Fantasizing about dream match ups is part of being a professional wrestling fan. For years I read magazines like Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Inside Wrestling, and The Wrestler, intrigued by their fantasy match ups. I would then grab my action figures and create my own fantasy tournaments, where I would decide who was the best of all time. It is in that spirit that I write my Fights of Fancy articles. A look inside the arena of imagination where we ask who would win in the match up of… Seth Rollins vs Shawn Michaels
Reading Rich Laconi’s article about how Seth Rollins is the new Shawn Michaels really got me thinking about would win if these two athletic showmen were to do battle in the squared circle. Both have tremendous conditioning, the ability to turn a match around in their favor at a moment’s notice, and a bit of a chip on their shoulder. While most will say that is an accurate description of Seth Rollins today, it might not always apply to Shawn Michaels.
There is no denying that when HBK returned to active competition in WWE during the Summer of 2002, he was a changed man. I’m not talking about his spirituality, but his attitude. He seemed to have matured a little more and was more in control of his attitude. I’m not going to tell you that there haven’t been times since then when his attitude did manage to poke through a little bit, but I think we can all agree that Shawn Michaels from 2002-2010 was less Seth Rollins and ironically enough, more like Bret Hart in his attitude. With that in mind, I felt the need to get more specific.
Shawn Michaels (1997)
The Shawn Michaels that closest resembles Rollins today is HBK from 1997. Brash, cocky, and completely convinced of his own superiority. Shawn Michaels had his own Authority backing him up in those days, Vince McMahon. HBK had a notorious reputation for doing what he wanted, when he wanted with little to no consequence. In fact, much of his behaviour was rewarded with rewards like being the World Wrestling Federation’s first ever grand slam champion, a feat he accomplished by defeating the British Bulldog at One Night Only. Two months later, he would participate in the most controversial match in wrestling history when he helped Vince McMahon screw over Bret Hart on his way to becoming WWF Champion again.
In 1997, Shawn Michael’s body was miles ahead of every other part of him. His athleticism was second to none in the WWF and it was one of his greatest weapons. No matter what style you wanted to work, HBK could match it and then pull out a trick you hadn’t seen before. His Sweet Chin Music was one of the most devastating moves in wrestling, and what was scary for opponents was that Michaels could hit you with it from out of nowhere!
Of course, HBK’s greatest assist was, and always has been his tenacity. Being a smaller man in a land of giants, you had to be tough, and Shawn had a resiliency that was unmatched by anyone in the locker room. Michaels once said that he lays down for absolutely no one. This was an absolutely true statement of the man, both because he refused to quit in the ring, and because his massive ego effected the way he viewed everyone else outside the ring.
While on the subject of ego, it was obviously Shawn’s biggest Achilles heel. His arrogance and cocky demeanor often put him in situations where things were destined to backfire on him, often leading to emotional outbursts that made him lose focus rather quickly. Against an opponent who was aware of these temper tantrums, HBK could find himself in a very bad situation, despite all of his natural capabilities.
Seth Rollins (2015)
Seth Rollins is the current WWE and United States Champion, two titles that he has captured, and managed to hold onto, through various nefarious means. One could argue that Rollins most powerful advantage is his friends in high places that always seem to be around at the perfect time. I would argue that Rollins has gotten by more on luck than outside interference. Almost all of his biggest victories have been with an assist from lady luck.
Now that isn’t to say that Seth Rollins doesn’t have the skills to pull off victories on his own. He has proven time and time again that he, like HBK, can go toe to toe with any competitor in WWE and hold his own. In the span of a few months, Seth battled Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, and John Cena. That is quite the variety of talent and styles. In times of great desperation, we have also seen Rollins pull out moves that very few in the WWE can pull off, such as his Phoenix Splash.
The biggest difference between Shawn and Seth is that fact that while HBK lays down for absolutely no one, Rollins tends to choke in big match situations. Certainly not always, but on most occasions when Seth is engaged in battle with superstars of a certain caliber, he tends to look quite outmatched. This is the most infuriating thing to watch as a fan. Seth is a man who obviously isn’t at the same level as the top tier talent he is facing, yet he always manages to squeak by.
For all my talk of his unbelievable fortune, Rollins has earned his nickname of The Architect. His plans and schemes rival those of anyone in WWE, and there is no doubt that Seth is always thinking two or three moves ahead. It was this meticulous kind of planning that helped him break out of THE SHIELD, chose the perfect moment to cash in his Money In The Bank contract, and defeat Randy Orton in a steel cage by using his own banned move against him. Seth Rollins always has a plan B.
The Match
Neither man would want to show intimidation here, so I imagine some trash talk nose to nose would start things off, culminating with Rollins winding up and slapping HBK across the face. This lack of respect would infuriate Michaels, sending him into a rage, and prompting him to attack Seth with lefts and rights. Rollins would head to the ropes, forcing the break while an incensed Shawn argued with the referee.
Using this distraction to see Shawn’s temperament, Rollins would then continue to lure in HBK with insults and disrespect, only to back away and force him to wait. At one point, Shawn would try the same tactic, threatening to leave the match if Rollins didn’t start acting like a professional. With HBK walking up the ramp, Seth would take great delight in laying across the top turnbuckle in a pose that Shawn Michaels brought to infamy. Michaels, his pride getting the best of him, refused to take the loss and sprinted back to the ring, where the architect would pounce on him, stomping his back as he tried to slide under the bottom rope.
From there, the assault on Shawn’s lumbar would continue unopposed for much of the match. There would be fleeting moments of hope for Michaels here and there, but Seth would always be a few steps in front of Shawn, always able to predict what he was going to do next.
Of course, HBK also had another nickname of the comeback kid. Here he would put that moniker on full display by nailing Rollins with an out of nowhere flying forearm and kipping up moments later to begin building some momentum. After hitting a series of big moves, Shawn would scale to the top rope, ready to land a picture perfect elbow drop. At this point, we would see J&J Security rush the ring, only to be taken out by a flying Shawn Michaels, who would have spotted them and dived to the outside from his perch atop the turnbuckle.
This was not good news for Shawn, as the distraction would give Rollins enough time to clear the cobwebs and lure in Michaels. Arrogantly thinking he was still in control, HBK would slide back into the ring, only to have Seth jump through the air and send his foot crashing down onto the neck of Shawn for a thunderous Curb Stomp. Shockingly, Rollins wouldn’t win the match here, as Michaels ring awareness was still sharp enough to place his foot on the bottom rope, forcing the dream match to continue.
Desperate, Seth would head to the top, looking for a Phoenix Splash. It was not to be, as HBK would roll out of the way. Rollins, sensing his mistake, would roll through the splash instead and come up on his feet, just in time to catch Sweet Chin Music to the face. Unbelievably, the force of the kick would send Seth careening through the ropes and onto the floor, making it impossible for HBK to capitalize.
Sean would exit the ring to attempt throwing Seth back inside, but Michael’s size would just not allow him to pick up the unconscious Rollins. Frustrated, HBK would begin throwing a temper tantrum, yelling at staff and throwing a chair into the ring. With his best friend on the verge of being disqualified, Triple H would make his way down to ringside. His attempts to calm down Shawn would work, but not before the referee would chastise Helmsley in an attempt to send him on his way.
While this is all going on, Rollins would have recovered and found the chair Michaels had tossed in the ring. Capitalizing on the lucky distraction, Seth would play T-Ball with Shawn’s face and toss the smoking gun. The referee would turn around just in time to see a smirking Rollins deliver a Pedigree to Michaels, but not before making sure to lock eyes with Triple H. Three seconds later, the architect’s hand would be raised in victory, proving that sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Agree? Disagree? Think the match would go another way? Make your voice heard in the comments below and let me know what you think on twitter @AdamContant. Use the hashtag #FightsOfFancy.
