Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, a legend who is still part of the WWE today the creative mind of NXT. HBK has done it all, from tag team specialist to one of the most iconic heel turns of all time to success one of the faces of the New Generation eraand then became a staple of the early Attitude Era with DX. However, he lost everything in an accidental accident during a game in which he injured his back so badly that Michaels was unable to compete for four years. This was unfortunate as the WWE was entering its most successful period ever, but that doesn't mean Heartbreak Kid is gone. He made appearances here and there, including a brief but important stint as WWE commissioner.
Related
Shawn Michaels retired for four years due to a back injury
HBK's back hit the edge of a coffin during a match with The Undertaker
- Shawn Michaels became WWE Champion again after the Montreal Screwjob against Bret Hart.
- HBK was injured in a casket match with The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble.
- Michaels dropped the WWE Championship to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14.
At the start of 1998, Shawn Michaels was the face of the promotion as WWE Champion. The infamous Montreal Screwjob against Bret Hart had happened just a few months earlier at Survivor Series, but HBK was a loyal soldier of Vince McMahon and carried the gold. Because of this and his work at DX, Michaels was the perfect hated heel, but at the 1998 Royal Rumble he faced The Undertaker in a casket match. Shawn would retain his title, but he had no time to celebrate. During the match, Shawn was pushed outward, hitting his lower back against the edge of the coffin. Several discs herniated so severely that Michaels had to decide to leave the ring.
HBK was in a lot of pain but was still able to keep up good enough to get to WrestleMania 14where he defended his title against rising star “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. With boxer Mike Tyson also involved, Michaels had to do his best to reach the finish line. His match with Austin was nothing special, but Shawn made the most of it, dropping the title to Stone Cold and beginning a time in WWE unlike any wrestling had ever seen before.
Related
Shawn Michaels became WWE Commissioner
The WWE Commissioner was Sgt. Schlachten
- Shawn Michaels made a few WWE appearances after his retirement, including as a commentator.
- HBK turned on X-Pac during a match with The Rock.
- Michaels was now a member of the corporation.
Shawn Michaels wasn't even 33 years old when he first retired from wrestling. Since he was so young and popular, it made no sense to ban him from television forever. There certainly had to be a way for WWE to use one of their most charismatic stars. After dropping the title to Austin in late March 1998, Shawn Michaels disappeared, but in July he began appearing here and there, including as a guest commentator. Still, there had to be a better way to utilize HBK than turning him into a nostalgia act at such a young age.
At the time, Sgt. Slaughter was the WWE Commissioner. He may have been a legendary wrestler in his own right, but the Attitude Era didn't really seem to suit him. WWE needed someone with, well, more attitude in the role. In November 1998 Shawn Michaels took on the role of Commissioner By Slaughter, when The Rock won the WWE Championship at Survivor Series with help from The Corporation, a new independent commissioner was appointed in HBK. He played a babyface and called himself the new sheriff in town while wearing a black cowboy hat, but his good guy persona didn't last long.
After a match between The Rock and X-Pac, HBK turned on his friend, hitting him with a chair and helping The Rock retain his title. Shawn Michaels was now a member of the corporation. This led to the return of none other than Triple H.
Related
Shawn Michaels feuded with DX
Vince McMahon fired Shawn Michaels as commissioner
- DX disguised himself as The Corporation on Raw, with Jason sensation impersonating Shawn Michaels.
- HBK gave Vince McMahon some Sweet Chin Music after his release.
- Michaels eventually handed over the role of WWE Commissioner to Mick Foley.
Triple H returned to Raw, but his friends in DX, The New Age Outlaws, joined The Corporation…or did they? Her heel turn proved to be a blip, as during a match pitting Triple H and X-Pac against Big Bossman and Ken Shamrock, Billy Gunn hit Shamrock with a chair, showing that he had never left his friend's side. This led to an all-out feud between the two factions, including the memorable segment where DX disguised himself as The Corporation. starring comedian Jason Sensation as Shawn Michaels.
However, in January 1999, after Michaels made some “mistakes” that favored DX over Vince McMahon's group, the boss fired him in the middle of the ring, prompting Shawn to give Vince a dose of Sweet Chin Music. Behind the scenes, the Corporation brutally attacked HBK and wrote him off so he could undergo back surgery, but months later he resurfaced, back as a member of DX, letting Vince know that he would always be there because of an “iron-clad contract.” was still a commissioner.
Shawn Michaels appeared in WWE here and there in mid-1999, but not on a weekly basis. He then served as a special guest referee at Judgment Day 2000 for an Iron Man match between Triple H and The Rock for the latter's WWE Championship. This was the chaotic match that saw The Undertaker return from injury. debuts his American Badass characterHowever, The Rock accidentally lost his title due to a DQ. A few weeks later, Michaels was on Raw to give Mick Foley the commissioner postand then he virtually disappeared for two years, thanks in large part to his drug addiction problems. It wasn't the best time in Shawn Michaels' life, and the role of Commissioner wasn't his best work since the storylines were so chaotic, but it allowed HBK to get in front of the fans and have fun with some wild promos and antics . In 2002, after overcoming his addiction and finding God, Shawn Michaels returned with his back healthy to become not a commissioner but a full-time wrestler.
