.jpg) Michaels in 2018 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (1965-07-22)July 22, 1965 (age 60) Chandler, Arizona, U.S. |
Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relative | Matt Bentley (cousin) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Sean Michaels[1] Shawn Michaels |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[2][3] |
| Billed weight | 225–227 lb (102–103 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | San Antonio, Texas[2] |
| Trained by | José Lothario[4] |
| Debut | October 8, 1984[5] |
| Retired | March 28, 2010 |
| Signature | |
 | |
Shawn Michaels (bornMichael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retiredprofessional wrestler. He is signed toWWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of theNXT brand, the promotion'sdevelopmental territory.[6] Regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is known by the nicknames "the Heartbreak Kid" (often abbreviated as HBK), "the Showstopper", and "Mr.WrestleMania".[7]
Michaels wrestled consistently for WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, renamed in 2002), from 1988 until his first retirement in 1998. He performed in non-wrestling roles for the next two years, resuming his wrestling career with WWE in 2002 until ceremoniously retiring in 2010. He returned for a one-off final match in 2018. In 2016, he began working as a coach at theWWE Performance Center, and was a producer onNXT in 2018, before becoming the Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative for the NXT brand itself.
In WWF/WWE, Michaels headlinedpay-per-view events between 1989 and 2018, main-eventing the company's flagship annual event, WrestleMania, five times (12,14,20,23 and26). He was the co-founder and original leader of the successful stable,D-Generation X. Michaels also wrestled in theAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA), where he foundedThe Midnight Rockers withMarty Jannetty in 1985. After winning theAWA World Tag Team Championship twice, the team continued to the WWF as The Rockers and had a high-profile breakup in January 1992. Within the year, Michaels twice challenged for theWWF Championship and won his firstIntercontinental Championship, heralding his arrival as one of the industry's premier singles stars.
Michaels is a four-timeworld champion, having held the WWF Championshipthree times and WWE'sWorld Heavyweight Championshiponce. He is also a two-timeRoyal Rumble winner (and the first man to win the match as the first entrant), the company's firstGrand Slam Champion and fourthTriple Crown Champion, as well as a two-timeWWE Hall of Fame inductee (2011 as a singles wrestler and2019 as part of D-Generation X). Michaels won thePro Wrestling Illustrated "Match of the Year" reader vote a record eleven times, and his match againstJohn Cena on April 23, 2007, was ranked by WWE as the best match ever aired on the company's flagship television program,Raw.[8] Michaels has been a participant in several first installments of a number of WWE's signature gimmick matches—namely the firstHell in a Cell at theBadd Blood: In Your House, the firstLadder match during a taping ofWWF Wrestling Challenge (and subsequent first pay-per-view installment atWrestleMania X), both the inaugural (as part of The Rockers tag team) and first televised (atWrestleMania XII)Iron Man matches, andElimination Chamber at the 2002Survivor Series.
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom was born inChandler, Arizona, on July 22, 1965.[9][10] He has an older sister named Shari and two older brothers named Randy and Scott. He was raised in a military family and briefly spent some of his early years in the English town ofReading, Berkshire,[9] but grew up primarily inSan Antonio, Texas. As a child, he disliked the name "Michael" and convinced his family and friends to address him by his middle name.[11] Ever since, he has been referred to as Shawn. Additionally, Hickenbottom moved around frequently since his father was in the military.[11] He knew he wanted to become a professional wrestler at the age of 12 and performed a wrestling routine at his high school's talent show, complete withfake blood.[10][12] He was a keen athlete while growing up, and his sporting career began at the age of six when he playedfootball.[13] He was a stand-outlinebacker atRandolph High School onRandolph Air Force Base and eventually became captain of the football team.[2][14] He attendedSouthwest Texas State University inSan Marcos, Texas, but dropped out to pursue a career in professional wrestling.[15] His cousinMatt Bentley is also a wrestler.[16]
Hickenbottom began to train under Mexican professional wrestlerJosé Lothario.[4][17] During his training, Hickenbottom adopted the ring name, "Shawn Michaels".[1] After his training with Lothario, he debuted as Shawn Michaels with theNational Wrestling Alliance's (NWA)Mid-South Wrestling territory on October 16, 1984, againstArt Crews, losing to Crews via swinging neckbreaker. Michaels's performance in his debut match impressed many veterans, includingTerry Taylor. Michaels made his televised debut on October 20, 1984, teaming with Jim Hornet in a losing effort against the tag team ofHercules Hernandez and"Dr. Death" Steve Williams.[18]
In January 1985, he debuted forWorld Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), the NWA territory inDallas, Texas. In April 1985, Michaels went to work for another NWA territory in Kansas City calledCentral States Wrestling.[19] There, he and tag team partnerMarty Jannetty defeated The Batten Twins for theNWA Central States Tag Team Championship, later losing it back to the Battens.[10]
After leaving Kansas City, he returned toTexas to wrestle forTexas All-Star Wrestling (TASW).[1] During his time with TASW, Michaels replacedNick Kiniski in theAmerican Breedtag team, teaming withPaul Diamond. Michaels and Diamond were awarded theTASW Tag Team Championship byChavo Guerrero Sr.[10] The team was later renamed American Force.[20] While in TASW, Michaels and Diamond feuded withJapanese Force.[citation needed]
Michaels made his national-level debut, as Sean Michaels, at the age of 20 in theAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA), in a victory over Buddhakhan on ESPN. He was once again teamed with Marty Jannetty, billed asThe Midnight Rockers. The Midnight Rockers won theAWA World Tag Team Championship, defeatingDoug Somers andBuddy Rose.[4]
In 1987, The Rockers were signed by a competing promotion: theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF).[4] They were fired from WWF two weeks later, for a bar incident (a misunderstanding, according to Michaels's autobiography).[4][21] They then returned to AWA, where they won the AWA tag team titles for a second time,[10] but were re-signed by WWF a year later.[21]
The Rockers redebuted at a WWFlive event on July 7, 1988.[22] Due to WWF chairmanVince McMahon's desire to have his performers carry WWF-exclusive ring names, Michaels and Jannetty were renamed, as simplyThe Rockers.[1] The team proved popular with both children and women[4] and was a mid-card stalwart of television andpay-per-view shows for the next two years.[23] During this time, Michaels headlined his first pay-per-view for the WWF when The Rockers were involved in the 4-on-4Survivor Series match main event ofSurvivor Series on November 23, 1989, which they won.[24]
On October 30, 1990, The Rockers unofficially won theWWF Tag Team Championship fromThe Hart Foundation (Bret Hart andJim Neidhart), as Neidhart, half of the championship team, was in the process of negotiating his release from the company.[23] The match was taped with The Rockers winning the title, but soon after Neidhart came to an agreement with management and was rehired.[23] The championship was returned to the Hart Foundation, while the title change was never broadcast or even acknowledged on television (though The Rockers did have a successful title defense on November 3, 1990, againstPower and Glory (Hercules andPaul Roma) before the title was returned to the Hart Foundation).[23] When news spread, WWF explained that the original result was void due to a collapsedturnbuckle in the ring during the bout. A buckle had indeed broken, but not to a noticeable or dangerous extent during the match.[1] The Rockers continued their partnership, eventually splitting on December 2, 1991, aired January 11, 1992, on Wrestling Challenge, during an incident onBrutus Beefcake's televisedBarber Shop talk showpromotional segment.[25] Michaelssuperkicked Jannetty andthrew him through aglass window on the set of Beefcake's talk show.[4][26] Jannetty returned to the WWF the following year and enjoyed moderate success before leaving the company in 1994, while Michaels became a prominent villain of the early to mid-1990s as "The Boy Toy".[25]
At the suggestion ofCurt Hennig, Michaels adopted the nickname "The Heartbreak Kid".[4] Along with his new name came a newgimmick as a vain, cockyvillain.[27] He was put together with mirror-carryingmanager,Sensational Sherri, who according to the storyline had become infatuated with him.[25] Sherri even sang the first version of his newtheme music, "Sexy Boy".[1] During that period, after Michaels had wrestled his scheduled match at live events, his departure was announced with "Shawn Michaels has left the building", alluding to the phrase "Elvis has left the building".[28]
AtWrestleMania VIII on April 5, 1992, Michaels defeatedTito Santana in his first pay-per-view singles match after both men had simultaneously eliminated each other from that year'sRoyal Rumble.[29] Michaels subsequently became a contender to the promotion's singles titles and failed to win theWWF Championship from championRandy Savage in his first opportunity to compete for that title at British eventUK Rampage, held on April 19 at theSheffield Arena and broadcast onSky Movies Plus[30] (the match later aired in the US on the edition of June 15 ofPrime Time Wrestling).[31] Michaels was also unable to win theIntercontinental Championship from Bret Hart in the WWF's firstladder match at aWrestling Challenge taping on July 21, which was subsequently made available on multipleColiseum/WWE Home Video releases.[32][33] However, he won the title fromThe British Bulldog onSaturday Night's Main Event XXXI, which aired on November 14.[34] He faced Hart for the WWF Championship atSurvivor Series on November 25, but lost the match.[35] Originally the secondary main event, Michaels and Hart became the primary main event afterThe Ultimate Warrior was unable to compete and was replaced by Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig) in the tag team match that involved Randy Savage against the team ofRic Flair andRazor Ramon.[36] During this time, Michaels and Sherri split and he engaged himself in a feud with former tag team partner Marty Jannetty.[4] Michaels lost the Intercontinental Championship to Jannetty on the May 17, 1993, episode ofRaw,[34] but regained it on June 6 with the help of his debuting "bodyguard" (and off-air friend)Diesel.[1][34]
In September 1993, Michaels was suspended for testing positive forsteroid – a charge he never admitted.[37] On WWF programs, his suspension was explained by his having neglected to defend the title often enough. After turning downWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW)'s advances, Michaels returned to the WWF and made several appearances in theUnited States Wrestling Association (USWA) during a WWF/USWA cross-promotion. He returned on November 24 atSurvivor Series, substituting forJerry Lawler, who was dealing with legal issues, in a match pitting himself and three of Lawler's "Knights" against the Hart brothers, Bret,Bruce,Keith andOwen.[38]
In 1994, Michaels entered arivalry with Razor Ramon, who had won the vacant Intercontinental Championship during Michaels's absence.[39] Since Michaels had never been defeated in the ring for the title, he claimed to be the rightful champion and even carried around his old title belt.[39] This feud culminated in a ladder match between the two on March 20 atWrestleMania X.[39] Michaels lost the match, which featured both his and Ramon's championship belts suspended above a ladder in the ring.[38][39] This match was voted by fans as "Match of the Year" byPro Wrestling Illustrated.[4] It also received a five-star rating fromWrestling Observer Newsletter editorDave Meltzer. Over the next few months, Michaels battled various injuries and launched theHeartbreak Hotel television talk show segment, mainly shown onSuperstars.[40]
On August 28, Michaels and Diesel won the WWF Tag Team Championship fromThe Headshrinkers (Samu andFatu).[41] The next day atSummerSlam, Diesel lost the Intercontinental Championship to Ramon when Michaels accidentally superkicked Diesel.[38] This triggered a split between the two, a storyline that was drawn out untilSurvivor Series on November 24.[42] Michaels won theRoyal Rumble on January 22, 1995,[43] which set up a championship grudge match on April 2 atWrestleMania XI against Diesel (who had gone on to win the WWF Championship fromBob Backlund).[43] As part of the storyline, Michaels recruitedSid as his bodyguard for the build-up, lost the match[44] and was attacked by Sid the following night.[45] This would result in him becoming afan favorite.[46] After this, Michaels took time off[45]
Michaels returned to the ring as a fan favorite in May 1995 and defeatedJeff Jarrett to win his third Intercontinental Championship on July 24 atIn Your House 2: The Lumberjacks.[4][47] This led to a title defense against Razor Ramon on August 27 atSummerSlam in a ladder match, which Michaels won.[4] Around this time, Michaels became the leader of a backstage group known asThe Kliq.[4] Critics perceive the group to have sufficient clout with WWF owner Vince McMahon, becoming dominant wrestling figures in the WWF for several years in the mid-1990s, causing friction with other wrestlers. Michaels disputes the perception, saying that McMahon pushed only deserving wrestlers.[48] Michaels's fan base was later nicknamed "The Kliq" as an inside reference to the real "Kliq".[49] In October 1995, Michaels was the victim of a legit assault outside a bar inSyracuse, New York.[1] Due to not being able to compete, Michaels was forced to forfeit the Intercontinental Championship to his original opponentDean Douglas on October 22 atIn Your House: Great White North,[50] who in turn Douglas lost the championship to Razor Ramon, another member of the Kliq.[51] During a match withOwen Hart on a November episode ofRaw, Hart performed anenzuigiri that struck the back of Michaels's head.[52] They continued the match, but Michaels collapsed in the ring, supposedly because he had suffered a concussion.[1][52] The concussion was scripted, which was kept from most fans at the time.[1] A retirement angle was written so that Michaels could take some time off after he came back from an injury too soon.[1]
After teasing retirement, Michaels returned to the WWF at theRoyal Rumble match on January 21, 1996, winning for the second year in a row to receive aWWF Championship match in the main event atWrestleMania XII.[53] Around this time, Jose Lothario became Michaels's on-screen manager.[54] At WrestleMania XII on March 31, Michaels defeated WWF Champion Bret Hart in the overtime of their sixty-minuteIron Man match, which had ended in a scoreless tie.[4] On May 19, Michaels and his fellow Kliq members were involved in the incident known as "Curtain Call". Diesel and Razor Ramon were about to leave WWF to company rival WCW. After Michaels won a match against Diesel, Ramon andHunter Hearst Helmsley came to the ring and joined Michaels and Diesel in a group-hug.[55] As Diesel and Helmsley were seen as villains at the time, in contrast to Michaels and Ramon, this constituted a breach of "kayfabe", as acting out of character, which was rare and controversial at the time.[55] As WCW gained momentum due to the signings of Hall and Nash, Michaels held the championship for most of the year. AtSurvivor Series on November 17, Michaels lost the WWF Championship to Sycho Sid[56] but recaptured the title on January 19, 1997, atRoyal Rumble.[57]
On a special episode ofRaw dubbedThursday Raw Thursday, Michaels vacated the WWF Championship.[1] He explained to fans that he was informed by doctors that he had suffered a knee injury. Michaels contemplated thoughts of retirement and stated that he "had to find his smile again", which he had "lost" somewhere down the line.[58] After consulting withDr. James Andrews, who concluded that he did not need surgery, Michaels underwent four weeks of physical therapy and returned to in-ring action a few months later, briefly teaming withStone Cold Steve Austin to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.[59] In his autobiography, Michaels discusses his real-life feud with Bret Hart, claiming that Hart did interviews on live television claiming that Michaels was faking his whole injury.[60]
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By the spring of 1997, the real-life backstage conflict between Michaels and Hart was reaching its height. Both men were going out on television and frequently making personal, true to heart remarks about one another. Michaels briefly left the WWF in June of that year after a real backstage fight with Hart, just hours before aRaw Is War show, which allegedly resulted from Michaels making an on-air remark, known as the "Sunny Days" comment, implying that Hart (who was married at the time) was having an affair withTammy Sytch, a manager and valet who was signed to the WWF as Sunny. Michaels and Austin were still WWF Tag Team Champions at the time during an ongoing feud with the Hart Foundation and a tournament was made to decide new tag team champions. Michaels eventually returned that summer in July. AtSummerSlam on August 3, Michaels officiated the WWF Championship match between WWF ChampionThe Undertaker and Bret Hart.[61] The match ended controversially, with Michaels hitting The Undertaker with a chair (unintentionally, as he was aiming for Hart after he spat in his face).[61] Michaels was then forced to award the championship to his nemesis, Bret Hart.[61] The next night onRaw Is War, signs of a heel turn started to show as Michaels told the WWF fans what happened at SummerSlam was an accident and that he dealt with The Undertaker when the time came. AtWWF One Night Only, held inBirmingham, England, on September 20, Michaels defeated The British Bulldog to capture theWWF European Championship.[61][62] The fans at the event were so upset at the result of the match they booed Michaels out of the building to the extent that they littered the ring with garbage, cementing his second heel turn.[61][63] With this win, Michaels became the firstGrand Slam Champion.[2] AtIn Your House: Badd Blood on October 5, Michaels defeated The Undertaker in the firstHell in a Cell match, during which Michaels fell off the side of the 5-metre (15 ft) high structure through a table.[64]
In the fall, Michaels joined forces with real-life friend Hunter Hearst Helmsley (later known as Triple H), Helmsley's then real-life girlfriendChyna, andRick Rude to form thestableD-Generation X (DX).[65] Michaels continued his rivalry with Bret Hart and his reformedHart Foundation, which was now a pro-Canada stable. Michaels taunted the group and Canada by engaging in acts such as blowing his nose with and humping theCanadian Flag. Michaels later claimed the flag desecration was Hart's idea.[66] Michaels's feud with the Hart Foundation culminated in a WWF Championship match atSurvivor Series on November 9 against Hart. Michaels came out of this match, dubbed by fans the "Montreal Screwjob", as the WWF Champion.[67] Michaels now held both the WWF and European championships at the same time. Michaels dropped the European Championship to DX member Hunter Hearst Hemsley in afarcical match.[68]
On January 18, 1998, at theRoyal Rumble, in acasket match against The Undertaker, Michaels took aback body drop to the outside of the ring and hit his lower back on thecasket, causing him toherniate two discs and crush one completely.[4][69] Michaels went on to win the match[4] but the injury rendered him unable to compete on the following month'sNo Way Out of Texas: In Your House as advertised, and forced him into retirement a night after losing the WWF Championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin on March 29 atWrestleMania XIV.[70]
After being away for nearly four months, Michaels made a surprise return to the WWF as a guest commentator on the July 13 episode ofRaw Is War. Michaels continued to make non-wrestling appearances on WWF programming and on November 23 he replacedSgt. Slaughter as theWWF Commissioner, eventually joining Vince McMahon's group of wrestlers calledThe Corporation.[71] Throughout late 1998 and early 1999, Michaels made regular television appearances onRaw, in which he scheduled matches, throwing around his authority, and sometimes even deciding the outcome of matches.[72][73][74] On the January 4, 1999, episode ofRaw Is War, Michaels re-joined DX as a face, but disappeared from WWF television for a few weeks to have back surgery[75] and by the time he returned DX was on the way of dissolving within the next couple of months.[citation needed]
On November 23, 1999, Michaels made a special appearance forFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling at the10th Anniversary Show at theYokohama Arena, serving as the guest referee for theH vsfake Hayabusa (Mr. Gannosuke) main event. He got involved in the match when Gannosuke delivered a low blow on him and he responded later on withSweet Chin Music.[76]
Michaels made occasional appearances as the WWF Commissioner during the spring and summer of 1999, but remained absent from television after August until May 15, 2000, when he returned onRaw Is War to declare himself the special guest referee forThe Rock and Triple H's Iron Man match atJudgment Day.[77] One month later, Michaels briefly reappeared onRaw Is War to hand over the role of Commissioner toMick Foley. After one more appearance on October 9 cutting a promo with Foley on behalf The Rock, Michaels took a long hiatus from the WWE until June 2002.[78][79] He was due to return to wrestle in the next year but had to take more than a year off to recover from his drug or painkiller issues, and returned in 2002 after attending abible study and undergoing a successful rehabilitation treatment.[80][81] He appeared briefly on television to make a speech atWWF New York duringArmageddon on December 10, 2000.[82]
On April 4, 2000, Michaels returned to wrestling for a one-night appearance defeatingPaul Diamond in a bunkhouse brawl at Texas Wrestling Entertainment.[83][84]
Believing that his wrestling career was over, Michaels was interested in training individuals who wanted to become professional wrestlers.[85] He saw potential in using his name and opened the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy (later theTexas Wrestling Academy) in 1999, after hislawyer Skip McCormick suggested the idea.[85] Michaels left the academy in 2002,[85] giving co-founder Rudy Boy Gonzalez sole responsibility due to Michaels's new contract with WWE.[4] Michaels was also a sportscaster forSan Antonio's local news for a short period during his retirement.[85]
On the June 3, 2002 episode ofRaw, Michaels returned to WWE television after 18 months of absence when Kevin Nash announced him as a new member of the recently reformedNew World Order (nWo). Michaels was the only nWo member to have never worked in WCW.[86] After the nWo had disbanded, Triple H appeared to make amends with Michaels. This was solidified when Michaels pleaded Triple H to return toRaw.[87] Later on, they came down to the ring sporting their DX music and attire. When the pair was about to perform their trademark "Suck It" taunt, Triple H turned on Michaels by performing aPedigree on him.[87] Continuing the angle, in his first WWE match since WrestleMania XIV, Michaels defeated Triple H atSummerSlam on August 25, but was attacked by Triple H with asledgehammer after the match.[88] AtSurvivor Series on November 17, Michaels won theWorld Heavyweight Championship from Triple H in the firstElimination Chamber match.[89] On December 15 atArmageddon, he lost the championship to Triple H in aThree Stages of Hell match.[90]
Michaels then began a rivalry withChris Jericho, after Jericho claimed that he was the next Shawn Michaels.[91] On the January 13, 2003 episode ofRaw, after Jericho won abattle royal to select his entry number for theRoyal Rumble match, choosing number two in order to start the match with Michaels,[92] who had already been named number one. At theRoyal Rumble on January 19, Jericho, with the help ofChristian, eliminated Michaels. Michaels later interfered in the match, causing Jericho to be eliminated.[93] Michaels defeated Jericho on March 30 atWrestleMania XIX but was low-blowed after hugging Jericho.[94]
AtBacklash on April 27, Michaels lost to the team of Jericho, Triple H andRic Flair in a 6-man tag team. This led to a match between Michaels and Flair atBad Blood on June 15, which Flair won. Following this, Michaels continued feuding with the members of Triple H's faction Evolution. He was unsuccessful in capturing the World Heavyweight Championship atSummerSlam on August 24 with Triple H retaining in the second Elimination Chamber match. He then lost toRandy Orton atUnforgiven on September 21. AtArmageddon on December 14, Michaels defeated the group's enforcerBatista.[95]
On the December 29 episode ofRaw, Michaels seemingly defeated Triple H after a Sweet Chin Music for the World Heavyweight Championship in his hometown ofSan Antonio, Texas, withEric Bischoff as the special guest referee (Earl Hebner originally refereed the match, only to be knocked out by Triple H in the middle of the match). However, Bischoff reversed the decision due to both men's shoulders being on the mat. Angered by this, Michaels attacked Ric Flair and Bischoff. He was subsequently fired by Bischoff but rehired by Stone Cold Steve Austin.[96]
As a part of an ongoing feud with Triple H, the two competed alongsideChris Benoit in the main event on March 14, 2004, atWrestleMania XX for the World Heavyweight Championship, which Benoit won.[97] The night before this, Michaels inducted Tito Santana in the WWE Hall of Fame. A triple threat WrestleMania rematch for the title took place on April 18 atBacklash, where Benoit successfully retained it after forcing Michaels to submit to a Sharpshooter.[98] Due to the "Montreal Screwjob" incident, theEdmonton crowd booed Michaels, with chants of "You screwed Bret!" being heard during his match at Backlash.[99] AtBad Blood on June 13, Michaels lost to Triple H in the longest Hell in a Cell match in history.[97] Four months later, he lost a World Heavyweight Championship match against Triple H, afterEdge interfered on October 19 atTaboo Tuesday, when the fans voted for him ahead of Edge and Chris Benoit to face Triple H one more time.[100] Following this, Michaels was out of action for a few months with alegit tornmeniscus.[2][101]
At theRoyal Rumble on January 30, 2005, after losing to Edge, Michaels competed in the Royal Rumble match and eliminatedKurt Angle. In seeking revenge, Angle re-entered the ring and eliminated Michaels, and thus placed him in anankle lock submission hold, outside the ring.[102] Michaels issued a challenge to Angle for a match atWrestleMania 21, which Angle accepted when he appeared onRaw to attack Michaels.[103] The following week onRaw, Marty Jannetty and Michaels had a one time reunion as The Rockers and defeatedLa Résistance (Robért Conway andSylvain Grenier).[104] Three days later onSmackDown!, Angle defeated Jannetty, after Angle made Jannetty submit to the ankle lock.[105] To send a "message" to Michaels, Angle also humiliated Michaels's former manager, Sensational Sherri, when he applied the ankle lock hold on her.[106] At WrestleMania on April 3, Angle defeated Michaels by submission, again with an ankle lock.[102]
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The next night onRaw,Muhammad Hassan andDaivari came out to confront and assault Michaels.[107] On the April 11 episode ofRaw, Michaels approachedGeneral ManagerEric Bischoff, in which he demanded ahandicap match with Hassan and Daivari. Bischoff refused to schedule such a match and instead told Michaels to find a partner. Michaels then made a plea forHulk Hogan to come back and team with him.[108] On the April 18 episode ofRaw, Hassan again led an attack on Michaels until Hogan appeared to save Michaels and accept his offer.[109] AtBacklash on May 1, Hogan and Michaels defeated Hassan and Daivari.[110] Later, in a WrestleMania rematch, Michaels defeated Kurt Angle (who was drafted to Raw in thedraft lottery) on June 26 atVengeance.[111] On the July 4 episode ofRaw, after defeatingCarlito and Kurt Angle, Michaels hit Hogan with hisSweet Chin Music, knocking Hogan to the ground and turning heel.[112] The following week onRaw, Michaels appeared onPiper's Pit where he superkickedRoddy Piper and then challenged Hogan to a match atSummerSlam, which Hogan accepted the following week.[113][114] Hogan defeated Michaels at SummerSlam on August 21, and after the match Michaels extended his hand to him, saying "I needed to know, and I found out" and he and Hogan shook hands. Michaels left the ring to allow Hogan to celebrate with the crowd, turning face once again.[115] He became the first person to cleanly defeatChris Masters on September 18 atUnforgiven withSweet Chin Music.[116] On the October 3WWE Homecoming episode ofRaw, he wrestled old rival Kurt Angle to a 2–2 draw in a30-Minute Iron Man match. Afterwards, he challenged Angle to sudden-death overtime, but Angle refused and walked out.[117] He was part of Team Raw atSurvivor Series on November 27, but lost the match to Team SmackDown!.[118]
On the December 26 episode ofRaw, Vince McMahon lauded Michaels for his part in the "Montreal Screwjob". Michaels said he was only being loyal to his company, he had moved on, and McMahon should move on as well. McMahon then began setting unusual stipulations for Michaels' matches and interfering on behalf of Michaels' opponents.[119] On January 29, 2006, at theRoyal Rumble, McMahon made his way to the ring, and as Michaels stared at McMahon,Shane McMahon made a surprise appearance to eliminate Michaels.[120] On the February 13 episode ofRaw, McMahon unsuccessfully forced Michaels to sign retirement papers.[121] The following week, Michaels won a handicap match against theSpirit Squad (Kenny,Johnny,Mitch,Nicky andMikey), after which Michaels's former partner, Marty Jannetty, saved him from the assault by the Spirit Squad. After the two reunited, McMahon offered Jannetty a contract if he "kissed his ass."[122] The following week, Jannetty refused McMahon's offer and instead took Chris Masters's "Masterlock challenge."[123] Michaels tried to help Jannetty, which ultimately resulted in Shane attacking Michaels and forcing him to kiss his father's behind.[123] On March 18 atSaturday Night's Main Event XXXII, Shane defeated Michaels in aStreet Fight after he applied a sharpshooter on Michaels, leading to McMahon ordering for the bell to be rung though Michaels did not submit, which was an allusion to the "Montreal Screwjob".[124] Despite interference from the Spirit Squad and Shane, Michaels defeated McMahon on April 2 atWrestleMania 22 in aNo Holds Barred match.[121] AtBacklash on April 30,The McMahons (Vince and Shane) defeated Michaels and "God" with help from the Spirit Squad in a no disqualification tag team match.[125] On the May 22 episode ofRaw, the Spirit Squad was scripted to injure Michaels's knee.[126] This angle was written so Michaels could have surgery on his knee, which had been legitimately injured for some time.[127]
In 2006, a series of events took place which suggested a reunion of Michaels and Triple H as DX. They began at WrestleMania 22, where both Michaels and Triple H performed the crotch chop during their matches.[121] OnRaw, the two continued to deliver chops, as Michaels feuded with Vince McMahon and Triple H went to challengeJohn Cena for theWWE Championship, repeatedly butting heads with Vince McMahon in the process. On the June 12 episode ofRaw, DX officially reunited.[128] During Triple H'sgauntlet match, which had him compete against the Spirit Squad. Michaels came in to help Triple H, and the two did the DX "crotch chops."[128] On June 25 atVengeance, DX defeated the Spirit Squad in a 5–on–2handicap match.[129] They also defeated the Spirit Squad on July 15 atSaturday Night's Main Event XXXIII in a 5-on-2 elimination match and defeated The McMahons on August 20 atSummerSlam.[130] AtUnforgiven on September 17, DX defeated the McMahons andECW World ChampionThe Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match, ending the feud.[131]
AtCyber Sunday on November 5, DX lost toRated-RKO (Edge andRandy Orton) after fan-selected referee Eric Bischoff allowed the illegal use of a steel chair to give Rated-RKO the ill-gotten win and the plaudit of being the first tag team to defeat DX in a tag team match since their reformation in June 2006.[132] On November 26 atSurvivor Series, Team DX emerged victorious against Team Rated-RKO in a clean sweep victory.[133] AtNew Year's Revolution on January 7, 2007, Triple H suffered alegit torn rightquadriceps during their match with Rated-RKO.[134] Rated-RKO claimed victory over DX, citing Triple H's injury, as the "end" of DX.[135] On the January 15 episode ofRaw, Michaels lived up to his word of "dealing" with Rated-RKO, from his comments the previous week before,[136][137] when he took out Randy Orton with acon-chair-to after a handicap match against Edge and Orton.[138] At theRoyal Rumble on January 28, Michaels was the last man eliminated in the Royal Rumble match by the winner of the match, The Undertaker.[139]
On the January 29 episode ofRaw, Michaels captured theWorld Tag Team Championship with WWE ChampionJohn Cena after defeating Rated-RKO.[140] AtWrestleMania 23 on April 1, Cena retained the WWE Championship against Michaels after making him submit to theSTFU.[141] The next night onRaw, Michaels and Cena competed in two back-to-back ten team battle royals, winning the first and losing the World Tag Team Championship in the second toThe Hardys (Matt andJeff) when Michaels threw Cena over the top rope.[142] Michaels faced off with Cena, Edge and Randy Orton in afatal four-way match on April 29 atBacklash for the WWE Championship, where Cena retained the title after Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music on Cena, causing him to fall on Orton for the pinfall.[143]
Michaels then entered a feud with Randy Orton when Orton claimed that he could beat Michaels.[144] The week before their scheduled match on May 20 atJudgment Day, after Michaels won a match against then-World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Orton attacked him bypunting Michaels in the head.[144] Orton assaulted Michaels again prior to their match at Judgment Day, interrupting Michaels's interview segment.[145] Michaels collapsed during their match, causing Orton to win by referee stoppage.[145] Orton continued the beating and performed anRKO to a fallen Michaels, who was removed out of the ring in a stretcher.[145] During the feud, Michaels suffered a storyline concussion. This injury was used to keep Michaels out of action, as he required surgery for his knee.[146] Michaels made his return on the October 8 episode ofRaw, performing Sweet Chin Music to newly crowned WWE Champion Randy Orton during his title ceremony at the end of the show and then celebrating over the knocked-out champion as Vince McMahon watched.[147] On October 28 atCyber Sunday, Michaels was voted by the fans to face Orton for the WWE Championship, though he won via disqualification when Orton hit Michaels with alow blow, which resulted in Orton retaining the championship.[148] Michaels got another opportunity at the WWE Championship, when he was granted his rematch against Orton on November 18 atSurvivor Series.[149] In their match, Michaels was banned from using Sweet Chin Music upon request by Orton, referring to as Michaels superkicking Orton week after week.[150] Michaels lost the match, when Orton performed an RKO for the win, which ended their feud.[149]
Michaels defeated and ended Ric Flair's career in aCareer Threatening match on March 30, 2008, atWrestleMania XXIV.[151] Afterwards,Batista confronted Michaels about his actions at WrestleMania, calling him selfish and egotistical.[152] On April 27 atBacklash, with Chris Jericho as theguest referee, Michaels defeated Batista.[153] Jericho then confronted Michaels, in which he admitted to faking a knee injury in order to defeat Batista.[154] Michaels defeated Jericho on May 18 atJudgment Day.[155] AtOne Night Stand on June 1, Michaels lost to Batista in astretcher match.[156] On the June 9 episode ofRaw, Michaels was attacked by Chris Jericho during his talk show segment,The Highlight Reel, being thrown directly through a television screen.[157] The following week, it was revealed that, within the context of the storyline, Michaels had suffered a detached retina.[158] On July 20 atThe Great American Bash, Jericho defeated Michaels by referee stoppage after assaulting Michaels's eyes.[158]
AtSummerSlam on August 17, Michaels announced his retirement from professional wrestling. That night, Jericho punched Michaels's wife in the face.[159] On the August 25 episode ofRaw, Michaels renounced his retirement and challenged Jericho to an unsanctioned match atUnforgiven on September 7, which Jericho accepted.[160] The next week, they had a contract signing for the match and were involved in a brawl, causing a legit small triceps tear for Michaels.[161][162] He was medically cleared to compete at Unforgiven, and beat Jericho so severely that the referee called the match, making Michaels the winner.[163] Later that night, Jericho replacedCM Punk in theWorld Heavyweight Championship scramble match, and won the title.[163] On October 5 atNo Mercy, Michaels was defeated by Jericho in a ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship.[164]
In December, having lost his family's savings due to the global recession, Michaels grudgingly accepted a one-year general employment contract fromJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL).[165] After failing to help JBL win the World Heavyweight Championship from John Cena on January 25, 2009, at theRoyal Rumble,[166] and being derided for it, Michaels agreed to face JBL in "All or Nothing" match atNo Way Out on February 15,[167] which Michaels won thus letting him out of his contract early while still receiving full payment.[168]
On the March 2 episode ofRaw, Michaels became the first person to defeatVladimir Kozlov, and so earned a match with The Undertaker atWrestleMania 25 on April 5,[169] which he lost thus extending The Undertaker'sWrestleMania winning streak to 17–0.[170][171] Their match was highly acclaimed by critics and audiences alike and is now considered by many to be one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time.[172] After WrestleMania, Michaels took a four-month hiatus from WWE.[173]
Michaels returned to WWE programming in a series of segments that aired on the August 10 episode ofRaw, where he had,in storyline, left the WWE. Triple H met with Michaels at an office cafeteria in Texas where he was working as a chef; throughout the segments, Triple H tried to convince Michaels to return to WWE and reform DX. After several incidents during the segments, Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to faceThe Legacy (Cody Rhodes andTed DiBiase) atSummerSlam on August 23,[174] where DX defeated Legacy.[175] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 13, DX defeatedJeri-Show (Chris Jericho andBig Show) to win theUnified WWE Tag Team Championship in aTables, Ladders, and Chairs match (TLC).[176] On the January 4, 2010, episode ofRaw, Michaels buried the hatchet with long-time rivalBret Hart, as they shook hands and hugged in the ring. In contrast to the storylines featured on the show, this was in fact a legitimate reconciliation which laid to rest animosities surrounding theMontreal Screwjob. While some cast doubts on its sincerity, both men have confirmed that it was indeed genuine.[177][178] DX lost the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in a triple threat match to the team ofThe Miz and Big Show on the February 8 episode ofRaw; the match also included TheStraight Edge Society (CM Punk andLuke Gallows).[179] On February 21 atElimination Chamber, Michaels cost The Undertaker theWorld Heavyweight Championship in the main event.[180] AtWrestleMania XXVI on March 28, Michaelslost to The Undertaker and, as a result, he was forced to retire due to the match stipulation, the same way Michaels ended Ric Flair's career.[181] The following night, on the March 29 episode ofRaw, Michaels gave an emotional farewell speech, departing with the familiar sentence, "Shawn Michaelshas left the building."[182]
In an interview withBill Simmons ofESPN.com shortly after his retirement, Michaels stated that his decision to retire came a month before WrestleMania 25, when a backstage employee asked about his son Cameron, and, in response to Shawn telling the employee that he'd just turned nine, the employee said that he was "halfway gone"; meaning that he was halfway to his eighteenth birthday, and after that, he'd be "gone". The statement affected Michaels deeply; he did not want to be absent when his son left home, so he decided that year would be his last year as an active wrestler.[183]
On the December 13 episode ofRaw, Michaels won theSlammy Award for Moment of the Year for his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI and accepted it via satellite.[184] Three days later, he announced a long-term deal with WWE, where he would serve in an ambassadorial role.[185] Michaels made his in-person television return at the December 11Tribute to the Troops taping, where he and Triple H had a one-night only DX reunion.[186]
Michaels appeared on the January 10, 2011, episode ofRaw, where he was announced as aWWE Hall of Fameclass of 2011 inductee. After being ridiculed byAlberto Del Rio later that night, Michaels hit Del Rio withSweet Chin Music.[187] On the March 28 episode ofRaw, Michaels addressed Triple H and The Undertaker about their match atWrestleMania XXVII.[188] Michaels was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 2 by Triple H. They were also joined by fellowKliq membersKevin Nash (who had returned to WWE for theRoyal Rumble) andSean Waltman.[189] He returned on the June 27 episode ofRaw, where he was confronted byCM Punk, and superkickedDavid Otunga andMichael McGillicutty. Later that night, whenDiamond Dallas Page's special appearance was interrupted byDrew McIntyre, he superkicked McIntyre.[190]
In June 2011, Jim Ross, Michaels and Hart announced that the three were working on a DVD chronicling the careers of Hart and Michaels that the WWE was planning to release in October 2011. The subject of the DVD was their on-screen rivalry and real-life conflicts, with a particular focus on the Montreal Screwjob. In his tweet, Hart described working on the DVD as a "cathartic" experience, and Ross asserted that both Hart and Michaels had been very honest and emotional in their interviews. The DVD,Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart: WWE's Greatest Rivalries, was released in November 2011.[191]
On the February 13, 2012, episode ofRaw SuperShow, Michaels confronted Triple H about accepting The Undertaker's challenge for aHell in a Cell match on April 1 atWrestleMania XXVIII, and announced he would be the special guest referee for it.[192] Michaels appeared on the August 6 episode ofRaw where he was confronted byBrock Lesnar,[193] who (kayfabe) broke Michaels's arm after putting it in aKimura Lock the following week.[194] On the April 1, 2013, episode ofRaw, Michaels returned to offer to corner Triple H in his match with Brock Lesnar on April 7 atWrestleMania 29.[195] During that match, Michaels superkicked an interfering Paul Heyman, helping Triple H win and keep his job.[196]
AtHell in a Cell on October 27, Michaels served as the special guest referee for the vacant WWE Championship Hell in a Cell match betweenDaniel Bryan and Randy Orton, performing Sweet Chin Music on Bryan so Orton could win.[197]
On April 3, 2016, atWrestleMania 32, Michaels made an appearance during the event in his in-ring attire, confrontingThe League of Nations alongsideMick Foley andStone Cold Steve Austin, where Michaels delivered Sweet Chin Music toAlberto Del Rio andKing Barrett before celebrating with Foley, Austin andThe New Day.[198] In late 2016, Michaels became a trainer at theWWE Performance Center.[199] According toPro Wrestling Torch in 2017, Michaels along withTerry Taylor teach the finishing class at the Performance Center, the last of four levels of classes.[200] He appeared on the January 9, 2017, episode ofRaw to promotehis new film. He was then confronted byRusev,Lana andJinder Mahal, beforeEnzo Amore andBig Cass came to Michaels's side, leading to a match between Big Cass and Mahal, which Cass won after Michaels superkicked Rusev at ringside, distracting Mahal.[201] On the March 13 episode ofRaw, Michaels gaveRoman Reigns advice aboutThe Undertaker for their match atWrestleMania 33, beforeBraun Strowman attacked Reigns on the entrance ramp.[202] He was one of the many WWE legends who appeared on the January 22, 2018, episode ofRaw 25 Years.[203]
AtSuper Show-Down on October 6, Michaels assisted Triple H in defeating The Undertaker, after which, he was attacked by The Undertaker andKane.[204] On the following episode ofRaw, Michaels appeared with Triple H, announcing that he was coming out of retirement for one final match and reformingD-Generation X.[205] On November 2 atCrown Jewel, D-Generation X defeatedThe Brothers of Destruction.[206] The match was poorly received by fans and critics alike, winning theWrestling Observer Newsletter's "Worst Match of the Year" award, although PWTorch's Wade Keller considered that "Michaels shows glimpses and didn't embarrass himself".[207]
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In November 2018, Michaels announced he was officially working as a writer and producer onWWE'sNXT brand and show, under former D-Generation X cohort Paul Levesque.[208] In April 2019, Michaels was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for a second time, this time as a member of D-Generation X.[209] He appeared atSurvivor Series on November 22, 2020, during The Undertaker's retirement ceremony.[210] In September 2021, Levesque stepped away from the brand after experiencing a "cardiac incident". Michaels, in his role as Vice President of Talent Development, took over responsibility for the running of the NXT shows.[211] In September 2022, his job title was confirmed as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, responsible for both creative and development at NXT, and for the expansion of NXT UK into NXT Europe in 2023.[6]
On January 23, 2023, atRaw is XXX, Michaels again reunited with D-Generation X (withoutBilly Gunn, as he was no longer under contract with WWE) until they and Kurt Angle were confronted byImperium (Gunther,Ludwig Kaiser, andGiovanni Vinci).[212]
Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.[213][214] Ric Flair has called Michaels the greatest in-ring performer of all time.[215] Michaels received praise for several matches, including 15 Match of the Year awards between Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Also, his match at WrestleMania 24 against Ric Flair was named Match of the Decade by the Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Dave Meltzer gave him two 5 stars matches (the Ladder match against Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X and the first Hell in a Cell against The Undertaker at Bad Blood 1997). After several acclaimed matches at WrestleMania, Michaels has been known as Mr. WrestleMania.[216][217] Sumit Rehal of Independent UK in his top 10 WrestleMania matches listed Michaels 3 times (vs Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X, vs Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII and vs The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV).[218] In 2016, Dave Richard of CBS Sports ranked his match against Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV as the best main event in WrestleMania history.[219]
His rivalry with Bret Hart has been named one of the best rivalries in WWE history.[220]
His near hourlong match withJohn Cena on the April 23, 2007, episode of WWE's longest weekly showMonday Night Raw is widely regarded as the greatest match inRaw's history.[221][222][223][224]
Michaels is cited as an inspiration for many wrestlers such asChris Jericho,[225]Kevin Owens,[217]Seth Rollins,[226]Johnny Gargano,[227]Adam Cole and numerous other wrestlers.[228]
Hickenbottom's first marriage, to Theresa Wood, soon ended in an amicably settled divorce.[229] He married Rebecca Curci, a former WCWNitro Girl known as Whisper, at theGraceland Wedding Chapel inLas Vegas on March 31, 1999.[230] Only the couple and anElvis impersonator were present. They have a son named Cameron Kade (born January 15, 2000) and a daughter named Cheyenne (born August 19, 2004).[231][232]
In 1996, Hickenbottom posed for a non-nude layout inPlaygirl. Only after he posed did he discoverPlaygirl has a mostlyhomosexual readership, for which some of his fellow wrestlers teased him.[233]
Hickenbottom isambidextrous, using his left hand for writing and his right hand for drawing. As a wrestler, he typically kicked with his right leg when performing his finishing move, but used either arm for his signature elbow drop. He had trouble differentiating between right and left, which affected his football games as a child.[13]
In 1987, Hickenbottom developed a pattern of "heavy"substance abuse, which eventually alienated some of his closest friends, and may have explained his reputation for being difficult to work with during the 1990s.[234][235][236] Hecontemplated suicide in the late 1980s, and suggested thatpsychological intervention was "probably sorely needed" by the late 1990s. His wife Rebecca observed, "There was something in him that he despised, and he was self-destructing." He abandoned his drink-and-drugs lifestyle in 2002 out of fear that he would negatively influence his then 2-year-old son.[1]
Hickenbottom became aborn-again Christian on April 24, 2002.[237] He was raised aCatholic, but became anon-denominational Christian because of his wife's beliefs.[1] His later ring attire often incorporatedcross symbols and he made a praying gesture on his knees during ring entrances. He was in the audience for a televised service ofJohn Hagee's Cornerstone Church in his hometown of San Antonio, where he is also a Bible teacher.[1] In 2008, he appeared on aTrinity Broadcasting Network program with fellow wrestlerSting.[238]
Hickenbottom is also a long time fan of theSan Antonio Spurs, he's attended home games since the late 1970s and had season tickets for the 1998-1999 lockout shortenedNational Basketball Association season as the Spurs won their first NBA Championship in franchise history during that time.
Michaels was the host of the outdoor television show,Shawn Michaels' MacMillan River Adventures, in which he and his longtime friend, Keith Mark, owner and operator of the original MacMillan River Adventures camp inYukon,Canada, hunted big-game animals around the world. This series aired on CarbonTV.[239]
During their2015–16 season, thePittsburgh Penguins of theNational Hockey League named aline, consisting ofCarl Hagelin,Nick Bonino andPhil Kessel, the "HBK Line" due to the fact that the trio's first initials, of their last names, recall Michaels's "Heartbreak Kid" moniker.[240] Pens' game-day staff would regularly play Michaels's theme "Sexy Boy" over theConsol Energy Center PA system after goals or excellent shifts by line members.
After weeks of having fun with Penguins fans onTwitter, the team officially invited Michaels for theirEastern ConferenceFinals Game 5 matchup with theTampa Bay Lightning (whose fanbase contains a sizable number of pro wrestlers, includingHulk Hogan andTitus O'Neil, due to Tampa long being a home base for many wrestlers), upon which Michaels accepted. Michaels met with Penguins' ownerMario Lemieux and sat with formerPittsburgh Steelers's defensive linemanBrett Keisel during the game. Keisel also gave Michaels a tour of the city including at the Steelers headquarters and having lunch atPrimanti Brothers in the city'sStrip District.[241] The Penguins lost the game in overtime 4–3 but went on to defeat the Lightning in the series and advance to theStanley Cup Finals, eventually defeating theSan Jose Sharks for theStanley Cup.
Outside of his numerous appearances with WWE, it was not Michaels first visit toPittsburgh. In 2013, he appeared at the opening of the firstField & Stream store in suburbanCranberry Township.[242]
While the Penguins successfully defended their Stanley Cup championshipthe following year, the HBK Line was broken up when Kessel was moved to the 2nd line withEvgeni Malkin and Bonino left the team in free agency.
On February 10, 2015, Hickenbottom published an autobiography entitledWrestling for My Life: The Legend, the Reality, and the Faith of a WWE Superstar. It was co-written by David Thomas.[243]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | The Resurrection of Gavin Stone | Doug | Debut |
| Pure Country: Pure Heart | Ted | ||
| 2018 | Avengers of Justice: Farce Wars | Incredible Master Yoga | |
| The Marine 6: Close Quarters | Luke Trapper | ||
| 2019 | 90 Feet from Home | James Devine | |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Baywatch | Vinnie | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Pacific Blue | Michael Shane | 2 episodes |
.jpg)
10.8.1984
Michaels, who brought Degeneration X along with him, was later betrayed by his comrades, when he was locked out of the building and pounded by the corporate thugs. That allows Michaels to be absent for awhile [sic] and he'll have back surgery.
4.4.2000
The Black and White seemed complete after Kevin Nash announced the New World Order's latest recruitment at the June 3Raw: the king of WWE "Attitude," Shawn Michaels!
Michaels, often considered the greatest in-ring talent ever...
This list was voted on by current WWE Super Stars. They asked every Super Star to rate their favorite performers of all time... 1) Shawn Michaels.
Michaels was the greatest all-around wrestler of all time.
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
