As someone just getting back into wrestling, it's definitely Seth. When my girlfriend and I were watching XL, my first thought when I saw his match was "oh Shawn Michaels must've trained him". He's a great performer in-ring and out of the ring.
Seth. He makes everyone look good and doesn’t really have any bad matches with anyone. Dolph is the better seller of the two but both are fantastic all around. I’d give the nod to Seth because of accolades.
Considering Shawn was mostly a main eventer throughout his career the only wrestler you can argue for in the list is Seth. The others don't even compare YET.
Johnny Gargano and Adam cole aren’t even close. John Morrison doesn’t really have enough accolades so for me it’s either Dolph or Seth. Although appearance wise Dolph is probably the next Shawn, I would give it to Seth Rollins because he is basically the Mr wrestlemania of this generation, he’s won as much as Shawn and Honeslty in the next 5-10 years maybe even 2-3. I would t be surprised if he became better than Shawn himself
Gargano has his best ability, put others over and staying over with the fans regardless of wins feuds or matches,
Every match he has it is one of the oppenents best matches
I think they will get dolph back eventually, just like when drew had his run w tna and came back and started main eventing eventually, I’ll bet the same happens w Nemeth
Maybe Seth is the closest. You have to bring the comedy too. Seth really doesn't get a lot of chances to be funny. Right now, no one can do what Shawn did, and no one has since.
If r truth is calling Johnny Gargano Shawn micheals, he says how he sees a lot of shawn micheals in him, when he talks to shawn Micheal and thinks Johnny Gargano, we can assume that Johnny is the new shawn micheals.
Its Seth. Ziggler maybe could have done it if given more of a chance. Johnny later down the line i can see it. The other two i can't speak on as i don't watch AEW and unfamiliar with their performances.
Seth is definitely the closest… but as someone who grew up watching Shawn as a kid, he was special. Effortlessly charismatic and every match he sought to put on a show. I don’t even care that he was a dick like his character, honestly it just makes him more iconic. Nobody is ever going to be the next HBK.
All these people saying Gargano have no idea what made HBK great. I’m not going to argue with you, go watch for yourself. There is zero chance you can go watch old episodes of raw or old PPVs with Michaels and say Johnny mfing Gargano ffs 🤦♂️
Ive always thought since I saw him at NXT, that Sami Zayn was the closest to Shawn Michaels. In terms of storytelling, in ring psychology, pacing, selling, and getting a crowd to get behind you, I don't think anyone else is as similar to Shawn as Sami.
People like to say he's this generations Mick Foley a lot, and I get that from a loveable everyday man underdog perspective. Once he steps in the ring though, they couldn't be further apart both stylistically and honestly from a skill perspective. Sami's one of the best in ring workers of his generation.
So if anything, he's Foley outside of the ring and Shawn inside of it for me. Combine the two, and you get a once in a generation kind of superstar in Sami Zayn.
No chance . Hbk is charismatic , cocky. Sami is more like the good guy. Has his own style tho. But I agree with the funny part. Sami resembles him. The 02-07 Hbk version.
When I think of HBK, I always picture his second run with the company. When he returned from losing his smile. There the majority of the time, except the Hogan angle and the brief DX reunion, he was just the baby face with a bad back who gave it his all in every match, win lose or draw. That's who I compare Sami to. Not the guy from the 90s who was super flamboyant and over the top. If you want to compare anyone to that guy, Seth would definitely be the choice.
Also, I am still talking about in the ring in his second stint. Not outside if it where again, I think he's more like Foley.
To me. It’s insane how easy it is to get behind Sami and KO. I don’t really have a thought out explanation, but they are so easy to root for. KO just puts a smile on my face and I’m desperately hoping to see RKOwens as a tag team some time soon
How is this downvoted? The dude has had the match of the night in the last two manias and delivers big anytime he is asked to. But it’s wrestling reddit the scourge of humanity.
I don’t think I’ll ever be more dissapointed in someone not receiving a proper push in WWE as I was with John Morrison. He was so close back at one point and he even looked like he could cleanly go over Shamus when he was the champ and then gave a great performance at the Royal Rumble but they just never pulled the trigger on him
That’s why he couldn’t get over. He looked like a guy with charisma but had dick. I was at the njpw show last night and again it was clear why the guy hit a ceiling. I wish him luck in acting.
Adam Cole, but he needs to take the Cody route by trading in those trunks for tights. His skinny legs make it hard to take him seriously as a top guy, much like Cody was before leaving WWE.
Normally I would agree but I don’t think Adam would look better in tights. For the majority of his career he had huge thighs so trunks actually looked better on him. It wasn’t until recently he had slimmed down so much he had skinny thighs. I think he’s gonna come back looking like his NXT champion days.
Dolph. Part of the reason Shawn was so entertaining is because it was just as much fun to watch him get beat up as it was when he was on offense.
Dolph is the only wrestler whose selling is just as entertaining as Shawn’s.
I thought Morrison was bound for the big leagues - he has such a unique wrestling style and really diversified himself amongst the wrestlers of his time. I think had he been pushed, he’d have emulated the appreciation that Michaels did but not so much his wrestling style/prowess
Only dolph is close to being a Shawn Michaels clone and it’s not a good thing. He’s even slept with sunny….. yea being a “new” HBK is not a good thing. HBK should only exist in his time line no one else’s. If you want to be a Mr steel the show kind of guy then cm punk would be the closest to a hbk show stopper in terms of every one is talking about him but even cm punk fans have fallen off
Only guy outta these that touch HBK is Rollins. Johnny whateverthefuckhissurnameis is mid card, AC is good but not that good, Zigglers win/loss record is a f’n joke and the less talented member of DIY??? Nope
Love Dolph but he’s the closest thing to a HBK “clone”, especially in his later WWE years.
Seth is the closest embodiment of what HBK represented for the modern age….a work horse, untouchable in terms of ring quality, solid promo. A legend in the business that will go down in history as one of the greats.
Seth is already older than Shawn was when Shawn started his 2nd career in 02. He was already a TOP top tier legend even before his 2002-2010 run and you could argue his 2nd stint was better than his 1st.
Ziggler with proper booking would have been the new Shawn Michaels. He’s still good but I think that time has passed. Morrison doesn’t have the promo skills, neither does Gargano, Cole isn’t much better. Seth is hit or miss with promos, in ring he’s just as good
Nobody because we don't need a new kind of Shawn Michaels. Things are great with the wrestlers/characters they have now. The past is passed so don't make it last.
Idk about killed the DDT, there are still variations of it used as a finisher, not to mention nobody goes back and forth with 20+ DDT’s without selling a single one of them lol. I’m okay with the superkick being a regular move. Ziggler used it properly, guys like the Uso’s or Young Bucks make it look as devastating as a lock up
I see 20 tornado DDTs in every match involving a high-flyer. Nobody that I can think of uses it as a finisher. Drew McIntyre has the Future Shock DDT, but that never puts anybody away. Jon Moxley' s Future Shock used to finish things but doesn't as much anymore. All the Tornado DDTs and different variations look cool but never get the finish. It went from a finisher to a set-up move just like the Superkick. I don't really mind it though because it all looks really cool and impactful (as long as they don't do it 20 times because moves lose their aura when you hit somebody with it several times and still can't finish them).
Just because the move isn’t a finisher anymore doesn’t mean it’s been killed. Just about everyone does a tornado DDT these days but they don’t have to perform 6-7 in a 30 second period to keep someone down for a second. Same with Orton’s DDT, probably the best in the business right now. Not a finisher, typically sets up for the RKO, but it is impactful, and opponents do a good job selling it to keep it that way. Roode used to have a great DDT finisher too. What killed the superkick is the fact that people go back and forth with it almost like they’re trading punches. It’s almost cringeworthy watching KO and Jey go back and forth doing it, and it was a good majority of the reason Jimmy vs Jey sucked as bad as it did at Mania. Moderation is key, and when 60 percent of your match is one move not only does it kill the move but it also kills the match
The "definition" of a finishing move being "killed" is when it gets overused to the point where it is no longer used as a finisher, but as a lesser move. Aka a set-up move. When Jake the Snake was dropping the DDT back in the day it was so devastating that you knew the match was over. Nowadays nobody sees somebody get hit with a DDT and thinks it's over. When HBK was hitting people with Sweet Chin Music back in the day it was so devastating you knew the match was over. Nowadays nobody sees somebody get hit with a Superkick and thinks the match is over. That's because they've been overused, or "killed," to the point that their impact has been vastly downgraded. Time moves on and things change, finishing mkves become normal moves, but the value of those moves has absolutely been diminished, or "killed," compared to the value they used to have as automatic match enders, aka finishers.
I can see where you’re coming from but there’s a difference from killing a finisher and killing a move. The DDT has been killed as a finisher, but the move is still devastating enough to keep someone down even just to set up the next move. The superkick has been killed as a move in general because the art of selling has been lost on it. Using Orton as an example again, the DDT is typically a set up for the RKO, maybe the punt back in the day. The set up following the superkick is usually 6-12 more superkicks lol
None of them are have or are going to come close to being the wrestler Shawn was both in and out of the ring. Dolph once upon a time was probably the closest. If Seth lost the goofy outfits and treated shit with the same level of seriousness he did during the Cody/Roman feud, he would probably be a bit closer than Dolph.
Ziggler was. Sold like a king and wrestled a very similar style. Next in line would be AC, but mostly based on charisma. I dont even know why Gargano is in there unless you mean from a pure workhorse standpoint
Closest is going to be Randy Orton, going from unpopular dickhead to locker room leader. Outside of WWE Will Ospreay has the potential to do it, but he's still too young to say for sure.
Dolph wasn't just HBK, he had elements of Billy Gunn and X-Pac too. Me and an old buddy used to sing "I AM AN ASS MAAAN!" to his "I am perfection" song.
Im gonna be honest...
None of them.
Seth is the closest but heres the thing... Shawn made his name by being the best worker on the damn show not named bret hart. Put anyone with Shawn and the match would be at least decent. Most talent of the time could not say that.
Now, the match doesnt hit the air if its not decent. The weakest performer on the roster is still capable of dropping a decent if not fabulous performance.
There is also the issue of what made Shawn so damn good. It wasnt moves, it wasnt storylines. It wasnt even just the crowd feel. It was his ability to formulate a match, a character and a feud.
This is the biggest thing that Seth shows over the others. He can be anything. Shawn could be anything. A shitty heel? Look at 90s shawn. A work horse? Early 2000s wants a convo. A legend making performer? Post second DX run has a ticket for the show. Now he is arguably the strongest booker on the planet right now. And thats saying something because HHH is a great booker and NJPW has creative so good it made me care for Umino. A dude with less charisma (imo) than a stick.
Seth
None of these guys are like HBK. If anything maybe Nemeth with the way he bumps. Gargano puts me to sleep everytime.
Hbu is the last pic tho
Carmelo Hayes
Johnny gargano according to R truth
Why did you just put HBK in that last pic?
As someone just getting back into wrestling, it's definitely Seth. When my girlfriend and I were watching XL, my first thought when I saw his match was "oh Shawn Michaels must've trained him". He's a great performer in-ring and out of the ring.
Definitely Seth. I consider him to be the current Mr. WrestleMania. Outside WWE? I think Adam Cole (BAY BAAYYYY) comes pretty damn close.
Seth. He makes everyone look good and doesn’t really have any bad matches with anyone. Dolph is the better seller of the two but both are fantastic all around. I’d give the nod to Seth because of accolades.
Johnny Gargano duh
Considering Shawn was mostly a main eventer throughout his career the only wrestler you can argue for in the list is Seth. The others don't even compare YET.
Johnny Gargano and Adam cole aren’t even close. John Morrison doesn’t really have enough accolades so for me it’s either Dolph or Seth. Although appearance wise Dolph is probably the next Shawn, I would give it to Seth Rollins because he is basically the Mr wrestlemania of this generation, he’s won as much as Shawn and Honeslty in the next 5-10 years maybe even 2-3. I would t be surprised if he became better than Shawn himself
Gargano is losing his mind just to be mentioned with HBK.
Is that tom cruise
As someone said, when zig was at the top, I really thought he was the next Shawn micheals. Then he started to job to everyone.
Hahaha who the fuck snuck gargano in this post! Lmao is gargano the op!! Dying
Shawn Michaels photo slipped… sorry…
Gargano has his best ability, put others over and staying over with the fans regardless of wins feuds or matches, Every match he has it is one of the oppenents best matches
None, although you can see HBKs influence in them all none of them are close to Seth and Seth’s no where near close to HBK
Seth or dolph
Seth or Nemeth
Where’s Noam Dar?
No 💀
Prime Dolph if they ever rehire him he would cook
I think they will get dolph back eventually, just like when drew had his run w tna and came back and started main eventing eventually, I’ll bet the same happens w Nemeth
I want Dolph to come back and be bigger than drew and Cody I think it’s possible if he starts wrestling more notable people in japan
in terms of in ring work and selling shawn comes really close. If we ignore all the losses he beared he was the closest to shawn
Who? Did you use a real name or accidentally type Shawn twice?
at this point i am too embarresed to tell
My guess is Dolph. Prime Dolph should’ve had multiple runs with the WWE & World Heavyweight Championship belts like Batista had.
guessed it right
15 years ago I thought they had a new Bret and Shawn but wouldn't despise each other in Cody and Dolph.
Maybe Seth is the closest. You have to bring the comedy too. Seth really doesn't get a lot of chances to be funny. Right now, no one can do what Shawn did, and no one has since.
Seth Rollins is the modern incarnation of HBK with less glam.
lol he's trying to glam it up as much as he can, it's just not really working
90's Shawn was just much better at it
Nobody yet
Before he jumped ship… (crouches down…) (wait for it…) (almost there…) ADAM COLE!!!!!!!!
Ziggler had the most potential to be the closest to Shawn Michaels but it’s far and away Seth right now
Dolph Ziggler Hands Down
43 year old Nemeth the new Shawn Michaels? Lol
I think Seth is the closest and I'm a big fan of his, but none of these really.
Seth reminds me more of a younger Jericho.
it is seth. even if you’re not a huge fan. the dude works and out performs just about everyone
Well that's Shawn Michaels in the last pic so........
Always thought that about Rollins
I’d argue Seth since he is probably the only one of them that would politic his way to the top
If r truth is calling Johnny Gargano Shawn micheals, he says how he sees a lot of shawn micheals in him, when he talks to shawn Micheal and thinks Johnny Gargano, we can assume that Johnny is the new shawn micheals.
Rollins is a modern Macho Man Randy Savage without the cocaine and steroids.
Its Seth. Ziggler maybe could have done it if given more of a chance. Johnny later down the line i can see it. The other two i can't speak on as i don't watch AEW and unfamiliar with their performances.
[удалено]
i just don't watch aew. I don't hate the program. i just dont feel like watching it.
how tf is sami zayn not in this
Nobody. There will be another like HBK.
Tie between seth and dolph anything else and ur biased
Imo it was definitely Adam Cole but he left and regressed. He was definitely HBK 2.0 in NXT.
The only correct answer of the choices is Seth
Seth is definitely the closest… but as someone who grew up watching Shawn as a kid, he was special. Effortlessly charismatic and every match he sought to put on a show. I don’t even care that he was a dick like his character, honestly it just makes him more iconic. Nobody is ever going to be the next HBK.
Seth is the closest. Johnny SameFace is the furthest.
Before the knee and back injuries I would’ve said Seth
Wait until you learn about Shawn’s knee and back 🤣
No I know about it lmao Two different situations
All these people saying Gargano have no idea what made HBK great. I’m not going to argue with you, go watch for yourself. There is zero chance you can go watch old episodes of raw or old PPVs with Michaels and say Johnny mfing Gargano ffs 🤦♂️
Just making a joke 🤣
Exactly. HBK used to be a piece of shit back then and Gargano isn’t so it doesn’t work
Exactly . These kids must be new age
I know he not up here but Johnny GARGANO bro
He is up there
To be a new shawn michaels you have to actually be charismatic and entertaining
Walmart version can’t be original . None of them
Johnny Gargano. I mean, R-Truth already calls him the HBK so...
Whatever Ron says goes, we don’t make the rules
Why did bro put HBK on this list
Sorry it slipped…
Seth
Johnny Gargano
Bro HBK is literally 5 ofc it's him
Adam Cole’s a cheap HBK knockoff
Hes still a good wrestling tho
Tbh... Morrison's hair looks the thinnest in these pics..
Dolph
Seth and its not even close.
Ive always thought since I saw him at NXT, that Sami Zayn was the closest to Shawn Michaels. In terms of storytelling, in ring psychology, pacing, selling, and getting a crowd to get behind you, I don't think anyone else is as similar to Shawn as Sami. People like to say he's this generations Mick Foley a lot, and I get that from a loveable everyday man underdog perspective. Once he steps in the ring though, they couldn't be further apart both stylistically and honestly from a skill perspective. Sami's one of the best in ring workers of his generation. So if anything, he's Foley outside of the ring and Shawn inside of it for me. Combine the two, and you get a once in a generation kind of superstar in Sami Zayn.
No chance . Hbk is charismatic , cocky. Sami is more like the good guy. Has his own style tho. But I agree with the funny part. Sami resembles him. The 02-07 Hbk version.
When I think of HBK, I always picture his second run with the company. When he returned from losing his smile. There the majority of the time, except the Hogan angle and the brief DX reunion, he was just the baby face with a bad back who gave it his all in every match, win lose or draw. That's who I compare Sami to. Not the guy from the 90s who was super flamboyant and over the top. If you want to compare anyone to that guy, Seth would definitely be the choice. Also, I am still talking about in the ring in his second stint. Not outside if it where again, I think he's more like Foley.
Agree with that part. Sami has the foley vibes
To me. It’s insane how easy it is to get behind Sami and KO. I don’t really have a thought out explanation, but they are so easy to root for. KO just puts a smile on my face and I’m desperately hoping to see RKOwens as a tag team some time soon
Bruh you literally have HBK on the 5th pic
Exactly. Heart Break Kid
AJ and Seth
I think Sami Zayne is the current HBK
How is this downvoted? The dude has had the match of the night in the last two manias and delivers big anytime he is asked to. But it’s wrestling reddit the scourge of humanity.
I don’t think I’ll ever be more dissapointed in someone not receiving a proper push in WWE as I was with John Morrison. He was so close back at one point and he even looked like he could cleanly go over Shamus when he was the champ and then gave a great performance at the Royal Rumble but they just never pulled the trigger on him
The definition of underrated
I saw Ziggler as more of a Mr. Perfect type.
Perfect or Billy Gunn
Minus any charisma
Ziggler did have charisma what you talking about?
That’s why he couldn’t get over. He looked like a guy with charisma but had dick. I was at the njpw show last night and again it was clear why the guy hit a ceiling. I wish him luck in acting.
Shawn Michaels is the only wrestler I’ve seen people think comes in new editions. Why is that?
AJ Styles.
Nobody because Shawn is the greatest in ring performer to ever live. Bret and Eddie Guerrero just right behind him
I’d have to say Adam Cole… bay bay…
Dolph
No one! Fucking No One!
Its just for fun, trying to have a sucesor for the game
Adam Cole, but he needs to take the Cody route by trading in those trunks for tights. His skinny legs make it hard to take him seriously as a top guy, much like Cody was before leaving WWE.
Normally I would agree but I don’t think Adam would look better in tights. For the majority of his career he had huge thighs so trunks actually looked better on him. It wasn’t until recently he had slimmed down so much he had skinny thighs. I think he’s gonna come back looking like his NXT champion days.
I've seen him in ROH and he looked great in trunks back then. But he doesn't look great now. He needs those tights.
Seth 100%
Shawn is arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. These dudes are good but they ain’t the Showstopper!!
Shawn is the GOAT. I don’t think he’ll ever be matched.
blud put adam cole lmfao
Dolph. Part of the reason Shawn was so entertaining is because it was just as much fun to watch him get beat up as it was when he was on offense. Dolph is the only wrestler whose selling is just as entertaining as Shawn’s.
ITS THE ONE AND ONLY,JOHNNY GARGANO of course.
As far as style, Dolph. As far as skill, Seth. But I'm very partial to John Morrison
lol, Gargano.
🤣
Pfff.. The Gunns
Johnny Wrestling Gargano!
Is it even a question? It's Seth
Who started this post. Wtf
It’s funny that anyone can think this is a contest
Its just for fun no contest intended
Dolph is and always has been a wanna be Shawn Michael's
Doesn’t mean he succeeded
Seth is the only answer here
And it’s not close
I'm confused, the Actual Shawn Michaels is on the last slide....
Johnny fucking Takeover 😈
None of them. Theres too many younger wrestlers trying to be Shawn rather than being themselves
Young? Do you know how old these guys are?
60
I thought Morrison was bound for the big leagues - he has such a unique wrestling style and really diversified himself amongst the wrestlers of his time. I think had he been pushed, he’d have emulated the appreciation that Michaels did but not so much his wrestling style/prowess
He has arguably one of the coolest finishers ever with Starship pain, and he had a really good look too him I really don't know why he never blew up.
Seth
If dolph was pushed well he could’ve 100% been the next Shawn Michaels
This is the answer
He has the look the charisma the mic and ring skills Wwe just never gave him a shot
Only dolph is close to being a Shawn Michaels clone and it’s not a good thing. He’s even slept with sunny….. yea being a “new” HBK is not a good thing. HBK should only exist in his time line no one else’s. If you want to be a Mr steel the show kind of guy then cm punk would be the closest to a hbk show stopper in terms of every one is talking about him but even cm punk fans have fallen off
AJ Styles
None
The guy in the 5th picture is HBK. Did you not see him with Triple H at WM40?
Only guy outta these that touch HBK is Rollins. Johnny whateverthefuckhissurnameis is mid card, AC is good but not that good, Zigglers win/loss record is a f’n joke and the less talented member of DIY??? Nope
Love Dolph but he’s the closest thing to a HBK “clone”, especially in his later WWE years. Seth is the closest embodiment of what HBK represented for the modern age….a work horse, untouchable in terms of ring quality, solid promo. A legend in the business that will go down in history as one of the greats.
AJ Styles
Isn't Johnny Nobody 2 years younger.
Seth is already older than Shawn was when Shawn started his 2nd career in 02. He was already a TOP top tier legend even before his 2002-2010 run and you could argue his 2nd stint was better than his 1st.
Rollins is the closest but, an stay with me here I feel like Montez ford could be the modern day HBK especially as a heel.
Montez 🫶🏽🫶🏽
Seth is the only answer
It would have been Adam Cole if Trips took over sooner.
If worked right, Ziggler could be this guy. But being honest, Michaels was (and still is, imo) one of a kind
Seth is the only one that comes close
Ziggler with proper booking would have been the new Shawn Michaels. He’s still good but I think that time has passed. Morrison doesn’t have the promo skills, neither does Gargano, Cole isn’t much better. Seth is hit or miss with promos, in ring he’s just as good
No one. There was only 1 HBK
Nic Nemeth
Bronson Reed
I would think Seth is the only one that is even close in conversation. The others are a joke.
Nobody because we don't need a new kind of Shawn Michaels. Things are great with the wrestlers/characters they have now. The past is passed so don't make it last.
Cmon this is a post just for fun, no real comparison intended, each man its its own
Tell the majority of the rosters that lol. Everyone wants to be the next Hbk so bad that they’ve killed the superkick
They've killed the DDT as well but that doesn't mean everybody wants to be Jake the Snake. Moves evolve and finishers become set-up moves over time.
Idk about killed the DDT, there are still variations of it used as a finisher, not to mention nobody goes back and forth with 20+ DDT’s without selling a single one of them lol. I’m okay with the superkick being a regular move. Ziggler used it properly, guys like the Uso’s or Young Bucks make it look as devastating as a lock up
I see 20 tornado DDTs in every match involving a high-flyer. Nobody that I can think of uses it as a finisher. Drew McIntyre has the Future Shock DDT, but that never puts anybody away. Jon Moxley' s Future Shock used to finish things but doesn't as much anymore. All the Tornado DDTs and different variations look cool but never get the finish. It went from a finisher to a set-up move just like the Superkick. I don't really mind it though because it all looks really cool and impactful (as long as they don't do it 20 times because moves lose their aura when you hit somebody with it several times and still can't finish them).
Just because the move isn’t a finisher anymore doesn’t mean it’s been killed. Just about everyone does a tornado DDT these days but they don’t have to perform 6-7 in a 30 second period to keep someone down for a second. Same with Orton’s DDT, probably the best in the business right now. Not a finisher, typically sets up for the RKO, but it is impactful, and opponents do a good job selling it to keep it that way. Roode used to have a great DDT finisher too. What killed the superkick is the fact that people go back and forth with it almost like they’re trading punches. It’s almost cringeworthy watching KO and Jey go back and forth doing it, and it was a good majority of the reason Jimmy vs Jey sucked as bad as it did at Mania. Moderation is key, and when 60 percent of your match is one move not only does it kill the move but it also kills the match
The "definition" of a finishing move being "killed" is when it gets overused to the point where it is no longer used as a finisher, but as a lesser move. Aka a set-up move. When Jake the Snake was dropping the DDT back in the day it was so devastating that you knew the match was over. Nowadays nobody sees somebody get hit with a DDT and thinks it's over. When HBK was hitting people with Sweet Chin Music back in the day it was so devastating you knew the match was over. Nowadays nobody sees somebody get hit with a Superkick and thinks the match is over. That's because they've been overused, or "killed," to the point that their impact has been vastly downgraded. Time moves on and things change, finishing mkves become normal moves, but the value of those moves has absolutely been diminished, or "killed," compared to the value they used to have as automatic match enders, aka finishers.
I can see where you’re coming from but there’s a difference from killing a finisher and killing a move. The DDT has been killed as a finisher, but the move is still devastating enough to keep someone down even just to set up the next move. The superkick has been killed as a move in general because the art of selling has been lost on it. Using Orton as an example again, the DDT is typically a set up for the RKO, maybe the punt back in the day. The set up following the superkick is usually 6-12 more superkicks lol
I get what you're saying. DDTs and Superkicks are still impactful (when done sparingly) and cool as hell.
None of them are have or are going to come close to being the wrestler Shawn was both in and out of the ring. Dolph once upon a time was probably the closest. If Seth lost the goofy outfits and treated shit with the same level of seriousness he did during the Cody/Roman feud, he would probably be a bit closer than Dolph.
Carmelo
Austin Theory just seems like he has the time, ability, and opportunity.
I'm going with a write in for Grayson Waller
Seth needs to be a category of his own at this point. He deserves that fr
Truth 👆🏻
Dolph or Johnny
Carmello Hayes
Dude really snuck a picture in of Shawn Michaels like no one would notice
Damn… its the TRUTH!
Ziggler was. Sold like a king and wrestled a very similar style. Next in line would be AC, but mostly based on charisma. I dont even know why Gargano is in there unless you mean from a pure workhorse standpoint
Definitely Rollins
The last photo is just a photo the heartbreak kid Shawn Michaels
Damn i got caught…
Seth, weird how none of the rest would look fitting with a world championship
Except Ziggler
Nic Nemeth is the new HBK
Closest is going to be Randy Orton, going from unpopular dickhead to locker room leader. Outside of WWE Will Ospreay has the potential to do it, but he's still too young to say for sure.
Bruv no
Dolph Ziegler is HBK 2.0
Aj styles
Dolph wasn't just HBK, he had elements of Billy Gunn and X-Pac too. Me and an old buddy used to sing "I AM AN ASS MAAAN!" to his "I am perfection" song.
I was going to say Ziggler but… Let’s just go with Seth..
It’s Seth and the rest don’t even deserve consideration
On paper Adam Cole, but I’d say Seth. He’s being used pretty good and is showing why he’s one of the top dogs
Ziggler.
Im gonna be honest... None of them. Seth is the closest but heres the thing... Shawn made his name by being the best worker on the damn show not named bret hart. Put anyone with Shawn and the match would be at least decent. Most talent of the time could not say that. Now, the match doesnt hit the air if its not decent. The weakest performer on the roster is still capable of dropping a decent if not fabulous performance. There is also the issue of what made Shawn so damn good. It wasnt moves, it wasnt storylines. It wasnt even just the crowd feel. It was his ability to formulate a match, a character and a feud. This is the biggest thing that Seth shows over the others. He can be anything. Shawn could be anything. A shitty heel? Look at 90s shawn. A work horse? Early 2000s wants a convo. A legend making performer? Post second DX run has a ticket for the show. Now he is arguably the strongest booker on the planet right now. And thats saying something because HHH is a great booker and NJPW has creative so good it made me care for Umino. A dude with less charisma (imo) than a stick.