Shawn Michaels likely to serve as special guest referee for Undertaker vs Triple H at WrestleMania 28

by Geno Mrosko on Dec 22, 2011 8:00 PM EST in WWE

The WrestleMania 28 news is coming fast and furious today. Earlier we learned that WWE is currently in talks with former NBA great and future Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal to appear at the show in a match against Big Show.

Now, word comes down that Shawn Michaels is likely going to be plugged in as the special guest referee for the Triple H vs. Undertaker co-headliner. From Dave Meltzer's Observer Newsletter:

Michaels is planned to referee the HHH vs. Undertaker match at Mania this year, which is slated to be the No. 2 match on the show this year. That means if Cena isn't WWE champion (or HHH isn't, and he shouldn't be), that the title match will at best be the No. 2 bout. Lots of talk of Punk vs. Jericho or someone else in the title match position. Cena did bring up the only way to make Rock vs. Cena the biggest match ever is for the title to be involved. Obviously it would not have been brought up if that wasn't the plan at the time. For business on that night, it would help the show more than adding a title match three bouts down on the show. This show isn't drawing on depth, but on the power of the main event (and to a lesser extent the No. 2 match) to be able to be promoted as the biggest match in Mania history. ... If nothing else, if Punk has the title it will make Punk's match come across as bigger even if from a money drawing aspect it's not like him in a title match is going to sell buys that aren't already being sold for the main events and the Mania name. The other selling point is HHH and Michaels, the two guys who had come the closest to ending the streak, both already having lost twice, with the idea they may work together this year to end the streak.

The idea of Michaels as special guest referee was kicked around last year but ultimately they never pulled the trigger on it. Last year they did a build that no one enjoyed because they completely ignored the fact that Triple H had already had a match against Undertaker back at WrestleMania 17. They literally refused to acknowledge it.

It was also considered a poor build because it basically centered around Trips claiming he was the only one left in the entire WWE locker room who had a chance to break the streak. That's regrettable language as far as future prospects go but in hindsight, it worked well in terms of having a good reason to insert Michaels into the story as the referee.

"The Game" can play it with the best of 'em and his angle will undoubtedly be to appeal to his best friend to do what neither could do alone and finally end the streak once and for all but to do it together. D-Generation X and all that.

This will give WWE the chance to weave a tale of trust into one of betrayal or vice versa, as Michaels did lose to Undertaker at two consecutive WrestleMania's, the last of which proved to be "The Heartbreak Kid's" retirement match. But he's also a born again Christian who seeks only to do the right thing, so he'll naturally have a crisis of conscience and struggle to retain his fundamental moral core at the expense of his friend, a man who legitimately took care of him for years on the road while he struggled through drug and attitude problems.

This has the potential to be great. A second match between Triple H and Undertaker isn't all together appealing, especially considering they're both one year older and with that much more tear on their body but if they handle this story right -- and that's certainly no sure thing -- this could be something truly special.

Let's hope for the best.

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Comments

I wouldn’t worry too much about wear and tear. HHH has had all of three matches since WM and Taker hasn’t even been seen. Yeah, they’re another year older but they should be as physically healthy as pro wrestlers of that age can be.

by The so-called Beautiful on Dec 22, 2011 8:09 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Honestly, this makes me interested in the match

I thought the match last year wasn’t all that great, and wasn’t looking forward at all to part two. Injecting Michaels into the whole thing, and his history with both men, and the possible intrigue that could happen (both before, during, and after the match), makes me interested.

Between this, Rock-Cena, Big Show-Shaq, and a possible Punk-Jericho, they’re really pulling out all the stops for Wrestlemania.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
3rd Place- 2011 AAOP Contest | 1st place- 2012 AAOP Contest

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Dec 22, 2011 8:30 PM EST reply actions

Ugh

Triple H is not good and the Undertaker is too old to pull something fun out of him. At least creaky old Mick Foley would have made a WM match with ’Taker a total car crash of a spectacle to make up for it.

However, IF they are going about a third HHH/’Taker match, adding HBK to at least tease some tension and add to the story of the match is the best possible scenario.

by Razztopia on Dec 22, 2011 9:28 PM EST reply actions

No No no....hell no

Anyone remember this?

http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9PJBs6IEEng&v=9PJBs6IEEng&gl=US

(Mind you if you don’t, don’t worry- Stamford will remind us leading into WM28.

The point is…..when they didn’t follow up with the obvious- the idea of Triple H being the last man standing should have been the final conclusion.

Anything short of a clean pin (which possibly lessens if Michaels is the referee) endangers one of the basic selling points in regards to WM. Add the idea of Triple H vs the Undertaker to the mix and Triple H is in a losing proposition.

"We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again."-Nathanael Greene.

by scorpio_x on Dec 22, 2011 9:29 PM EST via mobile reply actions

I thought the build and match were money. Great psychology at play that work well with the slow build. Just a opinion

He knows the guy with the bandage on his ass is going no were. Were you going fucking no were

by Elstriko on Dec 23, 2011 11:40 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Last year they did a build that no one enjoyed because they completely ignored the fact that Triple H had already had a match against Undertaker back at WrestleMania 18. They literally refused to acknowledge it.

In fairness:

a) The past match involved Bikertaker, and WWE never shows clips of Bikertaker outside of DVD’s anymore. It’d kind of kill the large suspension of disbelief WWE already asks of us to acknowledge that a supernatural being was an ordinary guy for half a decade.

b) Triple H did acknowledge the past ’Mania match the first RAW after ’Mania.

b) The match was at WM X-7

by *Asterisk* on Dec 22, 2011 10:41 PM EST reply actions

I was shown the strange, rambling promo

Where he became the “Bikertaker”, but how/why did he revert? Beaten in a match and ‘reborn’ or some such?

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
3rd Place- 2011 AAOP Contest | 1st place- 2012 AAOP Contest

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Dec 23, 2011 3:03 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Undertaker lost a buried alive match at Survivor Series 2003 after Kane interfered in the match, entered semi retirement, and made his return at WM XX to take out Kane. It was really surreal.

by *Asterisk* on Dec 23, 2011 3:21 AM EST up reply actions

Goto part 2 of that clip

Amidst all the jousting, there was a question in play of who Shawn Michaels side with.

When Shawn Michaels rolled outta that ring and left Triple H hanging- that perhaps could have been one of the setups to a Michaels run-in.

They didn’t go with that. Understandable. However the past has shown that Shawn Michaels and refereeing doesn’t mix.

Again I hope Michaels isn’t the referee for this match. Then again-it wouldn’t surprise me if he was.

"We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again."-Nathanael Greene.

by scorpio_x on Dec 23, 2011 7:14 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Involving HBK into the HHH-Taker match this year can only be a good thing. I hope they do it. Last year’s story/build to the match sucked (except for HBK’s Raw segment where he told HHH that he can’t beat the Undertaker) but the actual match delivered in a really big way. This year adding HBK to the match can keep it fresh and has the chance to make the story much better than last year’s.

by Kanenite on Dec 23, 2011 1:33 AM EST reply actions

I truly hate the idea that HHH is the best guy to break the streak

or even have a THIRD go at it (I don’t give a damn about what version of Taker didn’t count). The match last year was forgettable at best.

I don’t for one minute think he is breaking the streak because, quite simply, HHH would never be able to live that down. Seriously, the guy who married himself into an empire is going to break the streak? I laugh as I think of that ‘reality’. I would be turned off the product even more so now and probably wouldn’t come back unless Stone Cold had his match with CM Punk. Then I’d be gone again.

If there is a book on Mockery, HHH would get a chapter (by himself) on the subject of the annals of pro wrestling.

Hey, I'll take it from here because you obviously don't know what you're doing... Lie down now, rest, and we'll talk about this when you regain your senses. --The Knockout Mechanism.

by battlestar on Dec 23, 2011 3:43 AM EST reply actions

Agree 100%.

If WWE isnt going to acknowledge Biker Taker’s contributions, then the “streak” should not include his matches. That logic is ridiculous.

The only way this match works is if Undertaker utterly and completely squashes Triple H after Michaels tries to interfere. And, the only meaning to that would be that the Undertaker>Clique. So unless the clique really wants to pay tribute to the Undertaker this year, there is absolutely no point to this match at all whatesoever end of story.

by thejasten on Dec 23, 2011 5:12 PM EST up reply actions

What we learned at TLC..

is that this company has been making lemonade out of seemingly dog crap lately. In my eyes, they have earned more benefit than doubt. People on this site, and even myself, have largely panned a lot of their ideas recently.. but then the matches happened.. and TLC was pretty awesome.

I think if anyone should take Taker’s streak, its Orton.. not just because of his place in the company, but his character would gain the most. HHH is about to retire & Cena would treat it as a joke. But we can all agree that we’re lucky Cena nor Hogan beat Taker.

by Rawuncutnxrated on Dec 23, 2011 8:02 AM EST reply actions

Daniel Bryan

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
3rd Place- 2011 AAOP Contest | 1st place- 2012 AAOP Contest

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Dec 23, 2011 2:35 PM EST up reply actions

No one enjoyed the build because they ignored the first match? Kind of an absurd thing to say. I could give a shit the first match was ignored.

by Chris Cutrer on Dec 23, 2011 6:01 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

Both have had more than enough time to do another match which only gives a reason to say this match is meaningless and shows the little effort they use for thinking of coming up with another opponent for him. So let me guess, HHH is saying he needs just one more shot and he can beat him. Taker hasn’t wrestled in nearly a year and for this to be even considered a match is more like a filler than something with any kind of actual build for anyone to get into. So Taker will come back probably a month before the actual event with HHH in tow, trying to build up an already pointless bout only because they just can’t let anyone else share the spotlight. It’s more like hey we’ve been here longer than anyone else and no matter how much talent we have that SHOULD BE USED, we are going to have another match and make it seem like people need to take notice. Here’s a nice middle finger for you Triple Fuckhead and Underdicktaker. These two need to stay away from the business but of course their they want to let you know that all that matters is their bitchass ego’s. Didn’t McCool (who actually slept her way to the top like the dumb slut she is) talk about coming back not to long ago? I’m guessing when Taker comes back, she won’t be to far behind……. getting yet another push do to nepotism. What a fucking waste. Austin and Punk probably won’t be booked for the simple fact that it’ll be WAY BETTER than this shitacular rematch who WWE or rather HHH doesn’t want anyone for whatever reason to know (unless you were watching WWF at the time) that he already lost to Taker at WM 17 and this will be the 3rd time. Hasn’t fans already swallowed enough bullshit? Oh that’s right only dumb sheeple do.

you're own stupidity will lead you to your own downfall

by congestedthoughts on Dec 23, 2011 11:56 PM EST reply actions