Scott,
Happy New Years. Quick question for the BoD...stuck working the New Year's Eve so decided to watch some Michael Lansberg WWE interviews. HHH mentions that Shawn Michaels asked to come back for Wrestlemania 17 and was told he wasn't wanted. Can you shed some light on this? Was he not medically cleared? Still hated in the locker room? This was at least 2 years before his full time comeback so the timing just seems odd.
Also, these Lansberg interviews are solid, do you know where I can watch more? YouTube only had like 7 WWE ones, thought maybe you'd know being Canadian. Thanks alot. Rick
http://www.tsn.ca/otr, although I don't know about viewing restrictions outside of Canada.
Happy New Years. Quick question for the BoD...stuck working the New Year's Eve so decided to watch some Michael Lansberg WWE interviews. HHH mentions that Shawn Michaels asked to come back for Wrestlemania 17 and was told he wasn't wanted. Can you shed some light on this? Was he not medically cleared? Still hated in the locker room? This was at least 2 years before his full time comeback so the timing just seems odd.
Also, these Lansberg interviews are solid, do you know where I can watch more? YouTube only had like 7 WWE ones, thought maybe you'd know being Canadian. Thanks alot. Rick
But yeah, Shawn tried to come back and get involved in the HHH-Undertaker match, which would have resulted in him screwing over HHH to set up their big feud. But then he showed up wasted out of his mind and Vince told him he wouldn't be used anymore until he cleaned up. So Shawn hit bottom, found Jesus, and hasn't touched drugs since. People were seriously thinking that was gonna be it for Shawn at the time, like finding him dead floating in his pool ala Brian Jones, but he's the rare one who did escape that fate and I have nothing but respect for him doing that.
One of my gripes with Cornette is when he ripped on everyone that found God. Obviously was pretty beneficial for HBK.
ReplyDeleteBut for every HBK, there are probably five Jake Roberts.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that he, deep down, actually wanted to get clean because of his son was more of a factor than finding religion.
ReplyDeleteYeah I understand that but Cornette was trying to make it out it was an excuse for everyone which I don't think is true. Though it didn't help Russo book any better
ReplyDeleteI respect anyone who is able to kick an addicting habit like smoking, drugs, or alcohol. I couldn't imagine. Hell I have a hard enough time giving up things like fast food or soda so I respect anyone who has the ability to kick those habits.
ReplyDeleteFor a lot of people it takes a child or family which is what happened for Shawn and also what happened for my dad.
I hate to sound crass, but then again Shawn would probably agree with this....selfishly as a wrestling fan, I'm glad he hit rock bottom. Not only would he quite possibly have been dead otherwise, but I'd argue he was better from 2002-10 than any other point of his career.
ReplyDeleteHe's the biggest reason I'm still a wrestling fan.
Not to be a dick, but who I respect more are people who are able to enjoy things in moderation.
ReplyDeleteThen again, the extent of my drug use is craft beer (IPA are the three most important letters in my life sometimes) and the pot I smoke to tolerate Raw (or to make Parks and Rec even funnier).
I mention this anytime this comes up, but a lot of things don't quite add up. Shawn was my all time favorite so I followed fairly closely any rumor of him coming back.
ReplyDeleteHe had a blog on his TWA website that he shut down because he said he used it to keep in touch with fans while he was gone, and he wasn't going to be gone anymore. The rumor was that he was going to be involved in the HHH/Undertaker match, although I recall the rumor being he would help HHH win and forum an alliance - that's why HHH was pissed, because he went from beating Undertaker to losing to him once Shawn fucked up. But all indications were he was coming back as a wrestler, but he makes no mention of it in his book and when he did return him wrestling wasn't on the table until he out of the blue felt he could do it once.
If he could have wrestled they should have made him be the guy who ran over Austin. Sure, it wasn't a total shock because he was HHH's buddy, but it would have been a big deal because he'd be returning to the ring.
Luckily I've never been addicted to anything other than smoking, but I went through a phase where I drank a lot, to the point it was probably blurry whether I was addicted or just liked to drink excessively. Deciding to change my lifestyle was mentally difficult because I was so used to the routine, I can't imagine how hard it would be to be physically addicted to something. The impressive thing with Shawn is that according to him, he just quit. Had a moment of clarity where he realized what he was doing and stopped.
ReplyDeleteShawn Michaels is the perfect example of how sometimes that crazy thing called "religion" can be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteIts been pretty amazing the way Shawn changed and came back a much better person and I agree that this is why religion can be a good thing, self improvement... But glad he got to leave at Wrestlemania...
ReplyDeleteOne thing I really respected about Shawn the second time around was how he did things on his terms. He had a family and didn't want to be on the road, so he didn't. He took time off when he wanted to, he turned down the championship because he didn't want to be on the road, he wouldn't work Smackdown because he had family or church commitments on Tuesday and when he decided he was done that was it. For a guy who cared so much about the business and made it his life his first go around, he really put his family and his "real" life ahead of it the second time. He could still be going today if he wanted to but he chose to walk away and be with his family.
ReplyDeleteCornette just hates everything. He's entertaining and I find him likable in a certain way, but he just hates anything and if you said or did something to him he didn't like he'll hate for for 20 years it seems. He does dismiss Shawn's religion as "everyone hates you so you turn to God", but in the end I think Shawn found a happiness and fulfillment that goes well beyond what the boys in the locker room thing.
ReplyDeleteI still get a kick out of reading Scott's rants for HBK's first year back, which basically sum up his matches as "Four stars for the match, but he's a piece of shit who's not putting anyone new over, so he needs to leave." Actually, 2002--2003 Scott ruled just because the product was even shittier than now and so we had stuff like the Hot Poker Up the Ass rating system
ReplyDeleteI never said I didn't respect people who can enjoy things in moderation. I respect that a lot especially considering I'm someone who stays away from Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking all together.
ReplyDeleteI was just saying that it has to be incredibly difficult for someone to quit. My grandfather amazes me because one day he woke up and just quit smoking and drinking. One day decided to quit and never touched booze or smokes again.
It's interesting to think about how things change if Shawn doesn't clean up and come back, He certanly wouldn't be held in such never and be many people's GOAT if not for, what was in my opinion, the best run of his career never takes place
ReplyDeleteMichael Landsberg never gets enough praise. I really loved his interviews with Vince McMahon because unlike everybody outside of wrestling who's interviewed Vince, he's never been intimidated of Vince and also unlike the rest whenever Vince lied to him he always called Vince out on his bullshit.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Vince has been on Michael's show as many times as he has considering all of that, you'd think after the first interview Vince would never want to be on that show again.
We all know that wrestling is "fake" but I still say that HBK had the greatest sports comeback that I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteCostas smirked in Vince's face when he got over top angry. I would say he wasn't intimidated either. And really, what's there to be afraid of?
ReplyDeleteMichael Jordan says hi.
ReplyDeleteEven Jesus couldn't perform that miracle.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I liked Shawn a whole lot more during his second stint. He couldn't do the high-flying as much anymore and wasn't as fast, but he used a lot more psychology and told far better stories in his matches. I look at that match against Randy Orton where he couldn't use the superkick as a forgotten classic and an example of this.
ReplyDeleteI wager that if Shawn was still around, he'd probably still be considered one of the top, if not THE top, workers in the world. Selfishly, I wish he was still around because the matches he'd have against Daniel Bryan, Punk, Dolph and even Sheamus would be awesome.
except for that whole intolerance thing that Shawn's religion is so big on. I'm not anti-religion, I'm anti-intolerant religions.
ReplyDeleteEverytime I see those Costa interviews, I always say the same thing:
ReplyDeleteTHIS is why nobody respects you outside of your own company, you fucking carny.
I think you're mistaking how "intolerance" works, but I don't want to get into a debate with you on the blog. If you're interesting in furthering that discussion send me a PM (can we do that on Disqus?) or I can provide you with my E-mail.
ReplyDeletestraight edge revenge.
ReplyDeleteMichael Jordan never got injured.
ReplyDelete