This is ww Superstar Drew McIntire and you're listening to the WWE podcast show,
the one that Everybody wants me three sixty and says, just rust your ass
is my You're gonna acknowledge me? Hey, what's going on? Guys?
And welcome back to WWE Retro on the WWE Podcast on this Friday, July
twenty feet. As obviously, I wasn't here last week. Life got the
best of me and I didn't have enough time to come up on here and
record. But I am back this week, and I am back to talk
about what I previewed on the weekend review or not that we can review the
currency of WWE with Matt and that is Sean Michaels. He'll turn in two
thousand and five. He'll turn that last only a matter of weeks and one
that was a rarity for Shawn Michaels in his career post two thousand and two,
when he returned to the company after taking a four and a half years
off. Giver take and I did cover HBK versus Hulk Hogan when this show
was rivalries, but I wanted to focus in more on the impact it had
for Shawn Michaels specifically now Shawn Michaels, obviously in his first round with the
company was predominantly a heel when he turned heel on Marginetti, breaking up the
Rockers, when he was the head of Degeneration X, very much a heel,
and when he returned in two thousand and two, obviously in real life
he became a born again Christian and coming back as a legacy star, a
guy that the fans just appreciated. He cemented himself as a baby face and
the top baby face on Monday Night Raw, but by the time two thousand
and five came around, he didn't need to continue to be the top baby
face on Raw. From two thousand and two to late two thousand and four,
he kind of always had to be. Like you had stintants of Kevin
Nash Or Booker t Scott Steiner Goldberg had a decent run as the top baby
face on Monday Night Raw, Chris Beno of course in OH four, winning
the Rumble, coming over to Monday Night Raw, and winning the World Championship
at Russellming at twenty. But the constant was always Sean Michaels. He was
the guy that WWE could always go back to and plug and play as the
top baby face on Monday and Night Raw, the typical foe for Triple Age,
a guy that you always knew what you were going to get. But
by the time two thousand and five came around, it really was a changing
of the guard for w W. We were moving on from the Ruthless Aggression
era. We were still in it, but we were arting to see the
light at the end of the tunnel, but none in a good way.
Right. Ruthless Aggression was an amazing era for WWE, but you were starting
to look past the curd Angles and the Triple H's and the Shawn Michaels and
the Undertakers as who would be the next faces of the company, The Batistas,
the Randy Orton's, the Bobby Lashley's. At this point in time,
he was just coming up on SmackDown and obviously John Cena wrestling at twenty one
rolls around. Batista wins the World Heavyweight Championship. John Cena wins WWE Championship
and we have our top two baby faces in the company. Batista goes to
SmackDown, John Cena comes to Raw and all of a sudden, we have
a brand new, top tier baby face on Monday at Raw for the foreseeable
future. Now, this wasn't something that would push Shawn Michaels to the wayside.
He still had at least another four years in him of being a top
tier superstar at the company, and obviously he would go on to Long Degeneration
X have his historic back to back wrestling matches with the Undertaker. Just because
you now had a top tier baby face on Monday Night Raw in John Cena,
a guy who was entering his prime, someone who would become the face
of the company for the following decade, you still had a lot of runway
left, or a decent amount of runway left with Shawn Michaels as a baby
face, but in the immediate future. It allowed WWE to do something that
they weren't able to do beforehand. And I don't think that they could have
afforded to you Shawn Michaels as a heel beforehand before this, because they were
missing those top tier baby faces. Austin was gone, the Rock was gone,
Undertaker was on SmackDown. Bobby Lashley or not Bobby Lashley, brock Lesner
was supposed to be that guy, but he quickly became better used as a
heel and then walked away from the company in early two thousand and four.
So wwe really didn't have the ability to you Shawn Michaels as anything other than
a baby phase. Like I said, you had Chris Benwall, you had
I guess Eddie Guerrero as well, but he turned hell in two thousand and
five two with Ray Musteo like, you could not afford to not have Shawn
Michaels as a baby phase. He was that one constant guy up until John
cen has showed up in June to two thousand and five. Something else that
started happening in the center of two thousand and five was Hulk Hogan returning to
WWE in an in ring capacity for the first time in over two years,
something that we had not seen Hogan do pretty much since his program with Vince
McMahon that culminated at Wrestling in nineteen. In two thousand and three, and
Hogan and Michaels being two of the greatest performers and wrestlers in the history of
the business, we're sure to cross pass in some capacity, and one would
assume, and we first saw them crossing paths as tag team partners, tagging
them in a raw A very you for excite a lot of way for a
lot of fans, something that we would have only thought was possible in a
dream match setting. But this was until we had a version of Sean Michael's
Present itself that we had not seen since nineteen ninety eight. I still can't
plays crying Me and Hunting sing the same on the part of Jo. They
want to get the right out there, but we didn't even something up to
get it. We can't go everything. I won't want you take you she
comes, she said, get to get your money, and it was like,
so, you know, we always wondered what a heel Shawn Michaels would
be like because we hadn't seen it in the Ruthless Aggression era. And when
I say we, I kind of mean in the sense of a a new
age fan at this point in time, because if you were a fan back
in the Attitude are you knew this version Shawn Michaels. But in the Ruthless
Aggression era, someone who started watching and let's say the tail tale tail end
of the Attitude era, like myself, you only knew Shawn Michaels as a
baby face. You only knew Shawn Michaels as someone who was a fan favorite
and someone who always fought for the site the side of good. But seeing
him kick Hogan's head off, I would have nowhere. And to be honest,
just one thing I want to say. We always say RKO out of
nowhere, but I think the sweetch In music was the actual move that came
out of nowhere, and in a lot of ways was more out of nowhere
than the RKO ever was. Like I remember him kicking Triple h in the
head at the beginning of their triple threat match with c and a Survivor series.
The entire like gimmick of his build to John Cena against fighting John Cena
at WrestleMania twenty three was when would he snap and when would he finally kick
seeing his head off? And I just found the way that Michaels was able
to deliver that sweet him music quite literally out of nowhere was something we had
never seen before, and continued, I've never seen Orton is a close second
with the Archao, but the sweet Shim music is just something something special.
The next part about this was seeing how would Shawn Michaels build his character as
a heel. How were we supposed to hate Sean Michaels after loving the guy
for three years, after just cheering the guy and cheering him on when he
was the World heavyweight champion, him cheering him on and his multiple main event
matches against Triple h and cheering him on in his classic against Curt Angel that
very same year at wrestleming A twenty one. Well, one of the first
things we got to see Shawn Michaels display himself as a heel was when he
went on Larry Fling and had the chance to mock Haul Cogan um in which
the whole thing was satire. Right if Larry Fling, Larry King, if
you guys have been watching wrestling for long enough, you know what that is.
But Shawn Michael's mocking Haul Hogan, that was some aside to Shawn Michael's
we had not seen, probably since his degeneration. Next days, ladies and
gentlemen, tonight, Oh ware gonna join me tonight? Oh You'll be squaring
off against Shawn Michaels. I saw a slam. Now that's Sean Michaels.
He's a tough guy, isn't he. We're gon be telling as something.
Brother. This is a dream match, brother, one that I've always dreamed
up. Brother, But I did news story of Cobby a hundred and two
years old. Brother. But I tell him I said a little biting at
summer Slam and every day at the home, sir way, so that he's
not a dead brother, He's a little at the more his time. Let
me ask you a question, hockey, are you up? Bad guy?
You run? Good guy? What lawn camber? Brother, I'm a great
guy. Oh when that camera goes off. Brother, Oh, it's a
different story. Brother, he ho brother, Brother, Brother, Brother,
Brother, he's seeing Brother. Shaun MICUs is honestly an amazing athlete. Brother,
but he never quite made it to the upper tier. Brother. You
see, after I walked out of the w W, Brother, I decided
to go make it even more money somewhere else. Brother. They gave the
ball to Shawn Michels, but he couldn't quite get the job done. You
see, he's got more important things on his mind that becoming the greatest sir
that's ever stepped into the ring. Brother. They more concerned about going out
there each and every night brother and stealing the show. Brother, he works
just as hard and Dald Quick Michigan brother as he does and Masster Square Garden
Brother, see the holds your brother, he's got a philosophy. Brother.
Once so people are in the building. Brother, you've already got there,
actuating from bucking Brother. But Sean Michael's brother. He broadly go out there
and nearly kill himself every night. Brother, just to make sure those people
get their money's work. Brother, Let's you see something. He's not gonna
It's not gonna matter, Brother, because you're the lean Jean Brother. What
the holiest Larry King, Larry King whatever, Larry, I'm still a ticket
here. Brother, Who what's you're gonna do? Brother? When the Holster
comes at too so much? That's so much, Larry, Brother, who're
gonna hold up? Brother? You want me for the first time in history?
Brother, for the first time. Brother was the last time, Brother,
the only time Brother Bell range Brother. Oh oh, brother did get
kid? Yeah, God Gran grand God grand brother. Brother, Brother,
I got my brother, brother brother the last m hm oh, Cogan,
you've got your reality show. Hogan knows best. What are you going to
do in reality? Kids? So there was a lot of truth to that
promo of Shawn Michaels, because yes it was comedy base, yes it was
satire. Yes it was him mocking Hulk Cogan, but the whole thing of
the camera's going off and him not caring if it's Balcreek Michigan or you know
what Sean Michaels does as opposed to what Hogan does. I feel like there's
a lot of randomosity. And you've heard the rumors and the stories about how
Sean Michaels really didn't enjoy working with Hulk Hogan and how they were supposed to
have back to back matches, each of them getting a victory or Hulk Cogan
changing the creative you know, the infamous thing that doesn't work for me,
brother, which which is what he did in at WCW, and in their
match at SummerSlam, you saw Sean Michael's really kind of make a mockery of
Hulk Cogan over selling the you know what out of all of Hogan's moves.
So you had a heeled promo of Shawn Michaels, but one that was still
kind of endearing and one that had a lot of truth to it. So
there still was a reason to cheer Shawn Michaels. And there still was a
reason to back Shawn Michaels in this match, That was until he came to
Montreal, Quebec, Canada. And obviously we know all the reasons as to
why Shawn Michaels would not be welcome at the Bell Center in Montreal, And
yours truly was in the building for Shawn Michael's promo on My Night Raw in
two thousand and five in Montreal, and I gotta tell you, if he
wasn't over as a heel beforehand, he certainly was over as a heel by
the time he was done with Montreal. Six down the same, set down
my ship and drinking us, and he prepared to me the sun is clan,
I'm get my real woman, two rocks during the key more and the
coach get up, get the same maybe to drinking back. What's you away
from home? My sway, myny So I'm just just up it there.
First off is can you believe the booing like you became accustomed to the immediate
pop, the explosion of cheers whenever Sean Michael's music would hit, and just
hearing the raining down of booze onto him and I was there live. I
was eleven or twelve years old. I was there live and it was something
to behold. It was the loudest booing I'd ever heard, and that was
him just making his way into the building. That was it. Now wait
until he actually started cutting his promo and kind m hm mm hm oh.
Can I hate this, lady? Can I'm gonna game ocding rounding the bag.
I holidan Holida. I'm no singer, but what I am it's a
show stop by. I han't liar lol on that the I come other wwe
you. It's truly the heart break kid Sean Michael Kogan that SummerSlam. I
promise no mane, I guaranteed, I guarantee you summer. I will give
you fans something to remember. Course all are you here in Montreal? I'm
so this is the first thing is that this was a promo originally about Haul
Cogan, right, he was building his match to Hogan. But as he
alluded to, he has a lot of history in Montreal with Bret Hart.
Montreal screw job. They were chanting, I was chanting you screwed Brett.
So it was only a matter of time before Shawn Michaels would shift it over
to Bret Hart and eventually would start talking about Bret Hart and would eventually start
egging on the crowd about Bret Hart, and then this would result in arguably
the biggest ruse. I don't know if what would you want to call it,
but one of the biggest heel moments probably in the history of the business.
If I had, if I do say so myself, Yes, miserable,
you want right, You're not gonna get right because I screwed right landed
in once and I'm do it again. We're right, dad, man hunt
that he guts. And he walked down night all tonight in the list ring
and looked me eye an eye like a man. I'd say it, man,
I'll screwed Joe once. Now I'll screw you like that because rushed day
m y. So he fakes, he fakes Bret Hart's return and then immediately
starts back on his usual thing and it just back on the Hull Hogan banter.
And this was this was really something that we hadn't really been accustomed to
with Shawn Michaels. He would then he did it with Hulk Hogan's theme song
again and it was just in all in all, we were not used to
this version of Shawn Michaels. We really were not. And as the promos
started going on like this was a promolo that lasted almost fifteen minutes to open
the show. So then when the promo kept going on and on, we
just kept seeing a side of Shawn Michaels that we were not used to in
any capacity. And beyond the Brett hart stuff, beyond the Hull Cogan stuff,
it was just a Shawn Michaels that we had no idea was even living
inside him at this point in time. And honestly it was kind of refreshing.
Are superstar his hands about girls and the sullar Michaels would say goodbye.
Some Michaels had to go anywhere. Now, I personally I don't and ain't
gonna sit there right now. I tell a good shot he's gonna get comfortable,
even feel they can get all that. Well, he nothing be put
on him so far? Why should he start that? Now you understand who's
running this show. I'll continue whole Coogan. The same thing I despised about
you is what I despised about Bret Harten. You student or some moral fiber
that in your real life did not exist. Ye you student judgments of me
and you whole Cogan, Well you stand or justifying anything. There isn't a
realistic boting in your body. I'll go in and you're the biggest star in
WWE history and it's Summer Slar. I want you to bring your big star.
I want you to wear your baa. I want you to have your
sun licens on and your chindelli my language. Do your teacher toooning the same
talking you do. Yeah, every one of you Montreal Canadian men do nothing
but stand there and talking wild walk its goge. That's summer Slam. You're
one move from your star being snuffed out. You don't believe me, just
ask run the hip man partner. There's a constant reverse like showing might listen
but like six days so Sean Michaels really gets under the fans the skin.
In Montreal, they chant shut the bleep up. You guys probably heard that
through the audio. But you go on to lose against Hulkogan, as we
know, overselling in hilarious fashion, and it would be a short lived heel
turn about five or six weeks for Shawn Michaels, but a side of him
that we would never see again and had only seen it before in nineteen ninety
eight. So it was a cool wrinkle in Shawn Michael's post two thousand career
in WWE, and I think in a lot of ways was something that we
maybe should have seen more of. But obviously Sean Michaels really found his home
as a baby face, but always had that scummy mentality where even in his
program with the Undertaker it kind of peeked through. Sometimes. It was a
side to Shawn Michaels that we didn't get to see as full tilt here against
Hulk Hogan, and in the summer of O five it really was the one
of the more intriguing version of Sean Michaels as he went full blown heel.
Ammy, guys, that's all I got for you today. I hoped you
enjoyed Shawn Michael's heel turn. As always, you can get me on Twitter
at A to Mark A twenty five. You can get Matt on Twitter at
Wrestling Underscore Audio, or you can email him each and every week for the
WWE podcast mail Bag. Amy, guys, enjoy your weekend. I will
be talking to you next week. Thanks for listening to the WWE Podcast.
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