBK and Rock could have done a program after he cleaned up and all. It would have been an awesome program.

[@heb430]

Rock knew what his own future was and Shawn wasnt in the plans as someone to do business with. Such a shame that AEW is alot like the Kliq and Shawn.

[@KiloMafia9]

They did work together in 1999. They just didn’t have a real match against each other

[@davidholzer4155]

I think that match could've been awesome after rock came back but that was after hbk retired

[@datboyjeff]

Funny this just came up on The Experience.....

[@davidevenden9294]

Shawn Michaels isn't in the rock leaque! Couldn't lace the rocks boots!

[@christopherr3676]

Which one ? Lmao ...James E just served Shawn his dinner there with that comment

[@MrSmitty1074]

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JC is hilarious.

[@ringo666]

The 3 weeks in the 80's was always blamed on Jimmy Jack Funk trying to haze Shawn in bars. Shawn told the story like that POST-CHRISTIAN.

[@anthonyb7571]

Who really knows? And does it really matter?? Just have them wrestle each other on Wrestlemania 2000 on CPU vs CPU mode and see who wins.

[@rysonthomas8551]

Lol.. The professor from back to the future was even better than shawn now. Lol... Haha...

[@azapro911]

They were never main event at the same time, when Michaels came back Rocky had pretty much gone to Hollywood.

[@MASTER3371]

They could’ve had a match in 2003 or 2004 when Rock was there tho

[@lrodzen]

They were both apart of heel factions. It made no sense for them to work together whatsoever. The timing just didn't work out at all.

[@timmyfowler2613]

Shawn Michaels is not the the first or last person in wrestling with the attitude of fuck you just like Jim didn't want the gangstas

[@anthonycampos8057]

Chad Frost

[@jackmcgregor4025]

That easily could of been a main event

[@kennymike7937]

Which One! 😝😝

[@karlepaul6632]

Brian:"Shawn got his hair cut." Jim:'Oh Yea? Which one?' Kinda funny, BUT, at the 2:27 mark, ya got Brian Last and that sidekick cronie laugh of his...maybe that's why Jim keeps him around...

[@shannonnewsome5459]

Everyone knows how Shawn was in the 90's, but you all keep pounding that drum. Id love to actually hear something from the both of you, as to Shawn's work when he came back in 2002, till he retired. I mean Jim, you keep mentioning how he was the greatest in ring performer during that time, and he really never missed a beat when he came back. I've never heard you comment on his matches with the Undertaker from Wrestlemania 25 an 26. Especially Wrestlemania 25, which many consider one of the greatest matches ever. Would love to hear your take about those matches.

[@JordanBritt]

Shawn wasn't an asshole until '95 because that's when he started vacating titles instead of doing jobs. He was an asshole for sure in '96 and '97.

[@mapleleafhitman1796]

The Rock And Austin are far more greater than Dweeb Head HHH and Belching Sheen Michaels

[@KevinsKontentKorner]

You guys gotta understand. The in ring psychological aspect of the business. The politics of the business. But that’s the business. Penalty. Giving him the business. I mean, he was so over in the business. The business is unique in that it’s the nature of the business. Nature boy. He was in the business.

[@forgottenmma3694]

Which one lol

[@Feeeeb]

Shawn would have run rings around The Rock

[@louismclean6662]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Y2JLionHeart]

There was nothing HBK could do to stop The Rock or Austin. And this talk about the kliq burying people is so overblown. HBK was a jerk, but he'd would probably hurt his own career more than anyone else's had be tried to fuck with The Rock and Austing, and by proxy, Vince's wallet.

[@stuart3753]

It isn't over blown at all. Wrestlers who witnessed their burying talents are many. Heck Buschoff mentioned Nash burying guys in wcw. The cliq were the ultimate shits

[@misterpopo6829]

i love jim’s takes but my god i can’t listen to this man clear his throat again.

[@AngloCelt88]

The Rock as a heel was great, but once he turned face he was every bit as bad as Hogan. With every strike he throws stops a clear foot before the opponent's face.

[@brucewhite360]

🤓🎾

[@PlaceboAddict27]

This podcast has become a joke to be honest.

[@YogsenForfoth]

Only to whiny little marks like yourself. Go back to jerking off those awful insane clown posse wrestling videos. 😂

[@jeffreymann6990]

If y'all really think the rock was better in the ring you're delusional. And the mic.......the rock was so rehearsed and every word was planned but people fell for it. It was a joke.

[@dman50amm]

Rocky dont deserve to wrestle in the same city as HBK, let alone be his opponent in the squared circle.

[@jordanhutton5787]

HBK couldn't draw flies....he could only hope someone who could would want to work with him

[@EliasRoy]

@@jordanhutton5787 And you won’t either. And The Rock is a pathetic wrestler in the ring

[@tshady32]

Jim is such a clown. A little weasel

[@peterisnardi1197]

I wonder what a tag-team of The Rock and HBK would have been like...

[@gregoryhawkins9296]

Peter Isnardi it would be like Waylon Flowers and Madam

[@michaelcunningham3027]

Peter Isnardi toxic

[@jeffreyb6165]

Have you 2 ever looked into a mirror?

[@Rodshark75]

They aren't making their living by being a "sexy boy".

[@_.El._]

Damn Cornette let it go lol, Shawn did change for the better. Some ppl never attempt to change but Shawn has and him finding God did it for him. Just saying give the man some credit

[@Thatguy-sb2jo]

El Shawn doesn’t deserve any credit. He was a fucking shitty person that ruined careers and lives with political bullshit, backstabbing, and whining. Then when everyone finally had enough of his bullshit he “found god.” Give me a fucking break

[@misteriousone7925]

@Andrew Manzione People really believe hbk changed? Listen to RVD shoot interview ,Shawn is still the same asshole that he always was

[@aboriginalson]

It's just an image making tactic that you fell for.

[@trentonbercier223]

Yall are jokes 😂😂

[@razorsharp8549]

The Rock couldn't wrestle out of a wet paper bag, Shawnee Boy was boozed and drugged up like a California homeless guy and HHH was a dude that got lucky with the boss' daughter.

[@luisrizo8813]

Chad Frost