What the hell is WWE going to do...

[the hibee wwe fan]

Dh Smith, young, powerful, second generation, trained in the Hart Family Dungeon. Everyone who is asked about him in interviews give high opinions of him. Benoit spoke highly of him when he was 20 as did Orton. He could probley put on a good matc with anyone. He is the future of WWE with Orton, DiBiase,Rhodes, Kidd,Morrison and Punk possibly Swagger.

 

[phantomgerald]

As for the question, what will they do at 27 if he does retire at 26, the showstopper of that show will be one if not all of 3 people tbh:

CM Punk: Punk is a big star and is already doing well at Wrestlemania recently so it seems they are building him up as a big Wrestlemania star. He has the potential to put on many 5 Star matches as evident to the Regal, Jericho and Mysterio matches he can pull through in most matches. To me all he needs to do is pull out a better finisher and one that can come out of nowhere to be a bigger star. He will be one of the next Wrestlemania Stars.

John Morrison: Has great potential as a heel or a face to put on a great match and is willing to put his body on the line. He has a great moveset to be put over with the crowd and get heat or a good face reaction. He can wrestle a great match and his finisher is good. Although it would be good for him to have one to come out of nowhere a bit like Punk, it give a match more of a good feeling giving it a better 5 star match rating. He can put on a 5 Star match with most people and should be good on the largest stage of them all.

or

....

Tyson Kidd: A great talent that is good on the ground game and can go in the air when needed, he can do many different things so that he can be a next Wrestlemania star. He can be a 5 Star match participant and when he gets going this kid can not be stopped. He is my pick to be the next Wrestlemania star and possibly, a replacement for HBK.

LOL at Kidd. He has good in-ring talent but he has zero charisma or mic skills from what I've seen. And guys like that don't succeed in the WWE.

 

[Kaedon]

LOL at Kidd. He has good in-ring talent but he has zero charisma or mic skills from what I've seen. And guys like that don't succeed in the WWE.

*cough* _________ *cough*

 

[CenaMark54]

Wrestlemania will cease to exist without the incredible drawing power of HBK.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Wrestlemania will cease to exist without the incredible drawing power of HBK.

This sarcastic post pretty much sums it up.

There are so many reasons that this thread is just laughable. First off, when has Shawn Michaels EVER proven to be a big draw? But for arguments sake, let’s say that HBK is a great draw, it still wouldn't have much effect on Wrestlemania. At this point, Wrestlemania sells itself. We all know that there are countless fans out there that only get one ppv, and it's Wrestlemania. Most fans that get Wrestlemania will get it regardless of the card. I know that I am one of them.

I'm not trying to downplay what Shawn Michaels has done, because there is no doubt that his undercard matches have been a big boost to the card. But when he's clearly not the big draw on the card, I fail to see why this is really even a concern. He was a far better in ring performer back in the mid 90's, and I'm sure there are plenty of people that thought there was nobody better than him at that time, or maybe even ever. Yet when he left in 98, the WWE didn't seem to have too much of a problem selling their product.

 

[The Rated R CMStar]

I'm not trying to downplay what Shawn Michaels has done, because there is no doubt that his undercard matches have been a big boost to the card. But when he's clearly not the big draw on the card, I fail to see why this is really even a concern. He was a far better in ring performer back in the mid 90's, and I'm sure there are plenty of people that thought there was nobody better than him at that time, or maybe even ever. Yet when he left in 98, the WWE didn't seem to have too much of a problem selling their product.

While all of that is true, and Shawn Michaels isn't the main draw, this thread speaks not more of the actual sales of WM, it speaks more on the memories of Wrestlemania, and in the last years, when you think of Mania, you think of a match that had WM involved


And even if HBK isn't the main draw, an argument can be made that WM 24 sold around HBK vs Flair and WM25 did around HBK vs Taker.

 

[Next Big Thing]

While all of that is true, and Shawn Michaels isn't the main draw, this thread speaks not more of the actual sales of WM, it speaks more on the memories of Wrestlemania, and in the last years, when you think of Mania, you think of a match that had WM involved

But the most worrying part is, how the hell is WWE going to sell Mania without him? WM has as a trait having a big "undercard" main event besides the title matches (usually weaker), usually dream matches, and since WM 19, they all have been for Shawn Michaels.

By that I think you can understand why people would get the impression that you are referring to the actual sales of WM.

And even if HBK isn't the main draw, an argument can be made that WM 24 sold around HBK vs Flair and WM25 did around HBK vs Taker.

For WM 24 I'm not sure how you can make that argument. Going into the ppv, the Mayweather/Show match and the Triple threat match both got way more hype than Flair/Michaels. While I don't think all that many people decided to order the ppv because of the Flair/Michaels match, if they did, it was because it was probably going to be Flair's last match, which still means that Shawn Michaels didn't draw in any fans.

As for Wrestlemania 25, the Orton/Triple H match was clearly the big match of the night. The match might not have delivered and people may crap on the Triple H/Orton feud now, but going into Wrestlemania I remember how hyped everyone was for that match. Let's not forget that the biggest draw in the company was in the other title match that night. Just like Shawn Michaels, when has the Undertaker ever proven to be a big draw? I can't see the two of them having a huge impact on people buying a ppv. But like I said in my previous post, the thing that sold Wrestlemania more than Triple H/Orton, the triple threat or HBK/Taker was the fact that it was Wrestlemania. Being around so long it really has become the Super Bowl for pro wrestling. Just like the Super Bowl, people tune in regardless of what the matches are. Throw in the WWE's amazing hype, and the matches itself have become increasingly less important.

 

[noumenon]

I don't think the absence of HBK will effect much except for Mania time. We can't keep relying on the same talent to carry the company. It truly is time for some people to step up and run with the ball. It's coming down to the fact that not only HBK, but many of the guys we all grew up with are pushing into their 40's right now and may not be around for too much longer.
I believe Jericho is just about at the point of reaching the status of someone who can really carry an event. Other than that there are plenty of guys I think are ready to step up to the plate and fill the shoes of HBK in big match situations.

 

[mancilla 86]

like who? wwe needs to start now! and dont you even dare say edge, mvp, cm punk or morrison they arent even in the same league as michaels!

 

[noumenon]

They could be... but they need to be built up properly.

 

[the hibee wwe fan]

Just build up Morrison. Let him take the HBK spot