Anticipation Level For Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 2002?

[The Rick Jericho]

How were you feeling before the match? We're your curious what shape he was in?

Then the entrance, were you wondering what he was going to wear?

And then lastly, the in ring work. Were you cringing at the back breakers during the match?

[chronocross]

The anticipation was high, at least for me. The go-home edition of Raw before Summerslam turning into a big brawl with HBK/HHH/Brock/Rock is one of my favorite shows of all time, the crowd was going apes*** crazy for Shawn superkicking Brock and him selling it like he was shot.

I did wonder what he was going to wear, but jeans and cowboy boots is a sight better than his doo-doo brown tights at Survivor Series 02.

I think everyone cringed at the backbreaker spots, the crowd would gasp at every shot he took from Triple-H.

Still my favorite Summerslam of all time.

[DZ: WF Legacy]

I think a lot of us had no idea what to expect from it. I went in thinking it was going to be a limited street fight kind of thing, like the unofficial comeback match he had in 2000 in his Texas promotion. I don't think that footage surfaced until way later, we just heard about it (and if it did, most people were still on dial-up anyhow). It was a physical street fight with bumps, but not quite an actual match. That's what I figured it'd be to give HBK one last major match, and...well, they wound up having a physical classic that kick started another 8-year career for him.

I know I was left with two feelings: awe at what he could still do (not knowing his primary problem was drugs more than anything), and excitement with anticipation of all the new opponents he could face. Shawn coming back was like a dream scenario, and 4 years in the Attiude Era and post-AE felt like a lifetime with how rapidly the wrestling landscape changed.

[stevec484]

From what I remember everyone thought the match was gonna suck and be super safe so Shawn wouldn't get hurt again. I personally didn't want to see a washed up version of my possible favorite ever. Clearly that was wrong and he was better than ever.

It still bugs me that he didn't wear his old tights though

[Thunderbolt]

I remember HBK's foot catching the rope on a dive over the top on the go-home Raw before Summerslam. Lots of people cited that and said Shawn is going to look like crap on the PPV. I held out hope that his gigantic ego would flare up in all it's magnificence and he'd turn in an incredible performance and BY GAR he did it.

That Summerslam was the last PPV I was able to watch on TV(didn't see any more until the Network) and it's a good memory for me. HBK is one of my all time favorites and I was hoping he'd make a comeback from the time he got injured, so there was a lot of anticipation for me.

[Deleted]

Man, what a comeback this was. The heel turn from HHH and the promos that followed afterwards. THATS how you do a comeback.

It’s a shame Daniel Bryan’s comeback was wasted on a Team Hell No reunion and Big f***ing Cass of all people. This should have been similar to HBK’s return, a massive road to redemption ending with Bryan becoming WWE Champion once again... but they blew it in my opinion.

It’s slightly picking up again with The Miz feud and maybe that’ll lead to a big blowoff at Wrestlemania... although personally I have no interest in seeing Brie anywhere near Bryan on screen.

[Fade]

I was absolutely AMPED.

Shawns my dude. Probably only behind SCSA. And he exceeded all my expectations and then some.

[Citizen Snips]

It's what Daniel Bryan's return should have been.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Yeah, I didn't know what to really expect from it, because I wasn't sure what condition his back was going to be in. That ended up working to their advantage, because when HHH worked on Shawn's back with those chair backbreakers, I realized I was watching a classic.

[Ben Wyatt]

I remember having low expectations going in and being blown away.

I'll also say this: The commentary for that match was f***ing amazing. Every bump Shawn took was put across as a crippling death blow. JR sold HBK's kip-up like he just witnessed God himself appear from the heavens. The accompanying crow pop sealed it. And to top it off, even Lawler, the *heel* announcer was half rooting for Shawn at the end.

[Deleted]

Zero. I bought it to see Brock vs. The Rock. They built that match up so well.

[EyeofTyr]

I know there was a fair share of people, equal parts dreading and darkly anticipating, Shawn would be way rusty and not be anywhere where he could be in his prime. A lot of people cited his problems with drugs as why, as at the time it wasn't super common knowledge Shawn had completely turned over a new leaf and found god. Even those that did know were skeptical, it is wrestling, this is the industry that saw Jake Roberts find god and most know how that went.

After the match I recall people also thinking this was probably going to be a one and done, or at best Shawn was slipping into a Foley role of an occasional match about once a year. No one I can remember expressing it thought this was the start of the wheels going into motion for a full time return.

[Pushed to the Moon]

My all time fave so I couldn't have been any more excited as a gargantuan fanboy. Now you mention it I actually DO remember being let down he was just wearing jeans and a t shirt cos it was a street fight since I was obsessed with his attire as a kid too. He also had a bible verse on his shirt which I remember looking up straight after.

I was pretty much scared about any move he did for the rest of his career not just the backbreakers etc in that match either. I dunno if it was just his selling but he always seemed like he was hobbling and limping but would then do a moonsault or something. Maybe it was just cos he was getting old but 90s HBK was always so smooth and light on his feet bouncing around.

Also I remember being disappointed that he won with a quick rollup thing and not the super kick.

[Deleted]

I'm remember not getting my hopes up thinking it was gonna be a smoke and mirrors thing where he has an easy match and goes away because I was so used to him popping in and out. Took a while for me to even accept the reality that he was back to stay.

[Pure Fusion Jesse Walsh]

I almost jumped for joy in my house when Shawn challenged Triple H for the SummerSlam match on Raw. HBK was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up, and I remember little me on the verge of tears when he lost at WM14, so to say I was hyped would be an understatement.

I hadn’t watched wrestling in a year at that point and the build to that match is what reeled me back in.

[thecrusherwi]

Off the charts. I was as excited for this match as I had been in years. My brother, who hadn’t watched wrestling in over a year and isn’t a fan anymore, watched this show to see Shawn return. I wasn’t big into the dirt sheets back then so I assumed Shawn’s injuries were bad enough that he’d never return.

Plus the go home Raw where Shawn finally gets physical for the first time in years and fights off Triple H AND Brock Lesnar was awesome. Even if he slightly botched the dive. In fact, that added to his feeling of vulnerability that sold the match.

[Instant Classic]

I was 7 at the time and had no idea who he was.

[lavelleuk]

I hated HBK before his return and never cared for him after...that said the build and story to this match is one of the best I remember and I couldn't wait to see it. The match itself is a classic. It's a shame they continued to drag the feud out until it eventually had things like double pins and a 5 hour long hell in a cell match

[agent817]

When I heard about this, I was excited, yet dreaded about what would happen because of the history of his back. Of course, I read after Summerslam that he was more than fine after the match, so there was not a lot to worry about. I didn't watch it, but a friend of mine did. I asked him if he wore his old tights with the hearts on them, but then I was told that he wore the jeans and cowboy boots.

[Tom Turkey]

I wonder what everyone at the time thought about Shawn taking that sledgehammer shot after the match? Did everyone take it as a sign that his back was okay enough for him to be able to take that bump?