Behind The Match:Inaugural edition

[King Kamala 0]

Behind The Match is the newest weekly thread for the WWE folder. In it, we'll take a look back at a recent match and discuss our thoughts on the match itself, the feud leading up to the match, and all those juicy behind the scenes tidbit we all love.

 

 

Our first edition will be dedicated to

 

 

In August 2005, Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan wrestled each other for the first time ever. IIRC, they hadn't even been on opposite side of the rings for a tag match before this. The storyline leading up to this match was incredibly controversial with HBK evoking The Montreal Screwjob...again. As the days winded down to SummerSlam '05, the IWC wondered which one would come top in a battle of two of the biggest egos in the wrestling business. The match itself was controversial with Shawn Michaels wildly overselling throughout much of it.

 

A few questions to consider

 

1. Do you think WWE properly handled the storyline for this match?

2. Do you think Shawn Michaels' overselling helped or hindered the match?

3. Has this match affected the way you look at either Hogan or Michaels as workers or as people?

4. What impact, if any, do you think this match has had on their legacies?

5. Will we see another match between two wrestlers of this caliber (popularity wise) again? Have we seen one already,perhaps?

[Diamonddust 0]

All I can about it is this:

 

The promo Shawn gave in Canada shortly before this match is a text-book example of being a dick. The crowd would have murdered him if they could have, but it was highly entertaining to watch him toy with them.

[TheFranchise 0]

1. Do you think WWE properly handled the storyline for this match?

Unfortunately, when you get two wrestlers that have the ego of that of Michaels and Hogan, it's hard to take the storyline 100% in the direction you want to.

However, due to the obvious direction it was going, it was just a case of 'when' and not 'if' Michaels turned on Hogan, but credit where it's due, the storyline leading up with Michaels and Hogan and also Cena adding to it, when the turn did happen it was top stuff. Everything after the turn was a fresh breath from Michaels, as a natural heel he's excellent.

 

2. Do you think Shawn Michaels' overselling helped or hindered the match?

In a way, it hindered the match, because if you ask me what I remember about this match, the first thing i'll tell you is Michaels' hilarious overselling of nearly everything. It does add to a fun little match though, as the match itself wasn't anything special, Michaels overacting was pretty comical and made, for me, the match watchable. So I guess it takes away and adds to the match.

 

3. Has this match affected the way you look at either Hogan or Michaels as workers or as people?

Not really, as i'd always known that Hogan was difficult to work with and that Michaels wasn't unknown to take things into his own hands.

 

 

4. What impact, if any, do you think this match has had on their legacies?

Hogan no, as when I think about Hogan's legacy I never take into account post 2002. As for Michaels, it was something else to see him take the match into his own hands, like he also did when HHH tore his quad again, which in todays WWE world you dont really see, wrestlers are programmed to finish the match the way it was originally planned out.

Further more, ever since this match with Hogan, Michaels changed my opinion of him greatly, as a die-hard Bret Hart fan i'd never had time for Michaels, but i've been a big fan ever since his 2005 run, so I guess in a way, this match did begin that, but wasn't directly influcing it.

 

5. Will we see another match between two wrestlers of this caliber (popularity wise) again? Have we seen one already,perhaps?

We're going to get people bringing up the whole Austin/Hogan and Michaels/Rock debate here, but I guess realistically, it'll be Michaels/Undertaker at WrestleMania.

 

I'd buy a ticket to that one.

[Guest frostdude1]

1. Do you think WWE properly handled the storyline for this match?

Yes. What other way should they have gone that wouldn't have been the boring face/face match.

 

2. Do you think Shawn Michaels' overselling helped or hindered the match?

Helped !! It's the only reason why this match is even remembered nowadays.

 

3. Has this match affected the way you look at either Hogan or Michaels as workers or as people?

Not really. I've always known Hogan isn't that good in the wrong and that Michaels is a great natural heel.

 

4. What impact, if any, do you think this match has had on their legacies?

None at all.

 

5. Will we see another match between two wrestlers of this caliber (popularity wise) again? Have we seen one already,perhaps?

Michaels/Takers is the one most likely to happen.

[Aero 0]

For the first few weeks of build, I really had no interest in the feud. I sort of got into by the end, but that was pretty much because full-blown heel HBK was so refreshing to watch. Considering Hogan wasn't an active roster member at this point, I figured he wouldn't be coming back just to lose. The match itself was much better than I was expecting, goofy selling aside.

 

Regarding the effect the match had on their legacies, I'd say very little, if anything. For Hogan, it'll just be remembered as one of those matches that Hogan came back to work for the sake of getting a payday. For HBK, it'll just be a reminder of how much he can get the crowd to hate him at times.

 

Am I remembering correctly that Hogan didn't appear on WWE TV after the initial superkick? Wasn't he also upset that HBK called him bald, or is that something else I'm thinking of?

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Seeing this live, I always point out a bloody Hogan posing with fans in the aisle after the match, going so far as to pretty much hug people with blood on his arms.

[King Kamala 0]

I'll answer the questions tomorrow morning when I have more time but I've got to ask, why do so many of you consider HBK Vs 'Taker a dream match? It's already happened three times! Granted, they were all more than a decade ago but still...

[Diamonddust 0]

I'll answer the questions tomorrow morning when I have more time but I've got to ask, why do so many of you consider HBK Vs 'Taker a dream match? It's already happened three times! Granted, they were all more than a decade ago but still...

 

Because memories are short, and it's a logical "super match" to have at Wrestlemania XXV in Texas.

[The Truthiness 0]

1. Do you think WWE properly handled the storyline for this match?

 

Yes, it was nice too see Michaels as a heel again.

 

2. Do you think Shawn Michaels' overselling helped or hindered the match?

 

I think it hindered the match. It was unprofessional and prickish. Michaels acted like a brat in that match. With that said, I'm glad he did it too Hogan, couldn't have happened to a better guy.

 

3. Has this match affected the way you look at either Hogan or Michaels as workers or as people?

 

Not really, they're both pretty much full of themselves, I always believed that and this match pretty much proved it.

 

4. What impact, if any, do you think this match has had on their legacies?

 

None at all, the wrong guy went over.

 

5. Will we see another match between two wrestlers of this caliber (popularity wise) again? Have we seen one already,perhaps?

 

I think we seen one better than this, and more memorable last sunday. The match last sunday also did something for both guys legacies.

[Guest Mr. Adam]

I really enjoyed watching just how pissed off Michaels was about having to decisively job to Hogan. The overselling made the match watchable, he sold in the same vein as his match with Bulldog at ONO in 97. Best part of the match was after Michaels did his 3 Stooges somersault bump off Hogan's legdrop. Hogan stalled for quite a while as Michaels screamed at him whilst selling to hurry the fuck up or whatever.

 

I'll echo Hall and Nash, Hogan's contract is a load of bullshit but god bless him. Anyone who can broker that kind of deal over McMahon is pretty good at his job.

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

Michaels thinking he could out politic Hulk Fucking Hogan still makes me laugh.

 

I wasn't paying much attention to WWE when this match took place, but I thought Michaels' overselling made it watchable.

[luke-o 0]

The false interview that Michales had where he dressed up as Hogan was the highlight of the fued. Apart from the over-selling of course.

 

The match was bad, plain and simple. The wrong guy went over and it made me hate Hogan more for doing his "I've come back for one match, so I'd better win" schtick.

 

Would it really kill that guy to put someone over?

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

I was at the RAW(in Montreal) before Summerslam 2005... The heat against Shawn Michaels was amazing, I must say it would've been a much better atmosphere if the match took place in Montreal instead of Washington D.C., it would've had a Rock/Hogan feel with it for sure.

 

As for the much itself, I thought Shawn Michaels overselling was hilarous. The hype to the match was very well booked, does anyone know the PPV buyrates for this event?

 

[CanadianChris 0]

This match was a prime example of why I hate "dream matches" in this sense. Hogan was and is no longer believable as an in-ring performer, as he can barely move out there. There was no possible way to give a rub to anyone who could use it. The only potential benefit would be to get more eyeballs watching their other programs on the card and getting hooked, but the business isn't so appealing to the casual viewer that this could be realistic. And yet, he's taking up tons of prime TV time. It was classic WCW booking, in that was done to pop a couple of ratings and a one-time buyrate. No one was helped by this match, least of all Shawn Michaels, who really should have known better than to try and get one over on Hulk Hogan.

[Dandy 0]

This match actually had potential to be a good match with an old school feel to it. We all know Shawn can bump and Hogan works well with a good bumper. However, Hogan felt the need to refuse to work with Shawn on the end of the match, Shawn did the same right back, and Hogan won out in the political game. What we were left with was Shawn making a statement via his ridiculous selling and making the match a joke. Shawn is still around and in big matches...Hogan hasn't really been used much since. I think Shawn made his point.

[The Truthiness 0]

Shawn is still around and in big matches...Hogan hasn't really been used much since. I think Shawn made his point.

 

Well, not really. Hogan still was in the main event, he still won the match, he probably got paid more than Michaels, and he's still the bigger name.

 

Shawn acted childish and whined about jobbing the next night.

 

I think its fair too say, if a point was proven, It was Hogan that made the point.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I'm not a fan of Hogan, but it was absolutely the right decision for him to win.

 

At the time, they were hoping to have Austin vs. Hogan at the following Wrestlemania, and with Hogan only appearing sporadically, they couldn't have him lose in any of the matches that took place before then, especially if the idea was for Austin to win their match. Hogan is a legend, a popular one at that, and people don't like to see legends lose, unless there is a very good reason. Shawn Michaels in the main event of Summerslam isn't good enough a reason to beat Hogan. With Hogan losing to Austin in a dream match at Wrestlemania, as unlikely a finish as that was, it's a little more acceptable to people because not only is it a dream match that would actually approach Rock vs. Hogan (where nobody minded Hogan losing) in terms of atmosphere and build, but it's against one of only three other men who could reasonably be argued to be on the same level of Hogan in terms of being a legend in the business.

 

Yes, Shawn was the one staying around, but he didn't get hurt at all by losing. Hogan losing not only would have taken a little of the luster off of Austin vs. Hogan, because they'd have to have worked around Hogan losing in is last or second to last match prior to facing Austin in the build to the Wrestlemania match, but you'd have been upsetting people by beating a legend, one they like a great deal, for no good reason. Hogan losing to Austin, like his losing to Rock, wouldn't have upset people much because of the comparable status of the two. A legend losing to a legend is fine. But Shawn is not a legend.

[Dandy 0]

What I meant by Shawn proving a point was that he made it to Vince, Steph, Triple H, etc. He showed how ridiculous it was, even though he acted childish as well. This is just my personal opinion, but while they certainly would have no problem bringing back Hogan in the future, he will not be used in matches against other big names. Austin will not work with him, and they saw how he refused to compromise with Shawn. Hogan was buried by that performance. If not in the eyes of the fans, he certainly was in the eyes of those who matter behind the curtain.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Except that there were reports coming out how Shawn was unprofessional about it. So it would appear the WWE felt that it was Shawn who was being ridiculous?

[The Niggardly King 0]

I will say that I love how Hogan lets Michaels stare at the lights for what seemed like a few minutes after the big boot. Payback, son.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

The false interview that Michales had where he dressed up as Hogan was the highlight of the fued. Apart from the over-selling of course.

 

The match was bad, plain and simple. The wrong guy went over and it made me hate Hogan more for doing his "I've come back for one match, so I'd better win" schtick.

 

Would it really kill that guy to put someone over?

 

Brock Lesnar.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

1. Do you think WWE properly handled the storyline for this match?

 

There was only so much that could be done to keep both parties happy, and making Shawn the asshole heel was perfect for it. It also EASILY (as if it wasn't easy enough to see already) who was walking out the winner.

 

2. Do you think Shawn Michaels' overselling helped or hindered the match?

 

I noticed at the time, but only fleeting (it would have actually helped if i was watching on television rather than actually being in the building for it. There was no way the match was going to be some huge classic, so HBK overselling like a maniac did nothing but make the smarter fans laugh and the casual fans pop for Hogan's offense.

 

3. Has this match affected the way you look at either Hogan or Michaels as workers or as people?

 

Shawn's always been a bit of an asshole, so him trying to carry Hogan to a ***** match a) wasn't going to happen and b) wouldn't have meant much anyway. It was Hogan, All-American Hero, defeating Shawn Michaels in Washington DC. That's all there is to it. Whether it had anything to do with a potential Hogan/Austin match is a moot point because I don't think ANY casual fan would have looked at Hogan 6 months later and laughed at him for losing to HBK. Hell, they could have just had nobody bring it up (like usual) and it would have just been Hulkamania vs. The Rattlesnake with just their names and a big event behind it.

 

4. What impact, if any, do you think this match has had on their legacies?

 

Nothing on their legacies, because the match wasn't all that important. It wasn't like Hogan could continue on to some new feud and HBK was back to being a face again the very next night. The only thing it has done is give us memories of the storyline itself and how hilarious it was (in both good and bad ways).

 

5. Will we see another match between two wrestlers of this caliber (popularity wise) again? Have we seen one already,perhaps?

 

Of course we will. It might not be Hogan/Austin, or Hogan/Anyone for that matter, but in five years we might see another Rock/Austin type of moment, where two guys who have wrestled each other for a few years and both slowly grew in popularity have some epic showdown for immortality. If things go the way the WWE seems to want them to go, Cena/Batista might be a huge draw next year at Wrestlemania. Just gotta keep Batista healthy and Cena over as a face and that could very well be a "dream match", although it won't be anything like a Hogan/Austin would be.

[King Kamala 0]

As many of you know, I took a hiatus from wrestling from about April '03 (shortly after WrestleMania XIX) to January '06 (shortly before the Royal Rumble that year). One thing briefly broke me out the hiatus for an episode or two of RAW and that was reading of this feud on here. I was drawn to the prospect of seeing HBK as a heel again. I know guys like Triple H like to call HBK one of the best natural babyfaces in the business but for my money, the guy is best as a chickenshit heel. That and I wanted to know if HBK could carry Hogan to his first good match in decades.

 

Now to answer my questions

 

1. Do you think WWE properly handled the storyline for this match? Yeah I guess if it got me watching again for a half-second. What else could they really do?

 

2. Do you think Shawn Michaels' overselling helped or hindered the match? Both but I think it helped more than it hurt. Hogan works best with smaller guys who are great bumpers. Yeah Michaels took it too far but it made the match one of Hogan's most watchable matches in years.

 

3. Has this match affected the way you look at either Hogan or Michaels as workers or as people? Nah, thought they were egomaniacal assholes before thought they were egomaniacal assholes afterwards. It did remind me how great of a heel Shawn Michaels was.

 

4. What impact, if any, do you think this match has had on their legacies? For Hogan, probably none. For Michaels, very little. I think the match reminded everybody the mini-miracles Michaels can do when he's given nearly nothing to work with. Perhaps that's why he was put with Chris Masters the next month...

 

5. Will we see another match between two wrestlers of this caliber (popularity wise) again? Have we seen one already,perhaps? I'm honestly not sure. You've got a lot of hypothetical dream matches (Hogan/Austin, Rock/HBK, Rock/Cena, etc.) but I don't think any of those will ever happen. I know a lot of you have said HBK/Taker but for me personally, I'd find it hard to get really hyped about it seeing how I saw it ten years and they'll probably never live up to that series. I guess Cena/Batista could be considered a dream match amongst younger fans, but as someone who's been more or less a casual fan for the past five years, I'd be hard pressed to muster up any excitement for that one

[haVoc 0]

You've got a lot of hypothetical dream matches (Hogan/Austin, Rock/HBK, Rock/Cena, etc.) but I don't think any of those will ever happen.

 

Rock/Cena, Rock/HBK I would really enjoy, but Austin/Hogan just doesn't do it for me because I know those two can't go in the ring these days. The promos would be interesting and I would like to think the story lines leading to the PPV would be great, but I can't trust Hogan and Austin to put their ego's aside. Politics and over protecting ones self kills potentially good booking and matches.

 

Only other dream matches I think would match Hogan/Michaels would be Sting Vs the current crop of superstars. Of course you can't trust Vince to book that right because Sting isn't his own creation.

 

I think the era of dream matches is over. We don't have guys from different company's and generations facing each other due to Vince having the industry by the nuts.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

I enjoyed it from start to finish. It was a dream match that paid off with the old school WWF storyline telling (Michaels turned heel to give Hogan One More Match and Hogan kicked his ass for payback.) Michaels overselling didn't bother me because that is what Michael is best known for doing and I'm glad HBK the politician got a taste of his medicine trying to play games with HULK HOGAN.

 

I will say though my favorite part of the match was when Michaels got hit by Hogan's big boot to fall down, get right back up, to fall down again with Hogan giving a classic WTF reaction.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Everything I would say has already been said.

 

So, I'll offer a comment on the concept as a whole: This is probably the best idea yet to get some good discussion going.

[King Cucaracha 0]

I like how the general consensus so far is "OMG, Shawn Michaels is such a dick for over-selling but lolz he was so funny I wish he was a dick again!" The guy can't win.

 

I will say that I love how Hogan lets Michaels stare at the lights for what seemed like a few minutes after the big boot. Payback, son.

 

Man, it seemed like Hogan was doing that to everyone back then. The tag match where Shawn turned, I think it was Carlito who took the boot and I'm sure he took longer posing then than even his posing at Summerslam.

 

 

I haven't watched the match in a while now. What else did Shawn oversell, besides the big boot? I remember him doing a big bump off a rammed into the turnbuckle spot, but no worse than Curt Hennig always used to do. Was it just the boot?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyN5sAShqOA

[TheFranchise 0]

Heh.

 

The head against the top turnbuckle's the best one.

[Black Lushus 0]

oh THAT top rope head slam? he's been doing that sell forever.