Would you want to see HBK vs Bryan?

[prophet]

I know we've recently had a discussion about whether or not HBK should come out of retirement for one more match and I'm pretty certain the majority think he shouldn't but after HBK's awesome promo on RAW would anyone else love to see a match at Wrestlemania 30 between Michaels and Bryan?

I'm aware that a lot of people would be upset with Shawn if he did come out of retirement as he went out in a respectful manner and hasn't soiled his legacy in the manner that Flair did (not saying Flair soiled his legacy but he didn't do it any favours by going to TNA) but the prospect of a heel HBK going against Bryan seems too good to pass up. They could do the whole Student vs Teacher angle and I'm pretty certain with a few months training HBK could cut it in the ring on a high level with Bryan. It's a dream match scenario on the same level as Punk vs Austin in my eyes.

Monday night's RAW was probably just a way of writing HBK off TV now that it looks like Bryan is going to be going against the Wyatts for a while but the brief moment they had in the ring together excited me. I'm almost 100% certain nothing will come from this but if it did, would you be happy?

[VaderBomb]

Abso-fucking-lutely!

[Everlong]

On the one hand, I get sick of wrestlers saying they're retired only to come back and wrestle.

On the other hand, it'd probably be a hell of a match.

So I say fuck it, it was inevitable that Shawn would EVENTUALLY wrestle again anyway, so he may as well do it against the best wrestler in the world.

[rawisjericho]

Bryan is the only guy, in my opinion, that would be worth HBK coming out of retirement to face. Bryan vs Mr. Wrestlemania at Wrestlemania. I believe Shawn still has the ability to put on the match of the night, even after 4 years away from the ring.

[dakotabear]

It would be an absolutely epic match at Mania, I think HBK should come out of retirement for it.

[Locke]

Where do I sign? I know I hate retirees pulling a Flair, but this is HB fuckin' K (I'll look past the "Shizzle" nonsense). Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

[Kyle]

If he is going to return for one more match, Bryan is the perfect opponent.

[ShaneOfan]

I usually hate the retired guys coming back. But this... this would be great.

I see Wrestlemania writen all over this.

[Hanley!]

I'll be the negative one again. I'd say no.

I'm going to qualify that with the next statement: I do believe it would be entertaining. And Bryan could get a big rub from it that would ultimately benefit him as a developing main eventer. It could potentially make for good television and serve as good business.

But Michaels is retired. I know people come out of retirement all the time in wrestling, but they shouldn't. There's something to be said for conditioning your fans to believe that stipulations mean something. Ultimately, showing fans that there are some conditions you won't overrule will make them invest in everything more.

That they do things like this so often just rubs me the wrong way in any case because it's dishonest. People probably bought Wrestlemania 26 to see HBK's last match. If he wrestles again, the WWE have lined their pockets based on a lie. Now Michaels has been true to his word so far, so I'm not criticizing him here. I just think he should continue to have a bit of integrity and remain retired. He can still be part of an angle with Bryan - he never promised to stay off wrestling television. Just don't put him in an official match again.

[Settee]

HBK vs Bryan at mania would be an amazing match.

[Westcoastvibes]

I'll be the negative one again. I'd say no.

I'm going to qualify that with the next statement: I do believe it would be entertaining. And Bryan could get a big rub from it that would ultimately benefit him as a developing main eventer. It could potentially make for good television and serve as good business.

But Michaels is retired. I know people come out of retirement all the time in wrestling, but they shouldn't. There's something to be said for conditioning your fans to believe that stipulations mean something. Ultimately, showing fans that there are some conditions you won't overrule will make them invest in everything more.

That they do things like this so often just rubs me the wrong way in any case because it's dishonest. People probably bought Wrestlemania 26 to see HBK's last match. If he wrestles again, the WWE have lined their pockets based on a lie. Now Michaels has been true to his word so far, so I'm not criticizing him here. I just think he should continue to have a bit of integrity and remain retired. He can still be part of an angle with Bryan - he never promised to stay off wrestling television. Just don't put him in an official match again.

I completely agree.
HBK is like thee only person to retire from WWE that is capable of having another match but has not. And I feel like he should honor that. A person does not retire from an insurance company to go back 4 years later so they can write one more policy then leave again and wrestling should be no different. HBK is great to have on the screen from time to time and its fun to see sweet chin music here and there but that's all I want from a retired personality

[DBSoT]

I am torn on this. I would absolutely love to see Bryan vs Shawn Michaels, but I also can't stand wrestlers never being able to just move on.

[The Legend]

I'll be the negative one again. I'd say no.

I'm going to qualify that with the next statement: I do believe it would be entertaining. And Bryan could get a big rub from it that would ultimately benefit him as a developing main eventer. It could potentially make for good television and serve as good business.

But Michaels is retired. I know people come out of retirement all the time in wrestling, but they shouldn't. There's something to be said for conditioning your fans to believe that stipulations mean something. Ultimately, showing fans that there are some conditions you won't overrule will make them invest in everything more.

That they do things like this so often just rubs me the wrong way in any case because it's dishonest. People probably bought Wrestlemania 26 to see HBK's last match. If he wrestles again, the WWE have lined their pockets based on a lie. Now Michaels has been true to his word so far, so I'm not criticizing him here. I just think he should continue to have a bit of integrity and remain retired. He can still be part of an angle with Bryan - he never promised to stay off wrestling television. Just don't put him in an official match again.

I completely agree.
HBK is like thee only person to retire from WWE that is capable of having another match but has not. And I feel like he should honor that. A person does not retire from an insurance company to go back 4 years later so they can write one more policy then leave again and wrestling should be no different. HBK is great to have on the screen from time to time and its fun to see sweet chin music here and there but that's all I want from a retired personality

First of all, people in walks of life do in fact retire and then re-join the workforce all the time for a variety of reasons. Second of all, wrestling is completely different from any other business because it is an entertainment piece and can have one more moment all the time.

I liken a wrestler returning to a one off match like a professional athlete who plays somewhere for a long time at some point before his career is over goes to play somewhere else and then when its over he signs a one day contract with his long time team to officially retire as a member of that organization. Everyone knows it's not a full comeback, everyone knows its mostly for the publicity and ceremony of it all, but it can still be special.

I wouldn't be in favor of HBK coming back for most any opponent, but to come back and give the boost to Daniel Bryan by giving him perhaps his best match of his WWE career and letting him get over would be a great moment from his former trainer. People get too caught up in the strictness of stipulations in wrestling that are there to be broken to begin with. Some of the best moments in professional wrestling come from the shock of breaking those stipulations. Also, people need to acknowledge where professional wrestling has its roots as a television product. It's the male version of a soap opera, if a soap opera character can come back from the dead three times, surely HBK can come out of retirement for this match.

[Hanley!]

I wouldn't be in favor of HBK coming back for most any opponent, but to come back and give the boost to Daniel Bryan by giving him perhaps his best match of his WWE career and letting him get over would be a great moment from his former trainer. People get too caught up in the strictness of stipulations in wrestling that are there to be broken to begin with. Some of the best moments in professional wrestling come from the shock of breaking those stipulations. Also, people need to acknowledge where professional wrestling has its roots as a television product. It's the male version of a soap opera, if a soap opera character can come back from the dead three times, surely HBK can come out of retirement for this match.

Yeah, but wrestling is founded on suspension of disbelief. People want to be able to think of what they're seeing as real, even if they know that it isn't. Creating consequences through stipulations is important in wrestling, because it means that the predetermined result truly matters. It gives people a reason to invest.

Breaking a stipulation like that isn't necessarily something that should never be done. But it should be the very rare exception. You say some of the best moments in wrestling come from breaking stipulations? Who the hell is shocked at this point? They break their promises 99% of the time. That's what I'm getting at. When you break these promises constantly, it becomes expected and mundane. And future stipulations become less exciting because the audience won't feel that they really matter.

One of the major reasons I stopped watching WWE is that they never followed through on their promises. A lot of their most exciting angles in recent years involve a stipulation that was completely ignored. On two separate occasions, Cena was fired as a result of a stipulation. It didn't happen either time. Punk said he'd leave the WWE with the title, but he was back the following week because they just created a new title in his absence. Cena was forced to join the Nexus but he never really joined the Nexus. He was never subservient to them and undermined the concept the entire time until he won his freedom.

So the next time they pursue a big angle like this, who is going to believe that the stipulation has any weight? The next time a retirement storyline is brought in, why would anyone believe that the wrestler in question is going to stick to his word? I'll give you the reason - Shawn Michaels. He's the only example they have going for them right now that sometimes, just sometimes, they actually follow through on what they promised. I'm not sure that WWE or Michaels himself should be giving that up so easily.