Shawn Michaels, God’s Gift to Sports Entertainment
In the 1990s, Shawn Michaels was arguably my favorite Superstar in sports entertainment. He dominated the WWE like no other superstar. Shawn Michaels was the first WWE Grand Slam Champion, winning all the top world championships in the company: WWE Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE European Championship, and WWE Tag Team Championship. He drew number one at the 1995 Royal Rumble and won the match, which was very impressive. Shawn Michaels also won the 1996 Royal Rumble match.
When Shawn Michaels adopted the nickname “The Heartbreak Kid,” I felt so connected with him. I liked his new gimmick as an arrogant, cocky, flamboyant heel. He was the ideal heel of the ’90s. Shawn Michaels was charismatic, entertaining, and fun to watch. I never got bored watching him in the ring. Shawn Michaels had no peers in the ring as he always delivered a great match. I predicted back in late 2007 that Shawn Michaels will go down as the greatest superstar in sports entertainment, and WWE proved my intuition right. On the Top 50 Greatest Superstars of All Time DVD, his peers ranked him as the number one greatest superstar in sports entertainment history. I do not think wrestling fans would ever see a better performer than Shawn Michaels. I am happy we share the same birthday, July 22, so it was easy for me to relate with Shawn. The WWE inducted Shawn Michaels in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2011.
Here are my favorite moments of Shawn Michaels’ historic career.
Shawn Michaels defeating Bret “The Hit Man” Hart for the WWE championship in the Iron Match at WrestleMania XII is my favorite moment in his career. Shawn and Bret had bad blood, and these two combatants told a great story. The match was epic and set the bar very high in the WWE. Shawn Michaels ushered in a new era in the WWE that was exciting and fun for fans.
Shawn Michaels winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship from The British Bulldog on the October 27, 1992 episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event was the first sign of success for him. With that victory, Shawn Michaels proved to his naysayers that he too could be a marquee performer in the WWE.
Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21 was extraordinary! It was wrestling at its absolute best. Shawn and Kurt painted a perfect picture in the ring, and it was everything WWE fans want in a much-hyped match. They were in awe! There was incredible spot after incredible spot here. The pacing was exceptional because it built up to the climax of this epic match. Shawn Michaels lost, but he once again proved to fans that he is the premiere performer of WrestleMania.
Shawn Michaels battling the Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 was one of the greatest matches in WWE history. “The Showstopper” attempted to end the Undertaker’s famous WrestleMania undefeated streak, which was 16-0 at the time. The match lived up to the hype and many WWE followers considered their encounter as the greatest match in Undertaker’s storied career. For Shawn Michaels, it was just another chance of proving to the WWE universe why his peers dubbed him “Mr.WrestleMania”.
Shawn Michaels conquering The British Bulldog at WWE One Night Only, held in Birmingham, England for WWE European Championship. With this win, Shawn Michaels became the first Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. The victory also helped cement Shawn Michaels’ legacy as the greatest Superstar in his era.
WWE Hall of Famer and icon Shawn “The Showstopper” Michaels is not only the greatest superstar in WWE history, but God’s gift to sports entertainment. He never failed to put on a great performance for WWE faithful. Thanks for the epic memories, HBK!
