What if HBK never broke his back?

[Squatch]

What if HBK never broke his back and he was a part of the Attitude Era? Would things be extremely different?

[Johnny Wrestling]

It would've taken longer for Triple H to become a main eventer.

[Squatch]

Sept 24, 2011 23:34:56 GMT -5 Johnny Wrestling said:

It would've taken longer for Triple H to become a main eventer.

That's true. Do you think HHH would have even been a main eventer in the Attitude Era if HBK was around?

[Kemp2k]

If HBK was still around. I could see another HBK/Austin rematch at Summerslam. But really, who knows what woulda happened with the Heartbreak Kid after Wrestlemania. He had so many problems, cocaine and power. Back then, he might been what Jeff Hardy was. Luckily for the back injury, that saved his life and career/

[Deleted]

we had a similar discussion not too long ago asking what would have happened if Bret hadnt went.

its hard to know what would have happened.I think Rock would still have climbed as quickly and been corperate champ.HBKs presence may not have effected that.backstage?who knows.

lots of folks think the NAO were just drafted into DX to make up the numbers but it was HBKs plan for them to join and DX to go face.this was always the way it was gonna go.....so you would have had face HBK as leader of DX.that would suggest HHHs climb been slower because he wouldnt have led DX......

BUT in 98 his feud with the rock over the IC strap is what put both of them over the top.surely that still would have happened?maybe he would have turned on DX and became the corperate champ?

its hard to know.

[jakksking1]

If Shawn isn't injured, he might not have put over Austin at Mania, or would of concocted some stupid way to forfeit the belt without actually having to lose it.

[cordless2016]

Sept 24, 2011 23:34:56 GMT -5 Johnny Wrestling said:

It would've taken longer for Triple H to become a main eventer.

If anything Hunter would have pushed to the main event faster. Knowing how power hungry Shawn was back in the day, he'd rather have put over his best buddy than somebody else on the roster. That way they keep the belt w/ the "kliq."

[jammer311]

I remember hearing years ago that after his so called 'back injury' and 'surgery' that he was doing back handstands and such to show off. I really don't think HBK had an injury. I think he was just mad that his era was over and Austin's was beginning. For someone who had such a life career threatening injury in his prime, being his mid 30s, he sure came back and did wonders in his mid 40s in the past 5 years, didn't he??

Also, if HBK did have surgery like he said... where is the scar at on his back?? I never seen one over the past 9 years that he was back and wrestling.

I am a huge HBK fan, and always have been, always will be, but to this day I still say he didn't have as bad of back that he let on that he had. I still say it was because he didn't wanna lose his top spot. I am not saying his back wasn't beaten up, but I still think there was more to it all.

[Raine]

Sept 25, 2011 11:38:49 GMT -5 @jammer311 said:

I remember hearing years ago that after his so called 'back injury' and 'surgery' that he was doing back handstands and such to show off. I really don't think HBK had an injury. I think he was just mad that his era was over and Austin's was beginning. For someone who had such a life career threatening injury in his prime, being his mid 30s, he sure came back and did wonders in his mid 40s in the past 5 years, didn't he??

Also, if HBK did have surgery like he said... where is the scar at on his back?? I never seen one over the past 9 years that he was back and wrestling.

I am a huge HBK fan, and always have been, always will be, but to this day I still say he didn't have as bad of back that he let on that he had. I still say it was because he didn't wanna lose his top spot. I am not saying his back wasn't beaten up, but I still think there was more to it all.

Interesting theory, couldn't go to WCW either as was under contract til 2001 I believe, WCW was dead by then.

[The Sexy Psychotic]

Sept 25, 2011 11:38:49 GMT -5 @jammer311 said:

I remember hearing years ago that after his so called 'back injury' and 'surgery' that he was doing back handstands and such to show off. I really don't think HBK had an injury. I think he was just mad that his era was over and Austin's was beginning. For someone who had such a life career threatening injury in his prime, being his mid 30s, he sure came back and did wonders in his mid 40s in the past 5 years, didn't he??

Also, if HBK did have surgery like he said... where is the scar at on his back?? I never seen one over the past 9 years that he was back and wrestling.

I am a huge HBK fan, and always have been, always will be, but to this day I still say he didn't have as bad of back that he let on that he had. I still say it was because he didn't wanna lose his top spot. I am not saying his back wasn't beaten up, but I still think there was more to it all.

Interesting, I do think he could and probably should have been back before he did, I mean he was doing some stuff by the end of the year as the Commish.
And then there was the whole invasion thing that was to happen with him involved but that had to be scrapped when he was too drunk when he arrived.

[jammer311]

Wasn't there also a big internet rumour that he was scheduled to wrestle at WM 17 but showed up all messed up and lashed out at Triple H and Vince?? For some reason I swear he was supposed to wrestle Jericho at WM 17. I don't know why that is, but I swear I read that back in 2001 on the net. Then again, it could have just been fake news reports.

[nibs92]

Sept 25, 2011 17:03:48 GMT -5 @jammer311 said:

Wasn't there also a big internet rumour that he was scheduled to wrestle at WM 17 but showed up all messed up and lashed out at Triple H and Vince?? For some reason I swear he was supposed to wrestle Jericho at WM 17. I don't know why that is, but I swear I read that back in 2001 on the net. Then again, it could have just been fake news reports.

i remember reading that he turned up to raw in the dreaded " no condition to perform". that was during his commissioner days. i think that's what led to Foley becoming commissioner.

if i've got my dates right i'm sure that was shortly after WM17 and pretty much scuppered his comeback.

maybe that's what it's based on?

[Squatch]

So many different interesting theories guys. I think HBK would have feuded with HHH and The Rock would have been slowed down in his push. We might have seen Rock vs. HBK too.

[roddypiper]

Sept 25, 2011 19:21:21 GMT -5 Squatch said:

So many different interesting theories guys. I think HBK would have feuded with HHH and The Rock would have been slowed down in his push. We might have seen Rock vs. HBK too.

We would have never...ever saw HBK Vs The Rock.

[nibs92]

Sept 25, 2011 19:25:07 GMT -5 @roddypiper said:

Sept 25, 2011 19:21:21 GMT -5 Squatch said:

So many different interesting theories guys. I think HBK would have feuded with HHH and The Rock would have been slowed down in his push. We might have seen Rock vs. HBK too.

We would have never...ever saw HBK Vs The Rock.

yeah i believe that Michaels and the Rock just don't get on!

i believe that Michaels tried to torpedo the Rocks career.

[Deleted]

Sept 25, 2011 0:04:06 GMT -5 Kemp2k said:

If HBK was still around. I could see another HBK/Austin rematch at Summerslam. But really, who knows what woulda happened with the Heartbreak Kid after Wrestlemania. He had so many problems, cocaine and power. Back then, he might been what Jeff Hardy was. Luckily for the back injury, that saved his life and career/

I agree with this 100%. I think his back injury was a blessing in disguise. He ended up coming back sober and better than ever in 2002 after the injury.

Also, to the guy who said HBK doesn't have a scar on his back, he actually does. There's a picture of it in the WWE UNscripted book.

[The Sexy Psychotic]

Sept 25, 2011 17:03:48 GMT -5 @jammer311 said:

Wasn't there also a big internet rumour that he was scheduled to wrestle at WM 17 but showed up all messed up and lashed out at Triple H and Vince?? For some reason I swear he was supposed to wrestle Jericho at WM 17. I don't know why that is, but I swear I read that back in 2001 on the net. Then again, it could have just been fake news reports.

Actually, I've read that very early plans for WM16 were to have a triple Main Event, with one being Triple H Vs. HBK (other two being Austin/Rock and Taker/Show)
But yea, I do think he could have came back much earlier than he did.

[jammer311]

I believe HBK and Triple H did try to sabotage Rocky's career. I remember hearing that too somewhere. They weren't happy how Hunter had to drop the IC strap to Rocky so fast, and tried to hold him down. I think that's why there was always something more to the Triple H vs. Rock feud. They kind of raised up at the same time, but Rocky was always a bit ahead. I don't think Hunter liked that.

[cordless2016]

I remember seeing a pic in a Raw magazine back in 2002 or 2003 of a scar on HBK's lower back, so he did indeed have surgery. He always worse his tights high when he came back, so the scar was probably covered up. But I agree that there was more to it than just his injury that kept him out of wrestling for 4 years.

HBK had a huge drug and ego problem, so I think that actually was a bigger factor in him missing 4 years of action than his back injury. I heard that he was suppose to be the ref at WM17 during the McMahons street fight instead of Mick Foley, but because he showed up to a Raw coked out of his mind, they sent him home. Also, if you watch his few WWF returns from 1999-2000, he still looked to be in great shaped, and while he never got invovled much "physically" in wrestling matches, he was still able to move around and hit his super kick w/ ease.

I think if HBK didn't have the drug problem that he did, I think the back injury would have kept him out of the ring from about a year to two years. But because of his huge drug and ego problem, he was kept out of the ring for four years.

[Barney Stinson]

I remember he was going to come back to the ring before he did. There was an article in the May 2001 issue of Raw Magazine where Michaels confirmed he was making a comeback to the ring, I remember being stoked, then nothing happened for another year. I guess that's when he showed up messed up.

Who knows who would or would not have been pushed with Michaels not being injured. It's like the Butterfly Effect, change one little thing and the whole landscape could change.