HBK has left the building

"It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday" - Boyz2Men




Wrestling lost one of it's all time greats sunday night. A farewell that I didn't even see coming much like his finishing move the Superkick aka Sweet Chin Music. As a kid growing up in Alberta Canada you were a Bret Hart fan, Hulk Hogan fan, Ultimate Warrior, Razor Ramon or Kevin Nash (Diesel) . For me, back in 1993 I was a Shawn Michaels fan. Growing up as a youngster I was a brash, arrogant person. I would be charismatic in one instance and a complete ass in another it was the HBK way.



When he first started out in a tag team with Marty Jannety they had the best tandem offense I have seen from double drop kicks to their double fists from the top rope in sequence. As you watched you thought this team was rather intense with everything they would do. Then you began to realize that HBK was meant for more. Firstly, he wasn't known as HBK but Shawn Michaels. When he superkicked Jannety then threw him into the barbershop window that was the best heel turn I have seen in all my years. Granted, Hulk Hogan as the 3rd member of the NWO was good but he didn't put a guy's face through glass. As HBK came about so did his charisma and charm. Partnering up with Sensational Sherri having his own sung entrance music and you thought holy cow. In my mind, HBK was destined for greatness the year he faced Bret Hart at Survivor Series the first time. When he held the Intercontinental Championship. He lost via sharpshooter but you could tell the beginnings for greatness were there.



Then he dazzled you in a ladder match, he inspired you defeating larger competition and most of all he was brash enough to be the best. As the years went on a subsequent back injury forced him to leave the business he loved after Wrestlemania 14 vs Stone Cold Steve Austin. But then something happened he returns SummerSlam 2002. This was the year The Rock fought Brock and lost the title. For me, HBK was back for a no holds barred match. But something strange happened for me. That was HBK's first match a comeback match which was "one-time" only but what happened was a match that was truly amazing. Five years off this guy took and he didn't miss a beat. HHH perhaps had the best match of his career that night. Subsequently, HBK did another match an elimination chamber match and had a second run with the title. HBK has put on some amazing performances and entertained us in the last 7 years he came back. He's a better in ring performer than 90% of the locker room. To me he was a showstopper. I read the articles leading up to WM weekend and the more you read the more you got the feeling he was either going to retire or break the streak. But he has always said even if he loses he will lose in a blaze of glory. HBK was defiant to the end.. even when UT didn't want to finish it..



It was fitting in his farewell speech that he said.. " The HeartBreakKid Shawn Michaels has left the building.." fitting he may have left the building but he will never be forgotten. He was the best performer of our generation.. daresay the best ever. HBK HBK HBK