Flashback Friday: Shawn Michaels

Hulk Hogan has been the topic of the week in professional wrestling, so this week’s Flashback Friday (F.F) will have a relation to The Hulkster. Shawn Michaels is set to replace Hogan during next month’s Australlia Tour as a special guest General Manager, so this week’s F.F features The Heartbreak Kid.

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom, AKA Shawn Michaels, just recently celebrated his 50th birthday on July 22 and is one of the most recognizable sports entertainers in WWE history. Guys wanted to be him and girls wanted to be with him. Michaels is a pioneer for smaller wrestlers and showed the WWE Universe that you don’t have to be an overpowering force in order to become an amazing professional wrestler.

Michaels’ debut in the WWE came in 1987, but that only lasted two weeks. A bar incident almost cost him his career, but fortunately for him he was able to return one year later. Michaels broke into the WWE as a member of The Rockers and the tag-team became very popular by 1990. Partnering with Marty Jannetty, the tandem were able to defeat The Hart Foundation for their first Tag-Team Championship, but unfortunately had to return the title a few months later. Jim Neidhart of The Hart Foundation was in the middle of restructuring his contract so the WWE went with The Rockers winning, however after Neidhart resigned, the match was considered void due to a “collapsed turnbuckle.” Although The Rockers had a successful title defence, they were stricken from the championship and would eventually break up after Michaels decided to go solo in this awesome moment. 

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsvUNQyWFhw[/youtube]

Breaking into the WWE as a babyface with long blonde hair that children and women adored, that superkick turned Michaels into the villain and “The Heartbreak Kid” was born. Now as a single’s competitor, Michaels was attempting to win any title he could get his hands on. However, he failed to win the WWF Championship and Intercontinental Championship on multiple occasions. During a feud with Bret Hart in 1992, Michaels would participate in the first ever ladder match, and this is where he truly excelled. Michaels was finally able to win the Intercontinental Championship, but left professional wrestling for a few months, allegedly due to steroid use, and when he returned Razor Ramon was now the Intercontinental Champion.

Stuck in feud over the Intercontinental Championship, because Michaels had never lost his title to Razor Ramon, the two wrestled in one of the best matches of all-time at WrestleMania 10.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASXM8TvYRew[/youtube]

The two faced off in a ladders match and it was incredible. As seen in the video above, the two went back-and-forth in a painful manner using the ladders in ways that nobody had ever seen before. The match even received the “PWI Match of the Year” by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, which is an incredible honour. Although Michaels didn’t win, that match started his reign as “Mr. WrestleMania.”

After breaking into singles competition as the “bad-boy,” Michaels started to win over the fans and become a fan-favourite. Vince McMahon recognized Michaels as a babyface for the company and as a result, he started winning more. Michaels was able to win the WWF Championship in 1996 against Bret Hart in a sixty minute classic, but his “Curtain Call” moment with The Kliq almost cost him.

The Kliq involved Triple H, Michaels, Razor Ramon and Diesel. With Diesel and Ramon set to leave for WCW, after Michaels had defeated Diesel, Triple H and Ramon came to the ring and the four wrestlers celebrated in a group-hug in the ring breaking kayfabe. Diesel and Triple H were known as bad-guys at the time, so they all broke character by celebrating as friends in the ring. This was obviously something that Vince McMahon was furious about and Triple H’s career would move in a different direction as a result.

However, Michaels would continue as the WWF Champion on and off for the next year, participating in some of the best matches in wrestling history. Always putting on amazing matches with The Undertaker, their 1997 Hell in a Cell match at WWF Bad Blood was spectacular.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZX-bhP9GWk[/youtube]

Michaels would continue to make headlines in 1997 with the famous “Montreal Screwjob” incident. This incident doesn’t need much explaining as Bret Hart never tapped against Michaels but lost the match anyways.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwMOtdNnWYY[/youtube]

After the “Montreal Screwjob” incident, Michaels was at his all-time high as a recognizable wrestler, but unfortunately was forced into his first retirement. During a casket match with The Undertaker, Michaels herniated two discs in his back and crushed one completely. Obviously unable to compete anymore due to his back injury, Michaels had to give up his WWF Championship and left wrestling for four years.

Returning to wrestling in 2002, some of Michaels’ best matches were still ahead of him. Chris Jericho was somebody who looked like Michaels and wrestled in a similar way, so this was a perfect feud for him to return to. Jericho claimed to be the next Shawn Michaels and he didn’t take lightly to this. Defeating Jericho at WrestleMania XIX, Michaels was finally able to wrestle in his first WrestleMania match since 1998, after a five-year absence.

Although the two put on a great match, Michaels’ next seven years are the reason why he’s called “Mr. WrestleMania.” Pro Wrestling Illustrated showed their respect for Michaels when he was involved in the Match of the Year in the next seven consecutive years, including six WrestleMania’s. Starting with a Triple Threat Match against Chris Benoit and Triple H in WrestleMania XX, then between Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21, Michaels displayed his best matches at the biggest stage of them all.

In 2006, Michaels defeated Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22 and then in 2007, Michaels and John Cena’s match on a April 23 episode of RAW turned into the Match of the Year. It seemed that every time Michaels stepped in the ring, there was a possibility of it being a Match of the Year candidate.

With his career nearing the end in 2008, his last three WrestleMania matches may have been the most popular of his career. In a career threatening match against Ric Flair, the two had an amazing performance. The moment where Michaels goes “I’m sorry, I love you,” is one of the most famous moments in WrestleMania history. The former cocky bad-boy shows his respect for the great Ric Flair but gives him the Sweet Chin Music to ultimately end his career.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC3t-H8LU7k[/youtube]

Before Michaels would retire, his match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV is arguably the best match of all-time. Although both wrestler’s were in their mid-4os at this point, they told a story and crafted together a beautiful match. The exhaustion in both competitors eyes as the referee finally goes “1,2,3” just shows how excruciating this match was. Michaels may have technically lost the match, but may have gained more supporters in defeat.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s8zate0tcs[/youtube]

After such an incredible match at WrestleMania XXV, the two competitors decided to have a rematch at WrestleMania XXVI in a “Career vs. Streak” Match. It was hard to replicate the match from the previous year, but the story the two competitors told was more important than the actual match. Michaels landed one of the biggest Sweet Chin Music’s on The Undertaker and the streak almost looked to be broken. However, The Undertaker proved too strong and the streak would outweigh Michaels’ career. With a never give up attitude, it took a few finishers from The Deadman to finally defeat Michaels. Ultimately, The Heartbreak Kid ended his career just like he had ended Ric Flair’s a few years prior.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO5guP45itg[/youtube]

As one of the most popular wrestlers of all-time, “The Showstopper” was just that. If you were to look up professional wrestler up in the dictionary there’s probably a picture of Shawn Michaels right beside it. The man was an incredibly gifted wrestler and gave fans 20 years worth of memories that they’ll never forget.

If you’ve missed an edition of Flashback Friday, click here. Share your favourite Shawn Michaels’ moments below and tweet @Wrestlenewz on who you’d like to see featured.