Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his
ring nameA ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer.-Wrestling:Ring names were developed as a defense mechanism to keep kayfabe and allow wrestling performers to hide their true identities from the wrestling fanbase, or because their real name is considered...
Shawn Michaels, is an American
professional wrestlerProfessional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is an athletic performing art where matches are prearranged by the promotion's booking staff. It is a non-competitive sport which contains strong elements of theatre, mock combat, and catch wrestling. Wrestling's origins date to 19th-century carnival...
. He performs for
World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE), formerly the World Wrestling Federation, on its
RawWWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States. The show's name, which is sometimes stylized as RAW, is also used to refer to the Raw brand, in which WWE employees are assigned to work and perform...
brandThe World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment Brand Extension was a process first used in 2002 by said professional wrestling promotion as a means of providing separate brands of wrestling through its two top shows, Raw and SmackDown!, with the addition of ECW in 2006.- Background :After acquiring...
. Hickenbottom is one of the senior performers in WWE, having joined in 1988.
Hickenbottom began his wrestling career with Mid-South Wrestling, now known as Universal Wrestling Federation, and
American Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association ' was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
(AWA). During his time with AWA, he performed in partnership with
Marty JannettyFrederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one-time Intercontinental Champion and one-time Tag...
, as
The Midnight RockersThe Rockers were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty that teamed from 1985 to 1992. The team worked for Central States Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, Continental Wrestling Federation, Continental Wrestling Association and the World...
; winning the
AWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
twice. Hickenbottom and Jannetty then signed with World Wrestling Federation (WWF), while in contract with AWA. They returned to AWA, only to go back to the WWF in 1988.
Hickenbottom later worked as a sole performer, taking on a new persona of "The Heartbreak Kid." He was the leader of a backstage group known as The Kliq, which was known for performing an unscripted act during the
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
"Curtain Call" incident in 1996. The following year, he teamed up with
Hunter Hearst HemsleyPaul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
, who often was referred to as Triple H (HHH), and Chyna to form
D-Generation XD-Generation X is a professional wrestling tag team wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand. The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
(DX). This group of wrestlers was known for their sophomoric crude humor. That same year, Hickenbottom took part in one of the most controversial matches in wrestling history, dubbed as the "
Montreal ScrewjobThe Montreal Screwjob was the real life double-crossing of defending WWF Champion Bret Hart by Vince McMahon, the owner of the World Wrestling Federation , during the main event match of the professional wrestling pay-per-view event Survivor Series held on November 9, 1997 at the Molson Centre in...
." After a back injury forced him to retire following his
WWF ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship and ECW Championship. It was established...
loss at
WrestleMania XIVWrestleMania XIV was the fourteenth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 29, 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts....
, Hickenbottom opened a wrestling academy, called
The Shawn Michaels Wrestling AcademyThe Texas Wrestling Academy is a professional wrestling training school that was operated by Shawn Michaels and Rudy Boy Gonzalez...
, in which he trained upcoming wrestlers. He made his in-ring return at
SummerSlamSummerSlam was the fifteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 25, 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York....
in 2002. In 2006, Hickenbottom and Triple H briefly reformed DX, but after an injury that Triple H sustained, Hickenbottom returned to singles wrestling.
Among other accolades, Hickenbottom is a four-time world champion: a
three-time WWF ChampionThe World Wrestling Entertainment Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship and ECW Championship. It was established...
and a former
World Heavyweight ChampionThe World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship and ECW Championship...
. He was also the winner of the
1995Royal Rumble was the eighth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 22, 1995, in the USF Sun Dome located in Tampa, Florida. The event featured five matches based on scripted storylines and the results...
and
1996Royal Rumble was the ninth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 21, 1996 at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California. It was the first Royal Rumble to contain pyrotechnics.The main event was The...
Royal RumbleThe Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment . The event was created in 1988 with the inaugural event held on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
s and was the company's first Grand Slam Champion. Aside from professional wrestling, Hickenbottom is a born-again Christian, husband, and father of two children.
Early life
Hickenbottom was born on July 22, 1965 in
Chandler, ArizonaChandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is a prominent suburb of the Phoenix, Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is bordered to the north and west by Tempe, to the north by Mesa, to the west by Phoenix, to the south by the Gila River Indian Community, and to the...
. The last of four children – Randy, Scott, and Shari are his older siblings – he was raised in a military family and spent a brief part of his early years in
Reading, BerkshireReading is a large town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London...
, England, but grew up in San Antonio, Texas. As a child, Hickenbottom disliked the name "Michael," 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 knew he wanted to become a professional wrestler at the age of twelve. Hickenbottom was already an athlete; his career began at the age of six when he started playing
footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
. He was a stand-out
linebackerA Linebacker is a position in American and Canadian football that was invented by football coach Fielding Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
at
Randolph High SchoolRandolph High School, part of the Randolph Field Independent School District is located on Randolph Air Force Base in Universal City, Texas. It serves approximately 300 high school students and employs approximately 29 high school teachers and other support staff...
and eventually became captain of the football team. After graduating, Hickenbottom attended
Southwest Texas State UniversityTexas State University–San Marcos, often referred to as Texas State University or Texas State , is a doctoral-granting university located in San Marcos, Texas. At the start of the Fall 2009 semester, the university had a record high enrollment of 30,816 students...
in
San Marcos, TexasSan Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the county seat of Hays County. San Marcos is located on the Interstate 35 corridor, between Austin and San Antonio....
, but soon realized that college life was not for him. Then he began pursuing a career in professional wrestling, a type of
sports entertainmentSports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
in which theatrical events are combined with a competitive sport.
Early career (1984–1988)
Hickenbottom began to train under Mexican professional wrestler
Jose LotharioGuadalupe Robledo is an American professional wrestler, best known by the ring name of Jose Lothario.-Career:Lothario competed in the National Wrestling Alliance for most of his career....
. During his training, Hickenbottom adopted the ring name, Shawn Michaels. After his training with Lothario, he debuted as Shawn Michaels with Mid-South Wrestling and Texas All-Star Wrestling (TAW)
promotionsA professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that performs regular shows involving professional wrestling...
in 1984. During his time with TAW, Michaels and Paul Diamond were awarded the TAW Tag Team Championship by Chavo Guerrero, Sr. He also worked for
Central States WrestlingHeart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
. There, he and
tag teamIn professional wrestling, a tag team consists of two wrestlers who are working together as a team . Often, they are close partners and backstage friends who team with each other almost exclusively, while other times they are singles competitors who are booked together for just one match...
partner
Marty JannettyFrederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one-time Intercontinental Champion and one-time Tag...
defeated The Batten Twins for the
Central States Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1979 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988...
, later losing it back to the Battens. Michaels also made several appearances in the Dallas, Texas-based
World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling was a popular regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von...
throughout 1985.
Michaels made his national-level debut at the age of twenty in
American Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association ' was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
(AWA), once again teaming with Marty Jannetty. The pair were billed as "
The Midnight RockersThe Rockers were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty that teamed from 1985 to 1992. The team worked for Central States Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, Continental Wrestling Federation, Continental Wrestling Association and the World...
" and held the
World Tag Team ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
, defeating
Doug Somers"Pretty Boy" Doug Somers was best known for his stint in the American Wrestling Association in the mid 1980's as part of a tag team with "Playboy" Buddy Rose, managed by Sherri Martell. Rose and Somers captured the AWA World tag team title by defeating Curt Hennig and Scott Hall in May 1986...
and
Buddy RosePaul Perschmann was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring-name, "Playboy" Buddy Rose.-Career:...
. In 1987, The Rockers were signed by a competing promotion: the
World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF). They were fired from WWF two weeks later, for a bar incident (a misunderstanding, according to Michaels' autobiography). They then returned to AWA, but were re-signed by WWF a year later.
The Rockers (1988–1991)
The Rockers redebuted at a WWF
house showA house show is a short professional wrestling show run by a major promotion, such as World Wrestling Entertainment or Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that is not televised or taped...
on July 7, 1988. Due to WWF chairman
Vince McMahonVincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestler, promoter, in-ring announcer, play-by-play commentator and film producer. He currently serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment and is the majority shareholder of WWE. He is the creator...
's desire to have his performers carry WWF-exclusive ring names, they were renamed, as simply "
The RockersThe Rockers were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty that teamed from 1985 to 1992. The team worked for Central States Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, Continental Wrestling Federation, Continental Wrestling Association and the World...
." The team proved popular with both children and women. The team was a mid-card stalwart of television and
pay-per-viewPay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast of that event to their homes. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
shows for the next two years.
In October 1990, The Rockers were scheduled to win the WWF Tag Team Championship from
The Hart FoundationThe Hart Foundation was a collective name used by various stables in the World Wrestling Federation . They are generally associated with the Hart wrestling family of legendary Stu Hart from Canada.-Career:...
(
Bret HartBret Sergeant Hart is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, author, and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under the persona, "The Hitman". A son of wrestling patriarch Stu Hart, he was born into the Hart wrestling...
and
Jim NeidhartJames Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...
), as Neidhart, half of the championship team, was in the process of negotiating his release from the company. The match was taped with The Rockers winning the belts, but soon after, Neidhart came to an agreement with management and was rehired. The belts were returned to the Hart Foundation, while the title change was never broadcast or even acknowledged on television. When news spread, WWF explained that the original result was void due to a collapsed
turnbuckleA turnbuckle is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. It normally consists of two threaded eyelets, one screwed into each end of a small metal loop, one with a left-hand thread and the other with a right-hand thread...
in the ring during the bout. A buckle had indeed broken, but not to a noticeable or dangerous extent during the match. The Rockers continued their partnership, eventually splitting on December 2, 1991 during an incident on
Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake'sEdward Harrison "Ed" Leslie is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. He later worked for World Championship Wrestling under a variety of names, mainly as "The Disciple" of real-life best friend...
televised
Barber Shop talk show promotional segment. Michaels
superkickA superkick is the name used when referring to a high side thrust kick attack in professional wrestling, which sees the wrestler use the sole of the foot to strike an opponent's head or chin, usually preceded by a sidestep, often referred to as a crescent kick, or just a side kick.-History:Many...
ed Jannetty and
threw himDefenestration is the art of throwing someone or something out of a window. The term "defenestration" was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618...
through a
glassSugar glass is an edible mixture of sugar, corn syrup and water, which has the appearance of glass when hardened for a limited time before warping and melting. It is used in stunt sequences of television and film in the place of real glass, as it breaks more easily and is less dangerous than real...
window on the set of Beefcake's talk show. Jannetty disappeared from the company, and Michaels became a villain as "The Boy Toy."
The Heartbreak Kid (1992–1995)
At the suggestion of
"Mr Perfect" Curt HennigCurtis Michael "Curt" Hennig also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler who wrestled for, among other promotions, the American Wrestling Association, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
, Michaels adopted the nickname "The Heartbreak Kid." Along with his new name came a new gimmick as a vain, cocky villain. He was put together with mirror-carrying
managerIn professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
,
Sensational SherriSherri Schrull was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri...
, who, according to the storyline, had become infatuated with him. Sherri even sang the first version of his new
theme musicTheme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
, "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 "
ElvisElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
has left the building").
Michaels failed to win the
Intercontinental ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. It is the original secondary title of WWE...
from Bret Hart in July 1992, even losing the WWF's first-ever
ladder matchA ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
against him at a house show, a match where the objective was to climb a ladder and reach an object hanging above the ring. He, however, won the title from The British Bulldog (
David SmithDavid Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne, Wigan. Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States of America with the World Wrestling Federation...
) on the October 27, 1992 edition of
Saturday Night's Main Event, which aired on November 8. Shortly thereafter, he was in a pay-per-view main event for the first time, in which he lost to Hart, for the
WWF ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship and ECW Championship. It was established...
at the
1992 Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series was the sixth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on November 25, 1992 at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio...
. Michaels and Hart were moved to the main event after
The Ultimate WarriorWarrior is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s as the Ultimate Warrior, during which time he won the WWF Championship and pinned Hulk Hogan in the main event of WrestleMania VI...
was unable to compete in the tag team match that involved
Randy SavageRandall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, is a former American professional wrestler and actor who is best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling . Savage is a six-time world champion...
against the team of
Ric FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr better known by his ring name, Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Also known as "The Nature Boy," Flair is one of the most well known professional wrestlers in the world....
and
Razor RamonScott Oliver Hall is an American professional wrestler. In the course of his career, which has spanned three decades, Hall has wrestled for the American Wrestling Association , the National Wrestling Alliance , Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , World Class Championship Wrestling , World...
. During this time, Michaels and Sherri split and he engaged himself in a feud with former tag team partner Marty Jannetty. Michaels lost the Intercontinental Championship to Jannetty on
Monday Night RawWWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States. The show's name, which is sometimes stylized as RAW, is also used to refer to the Raw brand, in which WWE employees are assigned to work and perform...
on May 17, 1993. He then regained it on June 6 with the help of his debuting "
bodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security guard or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, or other threats.Most important public figures such as heads of state or...
" (and off-air friend)
DieselKevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. Nash has wrestled under various ring names, but most notably by his own name, for World Championship Wrestling and wrestled by his own name and as Diesel in World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
.
In September 1993, Michaels had quit the company, after it was announced that he had failed to defend his title enough times during a set period; in reality, he had been suspended for testing positive for
steroidA steroid is a terpenoid lipid characterized by its sterane core and additional functional groups. The core is a carbon structure of four fused rings: three cyclohexane rings and one cyclopentane ring. The steroids vary by the functional groups attached to these rings and the oxidation state of the...
s – a charge that Michaels denies to this day. After turning down
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and his...
(WCW)'s advances, Michaels returned to the WWF and made several appearances in the
United States Wrestling AssociationThe United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotional organization based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a federation founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
(USWA) during a WWF/USWA cross-promotion. He returned to WWF television for November's
Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series was the seventh annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on Thanksgiving Eve, November 24, 1993 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts...
pay-per-view, substituting for
Jerry LawlerJerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment , working and wrestling on its Raw brand as the color commentator...
, who was dealing with legal issues, in a match pitting himself and three of Lawler's "Knights" against the Hart brothers, Bret,
BruceBruce Ambrose Edwardious Hart is a Canadian professional wrestler. The second son of Stu Hart, Hart is a member of the large Hart wrestling family....
, Keith, and
OwenOwen James Hart was a Canadian professional wrestler who was widely known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation . Hart was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada the youngest of 12 children to wrestling promoter Stu Hart and Helen Hart. He was the younger brother of professional wrestler Bret...
.
He soon entered a
staged rivalryA professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Razor Ramon, who had won the vacated Intercontinental Championship, 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 XWrestleMania X was the tenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on March 20, 1994. The central focus of the pay-per-view was the WWF Championship, which was defended...
. Michaels lost the match, which featured both his and Ramon's belts suspended above a ladder in the ring. This match was voted by fans as "
Match of the YearThe PWI Match of the Year Award, given yearly since 1972 by professional wrestling magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated, recognizes the best match of the year as voted by readers of the magazine. Shawn Michaels has won the award a record 9 times; 4 in a row and has won the last five years in a...
" by
Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
. It also received a 5-star rating from
Wrestling Observer NewsletterDave Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford has praised Meltzer's work, saying that "Meltzer, I believe, is the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism." Meltzer has written for the Oakland Tribune, the Los Angeles Times,...
member
Dave MeltzerDave Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford has praised Meltzer's work, saying that "Meltzer, I believe, is the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism." Meltzer has written for the Oakland Tribune, the Los Angeles Times,...
, one of four WWE matches to do so. Over the next few months, Michaels battled various injuries and launched the
Heartbreak Hotel television talk show segment, mainly shown on
WWF SuperstarsWWF Superstars of Wrestling was a professional wrestling program that debuted on September 6, 1986 and was aired until 2001. Superstars, as it would later be known, was the flagship of the World Wrestling Federation 's syndicated programming from its inception until being eclipsed by Monday Night...
.
On August 28, 1994, Michaels and Diesel captured the Tag Team Championship from
The HeadshrinkersThe Headshrinkers were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation that consisted of Fatu and Samu. They previously competed under the name The New Wild Samoans in the National Wrestling Alliance , and as The Samoan Swat Team in World Championship Wrestling , World Class...
(
SamuSamula Anoa'i is a professional wrestler best known as one half of The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team under the name Samu. His father is Afa Anoa'i who trained Samula for his professional wrestling debut.-Career:...
and
FatuSolofa Fatu, Jr. is a Samoan-American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Rikishi. Fatu is a member of the extensive Samoan Anoa'i wrestling family, and the nephew of the Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika, who trained him in the 1980s...
). The next day, at
SummerSlamSummerSlam was the seventh annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 29, 1994 at the newly-opened United Center in Chicago, Illinois, which had opened eleven days earlier.The pay-per-view had two main events...
, Diesel lost the Intercontinental championship to Ramon when Michaels accidentally superkicked Diesel. This triggered a split between Michaels and Diesel, a storyline that was drawn out until
Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series was the eighth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on Thanksgiving Eve, November 23, 1994 at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas...
that November. Michaels went on to win the
Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble was the eighth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 22, 1995, in the USF Sun Dome located in Tampa, Florida. The event featured five matches based on scripted storylines and the results...
in 1995, which set up a championship grudge match at
WrestleMania XIWrestleMania XI was the eleventh annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event held by the World Wrestling Federation at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut on April 2, 1995...
against Diesel (who had gone on to win the WWF Championship from
Bob BacklundRobert Lee "Bob" Backlund , is an American professional wrestler and actor with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years...
). As part of the storyline, Michaels recruited
Sycho SidSidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, better known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation. He is a four time world champion, having won the WWF Championship and WCW World Heavyweight Championship...
as his bodyguard for the build-up, lost the match, and was attacked by Sid the following night. After this, Michaels took time off, because Vince McMahon wanted Michaels to become a crowd favorite.
Clique's influence (1995–1997)
Michaels returned to the ring, as a crowd favorite, in May 1995. He went onto defeat
Jeff JarrettJeffrey Leonard "Jeff" Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and promoter currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is also Vice President of Creative Writing. He is well known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
at the July pay-per-view event,
In Your HouseIn Your House 2: The Lumberjacks was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was the second pay-per-view of the In Your House series...
, to win his third Intercontinental championship. This led to a title defense against Razor Ramon at
SummerSlamSummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was the eighth annual SummerSlam event. It took place on August 27, 1995 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
, 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 the 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 YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2000 census, the city population was 147,306, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the economic and educational hub of Central New...
. Shortly afterwards, at the In Your House: Great White North pay-per-view, Michaels forfeited the Intercontinental championship to staged rival
Dean DouglasTroy Shane Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned two decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly in the World Wrestling...
because he was, according to WWF, unable to compete. Later in the night, Douglas lost the championship to Clique member Razor Ramon. The next month, during a match with
Owen HartOwen James Hart was a Canadian professional wrestler who was widely known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation . Hart was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada the youngest of 12 children to wrestling promoter Stu Hart and Helen Hart. He was the younger brother of professional wrestler Bret...
on an episode of
RawWWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States. The show's name, which is sometimes stylized as RAW, is also used to refer to the Raw brand, in which WWE employees are assigned to work and perform...
, Owen performed a kick that struck the back of Michaels' head. They continued the match, but Michaels collapsed in the ring, supposedly because he had suffered a concussion in the Syracuse incident. The concussion was scripted, which was kept from most fans at the time. A retirement angle was written so that Michaels could take some time off, after he came back from an injury too soon.
After teasing a retirement, Michaels returned to WWF at the
Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble was the ninth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 21, 1996 at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California. It was the first Royal Rumble to contain pyrotechnics.The main event was The...
match in 1996, which he wound up winning for a second year in a row, to receive a
WWF ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship and ECW Championship. It was established...
match in the main event at
WrestleMania XIIWrestleMania XII was the twelfth WrestleMania event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on March 31, 1996 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California.-Background:...
. Around this time, Jose Lothario became Michaels on-screen manager. At WrestleMania XII, Michaels defeated Bret Hart in the 'sudden death' overtime of their sixty minute
Iron Man matchAn Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most decisions at the end of that time named the victor...
, a match where the winner is determined by the number of scoring conditions by a certain time limit, which had ended in a 0–0 tie. On May 19, 1996 in an incident known as "Curtain Call: The MSG Incident," Michaels won a steel cage match, a match where the ring is surrounded by a steel cage, against Diesel. After the match ended, Razor Ramon, who was about to leave WWF to company rival WCW, came to the ring and hugged Michaels. Although
Hunter Hearst HelmsleyPaul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Nash were seen as villains at the time, in contrast to Michaels and Hall, they were also members of The Clique, and joined in the good-bye hug as a group. The incident was seen as a rare breach in "
kayfabeIn professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real." That is, the portrayal of professional wrestling as being genuine or not worked...
", the faux action and storylines that promoters wanted the fans to see as real. As WCW gained momentum due to the signings of Hall and Nash, Michaels held the championship for most of the year. Michaels' championship reign ended at the
1996 Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series was the tenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
event, where he lost to Sycho Sid, his former bodyguard. Michaels recaptured the championship from Sid in January 1997 at the
Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble was the tenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 19, 1997 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas....
.
On a special episode of
Raw dubbed
Thursday Raw Thursday, Michaels vacated the WWF Championship; he explained to fans that he was informed by doctors that he had conjured a knee injury, and that he had to retire. His speech was regarded as controversial, as Michaels was allegedly unwilling to lose to Bret Hart at
WrestleMania 13WrestleMania 13 was the thirteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
(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 AndrewsJames Andrews is an orthopedic surgeon who practices in Gulf Breeze, Florida and Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Andrews is widely considered one of the foremost surgeons in the United States for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries. He has also been credited with performing some of the earliest arthroscopies...
, Michaels returned a few months later, briefly teaming with
Steve AustinSteve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
to win the Tag Team Championship. In his autobiography, Michaels reveals 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
SummerSlamSummerSlam was the tenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 3, 1997 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.-Results:...
, Michaels officiated the WWF Championship match between champion The Undertaker and Bret Hart. The match ended in controversial fashion, with Michaels hitting Undertaker with a chair (unintentionally, as he was aiming for Bret after he spat in his face). Michaels was then forced to award the championship to his nemesis, Bret Hart. At
WWF One Night OnlyWWF One Night Only was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was broadcast on September 20, 1997 on Sky Box Office from the NEC Arena in Birmingham, England....
, held in
Birmingham, EnglandBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
in September, Michaels defeated The British Bulldog to capture the
European ChampionshipThe WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. Along with the WWE Intercontinental Championship, it was one of two coveted midcard heavyweight singles championships in the promotion, with several superstars holding both titles...
. The fans at the event were so appalled at the result of the match they booed Michaels out of the building, to the extent that they littered the ring with rubbish. With this win, Michaels became the first Grand Slam Champion, a distinction made to a professional wrestler who has won all of the major titles in a promotion. During the 1997 SummerSlam event, a feud culminated between Michaels and The Undertaker, after Michaels struck The Undertaker with the usage of a steel chair. At the October pay-per-view event, In Your House: Badd Blood, Michaels and Undertaker participated in the first Hell in a Cell match, a match contested in a ring surrounded by a steel cage made of metal. During the match, it saw Michaels fall off the side of the high structure through a table and saw him as the winner in the match. The match received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer.
In the summer, Michaels joined forces with real-life friend, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Hunter's then-girlfriend, Chyna, and Rick Rude to form the stable, a group of wrestlers,
D-Generation XD-Generation X is a professional wrestling tag team wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand. The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
(DX). Moving away from the family-oriented product, this marked the beginning of the WWF Attitude Era. Michaels continued his rivalry with Bret Hart and his reformed Hart 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 the
Canadian FlagThe National Flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
. Michaels later claimed the flag desecration was Bret's idea. Michaels' feud with the Hart Foundation culminated in a championship match at
Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series was the eleventh annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on November 9, 1997 at the Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec...
in 1997 against Bret Hart. Michaels came out of this match, dubbed by fans the "
Montreal ScrewjobThe Montreal Screwjob was the real life double-crossing of defending WWF Champion Bret Hart by Vince McMahon, the owner of the World Wrestling Federation , during the main event match of the professional wrestling pay-per-view event Survivor Series held on November 9, 1997 at the Molson Centre in...
", as the WWF Champion. Michaels now held both the WWF and European championship at the same time. Michaels, however, lost the European championship to group member, Hunter Hurst Hemsley, who often was referred to as Triple H (HHH), when he pinned him during a
farcicalA farce is a comedy written for the stage or film which aims to entertain the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include sexual innuendo and word play, and a fast-paced...
match, making Triple H the European Champion.
Retirement, commissioner and departure (1998–2000)
At the
1998 Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble was the eleventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 18, 1998 at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California....
, Michaels received a legitimate back injury in a Casket match against The Undertaker, a match where the objective is to place the opponent inside a casket. Michaels took a back body drop to the outside of the ring and smashed his lower back on the
casketA coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of deceased remains – either for burial or cremation.-Practices:Any box used to bury the dead in is a coffin...
, causing him to
herniate two discsA spinal disc herniation , informally and misleadingly called a "slipped disc", is a medical condition affecting the spine, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc allows the soft, central portion to bulge out...
and crush one completely. This forced Michaels into retirement after losing the WWF Championship to Steve Austin at
WrestleMania XIVWrestleMania XIV was the fourteenth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 29, 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts....
.
Michaels returned to the WWF on November 23, 1998, but not as a wrestler; instead, he replaced
Sgt. SlaughterRobert Remus is an American former WWE personality, and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Sgt. Slaughter...
as the WWF Commissioner, a portrayed match maker and rules enforcer, joining Vince McMahon's group of wrestlers called the
CorporationThe Corporation was a heel stable in the late 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation .-History:The group was put together and led by WWF Chairman Vince McMahon in an attempt to secure control of the WWF and "crush the rebels" that were popping up on the WWF landscape...
as a villain. Throughout late 1998 and early 1999, Michaels made regular television appearances on
Raw, in which he scheduled matches, throwing around his authority, and sometimes even deciding the outcome of matches. In early 1999, Michaels re-joined DX as a crowd favorite, but disappeared from WWF television for a few months to have back surgery, and by the time he had returned, DX had broken up.
Michaels made occasional appearances on WWF television as the commissioner during the spring and summer of 1999. Michaels was absent from WWF television until May 21, 2000 when he returned 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 FoleyMichael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American actor, author, comedian, voice over, and professional wrestler, currently signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the storyline "Executive Shareholder"...
and afterwards was absent from television for nearly a year. During this time, believing that his wrestling career was over, Michaels was interested in training individuals who wanted to become professional wrestlers. He saw potential in using his name and opening the
Shawn Michaels Wrestling AcademyThe Texas Wrestling Academy is a professional wrestling training school that was operated by Shawn Michaels and Rudy Boy Gonzalez...
, after his lawyer, Skip McCormick, suggested the idea. Michaels eventually left the academy. During this time, Michaels was a sportscaster for San Antonio's local news for a short time during his retirement.
Return to wrestling and various feuds (2002–2005)
In 2002, Michaels returned to wrestling and was brought into the
New World OrderThe New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling...
(nWo) by Kevin Nash as a new member of the group. After the nWo had disbanded, Triple H appeared to make amends with Michaels. This was solidified when Michaels pleaded Triple H to return to
Raw. 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 a Pedigree on him. 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 storyline. In response, Michaels challenged Triple H to "a fight" (a non–sanctioned match) at
SummerSlamSummerSlam was the fifteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 25, 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York....
, which Triple H accepted, laying the foundation for a rivalry that lasted for years. Michaels won at SummerSlam, but was attacked by Triple H with a
sledgehammerA sledgehammer is a tool consisting of a large, flat head attached to a lever . The head is typically made of metal. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse than other hammers, due to its large size. Along with the mallet, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area...
after the match. At
Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series was the sixteenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on November 17, 2002 from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and featured talent from both the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
, Michaels won the
World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship and ECW Championship...
from Triple H in the company's first-ever
Elimination ChamberThe Elimination Chamber is a match type in professional wrestling, specifically seen in World Wrestling Entertainment.-Background:Former Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff was given on-screen credit for creating the match in the fall of 2002, stating it combines elements of WWE's Royal Rumble,...
match, where the ring is surrounded by a steel structure of chain and girders. Michaels' reign as champion came to an end when he lost the championship to Triple H in a Three Stages of Hell match, a series of three matches in which wrestlers attempt to win the majority of matches, at
ArmageddonArmageddon was the third Armageddon professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on December 15, 2002 at the Office Depot Center in the Ft...
.
Michaels then began a rivalry with
Chris JerichoChristopher Keith "Chris" Irvine better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-born Canadian professional wrestler, television and stage actor, author, radio host, television host and rock musician...
, after Jericho claimed that he was the next Shawn Michaels. On January 13, 2003, after Jericho won a
battle royalIn professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
, a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared the winner, to select his entry number for the
Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble was the sixteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on January 19, 2003 at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts....
, 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 (
William ResoWilliam Jason Reso is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, currently signed with World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling on its ECW brand as Christian, where he is the reigning ECW Champion. Reso has also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Christian Cage, where he was notable for...
), eliminated Michaels. Michaels defeated Jericho at
WrestleMania XIXWrestleMania XIX was the nineteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 30, 2003 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Washington...
. After the match, Michaels offered his hand to Jericho, who instead of shaking it, hugged Michaels. At first it seemed like good sportsmanship by Jericho until he quickly kicked Michaels in the groin.
As a part of an ongoing feud with Triple H, the two competed alongside
Chris BenoitChristopher Michael Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler who was found by investigators and authorities to have murdered his wife and son before committing suicide...
in the main event match at
WrestleMania XXWrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was a joint-promotion pay-per-view event, featuring performers from the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
for the World Heavyweight Championship. The former DX partners both came up short in the match, however, as Benoit had been scripted to win the championship. At
Bad BloodBad Blood was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 13, 2004 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. It was the third and final annual Bad Blood event....
in June, Michaels lost to Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match. Four months later, he lost a World Heavyweight championship match against Triple H, after
EdgeAdam Joseph Copeland is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to an injury....
interfered at
Taboo TuesdayTaboo Tuesday was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 19, 2004 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the first annual Taboo Tuesday event, marking the first time in which the fans were given the chance...
, when the fans voted for him ahead of Edge and Chris Benoit to face Triple H one more time. Following this, Michaels was out of action for a few months with a legitimate torn
meniscusIn anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...
.
At the
Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble was the eighteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
in 2005, Michaels competed in the Rumble match and eliminated
Kurt AngleKurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, actor and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former three-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, as recognized by promotion.Angle was involved in amateur wrestling...
. In seeking revenge, Angle re-entered the ring and eliminated Michaels, and thus placed him in an ankle lock submission hold, outside of the ring. Michaels issued a challenge to Angle for a match at
WrestleMania 21WrestleMania 21 was the twenty-first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 3, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California....
, which Angle accepted when he appeared on
Raw to attack Michaels. The following week on
Raw, Marty Jannetty and Michaels had a one time reunion as The Rockers and defeated La Résistance (
Robért ConwayRobert Thomas Conway better known as Rob Conway, is an American professional wrestler and is best known for his seven year stint with World Wrestling Entertainment.-Professional wrestling career:...
and
Sylvain GrenierSylvain Grenier is a Canadian professional wrestler, who is best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment in the La Résistance tag team. He is currently a French language announcer for TNA Impact! on RDS....
). Three days later on
SmackDown!, Angle defeated Jannetty, after Angle made Jannetty submit to the ankle lock. To send a "message" to Michaels, Angle also humiliated Michaels' former manager, Sensational Sherri, when he applied the ankle lock hold on her. At WrestleMania 21, Angle defeated Michaels by submission, again with an ankle lock.
The next night on
Raw,
Muhammad HassanMark Copani is a retired professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Muhammad Hassan.-Career:...
and
DaivariShawn Daivari is an Iranian-American professional wrestler, best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as simply Daivari. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Sheik Abdul Bashir....
came out to confront and assault Michaels. On the April 11 episode of
Raw, Michaels approached authority figure
Eric BischoffEric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur and former professional wrestling booker, producer, and on-screen personality, most known for serving as Executive Producer and later President of World Championship Wrestling and later, the General Manager of World Wrestling Entertainment's Raw brand...
, in which he demanded a handicap match with Hassan and Daivari, a match consisting of one wrestler or team of wrestlers facing off against a team of wrestlers with numerical superiority such as two against one, or three against two. Bischoff refused to schedule the match, but informed Michaels to find a partner and he would grant him the match. Michaels then made a plea for
Hulk HoganTerry Gene Bollea better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American actor and retired professional wrestler....
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
BacklashBacklash was the seventh annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on May 1, 2005 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The show's six matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who acted out...
, Hassan and Daivari lost to Hogan and Michaels when Daivari was pinned. On the July 4 episode 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 making Michaels a villain for the first time since returning in 2002. The following week on
Raw, Michaels appeared on
Piper's PitPiper's Pit was an interview segment featuring Roddy Piper which was a mainstay of WWF/WWE television from 1984 to 1987, and then returned briefly in 1989. Also, Piper hosted similar segments while wrestling for other promotions....
where he superkicked
Roddy PiperRoderick George Toombs ), better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler and film actor currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment...
and then challenged Hogan to a match at
SummerSlamSummerSlam was the eighteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 21, 2005 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C...
. 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 once again became a crowd favorite.
Feuding with McMahon; reforming DX (2006–2007)
On the December 26, 2005 episode of
Raw, 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. During the
Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble was the nineteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, McMahon made his way to the ring, and as Michaels stared at McMahon,
Shane McMahonShane Brandon McMahon is an American executive and part-time professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , appearing primarily on the Raw brand. He is the son of the current WWE Chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon and brother of Stephanie McMahon, making him...
made a surprising appearance, eliminating Michaels from the match. On the February 13 episode of
Raw, McMahon tried unsuccessfully to force Michaels to sign retirement papers. The following week, Michaels won a handicap match against the
Spirit SquadThe Spirit Squad was a five member professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment on the Raw brand, as well as in WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling. The team consisted of Kenny, Johnny, Mitch, Nicky, and Mikey with the gimmick of an all-male cheerleading squad...
(Kenny,
JohnnyJohn "Johnny" Jeter is an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances in World Wrestling Entertainment as Spirit Squad member Johnny on the Raw brand.-World Wrestling Entertainment:...
,
MitchNicholas "Nick" Edward Mitchell is an American professional wrestler who is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment as Mitch of the Spirit Squad on the Raw brand.-American football career:...
,
NickyNicholas Theodore "Nick" Nemeth is an American professional wrestler, currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment under the name Dolph Ziggler on the SmackDown brand...
and Mikey) and after the match, Michaels' former partner, Marty Jannetty, came down to help Michaels from the assault by the Spirit Squad. After the two reunited, McMahon offered Jannetty a contract if he "kissed his ass." The following week, Jannetty refused McMahon's offer and instead took Chris Masters' "Masterlock challenge." Michaels tried to help Jannetty, which ultimately resulted in Shane attacking Michaels and forcing him to kiss his father's ass. At
Saturday Night's Main Event, Shane defeated Michaels in a Street Fight, a match without disqualifications and where scoring conditions can occur anywhere, after he applied a sharpshooter on Michaels, which led to McMahon immediately ordering for the bell to be rung, even though Michaels did not submit, which was an allusion to the Montreal Screwjob. Despite interference from the Spirit Squad and Shane, Michaels defeated McMahon at
WrestleMania 22WrestleMania 22 was the twenty-second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 2, 2006 at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois....
in a No Holds Barred match, a match where there are no disqualifications. At
BacklashBacklash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 30, 2006 at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky...
,
The McMahonsTeam McMahon, also known as The McMahons in appropriate general reference to the family involved, is the name of a familial alliance in World Wrestling Entertainment , usually on its Raw brand and consisting of WWE chairman/majority owner Vince McMahon, his son Shane, and at least one wrestler...
(Vince and Shane) defeated Michaels and "
GodIn Christianity, God is the eternal being that created and preserves the universe. The Bible never speaks of God in an impersonal sense. Instead, it refers to him in personal terms — as one who is, who speaks, who sees, hears, acts, and loves. God is understood to have a will and personality...
" in a tag team match, with help from the Spirit Squad in a no disqualification match. On the May 22 episode of
Raw, the Squad was scripted to injure Michaels' knee. This was angle was written so that Michaels could have surgery on his knee, which had been legitimately injured for some time.
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. On
Raw, the two continued to deliver chops, as Michaels feuded with Vince McMahon and Triple H went for the
WWE ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship and ECW Championship. It was established...
, repeatedly butting heads with Vince McMahon in the process. On the June 12 episode of
Raw, DX officially reunited. During Triple H's gauntlet match, which had him compete against the Spirit Squad, a match consisting of two wrestlers beginning the match, and replacing whenever one is eliminated (by normal means), with the last person standing being named the winner. Michaels came in to help Triple H, and the two did the DX "crotch chops." At
VengeanceVengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 25, 2006 at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was the sixth annual Vengeance event. Eight professional wrestling matches were featured on the...
, DX defeated the Spirit Squad in a 5–on–2 handicap match. They also defeated the Spirit Squad at
Saturday Night's Main Event in a 5-on-2 elimination match and defeated The McMahons at
SummerSlamSummerSlam was the nineteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 20, 2006 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts and featured performers from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
. At
UnforgivenUnforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 17, 2006 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It was the eighth annual Unforgiven event. The show's seven matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who...
, DX once again defeated the McMahons and ECW World Champion
The Big ShowPaul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand where he is one half of the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions with Chris Jericho.In professional wrestling, Show is a...
in a Hell in a Cell match.
At
Cyber SundayCyber Sunday was the third annual Cyber Sunday professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on November 5, 2006 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, with 7,000 fans attending....
, DX took on
Rated-RKORated-RKO was a professional wrestling tag team, who wrestled for World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand between October 9, 2006 and May 11, 2007. Rated-RKO consisted of Edge and Randy Orton...
(Edge and
Randy OrtonRandal "Randy" Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling on its Raw brand, where he is the reigning WWE Champion...
). The fan-selected referee Eric Bischoff allowed the illegal use of a
Folding chairA folding chair is a light portable chair that can be stored in a stack, row or on a specially designed cart . They are usually used for seating large amounts of people in an arena where permanent seating is not possible or practical...
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 SeriesSurvivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was the twentieth annual Survivor Series event, and it took place on November 26, 2006 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The main match on the SmackDown brand was King...
, however, Team DX emerged victorious against Team Rated-RKO. At
New Year's RevolutionNew Year's Revolution was the third annual and final New Year's Revolution professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 7, 2007 at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri and featured wrestlers and other talent from WWE's Raw brand...
, Triple H suffered a legitimate torn right quadriceps during their match with Rated-RKO. Rated-RKO claimed victory over DX, citing Triple H's injury, as the "end" of DX. On January 15, Michaels lived up to his word of "dealing" with Rated-RKO, from his comments the previous week before, when he took out Randy Orton with a con-chair-to after a handicap match against Edge and Orton.
Various feuds (2007–present)
On the January 29 episode of
Raw, Michaels captured the World Tag Team Championship with
WWE ChampionThe World Wrestling Entertainment Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship and ECW Championship. It was established...
John CenaJohn Felix Anthony Cena is an American actor, hip hop musician, and professional wrestler currently employed by World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand....
after defeating Rated-RKO. He then defeated both Edge and Orton in a Triple Threat number one contender's match on another episode of
Raw to earn a shot at the WWE championship. At
WrestleMania 23WrestleMania 23 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania event and took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
, 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 and losing the titles in the second to
The HardysThe Hardy Boyz were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment that consisted of real life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy....
(
MattMatthew "Matt" Moore Hardy is an American professional wrestler. He is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on their SmackDown brand....
and
JeffJeffrey "Jeff" Nero Hardy is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in World Wrestling Entertainment....
) 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 standard wrestling match involving four wrestlers at
BacklashBacklash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 29, 2007 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Following WrestleMania, all pay-per-views became tri-branded...
for the WWE championship. Cena retained the championship when Michaels performed 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. The week before their scheduled match at
Judgment DayJudgment Day was the ninth annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on May 20, 2007 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri...
, after Michaels won a match against Edge, Orton interfered, punting Michaels in the head. Orton assaulted Michaels again, just prior to their match at Judgment Day, interrupting Michaels' interview segment. Michaels collapsed during the course of their match, causing Orton to win by referee stoppage. Afterwards, Orton continued the beating, when he performed an RKO, a
jumping cutterIn professional wrestling, a cutter is a common term which refers to the three-quarter facelock bulldog maneuver. The move is also described as an inverted neckbreaker, though it is not one, it only bears an inverted style to it...
, to a fallen Michaels. Michaels was then removed out of the ring in a stretcher. During the feud, Michaels conjured a storyline concussion. This injury was used to keep Michaels out of action, as he required surgery for his knee. Michaels made his return on the October 8 episode of
Raw, performing a superkick 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. At
Cyber SundayCyber Sunday was the fourth annual Cyber Sunday professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on October 28, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C...
, Michaels was voted by the fans to face Orton for the WWE Championship; though he won via disqualification when Orton hit Michaels with a
low blowA groin attack is an attempt to cause pain to the groin area of one's opponent. The technique can be quickly debilitating, due to the large number of sensitive nerve endings in the testicles of males, as well as the highly innervated vulva of females. A sufficiently powerful blow may fracture the...
, which resulted in Orton retaining the championship. Michaels got another opportunity at the WWE championship, when he was granted his rematch against Orton at
Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 18, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida...
. In their match, Michaels was banned from using Sweet Chin Music upon request by Orton, referring to as Michaels superkicking Orton week after week. Michaels lost the match, when Orton performed an RKO for the win.
As part of the storyline involving Ric Flair, Michaels faced Flair in a Career Threatening match at
WrestleMania XXIVWrestleMania XXIV was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida...
, in which he won by performing Sweet Chin Music and thus ending Flair's career. Afterwards, Batista confronted Michaels about his actions at WrestleMania, calling him selfish and egotistical. The two faced off at
BacklashBacklash was the tenth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 27, 2008 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland...
with Chris Jericho as the guest referee. Michaels won after faking a knee injury and performing Sweet Chin Music. Jericho then confronted Michaels on this matter, in which Michaels admitted to faking the injury in order to defeat Batista. Michaels then defeated Jericho at
Judgment DayJudgment Day was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on May 18, 2008 at the Qwest Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska...
. At
One Night StandOne Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on June 1, 2008 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California. It was the fourth and final event promoted under the One Night Stand name...
, Michaels lost to Batista in a stretcher match, a match where the objective is to place the opponent on a stretcher at ringside and move it across a line located on the entrance ramp, thus ending their feud. On the June 9 episode of
Raw, Michaels was attacked by Chris Jericho during his talk show segment,
The Highlight Reel, being thrown directly through a television screen. The following week, it was revealed that, within the context of the storyline, Michaels had suffered a detached retina. At
The Great American BashThe Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, a match between Michaels and Jericho was scheduled, in which Jericho assaulted Michaels' eye, which caused Jericho to win by referee stoppage. A month later at
SummerSlamSummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 17, 2008 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 21st annual SummerSlam event and starred wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands.Seven...
, Michaels was scripted to announce his retirement from professional wrestling, though the staged rivalry between Jericho and himself continued after Jericho punched Michaels' wife in the face. On the August 25 episode of
Raw, Michaels denounced his decision to retire and challenged Jericho to an unsanctioned match at
UnforgivenUnforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
, which Jericho accepted. The following week, Michaels and Jericho held a scripted official contract signing for the unsanctioned match. During the contract signing, a confrontation with Jericho occurred. A predicament ensued when Michaels suffered a small tear on his
left tricepsThe triceps brachii muscle is the large muscle on the back of the human upper limb. It is the muscle principally responsible for extension of the elbow joint...
, though Michaels was medically cleared to compete in the match. At Unforgiven, Michaels defeated Jericho, after the referee stopped the match, due to the severity of the beating Michaels was giving Jericho. It was at the same September event that Jericho replaced
CM PunkPhillip Jack Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, sometimes written as C.M. Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown brand....
in the
World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship and ECW Championship...
scramble match, which saw him win the match and become World champion. The following month at
No MercyNo Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 5, 2008 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...
, Michaels met Jericho in a ladder match in which Jericho defended the World title against Michaels. At the event, Jericho defeated Michaels to retain the title.
In December 2008, Michaels accepted an offer to become an employee of
John "Bradshaw" LayfieldJohn Charles Layfield is a retired American professional wrestler and a current commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League...
(JBL). The storyline was that Michaels had lost his family's personal savings due to the global recession, forcing him to accept JBL's offer of employment. After failing to secure JBL the World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena at the
Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble , a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , took place on January 25, 2009, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It was the 22nd event produced under the Royal Rumble name and featured wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW...
, Michaels agreed to take part in an "All or Nothing" match at
No Way OutNo Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on February 15, 2009 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It was the 11th event under the No Way Out name and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
in February. Michaels won the match, letting Michaels out of his one-year contract with JBL immediately while still receiving full payment. Michaels became the first person to successfully defeat
Vladimir KozlovOleg Prudius is a Ukrainian professional wrestler, also known by his ring name Vladimir Kozlov. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment and is working on the ECW brand...
on the March 2 episode of
Raw, and as a result earned the right to face The Undertaker at
WrestleMania XXVWrestleMania XXV was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
in April. At the event, The Undertaker defeated Michaels to extend his WrestleMania winning streak to 17-0. After WrestleMania, Michaels took a hiatus from WWE.
Michaels returned to WWE programming in a series of segments that aired on the August 10, 2009 episode of
Raw, where he had
scriptedIn professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real." That is, the portrayal of professional wrestling as being genuine or not worked...
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 would try to convince Michaels to return to WWE and reform DX. After several incidents during the segments, Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to face
The LegacyThe Legacy is a villainous alliance in the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment , that competes on its Raw brand. The group is led by Randy Orton and contains the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Two other wrestlers, Manu and Sim Snuka, were affiliated with the...
(Cody Rhodes and
Ted DiBiaseTheodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor currently signed with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he appears on its Raw brand...
) at
SummerSlamSummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
. At the pay-per-view event, DX defeated Legacy.
Personal life
Hickenbottom's marriage to his first wife, Theresa Wood, was brief and ended in divorce, but was amicably settled. He is now married to former WCW
Nitro GirlThe Nitro Girls were a dance team in World Championship Wrestling. Similar to the Fly Girls from In Living Color, their initial function was to dance and entertain the live crowds during commercial breaks.-History:...
, Rebecca Hickenbottom (née Curci), who went by the stage name of Whisper. They were married on March 31, 1999 at the
Graceland Wedding ChapelGraceland Wedding Chapel, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this landmark been the site of many wedding of stars. Opened in the 1950s it is one of the oldest wedding chapels in Las Vegas, the chapel is know for it's Elvis weddings....
in
Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
in a small ceremony. The only people present were the couple and an
ElvisElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
impersonator. The couple have a son, Cameron Kade (born on January 5, 2000) 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, that has a snake around it in the shape of an "S." He has one on his wedding finger, that has an
R for his wife Rebecca. Another in his left wrist, is a bracelet design that says "Cameron" for his son. On his left leg he has a picture of his wife, the other leg has a picture of the state of Texas. Finally, he has a small broken heart with the letters "HBK" above it, tattooed on his right hip.
In 1996, Hickenbottom posed in a non-nude layout for
PlaygirlPLAYGIRL was a monthly pornographic magazine published in the United States that features semi-nude or fully nude men. The magazine was founded in 1973 during the height of the feminist movement as a response to erotic men's magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse that featured similar photos of...
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. He is
ambidextrousCross-dominance, also known as mixed-handedness, mixed dominance, or hand-confusion, is a motor skill manifestation where a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others. For example, a cross-dominant person might write with the right hand but throw primarily with the left...
, which 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 when performing Sweet Chin Music, but has been known to use either arm when performing his signature elbow drop. Hickenbottom is a fan of the
San Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They play in the National Basketball Association ....
. He has been seen wearing Spurs merchandise and attending Spurs games.
John "Bradshaw" LayfieldJohn Charles Layfield is a retired American professional wrestler and a current commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League...
(JBL) made a reference to Hickenbottom being a season ticket holder during the
2007 Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble was the twentieth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 28, 2007 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas....
.
Hickenbottom is a born again Christian. He was raised as a
Roman CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
, but became a
non-denominational ChristianIn Christianity, non-denominational institutions or churches are those which have not formally aligned themselves with an established denomination, or remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
under the influence of his wife Rebecca. His ring attire often incorporates
cross symbolsThe Christian cross is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity. It is a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is related to the crucifix and to the more general family of cross symbols...
, and while on the way to the ring, he normally gets down on his knees and mouths a
prayerPrayer is the act of addressing a god or spirit for the purpose of worship or petition. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting guidance or assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one's thoughts and emotions...
while his
pyrotechnicsPyrotechnics is the science of materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
go off. He has been seen in the congregation during a televised service of
John HageeJohn Charles Hagee is the American founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational charismatic church with more than 19,000 active members...
's Cornerstone Church in his hometown of San Antonio. Hickenbottom is a
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
teacher in San Antonio. He also appeared on a
Trinity Broadcasting NetworkThe Trinity Broadcasting Network is the United States' largest Christian television network. Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, it also has studio facilities located in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New York...
(TBN) program along with fellow professional wrestler Sting.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Modified figure four leglock – early 2008
- Spike piledriver – 1993–1994
- Sweet Chin Music (Superkick
A superkick is the name used when referring to a high side thrust kick attack in professional wrestling, which sees the wrestler use the sole of the foot to strike an opponent's head or chin, usually preceded by a sidestep, often referred to as a crescent kick, or just a side kick.-History:Many...
, with theatrics)
- Teardrop Suplex (Leg hook Saito suplex) – 1992–1993
- Signature moves
- Arm trap crossface – 2007–present
- Backhand chop
- Belly to back suplex
- Diving elbow drop, with theatrics
- Dropkick
A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet, this sees the wrestler twist as they jump so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than the...
- Figure four leglock
- Flying forearm smash followed by a kip–up
Kip-up is one of several names for an acrobatic move in which a person transitions from a supine position directly to a squatting position by propelling the legs, and consequently the entire body, away from the floor. It is used in activities such as martial arts, acro dance, breakdancing,...
- Inverted atomic drop
- Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
, sometimes while springboarding to the outside
- Skin the cat
- Slingshot crossbody
- Managers
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Sensational Sherri
Sherri Schrull was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri...
- Diesel
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. Nash has wrestled under various ring names, but most notably by his own name, for World Championship Wrestling and wrestled by his own name and as Diesel in World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
- Sycho Sid
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, better known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation. He is a four time world champion, having won the WWF Championship and WCW World Heavyweight Championship...
- Jose Lothario
Guadalupe Robledo is an American professional wrestler, best known by the ring name of Jose Lothario.-Career:Lothario competed in the National Wrestling Alliance for most of his career....
- Chyna
- Rick Rude
- Luna Vachon
- Nickname
A nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name of a person, place or thing. It can also be the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, which may sometimes be used simply for convenience A nickname (also spelled "nick name") is a descriptive name...
s
-
- "The Heartbreak Kid (HBK)"
- "The Showstopper"
- "The Headliner"
- "The Main Event"
- "The Icon"
- "Mr. WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by World Wrestling Entertainment . It is considered the flagship event of WWE, as it is the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in the world...
"
- Entrance themes
Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- The song "Sexy Boy" was originally written for Michaels by Jimmy Hart
Jimmy Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. He has managed many professional wrestlers, including Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Ted DiBiase, and...
. Hart thanked Michaels personally for continuing to use the song as his entrance music when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of FameThe World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's , the predecessor of WWE, Monday Night Raw television program...
in 2005. Michaels' entrance music was originally performed by Sherri Martel until she became a crowd favorite. 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 sang himself.
- During DX reunions, Michaels used the DX entrance "Break It Down", by The Chris Warren Band
Christopher Warren is an American musician who has performed in numerous bands. He is currently the singer in...
, even when wrestling in singles competition, but then went back to using "Sexy Boy".
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association ' was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA World Tag Team Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
(2 times) – with Marty JannettyFrederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one-time Intercontinental Champion and one-time Tag...
- Central States Wrestling
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
- NWA Central States Tag Team Championship
The NWA Central States Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1979 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988...
(1 time) – with Marty Jannetty
- Continental Wrestling Association
The Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and its sister wrestling...
- AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s...
(2 times) – with Marty Jannetty
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Feud of the Year
The PWI Feud of the Year Award, given yearly since 1986 by professional wrestling magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated, recognizes the best feud of the year in professional wrestling as voted by readers of the magazine. Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger are tied with Vince McMahon vs. Steve Austin each winning...
(2008) vs. Chris JerichoChristopher Keith "Chris" Irvine better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-born Canadian professional wrestler, television and stage actor, author, radio host, television host and rock musician...
- PWI Match of the Year
The PWI Match of the Year Award, given yearly since 1972 by professional wrestling magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated, recognizes the best match of the year as voted by readers of the magazine. Shawn Michaels has won the award a record 9 times; 4 in a row and has won the last five years in a...
(1993) vs. Marty Jannetty on Monday Night RawWWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States. The show's name, which is sometimes stylized as RAW, is also used to refer to the Raw brand, in which WWE employees are assigned to work and perform...
on May 17
- PWI Match of the Year (1994) vs. Razor Ramon
Scott Oliver Hall is an American professional wrestler. In the course of his career, which has spanned three decades, Hall has wrestled for the American Wrestling Association , the National Wrestling Alliance , Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , World Class Championship Wrestling , World...
in a Ladder matchA ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
at WrestleMania XWrestleMania X was the tenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on March 20, 1994. The central focus of the pay-per-view was the WWF Championship, which was defended...
- PWI Match of the Year (1995) vs. Diesel
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. Nash has wrestled under various ring names, but most notably by his own name, for World Championship Wrestling and wrestled by his own name and as Diesel in World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
at WrestleMania XIWrestleMania XI was the eleventh annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event held by the World Wrestling Federation at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut on April 2, 1995...
- PWI Match of the Year (1996) vs. Bret Hart
Bret Sergeant Hart is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, author, and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under the persona, "The Hitman". A son of wrestling patriarch Stu Hart, he was born into the Hart wrestling...
in an Iron Man matchAn Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most decisions at the end of that time named the victor...
at WrestleMania XIIWrestleMania XII was the twelfth WrestleMania event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on March 31, 1996 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California.-Background:...
- PWI Match of the Year (2004) vs. Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler who was found by investigators and authorities to have murdered his wife and son before committing suicide...
and Triple HPaul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
at WrestleMania XXWrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was a joint-promotion pay-per-view event, featuring performers from the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
- PWI Match of the Year (2005) vs. Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, actor and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former three-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, as recognized by promotion.Angle was involved in amateur wrestling...
at WrestleMania 21WrestleMania 21 was the twenty-first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 3, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California....
- PWI Match of the Year (2006) vs. Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestler, promoter, in-ring announcer, play-by-play commentator and film producer. He currently serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment and is the majority shareholder of WWE. He is the creator...
in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22WrestleMania 22 was the twenty-second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 2, 2006 at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois....
- PWI Match of the Year (2007) vs. John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American actor, hip hop musician, and professional wrestler currently employed by World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand....
on Raw on April 23
- PWI Match of the Year (2008) vs. Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr better known by his ring name, Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Also known as "The Nature Boy," Flair is one of the most well known professional wrestlers in the world....
at WrestleMania XXIVWrestleMania XXIV was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida...
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year
The PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year Award, given yearly since 1972 by professional wrestling magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated, recognizes the best face professional wrestler of the year as voted by readers of the magazine. Sting has won this award a record 4 times.-Award winners and...
(1995, 1996)
- PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1996
- PWI ranked him #10 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- PWI ranked him #33 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Marty Jannetty in 2003
- Texas All-Star Wrestling
Southwest Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was owned by Joseph Blanchard and based in San Antonio, Texas, from 1978 to 1985, when it was purchased by Texas All-Star Wrestling and absorbed into that company.-Venues:...
- TASW Texas Tag Team Championship
The Texas All-Star USA Tag Team Championship was a major tag team title in Texas All-Star Wrestling. The title was first established in Southwest Championship Wrestling, first established in 1981 when it was the SCW Southwest Tag Team Championship...
(2 times) – with Paul Diamond
- Texas Wrestling Alliance
- TWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship and ECW Championship. It was established...
(3 times)
- WWF European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. Along with the WWE Intercontinental Championship, it was one of two coveted midcard heavyweight singles championships in the promotion, with several superstars holding both titles...
(1 time)
- WWF Intercontinental Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. It is the original secondary title of WWE...
(3 times)
- WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Diesel (2), Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
(1), and John Cena (1)
- World Heavyweight Championship
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling Entertainment . It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of three in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship and ECW Championship...
(1 time)
- Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment . The event was created in 1988 with the inaugural event held on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
(1995Royal Rumble was the eighth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 22, 1995, in the USF Sun Dome located in Tampa, Florida. The event featured five matches based on scripted storylines and the results...
, 1996Royal Rumble was the ninth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 21, 1996 at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California. It was the first Royal Rumble to contain pyrotechnics.The main event was The...
)
- Fourth Triple Crown Champion
- First Grand Slam Champion
- Slammy Award for Best Slammin' Jammin' Entrance (1996)
- Slammy Award for Best Threads (1996)
- Slammy Award for Squared Circle Shocker (1996) Won for collapsing; Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional wrestler who was widely known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation . Hart was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada the youngest of 12 children to wrestling promoter Stu Hart and Helen Hart. He was the younger brother of professional wrestler Bret...
accepts the award for making Michaels collapse
- Slammy Award for Master of Mat Mechanics (1996)
- Slammy Award for US West Match of the Year (1996) vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at SummerSlam
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was the eighth annual SummerSlam event. It took place on August 27, 1995 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
- Slammy Award for Leader of the New Generation (1996)
- Slammy Award for Best Finisher (1997)
- Slammy Award for US West Match of the Year (1997) vs. Bret Hart in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII
- Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2008) vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV
In October 1990, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty defeated The Hart FoundationThe Hart Foundation was a collective name used by various stables in the World Wrestling Federation . They are generally associated with the Hart wrestling family of legendary Stu Hart from Canada.-Career:...
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.
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Babyface (1996)
- Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Triple H and Chris Benoit
- Feud of the Year (2008) vs. Chris Jericho
- Match of the Year (1994) vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at WrestleMania X
- Match of the Year (2008) vs. Chris Jericho in a Ladder match at No Mercy
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 5, 2008 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...
- Most Charismatic (1995, 1996)
- Tag Team of the Year (1989) with Marty Jannetty as The Rockers
The Rockers were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty that teamed from 1985 to 1992. The team worked for Central States Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, Continental Wrestling Federation, Continental Wrestling Association and the World...
- Worst Feud of the Year (2006) with Triple H vs. Shane
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive and part-time professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , appearing primarily on the Raw brand. He is the son of the current WWE Chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon and brother of Stephanie McMahon, making him...
and Vince McMahon
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter...
(Class of 2003)
External links