John Morrison: Why The Shawn Michaels Comparisons Are Beyond Ridiculous

John Morrison will never be Shawn Michaels.

Just like basketball fans, wrestling fans tend to have a love affair with the phrase "The next..." They use it to describe just about anyone that's new and try to compare them to a former great.

A comparison that has been around for a couple of years now is the one that links Morrison to Michaels. They cite the flamboyant styles, flashy moves and career paths as reasons for the comparison.

Well, it's downright ridiculous.

While they both have flamboyant styles, they're quite different. Morrison's character was specifically written for him. Michaels, on the other hand, took a generic heel character and made it work. Morrison memorizes lines, while Michaels channels his inner character.

A lot of people see dazzling moves by Morrison and incorrectly assumes that he's a great in-ring worker. He's entertaining, but he's far from great. He still lacks the basic understanding of ring psychology and selling—two things Michaels perfected.

The Heartbreak Kid also tells a story when he's inside the ring. He's not just flipping and jumping around.

Career path is a ridiculous requirement when comparing wrestlers. Michael Jordan was a star at North Carolina University before taking the NBA by storm.

Neither Kobe Bryant nor LeBron James—the two stars that have been compared to Jordan—played college basketball. It means nothing that Morrison started off as a tag team wrestler like Michaels did.

The fact that fans want to see another version of him might be flattering to Michaels, but it is an insult to his legacy to think that a performer like Morrison deserves that high of a praise.