Shawn Michaels performing his trademark entrance pose with pyros in background Early career
Although born in Scottsdale, Michaels grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Trained by Jose Lothario, he debuted in 1985 in Texas. He made his national debut in 1986 in the now defunct American Wrestling Association teaming with Marty Jannetty forming a team called the Midnight Rockers.
In 1988, Michaels and Jannetty joined the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE), still as a team but called simply "The Rockers". Michaels and Jannetty split in late 1991, with Shawn going on to wrestle solo, winning the WWF Intercontinental Championship belt in 1992.
He later became the perceived leader of a backstage group known as the Clique (also spelled "Kliq"), 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 won his first WWF Championship in March 1996 at WrestleMania XII, defeating Bret Hart.
In November 1997, Michaels beat Hart in a very controversial match in Montreal. Hart, who then held the WWF championship, had reportedly been assured that he would win the match. However, McMahon, concerned that Hart was leaving the WWF and taking the belt with him, arranged for the bell to be rung too soon, giving Michaels the victory in the match and therefore giving Michaels the championship, as well. Several years later, Michaels admitted he knew about McMahon's plan beforehand.
Around the same time Michaels posed naked in Playgirl Magazine.
In 1998 a back injury forced Michaels into retirement after losing the WWF Championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV. Michaels would return on occasion to the WWF, but not as a wrestler.
Recent events
In 2002, Michaels came back to wrestling, brought in by Kevin Nash as the new member of the nWo. The angle did not last very long. After the nWo was disbanded, Triple H asked Shawn Michaels to be his manager. Michaels turned it down. Later on though, they came down to the ring, with the music and with their Degeneration-X attires, to the cheers of the crowd. When they were about to do the "suck it" taunt, Triple H nailed Michaels with a Pedigree, knocking him out cold. The tension mounted between the two characters. Shortly after, Michaels was brutally attacked in the parking lot, being thrown in a car's window and left out in a pool of his own blood. Triple H promised his wounded friend that he would find the identity of the attacker. It was only weeks later that the attacker was reveled: it was Triple H himself. Michaels returned to the ring to wrestle a match against his real-life best friend, Triple H, at SummerSlam 2002, laying the foundation for a historical feud that would last for years to come. They faced each other in brutal singles matches, hardcore matches, a ladder match, a steel cage match, a Last Man Standing match, twice in an Elimination Chamber match (where Michaels won the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H at Survivor Series 2002), and in a Hell in a Cell match (see below). Michaels' return was successful, and he has remained active ever since. At first, he was a full-time performer who wrestled on a part-time basis, but in 2003, he started wrestling full-time again.
In 2004, Michaels faced Triple H in a horrendous Hell in a Cell who eventually lost to the Cerebral Assassin, but only after suffering numerous Pedigrees.
Current
In the following episode of RAW, before Triple H and Shawn Michaels were to shake hands and make up, an enraged Kane confronted Michaels. Kane placed Michaels' throat inside a steel chair and jumped on it from the top rope. In kayfabe, this caused major injuries to Michaels' throat and larynx, causing him to leave for several months. (The injury was worked; he was actually excused by WWE to attend to his wife as the birth of their second child neared.) He made his return at Unforgiven 2004. Shortly after, he injured himself just before Taboo Tuesday in October, where the fans had voted him to face Triple H one more time for the World Heavyweight Championship. He nevertheless wrestled the match. If it wasn't just for Edge who interfered and speared him, on which was the reason why Michaels lost again the match with long-time rival Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. He recently had surgery to his leg for a torn meniscus (what the injury was), and returned to action at New Year's Revolution as the Special Guest Referee in the Elimination Chamber match.
Shawn Michaels will wrestle WWE Superstar Edge at the upcoming Royal Rumble PPV that will take place on Sunday, January 30th. Shawn Michaels is also entered in the 2005 Royal Rumble Match.
Finishing maneuver
Championships and accomplishments
Other accomplishments
- 1995 Royal Rumble winner
- First person to enter a Royal Rumble as the first entrant and win the entire match (accomplished during the 1995 Royal Rumble)
- 1996 Royal Rumble winner
- First "Grand Slam Champion" (Holding every major championship belt)
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