Watching wrestling, there was one superstar that always got me excited whenever he was coming down to the ring. That guy was Shawn Michaels. Something about him put a smile on my face and I knew that I was in for a treat whenever he was performing.
In today’s WWE, Seth Rollins is the guy that has similar traits that appeal to me and a lot of the WWE universe. When you put the two together you see that their careers are one and the same. Seth Rollins meet your counterpart Shawn Michaels.When thinking of who is the best current wrestler in the world, many people (including me) would throw Seth Rollins name into that discussion.
Five years ago before he retired, Shawn Michaels was often thrown into that same mention. With the best performer gone, they needed someone to take his spot and Rollins has done so.
Ever since his debut with The Shield in 2012 at Survivor Series, he has shown all the tools to be “The Undisputed Future” and with the backing of the Authority you better believe that he will be in the Main Event picture for the next decade considering he is only 29 years old.
FRIENDS NO MORE
Known as the innovative tag team The Rockers from 1985 to 1991, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty’s careers took off in 1990 as they gained recognition. They were unofficially given the tag team titles but unfortunately for them The Hart Foundation were given back the titles as part of a contract dispute that Jim Neidhart was having. After going back and forth Niedhart re-signed with WWE, therefore the Rockers were pushed back to their previous position. A year later, the team was given an opportunity to be on Brutus Beefcake’s show Barber Shop talk.
As the segment was going on, Michaels took the moment and ran with it. He Super Kicked Jannetty and threw him through a glass window that was on the set of Beefcake’s talk show. From that point on, Michaels was given a cocky villain gimmick and began his singles career.
Rollins career got off to a great start putting on classic matches with his brothers (Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose). For awhile they were the most dominant faction that I had seen, putting superstars like The Rock, Cena, The Big Show, and Orton all into the Triple Power-Bomb. Many people considered Rollins the weakest link because he lacked charisma. At the time there was no one that could stop The Shield besides themselves.
Like all great teams, something eventually was going to cause friction between the Superstars. In 2014 after getting a big win against Evolution, Rollins decided that it was time for him to get out of the shadow of his brothers and take things into his own hands. Joining the Authority was the only possible option and by doing so he would be thrust into the individual spotlight that he had wanted for so long. With the backs of Reigns and Ambrose turned, Rollins grabbed a steel chair and starting massacring his friends. A week later Rollins described his heel turn as severing a business relationship and that he had destroyed “his own creation” to further his own interests.
SIMILAR LOOK
WWE has always had a fetish with building Superstars that are tall, have big muscles and are good looking. Rollins and Michaels never really fit all those traits of a typical star. For them, their passion and ability to kill it in the ring was what made them overcome their negatives. Both are 6’1, with Rollins weighing between 215-220 pounds and Michaels closer to 225 pounds.
Not only that but who can forget about the long hair that provide a unique look. The similarities in looks even extend to the attire they wear. Rollins’ leather trousers are a bit like the trousers HBK was wearing in his latter WWE days. Going into more detail, they even hold their belts in the same way.
MICROPHONE SKILLS
Many wrestlers have been great on the mic but average in the ring. Wrestlers like CM Punk and even John Cena (sometimes) are a couple of Superstars that had the full repertoire. Michaels wasn’t going to blow you away with promos that can carry a story but, what made him good was that as either a face or a heel, he meant everything that he said. He didn’t sound scripted. As a member of The Shield, its been said that Rollins struggled talking on the mic, therefore he handed the baton to Dean Ambrose. Ambrose who was portrayed as the leader, was the one at the time that could handle the duties.
As time went on we saw spurts of Rollins being given some mic time, slowly building him up so he could gain confidence. Promos are almost always about confidence and if you don’t believe what you are saying, how can the crowd do the same? Since winning the championship, Rollins playing as the cocky heel has shown that he knows how to play to the crowd. As the champion, Rollins has a natural ability to get his point across, a skill that is elusive to many. It is rare that you look forward to a wrestler cutting a long promo, but with Michaels and Rollins you certainly can. They make it worthwhile viewing.
IN-RING STYLE
Rollins and Michaels are athletic and can fly (but not to the extent in defining their style) and with this they are able to adapt to anyone that they go up against. When Chris Jericho hosted the “Highlight Reel” with John Cena as his guest he said that HBK was, “a guy that could hang with anybody in the ring. He was truly one of the best in the world at what he does”. From top rope dives to super kicks, they have built their game around agile impact. Selling others moves is also what make these two mirror images of one another.
The in-ring psychology, doing all the little things right, and not solely relying on flashy moves is what appeals to the audience and helps make the WWE product believable. From a diving elbow drop (Michaels) to sometimes seeing the Phoenix Splash (Rollins), both use innovative signature moves to set up for their fatal finishers.When Rollins was in FCW and in NXT a couple years ago, his finisher was called the Avada Kedavra, which was essentially a super kick to an opponent that was on his knees. Don’t tell me he didn’t adapt this move from Michaels Superkick which was possibly the best finishing move in WWE history. Since joining the roster, Rollins has used the Curb Stomp (my favorite move) and now the Pedigree. These moves fit his persona to perfection and if you put either of these moves with other Superstars, it wouldn’t seem right.
Rollins has always been known for being an intelligent performer and he has only gotten better since toning his style down from the vigorous style that comes with being an Indie wrestler. Age is on side and expect him to continue to put on great matches much like Michaels did as he got older. Michaels was a sure fire Hall Of Famer and Rollins will no doubt be in there as well.