Who had a bigger impact on the wrestling business: Shawn Michaels or Triple H?

[AnnaLove]

Who in your opinion had more impact on the wrestling business? Give three reasons to your choice.

[Raven*]

For me, it's without a doubt Shawn Michaels. Not because I dislike Triple H, but I feel like Shawn has had a bigger impact. Despite his size, Shawn quickly rose through the ranks from tag team wrestler to Intercontinental champion to WWF champion. He helped make it acceptable for smaller guys to succeed in the wrestling business. Shawn is one of those guys who can have a great match with anyone, oozed charisma, and excelled in either alignment. He also helped bring many gimmick matches to mainstream wrestling. Shawn got better with age as well, and Triple H started to become repetitive with age IMO.

But hey, I'm biased.

[BATISTA_CenA]

Heart Break Kid everyday , all day! HHH has never been on his level - ever

[Big Pete]

Good question.

For all his ability, Shawn Michaels didn't draw a lot of money EXCEPT when he reunited with Triple H in 2006 as Degeneration X. He never had as much control as Hunter has now and his style of wrestling had been popularised by others years before he meant anything to this business. However, he did play a role in popularising some of the best gimmick matches of all time including the Ladder & Hell in a Cell matches, both becoming big draws both inside the company and in the case of the ladder match outside of it.

Hunter had a more succesful run, period but his legacy inside the ring isn't as strong.

For me, Shawn's role in bringing certain gimmick matches into vogue gives him the nod. It's close but Shawn by a last second no-sell googly eyed kip up.

[BaraaKhalaf92]

HBK....
He is the best in ring performer of all time, even when he lose he looks great....

He was featured in many of the best matches of all time...
He won the first ever Hell in a cell match, Elimination chamber match and the longest ever Ironman Match...
He was featured in the first 4 ladder matches in WWE where he won 2 of them and lost the other 2.....

He is a 2 times Royal rumble winner and a 2 times runner up....
He has the record of the most total eliminations in all the royal rumble matches (41), and the first ever to win the royal rumble after being the first entrant...

The first ever WWE Grand Slam Champion and the creator of the best stable in WWE history (DX)....

He put so many people over , and that's the reason why he is only a 4 times world champion....

I respect HHH, but HBK is not only better than HHH, HBK is definitely on Top 3 wrestlers of all time....

[Vince Mcmahon]

Shawn Michaels and even HHH will tell you that.

[mysteriofan]

Yeah Shawn, shouldn't even need to list reasons

[Heteroflexible]

Wrestling wise, Shawn all the way.

However it's entirely possible that years from now with HHH running things he might actually have a bigger impact on the business as a whole than he did as a wrestler.

[King_Steve]

Triple H by a long shot. Triple H was the number one guy during the WWF's most successful year. In terms of athletic ability, HBK owns it.

[AnnaLove]

Triple H by a long shot. Triple H was the number one guy during the WWF's most successful year.

Number one guy? Really? During the 90s he was mainly a nobody. The guy who were ahead of him were: Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Steve Austin, The Undertaker.

Even in 2000-2002 it was still The Rock and Stone Cold who were the top of the company.

The only year he as the top guy was 2003, and it was a year where he would put so much people down, wouldn't let anyone get in his way. I mean just look at how that year looked. It is the 2nd worst year for the WWE, right after Kevin Nash's title run in 1995.

[King_Steve]

Number one guy? Really? During the 90s he was mainly a nobody. The guy who were ahead of him were: Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Steve Austin, The Undertaker.

It's a fact that Triple H was right there with The Rock main eventing every sold out event (including house shws) throughout 2000. Triple H's heel run in 2000 was one of the best heel runs in the history of the business and he helped bring in more money to that company than Shawn Michaels ever did.

Even in 2000-2002 it was still The Rock and Stone Cold who were the top of the company.

But that's irrelevant from this discussion, we're talking about who brought in more money between the two, right?

The only year he as the top guy was 2003, and it was a year where he would put so much people down, wouldn't let anyone get in his way. I mean just look at how that year looked. It is the 2nd worst year for the WWE, right after Kevin Nash's title run in 1995.

Wow, you are criticizing HHH for holding people down when The Undertaker himself almost beat the shit out of Shawn Michaels for almost refusing to put Austin over at Wrestlemania. Neither HBK/HHH had perfect careers, nor were they saints.

I forgot to add that Triple H had more successful heel/face runs than Shawn Michaels did.

[Zirich]

Bigger lasting impact?

Michaels. As has been said, he (along with Bret Hart) made it acceptable for smaller guys to headline the company. You think Mysterio, or Jericho, or Punk, or Benoit, or Guerrero would have EVER been world champions without the examples set by Michaels and Hart? Nuh-uh.

HHH..... as much as I like him and have enjoyed his work, I can't think of any lasting impact he's had. He made some memorable moments, made the company a lot of money, and had some damn good matches. But impact? I don't see it.

[King_Steve]

made the company a lot of money, and had some damn good matches. But impact? I don't see it.

Money and impact go hand in hand in the wrestling business. The ultimate goal for every wrestler, promoter and insider in the business is to bring in more money. And monetarily speaking, HHH owned HBK in that regard.

[BaraaKhalaf92]

Number one guy? Really? During the 90s he was mainly a nobody. The guy who were ahead of him were: Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Steve Austin, The Undertaker.

Even in 2000-2002 it was still The Rock and Stone Cold who were the top of the company.

The only year he as the top guy was 2003, and it was a year where he would put so much people down, wouldn't let anyone get in his way. I mean just look at how that year looked. It is the 2nd worst year for the WWE, right after Kevin Nash's title run in 1995.

THIS....
Great post Anna, you included everything I wanted to say...

[Zirich]

Money and impact go hand in hand in the wrestling business. The ultimate goal for every wrestler, promoter and insider in the business is to bring in more money. And monetarily speaking, HHH owned HBK in that regard.

Okay.
But how did HHH change the business? If it's only about who made the most money, then this isn't a discussion thread. AnnaLove could have just Googled it.

The question was about impact. Money, IMO, is a measure of success, not of impact.

[bret hart mark]

HHH.... He was the 2nd best heel of all time IMO... As good as hbk was he wasnt the 2nd best at anything.

[AnnaLove]

Money and impact go hand in hand in the wrestling business. The ultimate goal for every wrestler, promoter and insider in the business is to bring in more money. And monetarily speaking, HHH owned HBK in that regard.

Impact is also someone's legacy. Just like Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan have a legacy. Hell, even Macho Man Randy Savage and Roddy Piper have better legacy than Triple H.

[King_Steve]

THIS....
Great post Anna, you included everything I wanted to say...

You didn't feel like addressing the parts of history that she either overlooked or ignored on purpose? This isn't a black and white discussion, it's a question that requires deep analysis because both men had very different careers and business was completely different for both men when they were both in their prime.

HHH was the #1 heel during the WWE's most successful period. HBK was never the top guy during any of the WWE's best years.

Hell, even Macho Man Randy Savage and Roddy Piper have better legacy than Triple H.

Do you want to take this to the history board and we can debate that?

[BaraaKhalaf92]

You didn't feel like addressing the parts of history that she either overlooked or ignored on purpose? This isn't a black and white discussion, it's a question that requires deep analysis because both men had very different careers and business was completely different for both men when they were both in their prime.

Do you want to take this to the history board and we can debate that?

I already posted my analysis up there....
HBK>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>HHH

[King_Steve]

From a career perspective, obviously HBK had a higher quality career in terms of classic matches/moments/etc ..

[Kara]

Business wise HHH wins in a landslide. Wrestler wise Michaels wins. You dont hear people say they want to be like HHH.

[BadNewsFan]

Inside the ring HBK by a mile...in pop culture HHH is probably more famous to casuals.

[Crippler]

HHH.... He was the 2nd best heel of all time IMO... As good as hbk was he wasnt the 2nd best at anything.

2nd biggest heel of all time? You're kidding, right?

[King_Steve]

2nd biggest heel of all time? You're kidding, right?

He was the company's #1 heel during their biggest period ever.

[Shivari]

Regardless of what the answer is now, if you ask this in 25 years the answer is going to be Triple H. The man is the heir to Vince McMahon's throne, he's going to have so much influence on the business that we can't even begin to speculate on.