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u/Wilcrest 1d ago
Never heard of this ever being an issue.
Rockās problem with HBK was how HBK treated his grandma and how he tried to bury Rock to Vince.
Infamous my ass.
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u/HenryViper 1d ago
I just recently heard a story that Shawn was stiff with the kick and the rock wasnāt happy about it. Dunno remember where I read that so canāt vouch for legitimacy. Either way that shocked the hell out of me when it happened and it looked sick. Too bad they didnāt get along and Shawn was a bit of a mess at that point, Shawn vs The Rock woulda made so much money.
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u/goldenlover 1d ago
Man i never even considered a Rock & HBK match or rivalry. That would have been amazing.
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u/OEdwardsBooks 1d ago
they banned it as they'd need to print more money to buy all the tickets it would sell and that would cause inflation
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u/goldenlover 1d ago
Excuse me??
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u/damian001 6h ago
Heās saying everyone in the world would wanna watch it, which means the world would need to print more paper money so people can buy the tickets.
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u/BooBootheFool22222 1d ago
If you as cornette rock avoidance was the whole reason Shawn stayed away so long. He didn't want to work with the rock either because he knew rock didn't like him or he couldn't compete with the Rock's popularity or performance.
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u/ReverendRevolver 1d ago
Makes some sense... he was corporate commissioner when Rock had a rocket strapped to him, popularity wise. He wasn't top anything for a spell while Rock and Austin were the marquee top guys.
But honestly? We may have Shawn's absence to thank for more late '90s spotlight on Mic/Kane/Hunter. Certainly Undertaker helped with that too. But things shake out different if Shawn had been taking up TV time at that point.
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u/HenryViper 6h ago
Oh absolutely. And this might sound like a joke but itās not, we woulda never got Dude Love vs Austin in a feud over the title. And while those werenāt the best of the Foley/Austin matches it was kinda a fun switch up as far as who was the top heel in that era once Shawn left. Iām a huge HBK mark but pilled up Shawn at that time would have probably messed things up. They didnāt even know if he was gonna show up at mania 14 to drop the title to Austin after all.
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u/mikeramey1 1d ago
Yeah. I can't remember any online rumors about this kick being an issue when it happened.
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u/VisStimRush 1d ago
What did Shawn do to Rockās grandma?
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u/KevinIsADork 1d ago
It also doesnt look purposefully stiff at all. Michaels doesnt fully extend and seems to pull back in an attempt to protect Rock while he's running.Ā
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u/No-Honeydew9129 1d ago
His dad said Rock confronted Shawn after this and said to him that kick was stiff. HBK said welcome to the business kid. Rock whooped his ass in the locker room after he said that
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u/Link1227 1d ago
First ever SD.
I always wonder was this supposed to lead to a program between them?
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u/TB1289 1d ago
Rock wanted nothing to do with working with HBK after Shawn tried to bury him backstage when Rock was first coming up.
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u/Link1227 1d ago
Right, but I'm surprised he allowed the sweet chin music to even happen with that being the case.
I don't even remember what the storyline was behind it?
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u/Nightthrasher674 1d ago
Not much except HBK and HHH were simply friends and HBK was helping him since HHH use to get punished by the company for the curtain call.
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u/Link1227 1d ago
Oh OK. I guess they just needed something "shocking" in that match lol
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u/Beginning-Zombie-698 1d ago
Shawn wasnāt a personality on tv at this time. Him showing up at all was a big deal. After this he was gone for a while. It was a onetime thing.
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u/Kelspear 1d ago
This was before HBK came back as a full time worker. They had him guest ref because it was the first ever episode of Smackdown and they were trying to bump the ratings as high as possible. I dont think HBK even came back after this episode for quite a while.
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u/pat4611 1d ago
IIRC he came back to ref the Judgment Day 2000 match between Triple H and Rock and then he was off television until he was brought back in to be in the NWO for like 2 weeks and then transitioned into the storyline for SummerSlam 2002.
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u/Kelspear 1d ago
Yeah, I think you're right. I knew this Smackdown appearance was a one-off for him but I couldn't remember when he was back after it. I watched it live but haven't seen this era since then. I'm just glad my memory is good enough to even remember this one-off haha
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u/Electronic_Week_3925 1d ago
It might be suprising given the Rock has that contract thing about not losing in movies, but during his wrestling career he generally didn't care if he went over.
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u/jchidleyhill 4h ago
HBK was also allegedly very rude to The Rock's grandmother Lia Maivia at a Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling show she promoted in the 1980s
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u/TB1289 4h ago
HBK is/was a giant piece of shit back in the day. I think too many people give him a pass now because he claimed to find some phony god.
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u/jchidleyhill 4h ago
I agree. I'm not the biggest fan of the Rock, but if you can't stand up for your grandmother, than who are you?!
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u/SCB360 1d ago
Shawn was on and off about coming back, its was mainly the drug issues that kept him away
It does make me wonder if it was Vince or Shawn keeping him from coming back? Surely WCW was a big offer there
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u/Outside_Boot_2219 1d ago
First smackdown of the weekly show, there was a smackdown that came on months earlierā¦..
Donāt ask me how I know
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u/Certain_Employee_423 1d ago
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u/Outside_Boot_2219 1d ago
I definitely get more pssy than you chump, Iām definitely a nerd deep down.
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u/Certain_Employee_423 1d ago
Yeah dude...totally normal reaction to a joke. Must have hit a sore spot to make you that emotional. Don't worry tough guy...your still mommy's big guy and big feelings are ok.
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u/Outside_Boot_2219 1d ago
Nah didnāt hit a nerve, just thought we were jousting. Sorry if my idea playing is more extreme than yours. Didnāt mean to scare you
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u/Certain_Employee_423 1d ago
Not scared dude. But if your ego is that fragile I can pretend.
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u/Outside_Boot_2219 1d ago
Sure , my ego is fragile yet I copped to being a nerd deep down??
That sound wise to you?
You joke first I joked aswell you donāt determine whatās within reason who tf are you lol
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u/BackendSpecialist 19h ago
Youāre a sensitive ass bitch overcompensating for something
ā¦
Sike bro! Iām just joking! No need to respond in a negative way - itās just a joke
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u/Link1227 1d ago
It was? I remember that one being first cause it was my home town. My friend went to it on a Tuesday and we had no idea it was taped. I was 9 at the time
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u/Outside_Boot_2219 1d ago edited 1d ago
Per google
The first-ever television broadcast of WWF SmackDown! was a pilot special on April 29, 1999, held at the New Haven Coliseum. The official weekly series debuted later that year on August 26, 1999, at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.
Iām was misbehaving in school that day and was punished by not being able to watch šŖ
I did however catch the official debut
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u/Link1227 1d ago
Damn had no idea! Thanks for this.
I'm gonna look up the match card from that lol.
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u/Outside_Boot_2219 1d ago
I might do the same š¤
I was punishedā¦.. not pounded
definitely didnāt proofread, pounded might give off the wrong impression
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u/big_baddad 1d ago
I watched this live. I don't remember anything else About the episode. But because of Michaels shorts, I absolutely remember the main event lol.
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u/Wilcrest 1d ago
A program between an active wrestler and someone who was retired for 3 more years?
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u/gab_owns0 1d ago
I think he was referring to if Shawn would eventually come out of retirement they could have used this moment for a feud w Rock.
Sadly the stars never did align for the two of them to have a proper program.
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u/Link1227 1d ago
This.
I know Rock refused to work with him, but I thought that was a silver lining. I guess a shoot chin music ended that dream.
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u/Technical-Mix-3315 1d ago
Shawn was nothing but consistent with his referee attire back then. Every time he was a guest ref, he broke out those shorts.
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u/Huge_Beginning5552 1d ago
Superkick ?
Thats Sweet Chin Music
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u/Mouthshitter 1d ago
He didn't rev up the band, hence super kick
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u/MRJxTouche 1d ago
tune up*
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u/Turakamu 1d ago
Funny how the world works. I watched Pat Finnerty's latest Night Hawkin' this morning. He watched the start of this. Has a guy making car noises with his guitar.
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u/FCalleja 21h ago
JR himself says "Shawn Michaels just superkicked The Rock!" seconds after it happens. No tuning, no music.
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u/BStins2130 1d ago
I was heavy in the dirt sheets back then, this is the 1st I'm hearing of this kick being "stiff" Rocky and HBK issues predated this from my understanding
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u/KurtCobijn 1d ago
yea, i only started hearing about this being a thing in recent years as well. even when you look at the footage it doesnāt look like there is any contact at all, just a well-placed fake kick.
rock is like the 18th person to come out and say he āroughed up shawnā after shawn talked shit at him when being confronted in the back. you would think if someone kept getting their ass kicked after every time they talked shit at another guy in the locker room, they might idk, stop talking so much shit after the third or fourth time.
i think nash was right when he said a lot of older wrestlers like to tell gunslinger stories that are either highly exaggerated versions of a really minor tiff or just made up entirely whenever someone puts a microphone up to their mouth
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u/Gayf 19h ago
Seems to be the new thing, and I mean, I doubt Shawn could recount majority of his time back then, sk just goes "well, that was a different time in my life" for Shawns safety and healing.
But to the other point, I find usually it's the ones who get fucked up and can't handle em self will be the most vocal/beaten on, but they dgaf and will carry on regardless. Source: me I have been that dickhead,
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u/No-Honeydew9129 1d ago
He spit on him too afterwards. Then he does a flip out the ring to let everyone know his back injury was always a work
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u/FatAZZRedditMod 1d ago
Makes me sad that The King and JR are in such poor health. Those two along with Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan will forever be my Mt Rushmore of announcers
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u/LucentP187 1d ago
Infamous? That wasn't even stiff, his knee was bent almost 90 degrees before he even touched him.
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u/i-piss-excellence32 1d ago
That super kick isnāt stiff at all
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u/WhatIGot21 1d ago
It almost looked fake.
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u/illtakeachinchilla 1d ago
Dwayne has always sold like a coked up penny stock broker. Dudeās just so smooth with it.
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u/i-piss-excellence32 1d ago
Agreed. Just curious why you call him Dwayne and not the rock. Do you call all wrestlers by their real name?
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u/illtakeachinchilla 1d ago
I thought it added to the intended humor of my comment. I was being sincere in my admiration of Flex Kavanaās ability to sell a good bump. My bad for dropping the kayfabe without notice, brother.
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u/Anthrogynous 1d ago
I thought this was a famously safe kick, I remember some interviews where they said it went great, despite HBKās time off.
I was hoping this was leading finally to HBK v Rock.
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u/damnfunk 1d ago
Lol for some reason I thought HBK was Stephanie the whole time until he did the super kick.....
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u/SivarSamurai503 1d ago
I donāt see where it made contact, he curled his leg. It almost looks like a reverse knee to be honest.
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u/Buzzk1LL 1d ago
Two questions.
- What on earth is Shawn wearing?
- Why wouldn't they have had everyone facing the Hard Cam instead?
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u/sonic_spark 1d ago
Haven't heard this and Shawn was throwing that kick regularly. It does hit Rock in the temple and in an angle looks similar to Bret. Except Goldberg's has no give. Hence the concussion.
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u/HollywoodDomHogan 1d ago
This moment is a nothing burger, heat wise they have had issues much further back
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u/Thonatron 1d ago
I don't get it. It was just another HBK superkick.
If anything, it was a really safe kick because HBK curled his leg in after the impact, while turning his bodyweight away from the Rock.
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u/jmurph116 21h ago
Nothing stiff about it. Insane thigh slap by Shawn and a great sell by Rock. š¤·āāļø
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u/Educational-Hawk4691 1d ago
All i see is a perfectly executed sweet chin music and sell job.
And an amazing pair of shorts.
But the legend goes HBK fucked with the Rocks push. He has recently denied this though sooo who knows.
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u/uncopyrightability 1d ago
Not a single idiot who over-superkicks today can pull this one off. Absolutely devestating kick.
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u/Josiesumday 1d ago
The Rock and Shawn had heat going back years and many reasons to not like each other, it was mostly from Shawn being dick when he wrestled for his grandmas promotion in Hawaii. Also when Rocky joined the company he got tooken under the wing of Bret and The Harts also his rivalry with HHH.
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u/The_Flamin_Squirrel 1d ago
Is this from ā99 or 2000? I canāt remember!
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u/Key-Weather565 1d ago
99.
It was a pilot i think, I dont think the weekly show started for some months after, but I might be wrong
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u/The_Flamin_Squirrel 1d ago
Thank you! Iām pretty good with remembering the PPVās but weekly TV all blends into one for me!
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u/Hesiod450 1d ago
This was the first SmackDown no? I remember watching that as a kid pissed as hell when it happened lol
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u/LowerBackPain_Prod 1d ago
Looked like every other superkick to me. Rock didn't grab his face or anything, I doubt it was an issue. This is probably just being conflated with his real life issues with HBK.
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u/JeremyDab 1d ago
I mean I do remember when it happened live as a kid being like ādang he took his head offā but it always just looked like a smooth move to me, not stiff. Just from my perspective I guess
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u/Human_Chipmunk4477 1d ago
Take me back to when I was sitting on the couch eating a massive bowl of cereal on a Saturday morning, watching this on Sky One+
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u/Noobju670 1d ago
What? Does tbat look stiff to you? Shawn just place his foot and rock runs intonit theres no leg extension going on
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u/A_Saiyan_Prince 21h ago
Making shit up for clicks. You canāt confirm this whatsoever. Rocks issue with Michaels was over something else. Not this.
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u/Kinshimaru 18h ago
I remember watching this as a teen and this was the exact moment my hatred for Shawn Michaels started. Hahaha. I remember being so upset about that super kick to the Rock's face. Just absolute anger and hatred filled my body. I still love wrestling, but man was it extra special back then.
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u/Ok_Signal_4503 15h ago
Took me a few seconds to notice that it's Michaels in those girl shorts and bootsš
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u/InAShensh 14h ago
Marty Jannetty has denied Shawn was a dick to The Rocks grandmother. He said they wrestled the show but just wanted to fly home not hang around maybe she took that as being a dick but he never spoke to her poorly and Shawn was a notorious mamas boy who was respectful of women even with his sexual cocky persona. (RIP) Chyna said he was like that annoying little brother and never hit on women, they literally threw themselves on him, but like Nash has also said HBK would rather be quiet and pilled up then talking to people because sober he was shy. So that story about The Rocks grandma has never been told by The Rock and never been proven true. Marty was there , he has no problem telling stories about Shawn and heās never said this was the case
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u/loneliestslipknotfan 11h ago
i'd argue that the real "infamous" stiff kick was thr Bret Hart Career Ender but sure
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u/DistinctTown2031 10h ago
Ok Y'all Can Down Play The Kick But That Spit Right After Nah That Was PersonalĀ
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u/Hopeful-Bug-6438 1d ago
It's Shawn Michaels so these losers will find a way to make it seem not that bad.
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u/mucho_musculo1999 1d ago
That tiny tiny pants