I honestly think Hickenbottom's retirement was a goddamned work of his own. Look at the facts: His back was injured, but it shouldn't have taken the ridiculous duration of 4 years to heal.
Where do you get this from? He was initially told that he would neverwrestle again, he got second opinions and tried different physical therapy, and he was eventually able to get to a place both physically, emotionally, and likely, chemically where he was able to contribute again.
And even when he returned, if you recall, it didnt become a full-time right away, or even for years. His matches with Jericho at WM 19 and Angle at WM 21 were built without his presence for parts of it, and he didn't wrestle in the interim.
He was always on fuckin' pills (Cornette).
He's acknowledged this himself., and how Vince himself tried an intervention on him, and when that failed, and he showed up to non-wrestling functions high on pills, Vince sent him home. Next.and he also had his own goddamn political issues with everyone on the roster.
You were backstage and a witness to this? Again, he's acknowledged his involvement in "the Kliq", and how they furthered their own agendas.And of course, he also refused to put over Austin last minute at '14, despite having to "retire".
He did? I could have sworn Austin won that match clean in the middle of the ring with a Stunner. And back to your "pill point", he admitted he popped four just to get through the match.Christ. That was until Taker finally stepped in, set him straight and made him finally act like somebody.
Yeah, this rumor has gone from unsubstantiated to straight out dispelled over the past few years.Well he didn't find god, his wife probably set him straight that one night in 2000 and he'd take no more drugs following that.
One doesn't go from slobbering drug addict to clean just because their wife "sets them straight." The idea that he found God is a much more plausible one then his wife simply threatening to leave.Through his wife he found God,
He opened TWA and scammed DB of 3000 dollars.
And yet Bryan has nothing but praise for HBK and the training he received from him.Then he buried the hatchet with Vince, Taker, and even HHH.
He and 'Taker were never at odds, nor he and Vince, really. His biggest issue, admittedly, was with HHH, who rightfully told Vince he was using, prompting Vince to send him home. He then refused to talk to HHH for over a year, before Kevin Nash set him straight.It's obvious you don't like Michaels, which is fine, but don't distort facts with discredited rumors and half-cocked speculation. It's embarrassing.
HBK would have figured in prominently in the Attitude Era, no doubt, and would have been a cog in the machine that helped put WCW out of business. With Foley, Rock, Austin, HHH, and Undertaker all emerging as top guys, he may not have had as many shots at the belt as he had in the past, but he would have been firmly involved in main-event storylines, just as he was when he returned.
He probably would have feuded with Rock at some point, as he was the one big name whom HBK's career simply didn't overlap with. A longer feud with Foley likely would have happened as well, and probably an extended one with Austin following his loss.
And I'm guessing he retires with 5-6 World Championships, rather then the 4 he wound up with.
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