8 Ups And 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Oct 8)

1. Going Back On Your Word

A lot is going to be made of Shawn Michaels coming out of retirement after 8-1/2 years, and it’s going to be a mixed bag, so let’s line both sides up in this column.

First, the negative…

In an era where nearly everyone pulls the “never say never” routine, Michaels’ retirement felt special, unique. He was almost dignified by his refusal of a quick payday. And then it was flushed away over a post-match beatdown, not some long, drawn-out angle to coax him back into action.

Worse, HBK’s return will come not in a high-profile singles match at a major PPV where tens of thousands of diehard WWE fans can celebrate, but in a tag match at a glorified house show in Saudi Arabia.

The reasoning for the match – a loss of respect because of a post-match beatdown – felt forced. And while that shouldn’t really count against this (after all, a perfect reason is impossible to find), there had to be a better way.

Lastly, there’s always the very real possibility that Michaels can’t live up to expectations. After 8-plus years, he’s bound to have some serious ring-rust. And if he can’t at least do a passable job, he runs the risk of damaging his pristine in-ring image.

All of this is working against Michaels. Oh, and it’s yet another D-Generation X reunion…