Shawn Michaels: Top 12 Moments and Chapters of HBK's Career (#12-6)
By Matthew Klink (@klinkmatt)
October 4, 2018
Shawn Michaels’ return to the ring might not be official yet, but it is definitely imminent.
Shawn has been a part of a majority of my life. I have been wrestling fan, like many of you, before the Attitude Era. I didn’t know him as a Rocker, but we’ve all made our way through the WWE Network at one point or another. We’ve seen his high’s, like beating Bret Hart in the 60-minute Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII, and his lows, when he left the ring in 1998 after suffering severe damage to his lower back and being forced to retire.
I know I’m not the happiest camper, when it comes to discussing the likelihood of his return, but knowing Shawn Michaels (as well as I possibly could), this decision to return wasn’t made without the consideration of the business, his ability, his health, or the fans. He is a guy who has probably turned down millions (based the all of the rumors since his retirement) to come back and I’m sure those decisions weren’t easy to say ‘no’ to.
It will definitely hurt the story line of his retirement (after losing to the Undertaker), but the Showstopper has said in the past that the creative work had to be great enough to push him to do it. So if he is agreeing to come back, he’s doing it on his terms. And if there is anyone we can trust to do justice to the Heartbreak Kid and his career…well..I don’t think we could come up with a more suitable human being than Michaels himself.
So it will be a little disappointing to see all of the past several years erased with his return, we can at least be confident that the storytelling will be top notch and signed off by the guy who matters most.
With that, I wanted to take a look back at Shawn’s career and the amazing legacy he left behind when Taker put him down at WrestleMania XXVI. I wanted to give you my top ten Shawn Michaels moments and chapters from his illustrious career, however that proved to difficult. So I’m giving you 12! These are moments and periods of his career that helped tell a great story and ones that demonstrated what a great performer he was. Moments of some of the best wrestling we’ve ever seen. Chapters of unforgettable feuds. Moments of pure joy and hilarity. And periods that helped shape the WWE and its storytelling to this day and well beyond.
For now, you get moments 12 - 6. Leaving the top five moments and chapters of Shawn Michaels career to come your way this Saturday, after the Super Show-Down. You may not be a fan of all of my selections…so let me know what you think in the comments section.
Number 12 - Shawn Michaels Superkicks Everyone
Shawn Michaels definitely has tons of great moments in the WWE, but I wanted to make sure I was picking moments that I would never forget and come to mind right off of the top of my head. I also wanted to help drive where my head was at in regards to this list. Not just best wrestling matches…but moments! There is no better way to start than with this gem:
During one of the numerous DX runs for Michaels, he was told by Triple H that Eric Bischoff didn’t think Shawn was controversial.
Michaels took this as a challenge and decided to demonstrate how controversial he could be. Looking around in the general vicinity, he noticed a backstage worker who was minding his own business. He got the man’s attention and then BOOM – Superkick!
Michaels walked down the hall Superkicking anyone in his path as Triple H watched and laughed. This was a great demonstration of Shawn and his wonderful chemistry with Paul Levesque (Triple H) and his great sense of humor. It’s also an interesting dynamic for his character because it wasn’t the decision a ‘face’ would make, but also wasn’t anything we weren’t booing, meaning heelish. It was a sure sign of things to come as the WWE has now fully progressed to an almost ‘all-gray’ outlook for a good majority of their top talents.
And let’s be honest. DX wasn’t about great wrestling. It was about having a good time and living vicariously through a group of guys who would say and do anything for a laugh or just attention. Over the years, there were a lot of great DX moments and ones I’m sure I’ll never forget. But this one gets me every time I watch it. And its timeless. Some of the things DX did back in the day just should be forgotten for the sake of our own decency.
Number 11 - Shawn Michaels tricks Montreal Crowd
“Oh, Canada…Oh how I hate this place…”
Opening his heel promo with a satire of “Oh Canada” was just the beginning. Michaels played it dumb at first, but then started to string along the Canadian audience, as they sang back at Michaels with a loud and uproarious chorus of boos…just as any heel performer would have loved to hear.
Michaels stopped addressing the crowd with his promotion of his match with Hulk Hogan and instead started talking about memories. Memories that Michaels had made for this audience and everyone back at home, when he screwed Bret Hart. With a long pause and still being showered with boo’s, Shawn Michaels uttered three words: “Survivor Series 1997”.
As if those words could turn up the volume of the crowd, like the flip of a switch or the turning of a knob, the Montreal fans went from unfriendly to hostile. “You screwed Bret” chants turned into “Asshole” chants. Michaels turned that heat into a roaring blaze as he continued to mock the crowd with what he’d do if Bret Hart showed up that night. As he continued to tear into the crowd Hart’s signature guitar intro ripped through the arena causing the crowd to lose their minds.
Only…this was all a part of Shawn’s plan. As the crowd burst into a frenzy, Michaels faked the look fear for a moment or two, but then began to point and laugh at the crowd as the decision to play that music, was his all along.
Shawn was a tremendous face character, but when the Heartbreak Kid truly shined, was when he gave us this purely despicable heel, that was so easy to hate.
Number 10 - Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart hug it out
Twelve years after Survivor Series ’97, Bret Hart came back to the WWE and didn’t waste time or mince words. He called out Shawn Michaels and wanted to put the past behind him. As Bret put it, he wanted to finally bury the hatchet.
While some might think the moment would fuzzy, over-produced, and a little silly, it actually came off a tiny bit genuine. That was all helped by Shawn’s ability to act as well as stating the truth behind the moment known as the Montreal Screw Job: Bret disrespected the business and Shawn regretted none of it.
It’s a great moment that got a lot of people to reanalyze the situation. One where a guy, Bret, thought he was bigger than the business and bigger than the WWE. And the other guy, Michaels, wasn’t acting to hurt Bret Hart, but to do what was in his best interest. I think we all realize now that Michaels, while following orders like a good soldier, was still acting in the best interest of the company that was loyal to him and the fans.
Number 9 - Shawn and Triple H feud in 2002
Shawn and Hunter wouldn’t be the same without the other. For a majority of their careers they did great work as the leaders of DX and as friends, some of their best work together was during this feud.
The highlights of this feud include the start of it, when Michaels convinced Triple H to come to Raw. On the ensuing night, Hunter asked HBK to come to the ring and reunite as DX. During their celebration, the fan favorite chant of “suck it” was cut short when Triple H decided to send a message to HBK with one of the most devastating Pedigrees I’ve ever seen. Hunter had stabbed his best friend in the back leading to a series of matches running through the year.
With the unsanctioned “fight” to the Elimination Chamber, the two battled, fueled by hate and the pride of being crowned the better man. The feud finally ended with a Three Stages of Hell match that was surely meant to mirror that year’s rivalry.
Hunter got the best of Michaels, by defeating him for the World Heavyweight Championship, but the two did more than just try to figure out the better man. They put themselves on a higher pedestal that would help define the rest of their careers and make sure they’ll never be forgotten.
Number 8 – 1995 Royal Rumble Victory
If every time you watch a Royal Rumble, you aren’t reminded of this match…then you’re doing it wrong. When “BOTH FEET” need to hit the mat is mentioned it should be this moment that you think of.
The number one competitor to enter the Royal Rumble in 1995 was the man himself, Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid went the distance in this Rumble and last for 38 minutes. The fun story line in this match is that the last two to leave the ring were also the first two to enter it. As Michaels went the distance and won the Rumble, the British Bulldog, who entered at number 2, was the last man eliminated.
I can’t think of a greater nod a pro wrestler can receive, other than a lengthy title run. To last the entire rumble and then win it…is the acknowledgement that any wrestler would kill to have. If there was any doubt as to whether Shawn was destined for greatness before this Rumble, it was stamped and solidified, after it.
And don’t forget the craziness that this match finished with. As I mentioned, both feet had to touch the floor to declare an entrant eliminated from the Royal Rumble. As Bulldog knocked Michaels over the top rope, he held on and only allowed one of his two feet, to touch the outside of the ring. The ref declared Michaels to still be active in the ring and allowed him to steal a Rumble victory out from under Davey Boy Smith’s…feet.
Number 7 – 2003 Rivalry with Chris Jericho
Here is where nostalgia and my own personal preference will come to a head with the general consensus. I love Chris Jericho and I love Shawn Michaels. I think if we look at what both men are doing, even today, to build up their respective matches, we can see what great story tellers these two truly are.
Nothing that happened in 2003 would argue with that either.
Early in 2003 it was Jericho who declared himself the next Shawn Michaels. That idea is incredible, when you dissect it. Jericho declared Michaels already as a man who had accomplished so much in his career (and he had, I’m not arguing that), but Michaels would still go on to fight for another 7 years!
After declaring himself to be the next HBK, Jericho elected to be the second entrant into the Royal Rumble that year (after Michaels had already been dubbed the first entrant). It’s such a great way to describe one wrestlers hate for another. Jericho would significantly decrease his chances of winning the Rumble just so he could meet Michaels in the ring.
After recruiting Christian to help him eliminate the Showstopper, the feud was in full swing.
Shawn and Chris met at WrestleMania XIX and put on a show-stealer if I ever saw one. As both men put on a spectacle of pure athleticism and technical expertise, the end of the match held one of the most memorable moments and disrespectful actions we’d ever seen. The two men embraced and said words that no one will ever know but them. But right after they acknowledged each other’s accomplishments in the ring that night, Jericho gave Michaels a low blow to end all low blows.
The two would meet a few years later, but this feud felt like it was more real, since I’m sure neither guy really wants to see the other fail. However, in this notion that Jericho was the next Michaels, the only way that could come to fruition would be through this act of betrayal, as Michaels (at the time) had left all heelish tactics and character behind him. Now Jericho had taken that mantle as the truly fiendish heel (much like the one we met when Michaels took out Jannetty. We’ll get there shortly.).
Read the Miz’ take on the match here.
Number 6 – Shawn Michaels and John Cena put on the Greatest Raw match…ever
Shawn Michaels is no stranger to 5-star matches or matches of tremendous length. What I’m hoping is that you have a subscription to the WWE Network, because you need to see this entire match.
In what was a brief hiatus from pro wrestling for me (just before 2007), WrestleMania 23 was in my home town and could not be ignored. Shawn lost to Cena, in what was a fantastic WrestleMania match on its own. Shortly after WrestleMania, Michaels got a rematch with John Cena in jolly old England and he made sure those Brits from across the pond would witness a match they wouldn’t soon forget.
While Michaels wouldn’t win the title from Cena, either at WrestleMania or their 3rd match a week later, this was easily their best match. It gave us the opportunity to see someone take down Cena (finally!) and helped prolong an otherwise completed story with the writing on the wall.
SO! Numbers 1-5 are yet to be revealed! What do you think is in the top 5? What’s number 1? What do you hate on this list so far? Any surprises? Anything you think should be in the top 5 that didn’t quite make it?
We’ll reveal numbers 1-5 this Saturday! After the WWE Super Show-Down!
Check it out!
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