[2005-08-21-WWE-Summerslam] Hulk Hogan vs Shawn Michaels

[Superstar Sleeze]

Hulk Hogan vs Shawn Michaels - Summerslam 2005

You know I don't think I have ever seen this match before, which is surprising because I really loved the build to this match. I think one of the big missed opportunities for the WWE consistently since 2002 has been the build to the dream matches. In a lot of ways, once WWE purchased WCW, it became a dream match company and it really hasn't deviated from this and thats why finally in 2019 it is finally coming back to bite them. WWE knows the dream matches sell themselves so for the most part they don't put much effort into the build. I thought the build to this was phenomenal and it is still something my brother and I reminisce about. 1997 Shawn is one of my all-time favorite characters and for one month in 2005 we got him back. The stuff about teasing Bret in Montreal was fucking legendary. The heel heat was fucking nuclear. The shit with Larry King was amazing. The promos were great. The callbacks to 1997 and "Whatcha Gonna Do When The Heartbreak Kid Doesn't Lay Down For You" was such money. Hogan was great at being Hogan in all this. I remember really wanting to see the match, but it kind has been forgotten about except for Shawn's bumping, which some claim is exaggerated and overdone. That's basically all I knew about the match was that Shawn was being a ham. 

I am glad I watched this after I have immersed myself in 1980s American pro wrestling because I would have not appreciated it as much in 2005. This was Shawn Michaels doing a 1989 Hulk Hogan as the big bumping stooge heel. This is the match Mr. Perfect should have had with The Hulkster. The key difference was that Michaels got the offense and cheated his ass off to add to the drama. He was not just a pinball for Hogan but he through relentless cheating actually looked poised to defeat Hogan. The beginning was great with HBK establishing early this was going to be a big bumping match out of the lock up. Then it became a combination of Michaels bumping for Hogan's stock spots and Michaels doing his stock stooge spots. I love that spot he does on the turnbuckle laid out and then ends up getting crotched. It is such good camp. I think a lot of "serious" pro wrestling fans miss the point of camp and that pro wrestling is supposed to be fun. The 1980s were very campy and this is a call back to that era. What makes this better than the usual Hogan match from the 80s is how hard Michaels does work to try win and there are moments of real tension. When he was going around smacking Hogan in the face, it really got a rise out of me. I have never seen Hogan slapped and repeatedly. Michaels set up the payoff so ready and when Hogan finally let him have the big hammock and Michaels bumped on the apron I popped huge. As I said previously, it was Michaels' will to win that separated this match from Hogan's 80s fare. There are eye pokes, steel ring post, dogged punching until he busts Hogan open, ball shot and a chair shot. They use every bell and whistle to hook you in. I really like how they used the persistent punches to cut Hogan open rather than the ring post. It showed Michaels earned it. What a crimson mask! It looked gnarly. I liked that they teased the Hogan comeback twice, first the Sleeper and then after the elbow drop. The ref bumps were well used to increase the drama. If Bret had come out during the Sharpshooter, the roof would have blown off the place. It would have been insane. The ballshot and chairshot were huge. Then they build perfectly to the finish everyone knows. Elbow Drop->Sweet Chin Music->1-2-KICK OUT! I knew the kick out was coming, but boy did I pop. That was a glorious Hulk Up! Absolutely terrific Shawn Michaels performance that was a throwback to the 1980s and all Hulk Hogan had to be was Hulk Hogan and this had me smiling ear-to-ear. I love pro wrestling. ****1/4