HBK: Free too soon?

[Airfixx]

IMO, HBK regained his freedom waaaay too soon... His actually serving JBL only ran for about a month and he never really seemed to vere too far away from a righteous standpoint.

I thought we were in for another epic storyline like HBK/Y2J and must say I'm extrememly dissapointed. If anything I think at least Shawn's behaviour should have become more dastardly due to spiralling desperation to escape his predicament. I mean, maybe if they hadn't been bickering like bitches over the outcome of Cena/JBL @ RR, JBL could have manipulated his way to a chamber win (kayfaybe!!!) and still made it to Mania with further help from HBK? ...and regardless of any dented 'vanity' derived from my original predictions for this stroyline, JBL pimping HBK out against Taker @ WM would have been so cool... The way they involved Cena in this, if they'd have added Taker (or given a different outcome) HHH to the mix would have been AWESOME!

...Or maybe there's another twist in the tale to come?


Thoughts?

 

[MikeRaw]

No. IMO, it started to late, not ended too soon.
If they want to build up a feud with Undertaker, they have to start now.
HBK vs Undertaker is way more important than HBK vs JBL, and in order for HBK vs Taker to be done right, and be one of the greatest matches of all time, it has to have time to build.
This was the right time to end the feud IMO, and now he can start against Taker.

However, I do agree the feud had some more potential (JBK vs HBK, that is), and it could've gone longer, but WWE really should've started it earlier, to allow them to fit more in.

They really had no choice but to end it now though.

 

[SnackZ]

I actually think it ended right on time - I'm thinking we'll get the bad ass, cocky, HBK of old challengin Taker - I also believe that the E will once again swerve us big time with JBL giving HBK a BIG BONUS come WM25 after he helps HBK win and end Takers streak. HBK will be hated for a long time after WM25. mark my words. (this JBL/HBK business association is NOT over by a long shot)

 

[Airfixx]

If they want to build up a feud with Undertaker, they have to start now. HBK vs Undertaker is way more important than HBK vs JBL, and in order for HBK vs Taker to be done right, and be one of the greatest matches of all time, it has to have time to build.

Building off the back of the JBL fued from now until WM would see no earlier start tho'. They COULD have been 'half'-way there already, but now they've got what 5/6 weeks to start from scratch.

This was the right time to end the feud IMO, and now he can start against Taker.

See, this would be part of my problem with HBK/Taker.... You say it can't be the awesomness it deserves to be without a worthy stoyline (I agree), but I just don't see them coming up with anything better than JBL forcing HBK to face him, nor did they really need to.

Ultimately though, my feelings aren't specifically related to an undying NEEEED to see HBK/Taker just that this could have been one hell of a storyline if they'd gone for the long haul.

However, I do agree the feud had some more potential (JBK vs HBK, that is), and it could've gone longer, but WWE really should've started it earlier, to allow them to fit more in.

They really had no choice but to end it now though.

...Or start the next phase.

i.e

PHASE 1: HBK w/JBL v Cena
PHASE 2: HBK w/JBL v Taker

Hell they could have had that go on even further if it wasn't labouring...

PHASE 3: HBK w/JBL v HHH... Or whatever.

 

[MikeRaw]

See, this would be part of my problem with HBK/Taker.... You say it can't be the awesomness it deserves to be without a worthy stoyline (I agree), but I just don't see them coming up with anything better than JBL forcing HBK to face him, nor did they really need to.

Ultimately though, my feelings aren't specifically related to an undying NEEEED to see HBK/Taker just that this could have been one hell of a storyline if they'd gone for the long haul.




PHASE 2: HBK w/JBL v Taker

.

That wouldn't really make sense though. Why would JBL force HBK to face Taker?
JBL said it himself, that he wants to be the one to face Undertaker.
In the storyline, both guys want to face Taker, so having JBL "force" HBK to facer Taker wouldn't make sense. What's in it for JBL? It's not like Taker is coming after JBL. JBL just wanted to face him, so there would be no reason for JBL to force him to face Undertaker and do his dirty work for him.

 

[SnackZ]

he would have owned hte rigths to everything HBK so forcing HBK to face Taker and HBK winning and ending the streak could have been like this:

"Shawn - I own you - now that you've ending the streak you are NO longer known as HBK, the heartbreak kid, the showstopper, Mr. Wrestlemania - all of that still belongs to me and that means I ended the streak not you - I own your name, likeness and all of your records and achievements"

that would have worked.

but this JBL/HBK thing is no where near over.

 

[Airfixx]

That wouldn't really make sense though. Why would JBL force HBK to face Taker?
JBL said it himself, that he wants to be the one to face Undertaker.
In the storyline, both guys want to face Taker, so having JBL "force" HBK to facer Taker wouldn't make sense. What's in it for JBL? It's not like Taker is coming after JBL. JBL just wanted to face him, so there would be no reason for JBL to force him to face Undertaker and do his dirty work for him.

I haven't seen Raw yet, but back tracking to pre-NWO when HBK was still on JBLs payroll, you could have just as easily seen JBL crap his pants over a proposed match with Taker and force Shawn to face him instead. (As already suggested elsewhere I'd have had JBL in the EC and further failed interference from HBK).

The idea of them both wanting to face him is a FAR less engaging basis for a storyline and as I agreed with you above, the better the storyline going into WM the better.

Based on what you say we are now being shown on Raw, speculatively I see JBL costing HBK the win at WM and them reprising their fued @ JDay and if that's the case I'm even more adamant that they wasted a gem of storyline and should have kept HBK tied to his contract with JBL.

 

[JurassicBonez]

That wouldn't really make sense though. Why would JBL force HBK to face Taker?
JBL said it himself, that he wants to be the one to face Undertaker.
In the storyline, both guys want to face Taker, so having JBL "force" HBK to facer Taker wouldn't make sense. What's in it for JBL? It's not like Taker is coming after JBL. JBL just wanted to face him, so there would be no reason for JBL to force him to face Undertaker and do his dirty work for him.

But see, we didn't know this until AFTER NWO. If JBL had won his match, everything reguarding HBK would be JBL's. So if JBL had told Shawn to beat Taker and he did, then really JBL is the one who beat him. JBL gets the pay off, HBK didn't beat Taker (as JBL would own HBK's name) JBL was the one who beat Taker.

It would be like if there was a king that wanted to take over someone's land, the king doesn't fight, his men fight. But his men aren't the one's that get the praise for the win, they don't get the reward, the king does. So in this case JBL would be the king, and JBL is his men.

 

[Great One]

I agree, but I'm thinking entirely different than all of you. Basically what I wanted to see is Michaels go full fledge heel and become kinda like JBL. I thought about it when the way they came out of the limousine together, with the hat and everything. Eventually, he would get the suit and all and come out just like him and with him, which automatically made people boo and hate him. I agree with it should have started earlier too, so they could progress this and they would eventually become friends. Then when the time to face Undertaker came around, the same argument could take place, and they could pretend to break up and get into a huge fight over who faces him (with HBK winning). Then the swerve being JBL interferes in the match itself to help HBK (friends + the idea of HBK winning = JBL winning + JBL hates Undertaker) vs. Undertaker. Of course this doesn't mean Undertaker has to lose, but it would make it that much unpredictable. But yeah, I just wanted HBK to say fuck all the people, he needs the money (kinda like Jericho did with, he's an honest man)... and say JBL isn't that bad of a guy, then eventually say how great he is for helping him out.

 

[fteezy]

Who Cares???? Look, Point Blank Its Hbk Vs Undertaker At Wrestlemania... I Mean I'd Rather See That Than Seeing Hbk Getting Bullied By Jbl For Another Month And A Half. This Is What The People Want, This Is What The People Has Been Begging For, Hbk Vs Undertaker... Forget Jbl!!!

 

[The Rated R CMStar]

This Is What The People Want, This Is What The People Has Been Begging For, Hbk Vs Undertaker... Forget Jbl!!!

And by people you mean yourself. Look, HBK vs Taker is a dream match, but I prefer matches with more build up, and in that notion, HBK vs JBL would have gotten the more heat going into Mania.

Lol, I mean, out of the past 3 years, the year that they don't tease HBK vs Taker, they finally decide to do it.

 

[noumenon]

HBK/JBL definately ended really abrubtly. It almost said to me that WWE ran out of ideas and decided to take the easy way out.
Either of these matches would have been Mania worthy...
We could have had the extremely emotional, well build match where HBK is fighting for his freedom and name.
OR
We could have had the fantasy match.

I really don't think Taker/HBK needs any build whatsoever. Perhaps a few stare downs between the two on whichever show will be enough. They're both faces, and the match is more for the novelty of it than a feud.