Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965 at the Williams Air Force Base in Chandler, Arizona) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "The Heartbreak Kid" ("HBK") Shawn Michaels.
| Michael Hickenbottom | |
|---|---|
| File:Hbk1.jpg | |
| Born | July 22, 1965 Chandler, Arizona |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Shawn Michaels |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Billed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Trained by | Jose Lothario |
| Debut | June, 1988 |
Career
Early career
Although born in Chandler, Hickenbottom grew up in San Antonio. Trained by Mexican professional wrestler Jose Lothario, he debuted in 1984 in Texas with Texas Allstar Wrestling promotion, where Michaels and Paul Diamond were awarded the promotion's tag-team championship by Chavo Guerrero, Sr. He also wrestled for Central States Championship Wrestling (a regional independent promotion that was associated with the [then-] industry-leading National Wrestling Alliance). There he and tag team partner, Marty Jannetty defeated The Batten Twins for the Central States Tag Team Title, later losing it back to the Battens. Michaels also made several appearances in Dallas' World Class Championship Wrestling during 1985.
Michaels made his national-level debut in 1986 in the now-defunct AWA; once again teaming with Jannetty, the pair were billed as "The Midnight Rockers" (so named to emulate the NWA's highly popular Rock & Roll Express and Midnight Express tag teams). They won the AWA Tag Team Title twice, having some bloody and memorable matches against "Playboy" Buddy Rose & Doug Somers. Gagne briefly loaned the duo to Jerry "The King" Lawler's independent Memphis promotion, Southern Championship Wrestling (later re-named the CWA, and then USWA), as heels (i.e., villains). They even faced The Rock & Roll Express.
In a raid of AWA talent, The Rockers were signed by a competing promotion: the World Wrestling Federation. However, they were fired two weeks later for "partying too hard" (a misunderstanding, according to Michaels' biography). They returned to the AWA, but were re-signed by the WWF a year later. Because of Vince McMahon's desire to have his performers carry WWF-exclusive monikers (his company trademarks these stage names, so it won't have to share the subsequent WWF merchandising revenues with [most] performers or their past promoters), they were simply known as "The Rockers." They became arguably the greatest WWF tag team to never officially win the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Championship.
The Sexy Boy
On a Saturday Night's Main Event broadcast (on the NBC network), The Rockers won the WWF Tag Team Titles, defeating "The Hart Foundation" (Bret "the Hitman" Hart and Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart). Neidhart had been fired and was still performing solely to meet his contractual obligation to lose Tag Team Title in the ring (to preserve storyline continuity). During the match, the top rope (red rope)broke and caused confusion, in the end with the Rockers winning. The Rockers defended the title a week after that; meanwhile, Neidhart was re-signed. WWF boss Vince McMahon decided that the title change never happened and sent a story to Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine saying the top rope's breaking caused an unfair advantage. The title reign was annulled and forgotten; the match was edited out of the SNME broadcast.
Citing frustration with their lack of championship success and a wish to break out on his own, Michaels and Jannetty split on an episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge, shown on January 12, 1992 (but taped on December 2, 1991) during a famous incident on Brutus Beefcake's "Barber Shop" segment, when Michaels superkicked Jannetty and threw him through a plate-glass window. However, behind the scenes of the incident, Shawn had been having personal issues with Marty. Vince agreed to break them up and continue them on as singles wrestlers.
Shawn turned heel and became a singles wrestler, taking the nickname, "The Heartbreak Kid" (often referring to himself as "HBK"). In his new gimmick as a vain, ##### heel, he took on a manager, Sherri Martel, who was infatuated with him and even sang the first version of his theme music, "Sexy Boy." Sherri was the catalyst for a then-rare "heel vs. heel" feud between Michaels and "The Model" Rick Martel (unrelated to Sherri), which led to a match between the two at the 1992 SummerSlam PPV. Behind the scenes however, Sherri and Michaels had a romantic affair that would last for 3 months.
Michaels enjoyed considerable success as a singles wrestler, winning his first WWF title, the WWF Intercontinental Championship from The British Bulldog during Saturday Night's Main Event, on October 27, 1992. Shortly thereafter, he faced Bret Hart for the WWF Championship in the main event of the 1992 Survivor Series.
He also feuded with his former tag team partner Jannetty, who reappeared in the WWF in late 1992, leading to several memorable matches. Michaels lost his Intercontinental Championship to Jannetty on an episode of Monday Night RAW on May 17, 1993, but regained it on June 6 with the help of his new bodyguard, Diesel.
In September 1993, Michaels briefly left the WWF. On WWF TV, it was explained that WWF president Jack Tunney had suspended him and stripped him of the title; in reality, he had been suspended for testing positive for steroids, a charge Michaels denies. While off TV, he made appearances in the United States Wrestling Association during a WWF/USWA cross-promotion. He returned to the WWF for the 1993 Survivor Series, substituting for Jerry Lawler in a match pitting himself and three of Lawler's "knights" against Bret Hart, Owen Hart and two of their brothers.
He soon entered a feud with Razor Ramon, who had won the Intercontinental Title during Michaels' absence. Since Michaels had never been defeated for the title, he claimed to be the rightful champion and carried around his old title belt. This feud culminated in a ladder match between the two at WrestleMania X. Michaels lost the match, which featured both his and Ramon's belts suspended above a ladder in the ring. This match won "Match of the Year" awards from Pro Wrestling Illustrated and the Wrestling Observer Newsletterand got the rare 5 star match rating, and also earned Michaels a reputation of being the "Innovator of the Ladder Match".
On an episode of Monday Night RAW after that WrestleMania taped on March 21, 1994, Michaels debuted a segment called "The Heartbreak Hotel", which was mainly shown on WWF Superstars throughout the year. The segment, which featured Michaels obnoxiously interviewing other wrestlers and managers, allowed him to showcase his microphone skills and appear on television, even when he was injured and unable to wrestle. The "Heartbreak Hotel" set was comprised of a heart-shaped bed and a flashing neon sign.
He was still accompanied by Diesel, who, though he remained a heel, had become popular among fans in his own right. On August 28, 1994, Michaels and Diesel captured the WWF World Tag Team Championship from The Headshrinkers. During their brief tenure as a tag team, they used a variation of the Headshrinkers' finishing move, where Michaels would finish off their opponent by climbing on Diesel's shoulders and splashing their opponent. The next day, Diesel lost the Intercontinental Title to Ramon (who had lost the title to Diesel earlier in the year) at SummerSlam when Michaels accidentally superkicked his bodyguard. In October 1994, Michaels suffered a hand injury, when Diesel accidentally stepped on his hand after getting out of the ring. This would put him on the shelf as an active wrestler until January.
Michaels and Diesel broke up their team on November 23, 1994, at the Survivor Series during their five-on-five elimination match, but continued to be very good friends behind the scenes. Diesel had done most of the work in eliminating four members of the opposing team when Michaels insisted upon entering the match to superkick Razor Ramon. Michaels accidentally kicked Diesel for a third time leading Diesel to begin attacking his whole team. Their tag team was dissolved and forfeited the titles as they no longer wished to associate with one another, along with the fact that Diesel defeated newly crowned WWF champion Bob Backlund in a squash match at a house show days later.
At the Royal Rumble in January 1995, Michaels entered first, and the British Bulldog entered second. The two would outlast the other 28 opponents and remain as the final two competitors in the match. Bulldog had apparently won the match when he knocked Michaels over the top rope and began to celebrate his victory. However, in one of the most famous moments in WWF history, Michaels held onto the top rope with only one foot touching the floor (the first time the rule that "both feet must touch the floor" came into play). Michaels re-entered the ring and knocked Bulldog off the turnbuckle and over the top rope to win the Rumble. Michaels thus became the first man ever to win the Royal Rumble after entering first. This would lead to a grudge match at Wrestlemania XI vs. former friend and WWF Champion Diesel. Diesel beat Michaels, and the following on Monday Night Raw, Michaels' new bodyguard Sid attacked Michaels, executing two Jacknife Powerbombs. Diesel made the save, beginning Michaels' face turn.
The "Boyhood Dream" Era
A freshly turned face, Michaels returned to the Intercontinental Title picture by defeating Jeff Jarrett in July 1995. This would lead to a title defense against Razor Ramon at SummerSlam 1995, in a ladder match (a rematch of their epic at WrestleMania X), which Michaels won. Around this time, Michaels became the perceived leader of a backstage group known as The Clique, which obtained sufficient clout with WWF owner Vince McMahon to become the dominant wrestling figures in the promotion for several years in the mid-1990s. Shawn's fanbase was later nicknamed "The Kliq" as an inside reference to the real "Clique." In October 1995, he was allegedly attacked by several men outside a Syracuse bar, and would be unable to defend the Intercontinental Title against Dean Douglas at the In Your House PPV. Michaels thus forfeited the title to Douglas that night, who then himself lost the title to Clique member Scott Hall (a move supposedly forced by Michaels, who refused to lose to Douglas.)
Then, in the next month, Michaels had a match with Owen Hart on Monday Night Raw. During the match, Owen nailed Michaels with an Enzuigiri kick to the back of Michaels' head. They continued to wrestle, but Michaels then collapsed in the ring, supposedly because he had suffered a concussion in the Syracuse incident. (This was a work, unbeknownst to fans at the time.) After teasing a retirement, Michaels announced he would be returning to the WWF at the Royal Rumble, which he won for the second year in a row. Michaels would gain revenge on Owen at the February In Your House, defeating him despite having put his title shot on the line in the match. During this time, Jose Lothario, Michaels' original trainer, became his manager.
Shawn won his first WWF Championship at WrestleMania XII, defeating Bret Hart in a the first ever 60 minute Iron Man Match. His first feud after winning the title was against Diesel, at the In Your House titled "Good Friends, Better Enemies." Michaels then had a feud with Bret Hart's brother-in-law, the British Bulldog, after the Bulldog accused him of trying to have an affair with his wife. Afterwards, he faced off against Vader, who had recently jumped from WCW to the WWF, throughout the summer of 1996. Michaels' title reign ended at the 1996 Survivor Series in November, where he was beaten by Sycho Sid, his former bodyguard, at Madison Square Garden. This match was notable as the New York fans audibly cheered for Sid when he hit both Michaels and Lothario with a television camera, and cheered again when he won the match and championship.
Michaels recaptured the WWF Title from Sid at the 1997 Royal Rumble in front of his hometown fans in San Antonio, in what would be Lothario's last match as his manager.
Michaels and WWF Attitude
Michaels forfeited his title in February, claiming to have "lost his smile" to a series of injuries. Michaels was rumored to be unwilling to lose to Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 in a rematch of the previous year's match. Despite claims of injury, Michaels was soon back on his feet, briefly teaming with Stone Cold Steve Austin to win the WWF Tag Team titles. At Summerslam 1997, Michaels refereed the WWF title match between WWF Champion The Undertaker and Bret Hart. The match ended controversially, with Michaels nailing Undertaker with a chair (unintentionally, as he was aiming for Hart after Bret spit in his face) and forced to award the title to his nemesis, Hart.
This would begin a feud between Michaels and the Undertaker that would last until the end of '97. Later on that Summer, he formed an alliance with real-life friend Triple H and Triple H's then-girlfriend Chyna to form D-Generation X, one of the most popular wrestling stables of all time. The group would engage in rebellious behavior, such as pointing to their crotches and telling fans to "suck it". Moving away from the family-oriented product, this marked the beginning the WWF Attitude Era. Michaels also began re-feuding with Bret's new Hart Foundation, which was now a pro-Canada stable. Michaels would taunt the Hart Foundation and Canada by engaging in acts such as picking his nose with the Canadian Flag and pretending to hump the flag.
In September at One Night Only, a British-only PPV event, Michaels defeated the British Bulldog to win the European Title, becoming the WWF's first ever Grand Slam Champion. In October, at Badd Blood, Michaels and Undertaker participated in the very first Hell in a Cell match, which saw Michaels falling off the side of the 15 foot tall cage through a table. He won the match with the help of the debut of the Undertaker's brother Kane, which led to a title shot at Survivor Series against Bret Hart.
In November 1997, Michaels played a huge role in the infamous double-cross of Bret Hart in a controversial match in Montreal. Hart, who then held the WWF Championship, had been assured that he would win the match via a disqualification. However, McMahon, concerned that Hart would take the WWF title belt with him on his upcoming transition to WCW (in spite of Hart assuring him that he would drop the title the following night on Monday Night Raw), arranged for the bell to be rung when Michaels applied the Sharpshooter to Hart, making it look like his opponent tapped out (gave up). Michaels was given the victory in the match and therefore was given the championship as well. This incident has since become known as the Montreal Screwjob and is one of the most controversial moments in wrestling history.
Immediately after the match, Micheals told Hart that he knew nothing about the true plans of the outcome and that he would drop the title the following night on Monday Night Raw. Instead, he retained the belt and mocked Hart's defeat. Later, Michaels claimed he not only knew about McMahon's plan beforehand, but had been one of those suggesting the screwjob. He also claims to have apologized to Bret Hart, but Hart says this is inaccurate.
Back injury and semi-retirement
In 1998, a back injury that Michaels received in the Casket Match against The Undertaker at the 1998 Royal Rumble forced Michaels into retirement after losing the WWF Championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV. Shortly after WrestleMania, Michaels would return to the WWF, but not as a wrestler; instead, he replaced Sgt. Slaughter as the WWF Commissioner. Throughout 1998 and 1999, Michaels would switch between heel and babyface briefly joining Vince McMahon's Corporation faction and even costing The Rock the WWF Championship. In early 2000, Michaels handed over the role of commissioner to Mick Foley. Michaels continued to do work for the WWF often appearing at fan conventions such as WWF Fan Axess, and even refereeing the Iron Man match between The Rock and Triple H at Judgement Day in May 2000.
On March 31 1999, Hickenbottom married Rebecca Curci, formerly a WCW Nitro Girl with the stage name Whisper, with whom he would eventually have a son, Cameron Kade Hickenbottom born on January 5, 2000 at 7:09 P.M., and a daughter,Madison Nicole Hickenbottom born on August 19, 2004. The two are expecting their third child sometime in 2006. He also became a born-again Christian in 2001 (in large part, he states, due to Rebecca's influence) and does charity work for his church. His messages are known to contain religious, Christian like messages: eg: All things are possible and Prayer Warrior. His clothes are often covered with crosses. As part of his entrance, he gets on his knees, throws his hands up, and prays.
Returning to RAW
In 2002, Michaels returned to wrestling, brought in by Kevin Nash as the new member of the nWo. The storyline did not last very long. After the nWo was disbanded. Later on they came down to the ring, with their D-Generation X music and attire, to the cheers of the crowd. When they were about to do their trademark "suck it" taunt, Triple H nailed Michaels with his finishing move, the Pedigree, knocking Michaels out cold. He attacked Michaels backstage, sending Michaels to the hospital. Michaels returned to the ring to wrestle a match against Triple H at SummerSlam 2002, laying the foundation for a feud that would last for years. Michaels won the SummerSlam match but was attacked with a sledgehammer by Triple H after the match.
The two went on to face each other in brutal singles matches, street fights, a ladder match, a Steel Cage Match, a Last Man Standing match, twice in an Elimination Chamber (in which Michaels won the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H at Survivor Series 2002), and in a Hell in a Cell match. Michaels lost the World Championship a month later at Armageddon in December 2002, and proceeded to feud with Chris Jericho, whom he defeated at WrestleMania XIX.
Michaels went on to be in the main event of WrestleMania XX where he came up short in a match against Triple H and Chris Benoit, after Benoit forced Triple H to tap out to the crippler crossface, winning him the world heavyweight title. Later on in 2004 Michaels faced Triple H in Hell in a Cell, but eventually lost after several Pedigrees. He also lost a World Heavyweight Championship match against his long-time rival Triple H at Taboo Tuesday 2004 when the fans voted for him ahead of Edge and Chris Benoit to face Triple H one more time, a match Michaels wrestled with a torn meniscus in his left leg.
Following this, HBK was out of action for a few months, returning in January 2005, when he was special referee in the Elimination Chamber match at the 2005 New Year's Revolution PPV.
At the 2005 Royal Rumble later that month Michaels started a rivalry with Kurt Angle. Marty Jannetty & Sherri Martel where brought in to build up to the match at WrestleMania 21. Michaels and Jannetty had patched up their real life differences by this time, thanks to their common religious beliefs, and teamed up on RAW in a one time reunion against La Resistance. With a big build up much was expected of the two and they delivered, in a match that Bobby Heenan descibed as the best he had ever seen Michaels lost tapping out to Angle's ankle lock. Michaels evened the score at the Vengeance PPV that year, however, beating Angle.
On the July 4, 2005 edition of RAW, Michaels and Hulk Hogan fought Kurt Angle and WWE Intercontinental Champion Carlito in a tag team match. During the post-match pose, Michaels hit Hogan with his patented Sweet Chin Music, knocking Hogan down to the ground. Michaels just looked down at Hogan and walked away, turning heel for the first time since 2002.
The following week on RAW, HBK appeared on the Piper's Pit where he superkicked the host Roddy Piper and then challenged Hulk Hogan to a match at SummerSlam 2005. Hulk Hogan accepted his challenge next week on RAW, setting up the match billed as "The Legend vs. The Icon".
Prior to the 2005 SummerSlam, neither Hogan nor Michaels had lost in a one-on-one match at SummerSlam. Their main event match went back and forth, with two referees getting knocked during the match and Michaels using a steel chair in an attempt to gain an advantage. Even after hitting his Sweet Chin Music, Hogan still kicked out and took it to Michaels, finally hitting him with his legdrop and scoring the victory. 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 turned face once more.
Michaels began a feud with "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters on RAW the night following SummerSlam. Michaels would later take part in the Masterlock Challenge. While unsuccessful in breaking the Master Lock, Michaels did set a new record as he became the longest-lasting competitor to take the Master Lock Challenge so far. The pair faced each other in a match at Unforgiven 2005 where Michaels would win via pinfall.
At WWE Homecoming, HBK wrestled Kurt Angle to a 2-2 draw in a 30-minute Iron Man match. This lead to vast dispute over the rightful #1 contender for the WWE title. After a victory over Carlito on the October 17th edition of RAW, Michaels' became a possible choice for a place in the main event of Taboo Tuesday 2005. Michaels would win the fans choice for the second year running and become a part of the Triple Threat Match with John Cena and Kurt Angle. Cena would win and retain his belt.
On the RAW following Taboo Tuesday, Eric Bischoff announced that Michaels would be team captain for the 5-on-5 RAW vs SmackDown! elimination match at Survivor Series 2005. In the match, Shawn found himself as the sole remaining member of Team RAW, facing three wrestlers from Team SmackDown. After eliminating JBL and Rey Mysterio, Michaels was finally pinned by Randy Orton, giving Team SmackDown! the win. This was almost a replay of Survivor Series 2003, where HBK had to single-handedly face Christian, Chris Jericho and Orton and after eliminating the first two, he got pinned by Orton;though Michael's got pinned in 2003 thanks to interference by Batista and by an eliminated JBL in 2005.
On the December 5, 2005 edition of RAW, Shawn Michaels had an altercation with an impetuous Shelton Benjamin. The angle was continued the following week as the two were part of seperate qualifying matches for the Elimination Chamber main event at New Year's Revolution 2006. Benjamin tried to display his new attitude in his match with Carlito by attempting to spit an apple in his face (Carlito's trademark) but it backfired when Carlito rolled up Benjamin for a three-count. Later on, HBK competed against The Big Show for his shot in the chamber. HBK won the match on account of interference by Triple H, and thereby disabling a possible Benjamin-HBK match at New Year's Revolution. Shawn Michaels appeared at the Tribute to the Troops where defeated Triple H with the sweet chin music in a Boot Camp Match.
On the following RAW, Michaels took part in a Beat the Clock match against Gene Snitsky to determine who was last to enter in the Elimination Chamber at New Year's Revolution. He won with a time of 5:56 minutes, but his time would eventually be bested by Carlito (and ultimately, Kane).
Feud with Vince McMahon
In the final segment of the night on Raw – a plug for Bret Hart's new career-retrospective DVD, – Vince McMahon lauded Micheals for his part in the Montreal Screwjob. Michaels said he was only being loyal to his company, but said he'd moved on and McMahon should move on as well. McMahon told Michaels he can "screw" him like he screwed Bret Hart, and he began setting unusual stipulations for Michaels' matches and interfering on behalf of Michaels' opponents.
After several weeks of attacks and stipulations, Michaels confronted McMahon in the ring and challenged him to a match. McMahon refused, and attempted (unsuccessfully) to force Michaels to sign retirement papers.
On the February 27 edition of RAW, Vince and Shane McMahon knocked HBK out with a steel chair and forced him to kiss Mr. McMahon's ass. Afterwards, Mr. McMahon booked a match between himself and HBK at Wrestlemania 22.
On the March 6, 2006 episode of RAW, HBK faced Shane McMahon in a standard wrestling match in a warmup to their Street Fight. Prior to the match, Stephanie McMahon approached Michaels backstage and opened a pill that mixed an unknown powder into his water. This made Michaels weak and groggy during his match later in the night and allowed Shane to get the victory after a very stiff right hand. After the match, Vince McMahon immediately booked himself in a match against the groggy HBK, which McMahon won in under five seconds after simply covering a prone HBK.
On March 13, 2006 McMahon forced Michaels to take a urine test as a result of last week's match. HBK threw the sample in the face of both Shane and Vince after simply saying "It is better to be pissed off than pissed on" into the microphone. In retailiation, the elder McMahon pitted Michaels vs. four members of The Spirit Squad in a Steel Cage Match. Despite the long odds, Michaels managed to beat his opponents senseless and was about to claim the victory by escaping the cage. Shane (entering the ring area via the audience) slammed the door into Michaels' back, knocking him senseless and Shane drug one of the Spirit Squad members over to cover an unconscious HBK to claim the victory. Post-match, Shane led a 5-on-1 attack, eventually blooding HBK before he connected with the Coast To Coast (smashing a garbage can in his face in the process).
On March 18, 2006 HBK attacked Shane-O-Mac before he even got to the ring, but Shane was able to survive the onslaught. Shane worked on HBK’s back, repeatedly slamming him into the ring post. He brought out a couple of tables outside the ring and set up a ladder inside the ring. Mr. McMahon laid the Showstopper down on the table, and Shane climbed the ladder. HBK escaped Mr. McMahon’s clutches and climbed the ladder from the opposite side. He met Shane at the top, and then suplexed him off the ladder to the outside and through the two tables in a breathtaking, death-defying moment. Paramedics rushed to the ring, but the match went on. HBK went for the flying elbow off the ladder, but Mr. McMahon knocked him off with a kendo stick. Shane went back on the offensive and set up the Showstopper for the Van Terminator. Mr. McMahon was holding the garbage can in front of HBK, but at the last second, Michaels got out of the way as Shane slammed the garbage can into his own father’s face. The Showstopper hit Sweet Chin Music, but before the referee could count to three, Mr. McMahon pulled him out of the ring, saving his son. HBK caught the Chairman and threw him into the ring. Shane recovered, though, and nailed Michaels with a low blow. At the direction of his father, Shawn locked HBK in the Sharpshooter, and Mr. McMahon immediately ordered to ring the bell. Just like he did to Bret “Hit Man” Hart in Montreal in 1997, Mr. McMahon screwed Shawn Michaels at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Michaels and McMahon are set to face each other at Wrestlemania 22.
Books
- Michaels' autobiography "Heartbreak and Triumph" touches on his addiction to painkillers in the 1990s. It covers stories from his personal life which includes him talking about his wife and kids for the first time to the public. The book also includes his side of the story between himself and Bret Hart. He goes on to state that Hart was never a great performer: "good, very good, but not great."
Wrestling facts
Entrance music
- The song, "Sexy Boy", was originally written for Michaels by Jimmy Hart, a manager who wrote many entrance themes. Hart thanked Michaels personally for continuing to use the song as his entrance music when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. Michaels's entrance music was originally performed by Sherri Martel until she left the company and then the 2nd version that is used today performed by Shawn Michaels himself with traces of Sheri in the chorus portion of the song.
Signature Moves
- Sweet Chin Music (Superkick)
- Diving elbow drop
- Piledriver (early 1990s)
- Flying forearm (followed by a kip-up)
- Inverted atomic drop
- multiple clotheslines
- Scoop slam
- Figure four leglock
- Lou Thesz press
- Moonsault
- Pescado
- DDT
- Sharpshooter
- Swing Neckbreaker
- Back Suplex
- Backhand chop
Nicknames
- HBK
- The Heartbreak Kid
- The Showstopper
- The Headliner
- The Main Event
- The Icon
- The Sexy Boy
- Mr. Wrestlemania
- The Boy Toy
Championships and accomplishments
- 2-time AWA Southern Tag Team Champion (with Marty Jannetty)
- 1-time NWA Central States Television Champion
- 1-time NWA Central States Tag Team Champion (with Marty Jannetty)
- Texas All-Stars
- 2-time TAS Texas Tag Team Champion (with Paul Diamond)
- 1-time TAS Six Man Tag Team Champion
- Texas Wrestling Alliance
- 1-time TWA Heavyweight Champion
- PWI ranked him # 10 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
- PWI ranked him # 33 in the best tag teams of the PWI Years with Marty Jannetty
- PWI ranked him # 55 in the best tag teams of the PWI Years with Diesel
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler (1995; 1996)
- PWI Match of the Year Award (1993, versus Marty Jannetty; 1994, verus Razor Ramon; 1995 versus Deisel (Kevin Nash) , 1996, versus Bret Hart; 2004, versus Chris Benoit and Triple-H; 2005, versus Kurt Angle)
- Fourth Triple Crown Champion
- First Grand Slam Champion
- First person to win an Iron Man match in the WWE
- First person to win a Hell in a Cell match
- First person to win an Elimination Chamber match
- First WWE employee to pose for Playgirl
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame member (inducted in 2003)
- 1989 Tag Team of the Year (with Marty Jannetty)
- 1994 Match of the Year (versus Scott Hall)
- 1995 Most Charismatic Wrestler
- 1996 Best Babyface
- 1996 Most Charismatic Wrestler
- 2004 Feud of the Year (versus Chris Benoit and Triple H)
Championship succession
Trivia
- Shawn began using his sweet chin music superkick in the early-1990s. In 2006 he publicly acknowledged that he indeed learned the manuever from "Gentleman" Chris Adams.
- Michaels is ambidextrous, and uses his right hand to draw and color and his left hand to write.
- Michaels is the only wrestler in WWF history to simultaneously hold the WWF European Championship and WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
- Of Michaels's eleven WWF title reigns, only four ended in competitive matches. He has forfeited one WWF Championship and one Intercontinental Championship, was stripped of one Intercontinental Championship, forfeited or was stripped of all of his Tag Team Championships, and lost his European Championship by laying down for (then stablemate) Triple H.
- Michaels is a born again Christian (he credits his wife, Rebecca, with bringing him into the fold). His ring attire often incorporates cross symbols.
- Despite being nicknamed "Mr. Wrestlemania" Michaels has one of the worst records, and the most losses at the event with a record of 3-8, his only wins were over Tito Santana, Bret Hart, and Chris Jericho
- Both Shawn Michaels and his rival Bret Hart are former members of the nWo, though not at the same time.
Tattoos
- Upper left arm ~ heart with sword through it and a snake in an 'S' shape.
- Left wrist ~ bracelet design with 'Cameron' on it.
- Left ring finger ~ wedding band -like design with cursive 'R'.
- Side of left leg ~ picture of Rebecca.
- Side of right leg ~ outline of the state of Texas, filled in with design of the Texas flag. There is a star over the location of San Antonio. It says 'Lone' over top and 'Star' beneath.
References
External links
