Shawn
Michaels, professional wrestler
2009
News
Shawn
Michaels VS The
Undertaker - WrestleMania
Shawn
Michaels and Triple
H
Shawn
Michaels VS Bret
Hart
Michael
Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better
known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American
professional wrestler. He performs on the Raw
brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Currently, Hickenbottom is one of the senior performers
in WWE, having joined in 1987. He is one of only
two wrestlers (the other being The Undertaker)
to have appeared on the very first episode of
Monday Night Raw who are still with the company
today. While continuing to make on-screen appearances,
he was inactive from in-ring competition from
1998-2002 due to a legitimate severe back injury.
Before
coming to WWE, Hickenbottom began his career in
Mid-South Wrestling in 1984. He then went on to
Texas All-Star Wrestling. He made his national
debut with the American Wrestling Association
(AWA) in 1986. He signed with World Wrestling
Federation (WWF) in 1987 while still under contract
with the AWA. He returned to the AWA, only to
go back to WWF in 1988.
Hickenbottom
is a four-time world champion: a three-time WWE
Champion, and a one-time World Heavyweight Champion.
He was also the winner of the 1995 and 1996 Royal
Rumbles and the first Grand Slam Champion.
Career
Early
career
Hickenbottom
was born on July 22, 1965 in Chandler, Arizona.
The last of four children - Randy, Scott and Shari.
He was raised in a military family and spent a
brief part of his early years in Reading, Berkshire,
England, but grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He
knew he wanted to become a professional wrestler
at the age of 12. Hickenbottom was already an
athlete; his career began at the age of 6 when
he started playing football. He was a stand-out
Linebacker at Randolph High School and eventually
became Captain of the football team. After graduating,
Hickenbottom attended Southwest Texas State University
in San Marcos, Texas, but soon realized that college
life was not for him. Then he began pursuing the
career of a professional wrestler.
He
was then trained by Mexican professional wrestler
Jose Lothario. Lothario suggested that Hickenbottom
go by the ring name Shawn Michaels. After his
training with Lothario, he debuted in Mid-South
Wrestling in 1984 and later with Texas All-Star
Wrestling (TAW) promotion. During his time with
TAW, Michaels and Paul Diamond were awarded the
TAW Tag Team Championship by Chavo Guerrero, Sr.
Hickenbottom
also worked for Central States Wrestling. There,
he and tag team partner Marty Jannetty defeated
The Batten Twins for the Central States Tag Team
Championship, later losing it back to the Battens.
Hickenbottom also made several appearances in
the Dallas, Texas-based World Class Championship
Wrestling throughout 1985.
American
Wrestling Association (1986–1988)
Michaels
made his national-level debut in 1986 for the
American Wrestling Association (AWA), once again
teaming with Jannetty. The pair was billed as
"The Midnight Rockers" and won the AWA
World Tag Team Championship twice. They also appeared
in the Mid-South on loan at this point. In a raid
of AWA talent in 1987, The Rockers were signed
by a competing promotion: the World Wrestling
Federation (WWF). They were fired from the WWF
two weeks later, however, for "partying too
hard" (a misunderstanding, according to Michaels'
autobiography). They then returned to the AWA,
but were re-signed by the WWF a year later.
World
Wrestling Federation
1988–1991
Main article: The Rockers
They
redebuted for the World Wrestling Federation at
a house show on July 7, 1988. Due to WWF chairman
Vince McMahon's desire to have his performers
carry WWF-exclusive monikers, they were repackaged
as simply "The Rockers". The team proved
popular with both children and women. The team
was a mid-card stalwart of TV and pay-per-view
shows for the next two years, but never seemed
to get a chance at the WWF's Tag Team Championships.
Belatedly,
in October 1990, their chance came when The Rockers
were scheduled to win the WWF Tag Team Championship
from The Hart Foundation, as Jim Neidhart, half
of the championship team, was in the process of
negotiating his release from the company. The
match was taped with The Rockers cleanly winning
the belts, but soon after, Neidhart came to a
stopgap agreement with management and was rehired.
The belts were returned to the Harts, while the
title change was never broadcast or even acknowledged
on TV. When news spread, WWF explained that the
original result was void due to a collapsed turnbuckle
in the ring during the bout. A buckle had indeed
broken, but not to a noticeable or dangerous extent
during the match. The Rockers plodded along, eventually
splitting on December 2, 1991 during an incident
on Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake's televised
"Barber Shop" talk show segment. Michaels
superkicked Jannetty and threw him through a glass
window on the "shop" set. Jannetty vanished
from the WWF and Michaels turned heel as "The
Boy Toy".
1992–1993
At
the suggestion of Curt "Mr. Perfect"
Hennig, Michaels' ring name was changed to The
Heartbreak Kid. Along with his new name came a
new gimmick as a vain, cocky heel. He was put
together with mirror-carrying manager "Sensational"
Sherri, who, according to the storyline, had become
infatuated with him. Sherri even sang the first
version of his new theme music "Sexy Boy."
During that period, Michaels normally wrestled
during the first half of house shows, and his
departure was announced with the words "Shawn
Michaels has left the building" (alluding
to the phrase "Elvis has left the building").
Michaels
failed to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
from Bret Hart in July 1992, even losing the WWF's
first ever Ladder match against him at a House
show. Still, Michaels was beginning to get over
as a heel. He won the Intercontinental Championship
from "The British Bulldog" during Saturday
Night's Main Event on October 27, 1992. Shortly
thereafter, he was in a pay-per-view main event
for the first time, facing — and losing
to — future nemesis Bret Hart, for the WWF
Championship at the 1992 Survivor Series. They
were moved to the main event after The Ultimate
Warrior suddenly departed from the WWF, leaving
his tag team match with Randy Savage against Ric
Flair and Razor Ramon hanging.
Michaels
and Sherri split at this point, and his former
partner Jannetty quickly reappeared. Michaels
lost the Intercontinental Championship to Jannetty
on Monday Night Raw on May 17, 1993.He then regained
it on June 6, 1993 with the help of his debuting
"bodyguard" (and off-air friend) Diesel.
After
a feud with Mr. Perfect, Michaels quit the WWF
in September 1993. It was announced that Michaels
had failed to defend his belt enough times during
a set period; in reality, he had been suspended
for testing positive for steroids — a charge
that Michaels denies to this day. After turning
down World Championship Wrestling's advances,
Michaels returned to the WWF and made several
appearances in the United States Wrestling Association
during a WWF/USWA cross-promotion. He returned
to WWF television for November's Survivor Series
pay-per-view, substituting for the arrested Jerry
Lawler in a match pitting himself and three of
Lawler's "Knights" against Bret, Bruce,
Keith, and Owen Hart.
1994–1995
He
soon entered a feud with Razor Ramon, who had
won the vacated Intercontinental Title during
Michaels' absence. 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. This feud culminated in a
ladder match between the two at WrestleMania X.
Michaels lost the match, which featured both his
and Ramon's belts suspended above a ladder in
the ring. This match won "Match of the Year"
awards from Pro Wrestling Illustrated and the
Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Over the next few
months, Michaels battled various injuries and
launched the "Heartbreak Hotel" TV talk
show segment, mainly shown on WWF Superstars.
On
August 28, 1994, Michaels and his ever more popular
sidekick, Diesel, captured the WWF World Tag Team
Championship from The Headshrinkers. During their
brief time as a tag team, they used a variation
of the Headshrinkers' finishing move, where Michaels
finished off their opponent by climbing on Diesel's
shoulders and splashed their opponents. The next
day, at SummerSlam, Diesel lost the Intercontinental
Title to Ramon when Michaels accidentally Superkicked
his bodyguard. This triggered a Michaels-Diesel
split, a storyline that was drawn out until the
Survivor Series that November due to Michaels'
hand injury. Michaels went on to win the 1995
Royal Rumble, where he was the first participant
to win the Rumble match from the No.1 spot. This
set up a championship grudge match at WrestleMania
XI against Diesel. As part of the storyline, Michaels
recruited Sid as his bodyguard for the build-up,
lost the match, and was attacked by Sid the following
night. After this, Michaels took time off.
He
returned to the ring as a 'babyface' in June 1995
and defeated Jeff Jarrett at July's In Your House
pay-per-view to win his third Intercontinental
title. This led to a title defense against Razor
Ramon at SummerSlam, in a Ladder match, which
Michaels won. Around this time, Michaels became
the alleged leader of a backstage group known
as The Clique. Others perceived the group to have
sufficient clout with WWF owner Vince McMahon,
becoming dominant wrestling figures in WWF for
several years in the mid-1990s. Michaels disputes
the perception, saying that McMahon pushed only
deserving wrestlers.Michaels' fan base was later
nicknamed "The Kliq" as an inside reference
to the real "Clique." In October 1995,
he was legitimately attacked by several men outside
a bar in Syracuse, New York. Shortly afterwards,
at the In Your House: Great White North pay-per-view,
Michaels forfeited the Intercontinental title
to rival Dean Douglas because he was, according
to the WWF, unable to compete. Douglas, however,
lost the title immediately to Clique member Razor
Ramon.
The
next month, during a match with Owen Hart on an
episode of Raw, Owen nailed Michaels with an Enzuigiri
kick to the back of Michaels' head. They continued
to wrestle, but Michaels collapsed in the ring,
supposedly because he had suffered a concussion
in the Syracuse incident. The concussion was a
work, skillfully kept from most fans at the time.
1996–1997
After
teasing a retirement, Michaels returned to the
WWF at the 1996 Royal Rumble match, which he won
for the second year in a row. Around this time,
Jose Lothario, Michaels' original trainer, became
his on-screen manager. Michaels won his first
WWF Championship at WrestleMania XII in March
1996, pinning Bret Hart in the 'sudden death'
overtime of their a sixty minute Iron Man match,
which had ended in a 0-0 tie. As WCW gained momentum
due to the signings of Michaels' friends Scott
Hall and Kevin Nash, Michaels soldiered on as
champion for most of the year, overcoming Mankind,Vader,
and The British Bulldog in pay-per-view battles.
Michaels'
title reign ended at the 1996 Survivor Series
in November, where he lost to Sycho Sid, his former
bodyguard, at Madison Square Garden in a face
vs. face match. During the match, the New York
fans cheered for Sid when he hit both Michaels
and Jose Lothario with a television camera and
cheered again when he won the match and championship.
A flu-ridden Michaels recaptured the belt from
Sid in January at the 1997 Royal Rumble in front
of his hometown fans in San Antonio.
On
a special episode of Raw, dubbed Thursday RAW
Thursday, Michaels vacated the WWF title; he explained
to the fans that he was informed by doctors that
a knee injury was bad enough that he had to retire.
His speech was regarded as controversial, as Michaels
was allegedly unwilling to lose to Bret Hart at
WrestleMania 13 (since it was noted that he was
going to have a rematch with Hart at WrestleMania).
Michaels contemplated thoughts of retirement and
stated that he "had to find his smile again",
which he had "lost" somewhere down the
line. After knee surgery by Dr. James Andrews,
Michaels returned a few months later, briefly
teaming with Steve Austin to win the WWF Tag Team
Titles.[48] Michaels reveals in his autobiography,
about his real-life feud with Bret Hart, claiming
that Bret did interviews on live television claiming
that he [Michaels] was faking his whole injury.
At
SummerSlam 1997, Michaels officiated the WWF title
match between WWF Champion The Undertaker and
Bret Hart. The match ended in controversial fashion,
with Michaels nailing Undertaker with a chair
(unintentionally, as he was aiming for Bret after
he spat in his face). Michaels was then forced
to award the title to his nemesis, Bret Hart.
At WWF One Night Only, held in Birmingham, England
in September, Michaels defeated The British Bulldog
to capture the WWF European Championship.The fans
at the event were so appalled at the result of
the match they almost rioted and booed Michaels
out of the building to the extent that they littered
the ring with rubbish. Michaels' striking of the
Undertaker with a chair began a feud between the
two men. In October, at In Your House: Badd Blood,
Michaels and Undertaker participated in the very
first Hell in a Cell match, which saw Michaels
falling off the side of the 15-foot (5 m) high
structure through a table. Michaels won the match
with the help of the Undertaker's brother Kane,
who made his debut.
In
the summer, Michaels joined forces with real-life
friend, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Hunter's then-girlfriend,
Chyna to form the stable, D-Generation X (DX).
Moving away from the family-oriented product,
this marked the beginning of the WWF Attitude
Era. Michaels also began re-feuding with Bret
Hart's reformed Hart Foundation, which was now
a pro-Canada stable. Michaels taunted The Hart
Foundation and Canada by engaging in acts, such
as blowing his nose with and humping the Canadian
Flag. Michaels later claimed the flag desecration
was Bret's idea. Michaels' feud with the Hart
Foundation culminated in a title shot at the 1997
Survivor Series against Bret Hart, in what is
thought to be the most controversial match in
wrestling history. Michaels came out of this match,
dubbed by fans the "Montreal Screwjob",
as the WWF World Champion. Michaels thus became
the only wrestler to hold both the World Championship
and the European Championship at the same time.
Triple H, however, pinned him in December during
a farcical match, making Hunter the European Champion.
1998–Injury
In
1998, Michaels received a back injury in the Casket
match against The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble;
Michaels took a back body drop to the outside
of the ring and smashed his lower back on the
casket, causing him to herniate two discs and
crush one completely. This forced Michaels into
retirement after dropping the WWF Championship
to Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV.
Michaels
returned to the WWF on November 23, 1998, but
not as a wrestler; instead, he replaced Sgt. Slaughter
as the WWF Commissioner, joining Vince McMahon's
Corporation stable as a heel. Throughout late
1998 and early 1999, Michaels made regular TV
appearances on Raw, in which he booked matches,
throwing around his authority, and sometimes even
deciding the outcome of matches. In early 1999,
Michaels turned face and re-joined D-Generation
X, but disappeared from WWF television for a few
months, and by the time he had returned, DX had
broken up.
Michaels
made occasional appearances on WWF television
as a face commissioner during the spring and summer
of 1999. It appeared as that he would once again
turn heel during the premiere episode of SmackDown!
on August 26, 1999 when, while serving as a special
guest referee, he superkicked The Rock, allowing
Triple H to retain the WWF Championship. After
this referee appearance, however, Michaels was
absent from WWF television until May 21, 2000
when he returned as a face to officiate the Iron
Man match between the Rock and Triple H.One month
later, Michaels briefly reappeared to hand over
the role of commissioner to Mick Foley and afterwards
was absent from WWF television for nearly a year.
At
the time being, knowing that his wrestling career
was over, Michaels was inspired to train individuals
who were interested in wrestling. He saw potential
in using his name and opening The Shawn Michaels
Wrestling Academy, after his lawyer, Skip McCormick,
suggested the idea. Because of hardships and challenges,
Michaels had enough of the academy. He was also
a sportscaster for San Antonio's local news for
a short time during his retirement from wrestling.
World
Wrestling Entertainment
2002–2004
In
2002, Michaels returned to wrestling and was brought
into the nWo by Kevin Nash as a new member of
the stable.After the nWo was disbanded, Triple
H appeared to want to make amends with Michaels.
This was solidified when Michaels beseeched Triple
H to return to Raw. Later on, they came down to
the ring sporting their D-Generation X music and
attire. When the pair was about to perform their
trademark "Suck It" taunt, Triple H
nailed Michaels with his finisher The Pedigree.
Continuing the angle, a week later, Triple H attacked
Michaels from behind in a parking lot and put
his head through a car window. In response, Michaels
challenged Triple H to "a fight" (a
non-sanctioned match) at SummerSlam, which Triple
H accepted, laying the foundation for a feud that
lasted for years. Michaels won at SummerSlam but
was attacked by Triple H with a sledgehammer after
the match.
At
Survivor Series, Michaels won the World Heavyweight
Championship from Triple H in the first-ever Elimination
Chamber match, which also featured Rob Van Dam,
Kane, Chris Jericho, and Booker T. Michaels eliminated
both Jericho and Triple H to win the match.[78]
Michaels reign as Champion came to an end when
he lost the Championship to Triple H in a Three
Stages of Hell match at Armageddon.
Michaels
then began an angle with Chris Jericho, after
Jericho claimed that he was the next Shawn Michaels.
On January 13, 2003, after Jericho won an over-the-top-rope
challenge to select his entry number for the Royal
Rumble, choosing number two in order to start
the match with Michaels, who had already been
named number one. At the Royal Rumble, Jericho,
with the help of Christian, eliminated Michaels.Michaels
defeated Jericho at WrestleMania XIX. After the
match, Michaels offered his hand to Jericho who,
instead of shaking it, hugged Michaels. At first
it seemed like good sportsmanship by Chris Jericho
until he quickly kicked Michaels in the groin.
At
SummerSlam 2003, Michaels competed in the second-ever
Elimination Chamber Match, which also featured
Randy Orton, Kevin Nash, Chris Jericho, Goldberg,
and eventual winner, World Heavyweight Champion,
Triple H. During the match, Michaels helped Chris
Jericho eliminate Kevin Nash, which prompted Nash
to attack both men before exiting the chamber.
Later in the match, Michaels was eliminated by
Goldberg. He then went on to feud with Evolution
member Randy Orton, who defeated Michaels at Unforgiven.At
the 2003 Survivor Series, Team Austin (consisting
of Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, and The Dudley
Boyz) faced-off with Team Bischoff (Scott Steiner,
Mark Henry, Chris Jericho, Christian, and Randy
Orton). During the match, Evolution member Batista
interfered and gave Michaels a Batista Bomb, costing
him the match.[83] Michaels then entered a feud
with Batista; the two met at Armageddon, where
Michaels scored a pinfall over Batista.
As
a part of an ongoing feud with Triple H, the two
competed along side Chris Benoit in the main event
match at WrestleMania XX for the World Heavyweight
Championship. The former DX partners both came
up short in the match, however, as Benoit had
been booked to win the title.[86] At Bad Blood
2004 in June, Michaels lost to Triple H in a Hell
in a Cell match.[86] As part of the storyline,
on the next Raw, Kane attacked Michaels with a
steel chair, injuring him in the process.[87]
Michaels made his return at Unforgiven and defeated
Kane in a No Disqualification match.[88] Two months
later, he lost a World Heavyweight Championship
match against Triple H (after Edge interfered)
at Taboo Tuesday 2004 when the fans voted for
him ahead of Edge and Chris Benoit to face Triple
H one more time.[89] Following this, Michaels
was out of action for a few months with a legitimate
torn meniscus.
2005–2006
Michaels
returned in January 2005 as the special guest
referee in the Elimination Chamber match, which
featured Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Edge, Randy
Orton, Batista, and eventual winner Triple H,
at New Year's Revolution.[91] During the match,
Michaels superkicked Edge, starting a feud between
the two.[92] At the Royal Rumble, Edge defeated
Michaels, who pinned him using the ropes for leverage.[93]
Michaels went on to compete in the Rumble match
later that night and eliminated Kurt Angle. An
angry Angle returned to the ring and in eliminated
Michaels and then put Michaels in the Ankle Lock.[93]
Michaels issued a challenge to Angle for a match
at WrestleMania 21, which Angle accepted when
he appeared on Raw to attack Michaels.[94] The
following week on Raw, Marty Jannetty and Michaels
had a one time reunion as The Rockers and defeated
La Résistance.[95] Three days later on
SmackDown!, Angle defeated Jannetty with the Ankle
Lock.[96] To send a "message" to Michaels,
Angle also humiliated Michaels' former manager
Sensational Sherri, when he applied the Ankle
Lock on her.[97] At WrestleMania 21 on April 3,
Angle defeated Michaels by submission, again with
the Ankle Lock.[93]
The
next night on Raw, Muhammad Hassan and Daivari
came out to confront and assault Michaels.[98]
The following week, Michaels approached Raw General
Manager Eric Bischoff demanding a handicap match
with Hassan and Daivari. Bischoff refused but
informed Michaels to find a partner and he would
grant a match. Michaels then made a plea for Hulk
Hogan to come back and team with him. On the April
18 episode of Raw, Hassan again led an attack
on Michaels until Hogan appeared to save Michaels
and accept his offer. At Backlash, Hassan and
Daivari lost to Hogan and Michaels when Daivari
was pinned. On the July 4 edition of Raw, Michaels
and Hulk Hogan had a tag team match, which they
won. During the post-match pose, Michaels hit
Hogan with his Superkick, knocking Hogan to the
ground and turning Michaels heel for the first
time since returning in 2002. The following week
on Raw, Michaels appeared on Piper's Pit where
he superkicked Roddy Piper and then challenged
Hogan to a match at SummerSlam. Hogan defeated
Michaels at SummerSlam, 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, and Michaels turned
face once more.
On
the December 26, 2005 edition of Raw, Vince McMahon
lauded Michaels for his part in the Montreal Screwjob.
Michaels said he was only being loyal to his company,
but said he had moved on and McMahon should move
on as well. McMahon told Michaels he can "screw"
him like he screwed Bret Hart, and he began setting
unusual stipulations for Michaels' matches and
interfering on behalf of Michaels' opponents.
During the 2006 Royal Rumble, in which Michaels
entered twenty-fifth, he eliminated MNM and Shelton
Benjamin in succession to make it into the final
six. At that point, Mr. McMahon’s music
hit, and the Chairman made his entrance. As Michaels
stared at McMahon, Shane McMahon made a surprising
appearance, attacking Michaels from behind and
eliminating him from the match. An irate Michaels
ran back into the ring and nailed Triple H with
Sweet Chin Music before chasing the McMahons to
the locker room.
After
several weeks of attacks and stipulations, Michaels
confronted McMahon in the ring and challenged
him to a match. McMahon refused and unsuccessfully
attempted to force Michaels to sign retirement
papers.[109] After Vince and Shane knocked Michaels
out with a steel chair,[110] Mr. McMahon booked
a match between himself and Michaels at WrestleMania
22.[111] During a handicap match against the Spirit
Squad Michaels former partner Marty Jannetty came
down to help Michaels. Mr. McMahon offered Jannetty
a contract if he "kissed his ass." The
next week on Raw Jannetty refused and took Chris
Masters' "Masterlock challenge" instead.
Michaels tried to help Jannetty, which ultimately
ended in Shane forcing a groggy Michaels to kiss
Vince's ass.[113] Michaels and Shane McMahon then
met in a Street Fight at WWE Saturday Night's
Main Event. Throughout the match, Vince interfered,
allowing Shane to get the upper hand. Michaels,
however, kept kicking out and refused to submit.
When he got the upper hand again by superkicking
Shane, Vince knocked the referee down before the
three count. Michaels went after Vince, which
gave Shane enough time to hit Michaels with a
low blow from behind. Shane applied the Sharpshooter,
and Vince McMahon immediately ordered for the
bell to be rung, even though Michaels did not
tap out; an allusion to the Montreal Screwjob.[114]
Despite interference from the Spirit Squad and
Shane McMahon, Michaels defeated Mr. McMahon at
WrestleMania 22 in a bloody No Holds Barred match.[115]
At Backlash, Vince and Shane McMahon beat Michaels
(with "God" as his tag team partner)
with help from the Spirit Squad in a no disqualification
match, in which Michaels suffered a partially
broken nose.[116] Michaels got revenge on the
Spirit Squad in various ways, but by May 22, in
the storyline, the Squad injured Michaels' knee.[117]
This angle was written so that Michaels could
have surgery on his knee, which had been legitimately
injured for some time.
Return
of D-Generation X
In
2006, a series of events took place which suggested
a reunion of Shawn Michaels and Triple H as D-Generation
X starting at WrestleMania 22 where both Michaels
and Triple H performed the crotch chop during
their matches.[119] On Raw the two continued to
deliver chops, as Michaels feuded with Vince McMahon
and Triple H went for the WWE Championship, repeatedly
butting heads with Vince McMahon in the process.
On
the June 12, 2006 edition of Raw, DX officially
reunited. During Triple H's gauntlet match against
the Spirit Squad, Michaels came in to help Triple
H, and the two did the DX "crotch chops."At
Vengeance, DX defeated the Spirit Squad in a 5-on-2
handicap match.[121] They also defeated the Spirit
Squad at Saturday Night's Main Event in a 5-2
elimination match and defeated The McMahons (Vince
and Shane) at SummerSlam. At Unforgiven, DX overcame
the odds once again, defeating The McMahons and
ECW World Champion The Big Show in a Hell in a
Cell match. DX embarrassed Vince by shoving his
face in between the Big Show's buttocks during
the match, and DX won when Triple H broke a sledgehammer
over the shoulders of Vince McMahon after Michaels
delivered Sweet Chin Music to him.
At
Cyber Sunday, DX took on Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy
Orton). The 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. At Survivor Series, however, Team DX emerged
victorious, in a clean sweep of Team Rated-RKO.
2007–present
At
New Year's Revolution, Michaels' partner, Triple
H suffered a legitimate torn right quadriceps
during their match with Rated-RKO. Rated-RKO claimed
victory over DX, citing the injury as the "end"
of DX.On January 15, 2007, Michaels lived up to
his vow of "dealing" with Rated-RKO
when he took out Randy Orton with a con-chair-to
after a handicap match against Edge and Orton.
On
the January 29 edition of Raw, Michaels captured
the World Tag Team Championship with WWE Champion
John Cena after defeating Rated-RKO.[130] He then
defeated both Edge and Orton in a Triple Threat
Number One contender's match on another edition
of Raw to earn a shot at the WWE Championship.[131]
On April 1 at WrestleMania 23, Cena retained the
Championship after he made Michaels submit to
the STFU.The next night on Raw, Michaels and Cena
competed in two back-to-back ten team battle royals,
winning the first against King Booker and Finlay
and losing the titles in the second battle royal
to The Hardys when Michaels threw Cena over the
top rope. Michaels' feud with Cena continued and
he faced off with Cena, Edge and Randy Orton in
a Fatal Four Way match at Backlash for the WWE
Championship. Cena retained the Championship when
Michaels hit Sweet Chin Music on Cena causing
him to fall on Orton, which gained Cena the pinfall.
Michaels
then entered a feud with Randy Orton when Orton
claimed that he could beat Michaels.[135] The
week before their match at Judgment Day, after
Michaels won a match against Edge, Orton interfered,
punting Michaels in the head.[135] Orton assaulted
Michaels again just prior to their match at Judgment
Day, interrupting Michaels' interview segment.[136]
Michaels collapsed during the course of their
match, causing Orton to win by referee stoppage.[136]
Afterwards, Orton continued the beating when he
delivered an RKO to a fallen Michaels. Michaels
was then removed by a stretcher.
Michaels
made his return on the October 8 edition of Raw,
delivering his trademark Sweet Chin Music to the
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 Mr. McMahon watched.[137][138] At Cyber Sunday,
Michaels was voted by the fans to face Randy Orton
for the WWE Championship; though he won via disqualification
when Orton hit Michaels with a low blow, which
resulted in Orton retaining the title.[139] Michaels
got another opportunity at the WWE Championship,
when he was granted his rematch against Orton
at Survivor Series.[140] In their match, Michaels
was banned from using Sweet Chin Music upon request
by Orton, referring to as Michaels superkicking
Orton week after week.[141][142][143] Michaels
lost the match, however, when Orton hit the RKO
for the win.
In
wrestling
* Finishing and signature moves
o Sweet Chin Music (Superkick, often preceding
the move with a series of foot stomps, called
"tuning up the band" by announcers)
o Teardrop Suplex (Leg hook Saito suplex) - 1992-1993
o Spike piledriver - 1993-1995
o Diving elbow drop, with theatrics.
o Inverted atomic drop
o Flying forearm followed by a kip-up
o Scoop slam
o Swinging neckbreaker
o Backhand chop
o Skin the cat
o Diving splash
o Lou Thesz press followed by multiple punches
o Moonsault
o Figure four leglock
o Sharpshooter - in reference to Montreal Screwjob
o Slingshot crossbody
o Leg feed enzuigiri
o Asai moonsault
* Managers
o Sensational Sherri
o Diesel
o Sycho Sid
o Jose Lothario
o Chyna
o Rick Rude
o Triple H
* Nicknames
o The Heartbreak Kid (HBK)
o The Showstopper
o The Headliner o The Main Event
o The Icon
o Mr. WrestleMania
Entrance
music
* The song Sexy Boy was originally written for
Michaels by Jimmy Hart. Hart thanked Michaels
personally for continuing to use the song as his
entrance music when he was inducted into the WWE
Hall of Fame in 2005. Michaels' entrance music
was originally performed by Sherri Martel until
she became a babyface,[1] and then the second
version was performed by Michaels himself with
traces of Sherri in the chorus portion of the
song. The current version of the song in use today
is the version Michaels sung himself.
* Since the return of DX, Michaels mostly used
the DX entrance Break It Down, by The Chris Warren
Band, even when wrestling in singles competition,
but then went back to using Sexy Boy.
Wrestlers
trained
Texas Wrestling Academy
Championships
and accomplishments
Michaels in his fourth reign as World Tag Team
Champion
Michaels in his fourth reign as World Tag Team
Champion
* American Wrestling Association
o AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) -
with Marty Jannetty[11]
* Central States Wrestling
o NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1
time)[15] - with Marty Jannetty
* Continental Wrestling Association
o AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times)[144]
– with Marty Jannetty
* Texas All-Star Wrestling
o TAS Texas Tag Team Championship (2 times)[14][144]
– with Paul Diamond
* Texas Wrestling Alliance
o TWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[144]
* World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
o WWF Championship (3 times)[11]
o WWF European Championship (1 time)[11]
o WWF Intercontinental Championship (3 times)[11]
o WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (4 times)
– with Diesel (2), Stone Cold Steve Austin
(1), and John Cena (1)[11]
o World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[11]
o Royal Rumble (1995)[11]
o Royal Rumble (1996)[11]
o First Grand Slam Champion
o Fourth Triple Crown Champion
^
In October 1990, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty
defeated the Hart Foundation for the title. Despite
winning the match, the win and reign are not recognized
by WWE, as the ring ropes broke and the match
was not aired on television. As a result, Michaels
is only officially recognized as a 4-time World
Tag Team Champion.
* Pro Wrestling Illustrated
o PWI Match of the Year award in 1993 –
vs. Marty Jannetty (Monday Night RAW, May 17,
1993)[30]
o PWI Match of the Year award in 1994 –
vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania X, March 20, 1994)[30]
o PWI Match of the Year award in 1995 –
vs. Diesel (WrestleMania XI, April 2, 1995)[30]
o PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year award
in 1995[145]
o PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year award
in 1996[145]
o PWI Match of the Year award in 1996 –
vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania XII, March 31, 1996)[30]
o PWI ranked him # 1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers
of the year on the PWI 500 list in 1996[146]
o PWI ranked him # 10 of the 500 best singles
wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003[147] o
PWI ranked him # 33 of the 100 best tag teams
during the PWI Years in 2003 – with Marty
Jannetty[148]
o PWI ranked him # 55 of the 100 best tag teams
during the PWI Years in 2003 – with Diesel[148]
o PWI Match of the Year award in 2004 –
vs. Chris Benoit and Triple H (WrestleMania XX,
March 14, 2004)[30]
o PWI Match of the Year in 2005 – vs. Kurt
Angle (WrestleMania 21, April 3, 2005)[30]
o PWI Match of the Year in 2006 – vs. Vince
McMahon (WrestleMania 22, April 2, 2006).
o PWI ranked him # 9 of the 500 best singles wrestlers
of the year on the PWI 500 list in 2006[149]
o PWI ranked him # 6 of the 500 best singles wrestlers
of the year on the PWI 500 list in 2007[150]
Personal
life
Growing
up, Hickenbottom was never called "Michael"
because he hated the name, so his family and friends
just called him "Shawn". Ever since,
he has been referred to as Shawn. Additionally,
Hickenbottom moved around frequently since his
father was in the military. He relates in his
autobiography how he dreaded the first day at
his many new schools, when the teacher would call
roll and announce his surname of "Hickenbottom"
to the class, which would evoke giggles and teasing
because of its unusual sound.
In
1996, Hickenbottom posed in a non-nude layout
for Playgirl magazine. It was not until after
he posed that he discovered that Playgirl has
a mostly homosexual readership, which was seen
as humorous by his fellow wrestlers.
Hickenbottom's
marriage to his first wife, Theresa Lynn Wood,
was brief and ended in divorce, but was amicably
settled.[153] He is now married to former WCW
Nitro Girl, Whisper (Rebecca Curci). They were
married on March 31, 1999 at the Graceland Wedding
Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada.[154] It was a very
small wedding ceremony. The only people present
were Hickenbottom, Rebecca Curci, and an Elvis
impersonator. Hickenbottom and Curci have a son,
Cameron Kade (born on January 5, 2000)[155] and
a daughter, Cheyenne Michelle (born on August
19, 2004).
Hickenbottom
has several tattoos. He has a tattoo of a heart
with a sword through it with what appears to be
a snake around it in the shape of an "S".[157]
He has one on his wedding finger, that has an
R for his wife Rebecca. Another in his left wrist,
it's a bracelet design that says "Cameron"
for his son. On his left leg he has a picture
of his wife,[159] the other leg has a picture
of the state of Texas.[159] Finally, he has a
small broken heart with the letters "HBK"
above it, tattooed on his right hip.
Hickenbottom
is ambidextrous. This caused him problems as a
boy playing football, as he had trouble differentiating
between his right and left directions. He uses
his right hand to draw and color and his left
hand to write. He typically uses his right leg
to deliver Sweet Chin Music.
Hickenbottom
is a born again Christian. He was raised as a
Roman Catholic, but became a non-denominational
Christian under the influence of his wife Rebecca.
His ring attire often incorporates cross symbols,
and while on the way to the ring, he normally
gets down on his knees and mouths a prayer while
his pyrotechnics go off. He has been seen in the
congregation during a televised service of Cornerstone
Church in his hometown of San Antonio. Hickenbottom
is a Bible teacher in San Antonio. Hickenbottom
also appeared on a Trinity Broadcasting Network
program along with Sting.
Hickenbottom
is a fan of the San Antonio Spurs. He has been
seen wearing Spurs merchandise and attending Spurs
games. JBL made a reference to Hickenbottom being
a season ticket holder during the 2007 Royal Rumble.
(Credit:
Wikipedia).
Websites
WWE
official website WWE
official website - Shawn Michaels profile
Shawn
Michaels - Australia Sports Entertainment Profiles
Wrestling
Mind,
Body and Spirit
News
Shawn
Michaels is set to wrestle Ric
Flair at WrestleMania 2008
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