“The Heartbreak Kid won’t lay down for anybody”
#8: Shawn Michaels
478 Points (29 of 43 lists)
Highest Rating: #1 by Stack of Porn, Stapes, Buckdiddy, Cheekbone
Real Name: Michael Shawn Hickenbottom
Despite being one of the greatest wrestlers spanning two decades, putting on a ton of 5 star matches and recovering from a serious back injury to revive his career, Shawn Michaels is only able to weigh in at #8 on NPPs Top 50 Wrestlers of All Time list.
One can only assume that the backstage politics and the whiny, crybaby attitude held Shawn back from breaking the top 5, because Shawn, a Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame inductee, has been one of the WWFs top wrestlers for many years, with numerous WWF championships to his name, and numerous Wrestling Observer awards. Oh and he also won the Slammy Award for Best Slammin’ Jammin Entrance which should not be forgotten.
Shawn began his career under the coaching of Jose Lothario, wrestling in the likes if Mid-South Wrestling and Texas All-Star Wrestling. He made a name for himself when he went to the AWA, where he teamed with Marty Jannetty as the Midnight Rockers. He would later make a name for himself when him and Jannetty got hired by the WWF, only to get fired two weeks later for an incident at a bar.
The Rockers returned to the WWF in 1998, and lit up the tag team division from 1998 to 1991. Although the Rockers never officially won the tag team titles and were only together in the WWF for 3 years, they are still fondly remembered as one of the top tag teams, due to their workrate and the type of wrestling they put on at that time. These were guys that could carry the Barbarian and Haku to a watchable match.
Yet it was the split of this great tag team that actually springboarded Shawn Michaels career. In undoubtedly one of the greatest moments in wrestling history, the Rockers went through a bad patch and briefly split. They were brought together on The Barber Shop to reconcile, however the reconciliation lasted briefly 5 seconds, before Shawn Michaels superkicked Marty Jannetty then threw him through the glass window.
And with that, the Heartbreak Kid was born.
Shawn teamed up with Sensational Sherri as his manager, and began lighting up the midcard division, promptly winning the Intercontential Title from the British Bulldog. He main evented his first PPV later that year, losing to Bret Hart at Survivor Series in 1992. Michaels would then go on to feud with Marty Jannetty, losing the title but then regaining it with the help of his new bodyguard, one Kevin “Diesel” Nash.
A few months later saw Shawns first “retirement” from the company when he was stripped of the Intercontential Title due to not defending it enough times. In reality he tested positive for steroids. He returned at Survivor Series to team with Jerry Lawlers “Knights” against the four Hart brothers, in a match better remembered for the real beginning of the Bret/Owen feud.
Michaels feuded with current IC champion Razor Ramon, which came to a head at Wrestlemania of that year in an amazing ladder match, which Michaels lost. Shawn created history by entering as the #1 entrant in Royal Rumble 1995, and managed to win the Royal Rumble by “skinning the cat” at the end, even if he did touch the ground with one foot, causing new rules to be made up on the spot.
He would finally win the Intercontentinal Title for the 3rd time, defeating Jeff Jarrett at an In Your House PPV, and promptly fought Razor Ramon in another match, this time at Summerslam 1995.
On TV Shawn was lighting up the screens with some incredible matches, however backstage things were much different. Shawn became the leader of “The Clique”, a group of wrestlers who used backstage politics to get what they wanted, screwing everyone else in the process. Michaels then faced his toughest opponent in karma, as he got attacked outside a bar in New York by a group of men, and had to forfeit the IC title because of this attack. The number of men that attacked him ranges from 1 man to 685 men, depending on whose story you listen to.
Shawn would return to the ring, only to collapse in the ring during a match with Owen Hart, based on his “concussion”. This was a scripted event however went over really well, as WWF slowly made strides in bridging reality with fantasy. After teasing retirement, Michaels came back to create history again, winning the Royal Rumble for the second year in a row.
Michaels would then go onto face Bret Hart at Wrestlemania and win the world title in “sudden death overtime”, after they ended up 0-0 at the end of their hour long iron man match.
Michaels would hold the title until Survivor Series, where he lost to former boyguard Sid, before retaining the title at the Royal Rumble in 1997. However with Hall and Nash now gone to WCW, Shawn Michaels was no longer a happy person, and vacated the WWF Championship because he had apparently lost his smile. He lost said smile as soon as he was told he would be jobbing to Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 13.
Thankfully Wrestlemania passed and Shawn found his smile again, to team up with Steve Austin to win the Tag Team Championships briefly. Shawn would then referee a match at Summerslam between Undertaker and Bret Hart, where he ended up hitting Undertaker with a chair by mistake. This was the beginning of a massive heel turn for Shawn Michaels, as him and real-life friend Hunter Hearst Helmsley, with Chyna, created the stable known as D-Generation X. Shawn feuded with Undertaker mostly over the next few months, including fighting in the first ever Hell in a Cell Match.
Michaels would eventually feud with Bret Hart, which led to a championship match at Survivor Series 1997. Shawn Michaels managed to amazingly outwrestle Bret Hart, locking him in his own submission move the Sharpshooter where Bret was forced to tap out. Bret was so ashamed he promptly quit WWF and retired from wrestling.
At this point, the future of Wrestlemania XIV was set: Shawn Michaels vs Steve Austin, in a passing of the torch. It hit a few road bumps along the way – Shawn injuring his back in a casket match and almost not being able to wrestle, Shawn….just not wanting to wrestle, but he managed to make it out there and despite his injuries, put on an excellent match and passed the torch to Steve Austin cleanly.
Shawn basically retired from wrestling at this point. He did have some roles as the commissioner of the WWE, but we won’t talk about that. He then returned to WWE in 2002 as a member of the New World Order, but we won’t talk about that either. HBK eventually returned with Triple H, and the two recreated DX – only for HHH to turn on Michaels. The two would feud for the majority of the next year, at the likes of Summerslam, Survivor Series and Armageddon in a Three Stages of Hell match.
Shawn would main event Wrestlemania again, in a Triple Threat match against HHH and Chris Benoit. Benoit would win the match, and Shawn continued his feud with Triple H for many months, before getting injured and missing a few months with a torn meniscus. Shawn would return and feud with Kurt Angle in some stellar matches with some great angles thrown in toom like Angle going nuts on Jannetty and Sherri to send messages to Michaels. Michaels would go through some weak feuds at this point, although he did have THAT match at Summerslam with Hulk Hogan, where Michaels would oversell everything in a manner even Curt Hennig would be proud of:
Michaels entered into a feud with Vince McMahon next, which also led to him reforming DX with Triple H. At this point it would be easy for Michaels to coast to retirement with some easy matches however he went out of his way to have some great ones, including a feud with arguably the best wrestler in history in John Cena, including an amazing Wrestlemania match and a follow up Iron man Match.
Michaels would go on to fight his idol Ric Flair at Wrestlemania XXIV, in one of those emotional and amazing matches which make you remember why you love wrestling. Shawn would end the career of his idol, by uttering the words “I’m Sorry, I Love You” before kicking a 60 year old man square in the jaw:
Shawn would then go on to feud with the likes of Batista, Chris Jericho and JBL, before proving that he still had “it” at the following Wrestlemania, in an incredible match with the Undertaker.
There is no doubt that during his earlier years, Shawn Michaels was a complete twat when it came to the backstage antics, and all the pettiness. Backstage fights, politicking, sex with Sunny in the janitors closet – Shawn did it all. Yet there is also no doubt that this reborn-again Christian is one of the best wrestlers in our generation.
Shawn can now be seen on Monday Night RAW regularly, waving gay ass glow sticks around and shilling WWE merchandise.
Writing this made me realize just how much I really love HBK, even if he was pissed off that one time Nash made him sign an autograph for me. I no longer hold a grudge against HBK, and if I were to do a list like this again he would be my #2 wrestler I believe. I bizarrely only had him at #9 in my original list.
Is he meant to be wrestling at WM this year? What's the scoops?
No real scoop on wrestlemania this year besides a rumoured Cena vs Taker main event. Michaels HHH part 95278572 could be happening sooner or later, most likely going to be tag champ at next ppv.
Lou says HHH v HBK @ WM in the wrassling thread yes. HE KNOWS.
I've never really liked him but do realise that he is excellent.
The thing about Shawn is, he has basically had TWO SEPARATE HALL OF FAME CAREERS. 1988 to 1997 was certainly HOF MATERIAL, and 2002 to 2009 is ALSO one of the most amazing careers on its own. Pretty damn IMPRESSIVE!!
I enjoyed 2002 to 2009 Shawn.
Before that, more of Bret guy.
The reason he's so low on the list is because when we were voting he was still retired.
I was really into Shawn stuff from his first title run. DX annoyed me though and his return has been completely boring.
HBK was hilarious overselling that Hogan match, reminded me of playing SvR '10 where you miss a running attack and fly across the ring and over the ropes.
I only put him at 24, suck it HBK.
Always respected him in the ring but have always found him incredibly annoying even when he wasn't supposed to be.
I'll always be TEAM BRET.
The fucking best. His comeback with Triple H was incredible, I never thought he'd return. Kinda sad it happened after I was done with wrestling, but jeez that night I felt 13 again.
Opposed to you feeling someone 13 again.
Your avatar makes a really good finish to your jokes.
Unfunny complements unfunny?
I had him at #9. His run as a heel before he retired with D-X is some awesome stuff as he goes from super face to mega heel. Thankfully he got injured when he did cause who knows how the attitude era would've managed if HBK was still around sticking his nose into everyone's business. You could almost say there would be no Rock among other stars of the attitude era.
#1 obviously. Greatest wrestler ever and I'm glad Scotsman wrote up the truth about the "Montreal Screwjob".
Based on Scots' write-up about the Montreal Screwjob, I'm not looking forward to the eventual write-up for Bret Hart... who is clearly going to rate higher than Shawn Michaels in this list.
Skootch you would like Bret Hart better than Michaels. God fuck off.
Touche, sir.
Plus Bret Hart was (dunno if he still is) super bitter towards almost everything concerning Shawn Michaels.
Gosh, wonder why that was?
He pretty much still is to Michaels, which is a bit hypocritical of him since he's welcomed Vince back into his life in a limited basis. But whatever, I didn't take a wrestler's personal life into consideration when making my list.
If you were told by your boss to fire someone to keep your job, pretty sure you'd do it. Same situation but Shawn didn't have to fire anyone.
If you were told by your boss to fire someone to keep your job, pretty sure you'd do it. Same situation but Shawn didn't have to fire anyone.
Are we seriously going to revisit this?
[quote=Ormie;448304]
HBK should be top 2. This list is bunk.
What the hell? That's supposed to be Ormie. I must have messed something up. I'm too lazy to fix it. Suck it.
I was legit pissed at you calling me a clown for a brief second there.
I can't believe Scotsman put HBK at #24!
That's what I'm saying! Top 2 at least.
#12
I haven't seen any of his comeback stuff.
Its boring.
Bring back Super-Sock.
Ugh. I forgot about Super-Sock. Sid should powerbomb son-of-Sock again.
Yeah, his 4 to 5 star matches with HHH, Benoit, Jericho, Cena, Flair and Taker (just to name a few) are BORING..... UH-HUH...
They were.
Oh, and I also forgot the LEGENDARY matches against KURT ANGLE, as well as the great matches against Orton and Edge.... And also the entertaining matches that he got out of guys like VINCE, JBL and CHRIS FREAKING MASTERS.
WHAT A DULL AND BORING WRESTLER!!
Vince has never had a bad match.
All of these matches, while technically sound, have been incredibly boring due to HBK being personality-less since the comeback. I'm so tired of the golly-gee HBK.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? It's Shawn's Attitude/Psychology/Body language that has made ALL of thse matches so MEMORABLE!!
You just like to disagree for the sake of disagreeing, right?
Yeah, I've been watching these matches for the last 7 years and been biased against them just in case you liked them.
You just like to disagree for the sake of disagreeing, right?
He didn't have good matches with pretty much everyone TTG listed. He had the 5-snowflake w/ Taker, WMXX, Shelton on Raw...I can't think of any others off-hand.
Nobody's had a good match with Masters.
The matches with Cena were actually really good.
Goes without saying.
Cena could wrestle a broomstick and have the 18-49 males (minus Scotsman) cheering for the broomstick.
Scots is 52.
You're welcome!
Angle carried HBK during their matches.