Georges St-Pierre has given two of the most iconic performers of WWE high compliments. The two men who are mentioned by the former UFC champion are Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, where they were recently discussed by the former UFC champion in an interview on the Danny Jones podcast. He explained that both legends were his favorite wrestlers of all time and he had to think about the impression they made.
The historic rivalry between Michaels and Hart is also common knowledge. Their conflicts featured one of the classic Iron Man matches and the famous Montreal Screwjob. These instances were used to define an era in professional wrestling and define the industry over the years.
GSP Praises HBK Heel Work
St-Pierre left no doubt of the admiration which he felt of the two men. But he had great admiration of the work of Shawn Michaels as a villain. He pointed to the fact that Michaels was able to make his fans like him as a hated character.
HBK Perfect Villain Praise
Shawn Michaels, man, Bret Hart, you know? These guys were my favorite. It was insane. I adore Shawn Micheals, he had been the right villain at a certain time. The one that everybody loved to hate, you know, he was very good to sell opponents shot, to make his opponent look good which is very important to be a good wrestler it is you need to make your partner look good i make me look good right i think a lot of these guys have a big influence on what (happens) in MMA.
His remarks show that he has a more insightful perception about performance psychology. St-Pierre pointed out the need to make the enemies appear powerful. According to him, this is applicable in wrestling as well as in mixed martial arts.
WWE Influence on MMA
Professional wrestling has regularly been seen as a source of influence on the MMA genre by the UFC Hall of Famer. He feels that the narration and characterization contribute to promote the fights. Michaels and Hart in his turn mastered those elements.
The comments of St-Pierre point to the cross-over between sports entertainment and combat sports. They further demonstrate the way in which WWE legends are still a source of inspiration to athletes in various fields.