AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT SHAWN MICHAELS' CAREER

The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels’ track record speaks for itself. The Showstopper’s career in World Wrestling Entertainment is legendary, as he has accumulated enough hardware to make just about any other WWE Superstar jealous. Michaels was the first-ever Grand Slam Champion, capturing the European Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship three times and the World Championship four times.

But HBK’s success didn’t just fall on his lap. Although the success didn’t happen over night, the 6 foot 1, 225 pounder from San Antonio, Texas knew he wanted to be a professional wrestler since he was 12 years old after he had seen his first match.

Michaels’ athletic career began back when he was six years old when he started playing football. He became a stand out linebacker and was a captain on his high school team. After graduating, he attended Southwest Texas State University, but he soon realized that college wasn’t the path he wanted to follow. Michaels quickly realized it was time to begin chasing his dream of becoming a WWE Superstar.

Michaels began his training under the tutelage of Jose Lothario. After a few months of training, Lothario felt that his protégé was ready for some in-ring action, and two weeks after his 19th birthday, HBK had his first match with mid South Wrestling against Art Cruz. He lost his debut match, but he improved in his second match, wrestling to a time-limit draw, and won his third match. After a stop in Kansas City, Michaels was headed back to his home state to Texas All-Star Wrestling.

It was here that he teamed up with Paul Diamond to make up the team of American Force. The combination was a successful one, as they were able to capture the Texas All-Star Tag Team Championships twice. After about three months, Michaels headed to the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA) with a friend he had met in Kansas City. That friend was Marty Jannetty who went on to become HBK’s tag team partner. The duo was dubbed the Midnight Rockers.

They quickly became one of the hottest teams in the AWA, which caught the eye of World Wrestling Entertainment. WWE invited the Midnight Rockers to a live event for a tryout. Unfortunately for the young duo, WWE officials felt the Midnight Rockers were a bit too immature at that time. The Midnight Rockers headed back to the AWA, but WWE hadn’t heard the last of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty.

While back with the AWA, the Midnight Rockers captured the Southern Tag Team Championship twice and won the AWA Tag Team Championship for a second time. All of the hardware the Midnight Rockers had been sporting again caught the eye of those with WWE, and this time Michaels and Jannetty made the most of it. They both signed contracts, dropped the “Midnight” from their name and the Rockers had been born.

Because of their high-flying abilities and their boyish good looks, the Rockers became an instant hit with both male and female fans of all ages. They made their pay-per-view debut at the 1988 Survivor Series as they teamed with The Powers of Pain, The Young Stallions, The Hart Foundation and the British Bulldogs. The Rockers were eliminated, but their team came out on top. After making their Royal Rumble debut in the 1989 Royal Rumble, the two had a classic encounter with the Twin Towers (Big Boss Man and Akeem “The African Dream”) at WrestleMania V. Their mammoth opponents proved to be just too big to handle, but the high-flyers kept the giants off balance almost the entire match making all other teams take immediate notice of their potential.

In 1990 the Rockers earned themselves a Tag Team Championship match against the Hart Foundation on an edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. The Rockers came out on top, but during the match, the top rope malfunctioned. Days after the match, it was ruled that since the rope had broken, the match as invalid, and the titles were returned to the Hart Foundation. This was the only time the Rockers would sniff gold.

The Rockers were back in the Survivor Series in 1991 teaming up with the Bushwhackers against The Nasty Boys and The Beverly Brothers. After the Bushwhackers were eliminated, Michaels inexplicably walked out on Jannetty. He later explained his actions by saying that he had been carrying the team and was fed up about it. A couple months later, the two met on a segment of the Barber Shop to try an iron out their differences. Just when it appeared that the Rockers were back together, Michaels threw Jannetty head-first through one of the glass windows. The Rockers were no more.

The breakup of the Rockers was the end of a successful tag team career for Michaels, but it also meant the birth of a singles career that would propel The Showstopper to new heights. Michaels promptly added Sensational Sherri as his manager, and on Oct. 27, 1992, he dethroned the British Bulldog as Intercontinental Champion. By the time the Royal Rumble rolled around in January of 1993, Jannetty was fully recovered and had revenge on his mind. The two squared off at the pay-per-view, and during the match Jannetty was all set to smash a mirror over HBK’s head for the ultimate pay back. Michaels shoved Sherri in front of him, allowing her to take the full blow to the head. Even though Michaels retained the title, Sherri left him for Jannetty after that.

After losing Sherri, Michaels had a void to fill by his side. Instead of going for an attractive and cunning sidekick, HBK employed the services of Diesel, a man who epitomized brute force. Michaels was forced to drop his Intercontinental Championship due to the fact that he had not defended it within 30 days, but at WrestleMania X, Michaels returned and faced Razor Ramon in the first-ever pay-per-view Ladder Match for the title. The Ladder Match is one that is still talked about today as one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time. After brutalizing each other with innovative moves that had never been seen before, Razor Ramon came out on top.

But the Showstopper wouldn’t let himself stay down for long. Michaels and Diesel picked off the Headshrinkers for the World Tag Team Championship. Three years after the Rockers had broken up, Michaels enjoyed his first Tag Team Championship reign. Soon after, Diesel defeated Bob Backland for the WWE Championship, and the pair had to give up the tag straps, so Michaels was back to focusing on his singles career.

And what better way to get back into the WWE Championship hunt than make a big splash at the Royal Rumble. In 1995, Michaels entered the January classic at No. 1. It seemed like he was merely being thrown to the dogs at such a number. No one had ever won after being the first participant. But HBK was out to make history. In fact, the British Bulldog had the same thoughts on his mind. The Bulldog entered at No. 2, but just as he and Michaels stood alone in the ring at the beginning of the match, when the smoke cleared, it was the same pair going toe to toe at the end of the match. After gaining the upper hand, the Bulldog clotheslined Michaels over the top rope, but only one of his feet touched the floor. Thinking that the win was his, Bulldog turned his back on Michaels and began his victory celebration. Michaels snuck back into the ring and knocked out the unsuspecting Bulldog to win his first-ever Royal Rumble.

Michaels went on to WrestleMania to compete for the WWE Championship, but his former bodyguard Diesel was able to retain. After a couple of months of feuding, the pair patched up their differences and moved onward. He went on to defeat Jeff Jarrett for his third Intercontinental Championship but was challenged soon after by a familiar foe – Razor Ramon. After their historic battle at WrestleMania X, there was only one way to settle the score: with another Ladder Match. So the two hooked up for their second Ladder Match at SummerSlam. Learning from his past mistakes, time HBK came out on top and retained his title in another classic match that arguably was even more brutal than the first.

Due to injuries, Michaels was forced to vacate the title once again after not defending within the mandatory 30 days. But it was like déjà vu all over again. Michaels came back with a vengeance and won the 1996 Royal Rumble for a second straight year. The win earned him a WWE Championship shot at WrestleMania XII against the “Excellence of Execution” Bret Hart. The two met in a 60-minute WWE Iron Man Match that stole the show. The goal was to score the most pinfalls or submissions in the allotted time, but these two WWE Superstars put forth such gutsy performances that neither competitor had notched a win in the entire 60 minutes. Hart had Michaels in the center of the ring stuck in the Sharpshooter with seconds remaining, but HBK was able to suck it up until the bell rang. President Gorilla Monsoon made his way down to ringside and informed the referee to restart the match and continue under sudden death rules. After Hart had worked on HBK’s back, Michaels came from out of nowhere and hit the Sweet Chin Music. Too tired to capitalize, Michaels got up and cued up the band one more time, which was finally enough to win his first-ever WWE Championship.

There was no rest for the weary, however, as Michaels had to start defending his title right away. Michaels proved to be one of the fightingest champions in history as he defeated the likes of Diesel, the British Bulldog, Vader, Mankind and Goldust, but Michaels’ reign of terror had to come to an end sometime. Another of Shawn’s former bodyguards, Sycho Sid, dethroned the champ at Survivor Series in 1996. With the ref knocked out of commission, Sid commandeered a television camera and hit Michaels over the head with it and then powerbombed him for the win.

Michaels regrouped, though, and again learned from his mistakes. HBK used a trick from Sid’s playbook, and also used a television camera to knock down his giant foe. The camera wasn’t enough as Sid kicked out at two, but Michaels laid him out with Sweet Chin Music for the win. Just as Michaels had to forfeit his Intercontinental Championship without defeat, Michaels relinquished the WWE WWE Championship after claiming to have lost his smile.

After months of searching, HBK found his smile, returned to WWE and formed an unlikely pairing with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Although the two shared a hatred for each other, they also shared a hatred for the Hart Foundation. They put their differences aside and went out to fight for their common cause and it led to the Showstopper’s second World Tag Team Championship reign. After their relationship deteriorated, Michaels turned to people he thought he could trust, and what happened next revolutionized World Wrestling Entertainment.

Michaels paired up with Triple H and Chyna to form D-Generation X, a group that defied authority and marched to the beat of their own drum. They employed the use of vulgarity and obscene gestures and spit in the face of those that tried to stop them. On Sept. 20 1997, Michaels defeated the British Bulldog for the European Championship, which in turn made him the first-ever winner of the Grand Slam (WWE, Intercontinental, European and Tag Team Championships) Champion.

After basically handing the European Championship to Triple H in a farce of a match, Michaels was once again focused on the WWE Championship. Little did Michaels know, though, that to become the No. 1 Contender for Bret Hart’s WWE Championship, he would have to travel to hell and back – Hell in a Cell that is. HBK faced Undertaker at Bad Blood in the first ever Hell in a Cell Match. Michaels was beaten to a bloody mess, but he tried to stay strong. Michaels was thrown off the side of the cage into an announce table, and things were not looking very good. But then Undertaker’s brother Kane made his WWE debut and obliterated the Deadman. Michaels, barely able to pull himself up, was able to take advantage and made the cover.

That gave Michaels the right to go on to Survivor Series to face Bret Hart in one of the most controversial matches in WWE history. After another grueling battle with his familiar opponent, Michaels was able to reverse a Hart maneuver into a Sharpshooter, his opponent’s own finishing maneuver. Earl Hebner, who was officiating the match, called for the bell, even though it appeared as though Bret had not given up. A confused Michaels took the belt and exited to the back with his third WWE Championship.

Michaels’ highly successful WWE career was in jeopardy following the 1998 Royal Rumble. HBK squared off against Undertaker in a Casket Match. During the match, Michaels landed awkwardly on the casket, and severely injured his back. Barely able to move, and again with the help of Kane, Michaels was able to retain his title. Michaels refused to let the injury take him out, though, and he moved on to WrestleMania XIV where he faced Austin, with “Iron” Mike Tyson as the special enforcer. Michaels, who was visibly in pain the entire match, put forth a gutsy performance, but in the end it wasn’t enough to defeat Austin. The match was thought to have been his last ever, as he required what many thought was career-ending back surgery.

But nothing can keep the Showstopper down forever. Michaels returned to Raw on June 3, 2002 as the newest member of the New World Order. Soon after joining, though, Vince McMahon disbanded the group and Michaels was back on his own. He convinced Triple H to join him on Raw. When the two got back together Triple H encouraged Michaels to reform D-X. When Michaels was about to put on an old D-X shirt, Triple H pedigreed his former friend. The following week, Michaels was thrown through a car window by an unknown assailant. Security footage, however, revealed that it was the work of Triple H, who was afraid that Michaels was going to steal the limelight away from him. This kicked off what has been, arguably, the most vicious feud WWE fans have ever seen.

Their first encounter came at SummerSlam in a Street Fight. WWE fans everywhere were wondering if Michaels would be able to go back to his high-flying and daredevil ways, but he would answer those questions rather quickly. Michaels was flying around the ring and even used an elbow drop off of a ladder and a plancha through a table. In the end, he was able to reverse a Pedigree attempt for the pin. After the match, Triple H took out Michaels with a sledgehammer signifying that the battle had indeed just begun.

At Survivor Series, Michaels participated in the first ever Elimination Chamber Match. In an Elimination Chamber match, six Superstars compete in a steel, dome-like cell. Two competitors start in the middle of the ring and the other four are released one by one every five minutes from other chambers within the main chamber. Superstars are eliminated until only one remains. Michaels came out on top to win the World Championship for the first time since he lost it to Austin at WrestleMania XIV.

The rivalry went to another level at Armageddon. The two Superstars went at it in a best two-out-of-three falls match, but there was a catch. The first match was a Street Fight, the second match was a Steel Cage Match and the third was a Ladder Latch, the same match that HBK made famous. Triple H took the first fall in the Street Fight, HBK won the cage match, but Triple H was able to beat Michaels at his own game in the Ladder Match to take back the WWE Championship.

Triple H and Michaels took a little break from each other after that, but HBK was brutally attacked by Chris Jericho on an edition of Raw on March 3. The beating led to a classic match at WrestleMania XIX. The two share similar styles, and Jericho had youth on his side. But Michaels was able pull out the victory. After the match, Jericho gave Michaels a hug, but it was a ploy as he nailed him with a low-blow.

Michaels then turned his trust towards Ric Flair in a Handicap Match against Triple H, but it proved to be a poor judgment. Flair turned on Michaels as Evolution reformed and beat down Michaels. Flair and Orton followed the beating up with singles victories, but Michaels bounced back with wins over Orton and Batista and then went to a draw with Triple H in a Last Man Standing Match at the Royal Rumble in 2004.

Chris Benoit won the Rumble that same night, earning him a shot at Triple H’s World Championship. Michaels, however, wanted Triple H all for himself. During Benoit’s contract signing, Michaels knocked Benoit out and signed his own name to the contract. To clear up the controversy, a Triple Threat Match was signed for WrestleMania XX. The match went on to become one of the greatest main events in WrestleMania history, but Benoit came out on top. The three met up again one month later, but the result was the same. The two matches weren’t enough to put the Triple H and Shawn Michaels rivalry to rest, though.

Triple H faced Michaels at Bad Blood in a 50-minute Hell in a Cell Match. Both men were sporting the proverbial crimson masks and both were barely able to stand on their feet. Triple H ultimately scored with two Pedigrees for the win. The following night on Raw, Jim Ross tried to get the two to bury the hatchet, but the meeting was unceremoniously interrupted by Kane who brutally attacked Michaels. Kane placed Michaels throat in a folding a chair and then stomped on it off the ropes, crushing HBK’s larynx in the process.

Michaels returned Sept. 12 at Unforgiven and won a no disqualification match, gaining his revenge. One month later, Michaels beat out Edge in the fan voting at Taboo Tuesday to win a shot at Triple H’s title one more time. The night before Taboo Tuesday, on Raw, Michaels severely injured his knee. Barely able to move, Michaels still made it out for his match at Taboo Tuesday and put forth a valiant effort. Just when Michaels had Triple H lined up for the Sweet Chin Music, Edge, who was jealous he didn’t receive the title shot himself, came from out of nowhere and speared the Showstopper. Michaels lost, and went in for knee surgery the next day.

Michaels miraculously appeared on the next edition of Raw with a message for his fans. He said that he used to come out night after night and try to show off, but he did it for himself. But now, he said, he will be doing it all for the fans, because the fans are what keep WWE going. Michaels is currently rehabbing his knee, but he assured his fans that he will be back in the ring in no time, giving the fans more show-stopping performances like only he can give.

SHAWN MICHAELS FACTS

Shawn Michaels, a linebacker, was the captain of his high school football team.

Prior to Sweet Chin Music, Shawn used a belly-to-back suplex as his finisher.

HBK was the first-ever WWE Superstar to achieve the Grand Slam (European, Intercontinental, Tag Team and World Championship) Championship.

HBK was the first WWE Superstar to win the Royal Rumble after drawing No. 1.

The Rockers actually beat the Hart Foundation for the World Tag Team Championships in 1990, but had to forfeit the titles back due to a faulty ring rope causing unfair ring conditions.

The Showstopper was part of the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match against the Undertaker at Bad Blood in October of 1997. The match also marked the first time WWE fans saw Kane.

Shawn Michaels is an avid archer.

HBK has guest starred on the television shows Baywatch and Pacific Blue.

According to Jim Ross' comments in the Shawn Michaels special magazine, HBK's first fine in sports-entertainment was for $50. He was fined for not being present at all television tapings.

Long-time friend Kevin Nash is responsible for introducing Shawn Michaels to his wife, Rebecca.

Shawn Michaels was a member of the New World Order for a short time. He was announced as a member on the June 3, 2002 edition of Monday Night Raw.

Former manager Sensational Sherri first recorded HBK's theme song "Sexy Boy."

Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were called the Midnight Rockers while competing in the AWA. They dropped the "Midnight" when they came to WWE.

When Shawn was 19, he trained to become a professional wrestler with Jose Lothario. It cost him $3,000 for two months of training.

The Showstopper won the first-ever Elimination Chamber Match.

Shawn Michaels faced Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X in the first-ever Ladder Match on a WWE pay-per-view.

HBK'S PEERS SPEAK OUT

The highly-anticipated Shawn Michaels Special Magazine – a 96-page publication celebrating the life and times of WWE’s most charismatic performer – has hit newsstands across the country.

One night before its full release, a large box of these magazines arrived at Conseco Field House in Indianapolis, and within 30 minutes, nearly every copy had been taken. This provided further proof of what the “Peers Speak” article (page 8) inside the magazine states: Michaels is be loved by some, hated by others, but respected by all.

In the “Peers Speak” article, many past and present Superstars – Triple H, Ric Flair, Undertaker, Marty Jannetty, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, among others – spoke of HBK’s legendary career, there were many others who never got the chance. Recently, WWE.com caught up with a few Superstars and asked them to share their thoughts on the Showstopper, and his impact on the sports-entertainment industry.

CHRIS JERICHO
“Wrestling Shawn at WrestleMania XIX in Seattle, Washington, was great, because it was a dream match for me. It was the first time we had ever wrestled, and like the build-up to the match revealed, he was my favorite wrestler growing up (even though he’s only five years older than me). So it really was a great experience for me, and I think that we stole the show that year. In fact, I was just reading another magazine a couple of weeks ago, where  it said that Shawn considers that one of his favorite matches as well, so it’s good to know that he felt the same as I did. It was a real honor for me to be a part of that, on both ends.

“I think Shawn’s legacy will be that of a hard worker who is very creative. He’s definitely one of the top three [Superstars] of all time. You always know you’re gonna have a great match against Shawn, or at the very least, a good match. He’s always on his game, he knows exactly what to do, and he always has very innovative ways of doing things. So it’s always an honor for me to either wrestle Shawn Michaels, with or against him.”

CHRISTIAN
“When I first came here, Shawn Michaels was out of action with an injury, and he was always the guy that I watched growing up – I think that a lot of guys, especially guys my size, patterned their style after. So, when he came back, I set my sights on him. He was a guy that I always hoped I would get to wrestle him, even if it was just once. I knew that I wanted to have a one-on-one match with him, because he’s the ultimate. We’ve had our differences, but we’re not all that different. He’s the Showstopper and I’m the Show Stealer. He’s the Heartbreak Kid, I’m Captain Charisma. In a sense, we’ve had parallel career – we both started out as tag-team competitors, only to break out as singles stars. But he’s been to the very top – the pinnacle, the one thing that eluded me, and that’s the World Heavyweight Championship – so as a performer, and as a wrestler, I don’t think it gets any better than Shawn Michaels.

“He is what he is, and he’s probably going to go down as the best all-around entertainer of all-time. He has charisma, he’s cocky, he’s arrogant – he’s just the Heartbreak Kid. For years he went out there every night, and not only did he tell you he was the best, he went out there and backed it up. If you can do that, then you have everybody’s respect. If someone tells you they can do something, and then goes out and does it, you have to respect them.”

WILLIAM REGAL
“Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to wrestle him, but there are very few people who I like to watch in the ring more than Shawn Michaels, because he’s by far a better performer than I am. He and I are both big on little details, which I think are lost on probably 98% of the people. I was taught like that, and he does things that many people wouldn’t notice, but I certainly do – things that make him such a good performer.

“He has such energy and passion – whether he’s being cheered or booed – and he’s just the perfect American wrestler. Whatever he does, he’s just spot on the ball. You know, everything’s perfect in that respect. He’ll be remembered for different things by different people, but I’ll remember him for the reasons I’ve just said. We don’t talk frequently, but when we do talk, it’s always about wrestling – little things that make a difference.”

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