The HBK/JBL Storyline

I haven't been writing too many of my thoughts lately, mainly due to time constraints, but I had a few things I wanted to get out about this HBK/JBL storyline.

First up, I make it no secret that HBK is my favorite wrestler of all-time - going back to when I was 9-10 years old, and my best friend and I decided that The Rockers were our favorite thing in wrestling.  He picked Jannetty as the best, I went with Michaels.  Obviously, my powers of prediction were strong even when I was young. :-D  (he later changed his favorite to Bret Hart, still part of the Hart Foundation tag team, while I made no change, and again..  I won out in the end!)

So the way HBK is booked is of some importance to me (not that it should be, but hey, we all mark out for somebody). 

I was pretty happy with the way this storyline started.  It made sense.  The economy is rough right now, and even though we all know HBK is likely making a LOT more money than any of us, if he took it upon himself to support a number of people outside of his immediate family, you could believe that he needed the help.

Then they did it even better - HBK's assist of JBL's win over Rey Mysterio was perfect!  He got Rey disqualified while doing what we all wanted to see, while still adhering to his "contract" with JBL by giving him the win.

So then the question became - what would happen when HBK and JBL were left alone in the four-way match for the #1 contendership? 

I think there were two big predictions here (even though I didn't ask this on the site, due to the holidays) - either he would lay down (think Fingerpoke of Doom Part 2) or he would turn on JBL and either take the spot against Cena or at the least cost JBL the spot.

Well, WWE pretty much went with the first one.  Luckily, HBK didn't simply lay down for JBL.  I mean, HBK is the guy who used to say "The Heartbreak Kid lays down..  for ABSOLUTELY NOBODY!" (that's gotta be from 1997)  And that's the HBK we still want to see, obviously.  So WWE didn't go completely out-of-line here.

But it still wasn't the ideal finish in my eyes.

To me, and please feel free to let me know if you think this wouldn't have worked, the PERFECT finish to this match would have played off the Rey/JBL match from the week prior:  HBK plays like he's going to lay down, then gets up.  Right, WWE did that.  He could do this a few times.  Then here's where I diverge.  Why not have HBK deliver Sweet Chin Music, knocking JBL out cold in the ring, and then HBK bails out of the ring giving JBL the count-out victory?

This would have gotten the huge pop from the crowd since HBK would do what they want, however you're still left with JBL in the title match at the Rumble.  Meaning, HBK is still getting paid by JBL - but who could argue with HBK getting paid by JBL when he gets to consistently abuse JBL in the ring?  In fact, that seems a lot like what the former lead of D-Generation X would have thought of! 

JBL makes the rules, and HBK will BEND them!

Anyway, that was a booking decision I think if they had spent just a few extra minutes thinking about, they could have come to the same conclusion I did.  Maybe the way they went is the way they felt was best, though.

I mean, when you really think about it - wouldn't HBK be better off financially if he had the world title?  Aren't we, as fans, supposed to believe there is a serious influx of cash that comes along with being world champion?  We shouldn't think it's just a prop - or that it just "means you're the best", but carries no benefits.  But that's another discussion..

To continue, where does this storyline go from here?  I think a lot of us are in agreement that HBK deserves a much higher-profile match at WrestleMania than a blow-off match with JBL.  Not to discredit JBL, because he's obviously taken some strides to improve lately, but let's face it:  HBK vs JBL, even with this current storyline, has very little appeal on the biggest card of the year.

There's still about a month until the Rumble, and I'd have to assume the JBL/Cena feud will have HBK in the mix.  All I am hoping for is that the HBK/JBL angle concludes early enough for a decent build to a match with HBK and The Undertaker at WrestleMania.  Looking at the poll here on the site, that is the #1 most desired match to headline WrestleMania.  And with great reason - it would be incredible.  Both men are from Texas, so you've got that going for it, too. 

So we'll see where things go from here..  perhaps JBL will order HBK to somehow get involved with The Undertaker, leading to a match between HBK and Undertaker at WM - with Undertaker being the man to make HBK "pay for his sins" in working for JBL. 

Anything that doesn't conclude with JBL vs HBK at WrestleMania.  If JBL's "lackey" were a lower-card guy, like say DiBiase Jr. (his dad's investments all went sour, you see), then that'd be a GREAT match for WM..  but WWE has to realize one of the biggest selling points of WrestleMania these days is that spectacular match involving Shawn Michaels.  Right?