Real Name: Michael Hickenbottom Nickname: Heart-Break-Kid Birthdate: 7/22/65 Height: 6' 1" Weight: 225 lbs Signature Moves: Sweet Chin Music
Biography:
Being summed as simply “the showstopper” Shawn Michaels has done it all in the wrestling business. Despite being only 225lbs, Michaels has won a vast collection of titles and feuded with the best superstars the WWE has ever had to offer no matter how large or powerful, and on many occasions come out on top. He is possibly one of the biggest legends still wrestling today and competing even now, perhaps towards the end of his career, at the very highest level with superstars of every generation.
Michaels trained with Jose Lothario from the tender age of 18; he had always had the desire of becoming a top wrestler and took of with the sport immediately. His agile style of wrestling was always a delight to watch, which would send him far in the business. His first match came just two weeks after his 19th birthday, with Mid-south wrestling organisation. Despite losing he looked in fine shape and his hard had training paid off. After six months with Mid-south, Michaels moved on to Kansas City where he would begin wrestling with Texas all star Wrestling. This is where he met his future long time tag partner Marty Janetty, but to begin with won the tag titles twice with Paul Diamond in their duo known as the American Force. It was in 1986 Michaels and Janetty first teamed up as the Midnight Rockers and were an instant success together. Even though it was for only a week, they captured the NWA Central States tag championship. Moving on to the AWA saw the Midnight Rockers get lots of TV time and the World Tag Team Championship. A move to the WWF was scheduled for them after this victory in 1986 but some misbehaviour in a nightclub dinted this straight away. They carried on their success in the AWA winning the southern tag titles twice, then it was when they won the world tag titles again, for the second time in 1988 that the WWF re-gained interest in the youngsters, and in that year they signed. Despite the tag champions of that time being more of the heavyweight side of things, e.g. Demolition and the Hart Foundation, the agility and synchronisation of the rockers made them a huge success with the fans and they never gave up trying to reach the top. They feuded with all the heavyweight tag teams and despite losing most of the time were still loudly cheered on by the crowds. On October 30th 1990, the Rockers thought defeated the Hart Foundation for the tag titles but the switch was not acknowledged as during the match the top rope had broken, therefore making the match completely void and not legal.
In early 1992, despite beating many tag teams and taking part in Wrestlemanias together, the Rockers quite violently split up when Shawn threw Marty threw a glass window on Brutus “the Barber” Beefcake’s WWF talk show (similar to the Highlight Reel). Michaels from here begun an illustrious career as a singles competitor declaring himself “the sexiest man alive” thus initiating his long lasting sexy boy/heartbreak kid gimmick. After feuding with Rick Martel, and picking up a singles victory over Tito Santana in a memorable match at Wrestlemania VIII, Shawn was to get his first title shot for the Intercontinental belt against British Bulldog. After beating Bret at Summerslam for the belt, Davey boy Smith was to defend his title against Shawn at Saturday Night's Main Event on October 27th 1992. In an epic encounter for a low profile show, Shawn got the victory picking up his biggest title yet. This fuelled the revenge motivated return of his ex tag partner Marty Janetty. At the 1993 Royal Rumble Shawn Michaels and Marty Janetty squared off against one another, and despite Marty having Shawn’s ex valet Sherri in his corner, Shawn defeated Marty and kept his title. However later on in that year, May 17th on Monday night Raw, Marty was given another shot and this time picked up the surprise victory. Less than a month later, Shawn was given a re-match for the title and won it back with the aid of his new 7ft 300+ lbs bodyguard Diesel. Despite this successful partnership Shawn was stripped of the title, as he had not defended it within 30 days. However the real reason was due contractual problems with the WWF and Jack Tunney. Shawn believed as he never lost the belt was still the champion which led to a long notorious feud with Razor Ramon, the belt holder at the time. This set up the first ever PPV ladder match to take place, and at what better place and time than at Wrestlemania X. Many think this was the first ever match of its kind but in fact the first ever ladder match was earlier that year between Bret Hart and Shawn to be put onto a Bret Hart compilation video. Nevertheless this fight was possibly the best ever ladder match and despite losing, Shawn put up an awesome fight and the WWF was very pleased with the match. The feud continued and Diesel got involved and won the title. What is more significant is Shawn won his first WWF tag titles with his 7ft bodyguard partner. Unfortunately they had to vacate the belts as the formidable duo split up at Survivor Series 1994 when Diesel won the world championship, and Shawn inadvertently laid the Sweet Chin Music on Diesel during an 8-man tag match. Their relationship was now over. The 1995 Royal Rumble saw on of Shawn’s greatest achievements. He entered as the number 1 contestant and ended the rumble in dramatic fashion using his patented “crab” way of swinging back into the ring after dangling on the ropes and throwing out British Bulldog to win the rumble. This led him to face champion Diesel at the Wrestlemania XI main event. Shawn thought he had a bodyguard replacement in Psycho Sid, but this never worked out and Diesel was victorious.
After being injured by Sid as things never worked out, Shawn returned to feud with Jeff Jarret, again for the IC belt. Shawn picked it up for the third time at In Your House 2 1995 and defended it later that year at Summerslam against Razor Ramon in another memorable ladder match. Shawn again teamed up with Diesel to win the Tag championship but was forced to revoke them as they pinned an illegal man during the match. Further bad luck ensued as he was forced to forfeit the title to Dean Douglas after being attacked outside a nightclub. After a coming back for a wildcard match at Survivor Series 1995, and suffering a concussion at the hands of Owen Hart, Shawn was again victorious in the Royal Rumble match and would again get a title shot at Wrestlemania. This time it would be against Bret and in a 60 minute first ever iron man match. Again, this was one of the greatest matches ever, after the whole hour of the match going back and forth, no-one had scored any falls. Gorilla Monsoon ordered sudden death rules to be applied for the match to continue and thanks to his Sweet Chin Music Shawn won the fall and became the new WWF champion for the first ever time. After feuding with some of the WWF’s best superstars, Shawn lost the title at Survivor Series 1996 to Sid. This also begun a long feud with Bret has he returned on this day and ridiculed Shawn for losing his title. However he won it back at Royal Rumble 1997, but again controversially forfeited it in February perhaps in a bid to see Bret out of the WWF. Within this feud he joined forces with Steve Austin and captured his 3rd tag title. After being the cause of Undertaker losing a title match at Summerslam 1997, Shawn took part in the first ever Hell in a Cell match. This was to become the most brutal kind of match the WWF had ever seen, Shawn got busted open severely, fell of the top of the cell through an announce table but thanks to Kane’s first ever appearance wont the match and would go on to Survivor Series to get a title shot. This match at Survivor Series against Bret turned out to be the most disreputable action undertaken by Shawn as he took part in “screwing” Bret out of the title and of the WWF. Royal Rumble 1998 saw Shawn defeat Undertaker in a casket match again with the help of Kane and led to a title match at Wrestlemania 14 against Stone Cold despite picking up injuries in this match. After losing to Steve Austin, Shawn had to leave the WWF and his controversial faction D-X to undertake serious back & neck surgery. Michaels returned to undertake the job of commissioner and other backstage roles but again left on June 26th 2000. It then wasn’t until June 26th 2002 that the WWF saw Shawn again as he returned to lead another heel faction, the nWo. This led to him feuding with his ex-best friend Triple H, and defeated him at Summerslam that year. All his surgery in the past had been a success and in Survivor Series 2002 Shawn took part in and came out the victor of the first ever Elimination chamber match defeating the likes of Triple H, Kane and Booker T to become for the first time, the World Heavyweight Champion. A magnificent achievement in this latter part of his career. Despite losing the title a month later Shawn has kept at the top of the pile on the Raw brand, taking part in another vicious (but slightly mired by Triple H’s injury) elimination chamber match and returned to Wrestlemania this year by defeating Chris Jericho, someone who idolised Michaels as a child. The way he is now, Shawn Michaels could continue for a good few more years.
WWE Title History:
3 time WWE World champion
3 time WWE Intercontinental champion
3 time WWE Tag Team champion
WWE European Champion
WWE World Heavyweight Champion
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