WWE: Shawn Michaels as Guest Ref for Undertaker vs. Triple H Is a Bad Idea

When Undertaker stood in the center of the ring, face-to-face with Triple H on the Feb. 20 edition of Raw, there was undeniable electricity.

Live attendees could feel it, as could the viewers watching at home—wrestling in those few minutes became very real.

It was about two men intent on proving something to each other.

"The Dead Man" wanted the chance to redeem himself after barely eking out a win at WrestleMania 27.

Triple H, now an office employee both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, was initially of the opinion that a consecutive crack at the streak would ultimately be "bad for business."

It wasn't until The Undertaker employed mind games, by comparing "The Game" unfavorably with Shawn Michaels, that Triple H's rigid stance manifested as a frenzied outburst.

Once the challenge was accepted, Triple H snarled at Undertaker, who, in turn, stood his ground despite being more vulnerable than ever.

Before us, we saw tangible stakes, passion and a searing rematch on the horizon between two veterans who were adamant about not holding anything back at WrestleMania 28.

Consequently, a storyline as sweltering as this does not require extra ingredients in the form of a special guest referee—even if that person is Shawn Michaels.

Granted, "The Heartbreak Kid" has a rich history with both Triple H and Undertaker dating back 15 years.

But, as tempting as it would be to include the retired Michaels as the guest referee, it would only detract from the fever pitch expertly crafted between the participants of the match.

Truth be told, nobody in their right minds expected Undertaker and Triple H to somehow manage to make their "dreaded" rematch arguably more anticipated than The Rock vs. John Cena.

Yet, not only did they succeed in impressive fashion, they did it without any gimmicks—just a good old-fashioned storyline about two individuals wanting to vanquish the other.

By pigeonholing HBK into the picture, he would become the unwanted third wheel—an extraneous weight dragging down Triple H and Undertaker.

Not to mention, as much as we'd like to believe Michaels will once again reclaim his throne as "Mr. WrestleMania," his in-ring days are sadly behind him.

Quite frankly, the San Antonio native had his moment in the sun—countless moments, in fact—with an incomparable career that transcends the business.

Knowing this, watching him parade around the ring in a striped referee's uniform would only bring back vivid memories of his tenure as an active performer. The only difference being is that we'd realize that, in the present time, Michaels is far removed from the man who wrestled his last bout at WrestleMania 26.

Moreover, for those who always had reveries of a triple-threat showdown on the grandest stage of all, Michaels' inconsequential role as the ref would only cruelly tantalize the imaginations of those who'd wonder what could've been.

Because HBK has no intention of ever wrestling again—as many fans are aware, albeit reluctantly so— his hypothetical involvement as a referee could never culminate in any type of satisfying physicality.

Last but not least, given the Hell in a Cell stipulation, the focus of the action needs to be squarely on "The Cerebral Assassin" and "The Phenom."

If the two are going to take each other to the depths of hell and back as was intimated on Raw, it would be a disservice to them to share precious camera time with someone who would literally be just there—a former wrestler doing his best to impersonate a referee.

This is a simple feud, pitting one man against another, with easy-to-grasp motivations.

The Undertaker and Triple H deserve to have at each other without anything or anyone getting in their way.

Their storyline and eventual smash-mouth clash at WrestleMania should proceed naturally on their own terms as they see fit.

They are, after all, the last of their kind.

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