By the year 1995, Michaels was the most popular wrestler in the WWE but he was not short of controversy.
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965, Chandler, Arizona, United States) is a retired American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He has a lot of nicknames like “The Heartbreak Kid”, “The Showstopper” and “Mr WrestleMania.”
The youngest child of Richard and Carol Hickenbottom, Shawn has two elder brothers (Randy & Scott) and one older sister (Shari). His father, Richard was a member of the US Air Force, so they never really stayed in one place. At one point during Shawn’s childhood, his family lived in England. They later moved to San Antonio, Texas and that was where Shawn grew up.
Michaels was a very talented boy and was very interested in sports. He joined his school’s football team when he was six years old and started off as a linebacker before being named captain.
He soon realised that he wanted to become a professional wrestler at the age of 12. He joined Southwest Texas State University but he came to the realization that he wasn’t cut out for academics and decided to pursue a career in wrestling.
Name | Michael Shawn Hickenbottom |
DOB | 22 July 1965, 56 years |
Height | 185 cm |
Weight | 102 kg |
Occupation | Professional wrestler |
Professional Debut | 1984 |
Wife | Rebecca Curci |
Professional Name | Shawn Michaels |
Shawn Michaels was a member of The Rockers with Marty Jannetty when he was signed by the WWF in 1987. But was fired after two weeks due to a misunderstanding. They were rehired a year later and made their debut on July 7, 1988. The group became very popular among women and children started to make waves. Michaels dissolved the group in 1991 when he attacked his partner Marty Jannetty and effectively started his career as a singles competitor.
By the year 1995, Michaels was the most popular wrestler in the WWE but he was not short of controversy. There are only a few instances of in-ring feuds with as much significance as the one between Michaels and Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart. It all culminated in the incident infamously known as the ‘Montreal Screwjob’.
Bret Hart was supposed to lose the WWF title to Michaels but he didn’t want to do it in front of his hometown of Montreal. Vice McMahon, however, decided that Hart had to drop the belt and let Michaels win the match. This led to a lot of controversy as an enraged Hart spat on McMahon and left the WWF.
Shawn suffered a severe back injury in a match against The Undertaker in 1998 and was ultimately forced to retire for the first time. From November 1998 to June 2000, he served as the WWF Commissioner.
He made a comeback in June 2002 after being out for 18 months. In the following years, he went on to have great matches against big names such as Kurt Angle, Triple H, Chris Jericho, John Cena and Edge. He and Triple H reunited and started D-Generation X and took the tag team division by storm.
Michaels then challenged The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 and lost in a truly epic contest. He challenged Taker once again for a match at WrestleMania 26 and this time put his career on the line. He pushed The Undertaker to great lengths and came close to winning but the Phenom ultimately prevailed in a blockbuster match. Michaels retired in 2010.
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WWF World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
WWF Intercontinental Championship (3 times)
WWF European Championship (1 time)
WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Triple H
WWF/World Tag Team Championship (5 times) with Diesel (2), Stone Cold Steve Austin (1), John Cena (1), Triple H (1)
Royal Rumble (1995, 1996)
First Grand Slam Champion
Fourth Triple Crown Champion
Movie Name | Year |
The Resurrection of Gavin Stone | 2017 |
Pure Country: Pure Heart | 2017 |
Avengers of Justice: Farce Wars | 2018 |
The Marine 6: Close Quarters | 2018 |
90 Feet from Home | 2019 |
Shawn Michaels is currently married to his second wife, Rebecca Curci. They married on March 31, 1999, at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rebecca is a former WCW Nitro Girl. Their son, Cameron Kade, was born on January 15, 2000, and a daughter, Cheyenne, was born on August 19, 2004.
He made most of his fortune from WWE as an ambassador. As of 2022, Shawn Michaels’s net worth is estimated to be $17 million.
Michaels wanted to quit because he had been wrestling for multiple decades and wanted to spend time with his family.
For the past five years, Michaels has worked as a coach at the WWE Performance Center, where he has also become an integral part of NXT.
Shawn Michaels is a born again Christian and takes his faith very seriously. He has referred to God as his helper and guide on many occasions. During his entrances, he follows a ritual of going down on his knees and praying.
Shawn Michaels is known as Mr WrestleMania because of his remarkable performances on The Grandest Stage of Them All, and many of his matches stand up as the best to ever take place at WWE’s biggest event.