Again, I'm in a similar boat to you. I prefer Shawn's Later Career but that's what I grew up with.
vs Angle, vs Undertaker, vs Flair - are some of the best Mania matches I've seen.

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His career is like a two part film. Its difficult to pick a favourite because both sides of his career had matches that will be talked about for a long time. You can even stretch back as far as his days with Marty Jannetty as the Midnight Rockers. Matches against Buddy Rose & Doug Somers in AWA. Or in the WWF against the Orient Express at Royal Rumble 91 or vs. The Hart Foundation or vs. The Brainbusters at MSG. Then when he split with Jannetty, it's a just who's who of matches that never dip in quality.

I think a lot of what makes me like the later half of Shawns career too is that he cleaned up his act and got his shit together. So it has a more positive vibe to it. Knowing he isn't living that way anymore. I'm sure he still is kind of a dick, you can't change everything about someone completely 😋
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I really should have labeled this before or after the back surgery. Shawn's pretty unique in the sense that you can practically split his career into two chunks due to his four year absence. Which part did you like better?
I liked Shawn after the back surgery, but that is the Shawn I grew up with. But I really think he had his best matches of his career in the 2000s and really mastered his in ring performances. I like some of the stuff he did before the surgery, he was really good in both eras really. I just prefer to watch his later matches rather than his earlier ones. I'd like to see what you all think?
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