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Post by darthpipes on Dec 5, 2007 14:51:50 GMT -5
Bret was a better wrestler. Michaels was a better performer. Michaels had more all-around skills, like wrestling, high-flying moves, could cut a better promo, etc.
Also, Bret could get a little repetative with the same opponent. I've seen a couple of matches with Bret and Bam Bam Bigelow where they wrestle virtually the same match everytime, complete with Bret winning with a victory roll. The third Bret/Owen match is an excellent example. The WM and Summerslam matches are absolute classics but the third match in the trilogy (the debut of the Action Zone which is on Bret's DVD) is a total clip notes version of the first two matches with Bret and Owen using the same spots. Only the ending is different. In all fairness, they wrestled so many times that year on the house circuit. Then you could always tell when Bret was about to use the five moves of doom but in all fairness, Michaels has gotten repetative with his five moves of doom that you see now in almost every one of his matches.
Still, both wrestlers are great though.
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Post by sexualvanilla on Dec 5, 2007 15:12:24 GMT -5
Bret was very technically sound but I just couldn't get into all the "classic" matches he had. He's fine but to really make a match get into 3rd and 4th gear, Shawn was a lot better at it IMO. For selling, psychology, and knowing when to do what, Shawn was way better
Some complain about his flipping but I've only really noticed it heavily in the Hogan match and the HIAC with 'Taker. Both were needed to a) make up for Hogan's immobility and b) because the cage requires a bit overboard selling so everyone can see since the mesh blocks part of the audience's vision of the match. Besides, he's being tossed around by the Undertaker; you're gonna fly. And it worked there since if Bret was in that match, it wouldn't've been as good.
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Joekishi
Fry's dog Seymour
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Post by Joekishi on Dec 5, 2007 15:16:49 GMT -5
Shawn Michaels the best wrestler of all time in My opinion he could work any style (well besides power wrestling), and he could work against a variety of opponents and present different types of match ups.
A lot of the cruiserweight stuff in WCW came a lot from HBK's offense. the Rockers were doing great tag team wrestling that guys like MCMG and London/Kendick have tried to copy.
Bret Hart is one of the best technical wrestlers, and is probably my favorite mic worker of all time.
I found myself bored with some Bret Matches, but in general out of the ring and on the mic i really enjoyed Bret. WHen he was in the ring with somebody like Bam Bam, Diesel, Razor, Undertaker, HBK, Bulldog, 1-2-3 Kid...guys who could work he could put on some GREAT matches.
However his last years in wrestling showed that he really did lose his passion, but not his talent.
to me HBK is better. But i LOVE both.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Dec 5, 2007 15:44:05 GMT -5
Very good question. Probably Shawn, but I prefer Bret, usually.
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Post by britishbulldog on Dec 5, 2007 15:53:52 GMT -5
I still think that this question is impossible to answer. I would say for what they did style wise they were the best of their generation hands down. I still perfer Bret but I just like that syle better.
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Post by markdown474 on Dec 5, 2007 16:08:33 GMT -5
I go with Bret, but I am anything but unbiased. Bret's matches were great back and forth battles, and he got really good if not great matches out of much lesser workers. The same can be said for Shawn to an extent, but a lot of that came from Shawn's overacting, while Bret's matches were much more firmly rooted in realism. Shawn's first title reign was one of my least favorite periods in the WWF. The WWF seemed to be trying way too hard to cram the guy down fan's throats and it got really old seeing a 200 pound guy take the beating beyond all beatings from guys twice his size and still come back and win. There just seemed to be no realism in it and I really got sick of it.
I've been reading Bret's book (got about 150 pages to go) and so far it's fantastic. Of course I guess it comes down to who do you choose to believe on a lot of things. Personally I choose to believe Bret.
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Post by Branimal on Dec 5, 2007 16:11:56 GMT -5
This question is impossible.
I cannot answer this question because I will immediately change my mind..and continue to do so..until the end of time.
I can tell you that HBK is better at playing a heel over Bret..and Bret is better suited as a face over HBK.
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Post by stevieraymark on Dec 6, 2007 5:29:54 GMT -5
ill go for bret as i think hes the best ever but shawns not too far behind though
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azz0r
Dennis Stamp
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Post by azz0r on Dec 6, 2007 7:21:03 GMT -5
Shawns the total package, but Brets the better wrestler.
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Post by tarheelfan on Dec 6, 2007 21:51:56 GMT -5
Brett may have been the better technical wrestler but when the smoke clears there is no doubt in my mind that if I wanted to watch an old match from either of them now it would be a Shawn Michaels match. And I think that is the main concept of who was the better wrestler at the end of the day. Some people like technical wrestlers, some people like brawlers and some people like power wrestlers and some people like high flying wrestlers. But the bottom line is that no matter the style did the wrestler entertain the crowd. And in this regard I think that Shawn was the overall better performer because his matches were more spontaneous and to be truthful not as dull.
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Corporate H
Grimlock
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Post by Corporate H on Dec 6, 2007 21:54:50 GMT -5
Bret will always be better.
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Post by Bob Schlapowitz on Dec 6, 2007 21:57:49 GMT -5
I'll answer if someone else answers me this: What the hell is this all the Bret/Shawn threads....even after the Survivor Series? Not just "after the Survivor Series" but TEN YEARS AFTER THE f***ING SURVIVOR SERIES!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2007 22:56:17 GMT -5
Bret was better at just working a traditional good match, Shawn is superior at working the crowd and giving matches a big match feel.
Hart matches tended to drag pretty heavily in the middle, Shawn usually fills those points in by popping the crowd with a big air move or blading or something.
Shawn's probably the better worker overall. Not wrestler...worker.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2007 22:57:08 GMT -5
I'll answer if someone else answers me this: What the hell is this all the Bret/Shawn threads....even after the Survivor Series? Not just "after the Survivor Series" but TEN YEARS AFTER THE smurfING SURVIVOR SERIES! *walks on stage* "Montreal everybody!" *rimshot* "Thank you, tip your waiters! Try the veal!"
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"Hollywood" Cactus Matt
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Post by "Hollywood" Cactus Matt on Dec 7, 2007 1:50:05 GMT -5
Michaels is the greatest innovator in wrestling history. Bret couldn't hold his jock strap, Michaels could get a great match out of a nobody where Bret had to have stellar opponents to have good matches. LOL. One of the reasons Bret got his push is because he could get decent matches out of guys like the Barbarian. You say that like the Barbarian was some shlub. Now, his old partner the Warlord - there's a no-talent hoss. Honestly, though ... I'd give the edge to HBK, but only because I like a well-placed top-rope move, and for the life of me I can't remember Bret ever using one. Call me nit-picky, but that's my honest opinion. For what it's worth, though, I preferred the Hart Foundation over the Rockers. So I guess it breaks down like this: Shawn > Bret, but Niedhart > Jannetty. (charisma-wise, anyway.)
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Joekishi
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Post by Joekishi on Dec 7, 2007 1:50:39 GMT -5
This question is impossible. I cannot answer this question because I will immediately change my mind..and continue to do so..until the end of time. I can tell you that HBK is better at playing a heel over Bret..and Bret is better suited as a face over HBK. See I have it that both guys were better heels than faces, but right now HBK edges Bret in the face department. Bret used a missle dropkick, flying cross body, a top rope Brain Chop, and did suicide dives and planchas in matches a lot actually. Bret was more technical than HBK, but HBK's technical wrestling was more based on the Lucha Libre classical technical wrestling. While Bret's was mostly based on the Japanese style/catch wrestling.
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Post by Edison taps to the ARMBAR! on Dec 7, 2007 1:51:01 GMT -5
Bret, no contest.
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Post by MichaelMartini on Dec 7, 2007 3:59:06 GMT -5
It depends on what you like, realism or showboating. Everything Bret did in the ring made sense. A perfect example is when he's irish whipped in the turnbuckle, he'd take it chest first, full impact. Shawn would do some illogical flip over it.
I prefer realism, I think it makes the matches more exciting. Bret was just way better at physcology, the best ever imo.
Shawn's routine is a little repetitive to. Open with a flashy move, crash and burn, get beat down, diving clothesline and kip up, manhatten drop, clothesline, bodyslam, top rope elbow drop, finsher reversal, superkick. 95% of his matches end with the exact same sequence.
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"Hollywood" Cactus Matt
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
You couldn't ask for a better custom title!
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Post by "Hollywood" Cactus Matt on Dec 7, 2007 5:20:25 GMT -5
Shawn's routine is a little repetitive to. Open with a flashy move, crash and burn, get beat down, diving clothesline and kip up, manhatten drop, clothesline, bodyslam, top rope elbow drop, finsher reversal, superkick. 95% of his matches end with the exact same sequence. Stomp to abdomen, inverted atomic drop, second rope elbow, sharpshooter. I have no idea what you're talking about.
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Hiroshi Hase
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Post by Hiroshi Hase on Dec 7, 2007 8:00:26 GMT -5
Shawn's routine is a little repetitive to. Open with a flashy move, crash and burn, get beat down, diving clothesline and kip up, manhatten drop, clothesline, bodyslam, top rope elbow drop, finsher reversal, superkick. 95% of his matches end with the exact same sequence. Stomp to abdomen, inverted atomic drop, second rope elbow, sharpshooter. I have no idea what you're talking about. True, but I think Bret gets more flack for that than Shawn should as both are repetitive in that respect, but then you do need some moves to let the fans know you're going to put the guy away.
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