Career

Early career
Although natural inside Scottsdale, Hickenbottom grew higher inside San Antonio. Trained by Jose Lothario, he debuted in 1984 in Texas at the Texas Allstar Wrestling promotion, where Michaels & Paul Diamond were awarded the Tag Titles by Chavo Guerrero, Sr. He also wrestled for the Central States branch of the National Wrestling Alliance, with Michaels & Marty Jannetty beating the Batten Twins for the Central States Tag Title, later dropping it back to the Battens. He processed his national debut around 1986 in the now-defunct American Wrestling Association teaming with Marty Jannetty forming the team called The Midnight Rockers. It won a Tag Team Titles twice & experienced a select few all-fired matches by using "Playboy" Buddy Rose & Doug Somers. the Midnight Rockers likewise got a stint working for the Memphis promotion of CWA when heels, even facing A Rock 'north' Roll Express. A Rockers did sign by owning the World Wrestling Federation but were fired two weeks late for "partying too hard." It returned to the AWA prior to existence resigned per WWF a year late.

The Heartbreak Kid
In the ''Saturday Night's Main Event broadcast, The Rockers did win the WWF Tag Titles, beating Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart. Neidhart experienced been fired & was filling contractual obligations to drop a Tag Team Titles. When you took a match, a top rope broke & stimulated confusion, in a prevent by having the Rockers winning. the Rockers defended a titles a week once that, when Neidhart was re-signed per WWF. WWF Chair, Vince McMahon decided that the title vary never happened & sent the story to Pro Wrestling Illustrated saying the top rope breaking driven an unfair working enviroment. A title reign was annulled & forgotten, & a match was edited away from a SNME broadcast.

Citing frustratiin by using their want of championship profits & the wish to break out in his have, Michaels & Jannetty split on an episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge'', shown on January 12, 1992 (but taped in December 2, 1991) during the renowned incident in Brutus Beefcake's "Barber Shop" segment, whilst Michaels superkicked Jannetty & threw him across the shell-glass window. Shawn turned heel & became a singles grappler, ingesting the nickname, "The Heartbreak Kid" (typically on to himself when "HBK"). Within his freshly gimmick as the vain, cocky wrestler, he took in a manager, Sherri Martel, who was infatuated by using him, & potentially sang a 1st version of his theme music, "Sexy Boy." Martel was the catalyst for a so-uncommon "heel vs. heel" feud with "The Model" Rick Martel (unrelated to Sherri), which led to a match between them at a 1992 SummerSlam PPV

Michaels enjoyed considerable profits as a singles grappler, winning his 1st WWF title, a WWF Intercontinental Championship from The British Bulldog during the final episode of ''Saturday Nighttime's Main Event'', in October 27, 1992. Shortly thenceforth, he faced Bret Hart for the WWF Championship in the main event of the 1992 Survivor Series. Though he misused a match, his in-&-off feud by having Hart would survive many years, & remain in the head of fans yearn when Hart's retirement.

He too feuded by having his previous partner Jannetty, world health organization reappeared within the WWF in late 1992. In the storyline, Jannetty accidentally wounded Sherri while he hit her by owning the big mirror, meant for Michaels, world health organization pulled Martel before of him. Martel abandoned Michaels, & them previous Rockers faced both more inside a match at the 1993 Royal Rumble. Shortly thenceforth, Michaels debuted the fresh version of his theme music, using vocals performed by himself. He utilizes this entrance music to this day.

Michaels held a Intercontinental Championship for virtually all of the below month, snap briefly to Jannetty in an episode of Monday Night RAW on May 17, 1993, but regaining it in June 6, with a support of his freshly bodyguard, Diesel, who experienced joined the WWF when a rerun around World Championship Wrestling. Inside September 1993, Michaels briefly left the WWF. In WWF TV, it was explained that WWF president Jack Tunney had suspended him and stripped him of the title. When he was off TV, he participated around the "Survivor Series"-nature and severity match in the United States Wrestling Association during a WWF/USWA cross-promotion. He returned to WWF airwaves per 1993 Survivor Series, subbing for Jerry Lawler in a match pitting himself & deuce-ace of Lawler's "knights" against Bret Hart, Owen Hart, and deuce of their brothers.

He shortly entered the feud sustaining Razor Ramon, who got won a Intercontinental Title in the period of Michaels' absence. Since Michaels experienced never been defeated for a title, he claimed to become the rightful champion, & carried about his old title belt. This feud culminated inside the ladder match between the two at WrestleMania X, on March 20, 1994 in Madison Square Garden. Michaels misplaced a match, which featured two his & Ramon's belts suspended above the ladder in the ring. This match won "Match of the Year" awards from either Pro Wrestling Illustrated & a Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

In an episode of Monday Nighttime RAW, taped in March 21, 1994, Michaels debuted a section known as "The Heartbreak Hotel", which was principally shown in WWF Superstars throughout the month. A section, which featured Michaels objectionably interviewing other wrestlers & managers, allowed him to showcase his mike skills & pop up in television, possibly while he was wounded & unable to wrestle. A "Heartbreak Hotel" placed was comprised of the heart-cordate bed & the flashing ne sign.

He was however accompanied by Diesel, world health organization, though he remained the heel, experienced turn into popular among fans inside his have best. In August 28, 1994, Michaels and Diesel captured a WWF Globe Tag Team Championship from either The Headshrinkers. When you took their brief tenure as the tag team, it utilized a variation of the Headshrinkers' finishing move, in which Michaels would finish off their opponent by mount Diesel's shoulders & splashing their opponent. A next day, Diesel misplaced a Intercontinental Title to Ramon (world health organization got misused a title to Diesel earliest in the month), whenever Michaels inadvertently superkicked his bodyguard. Inside October 1994, Michaels suffered a hand injury, which would put him on the shelf as an active grappler until January.

Michaels & Diesel broke higher their team in November 23, 1994, at the Survivor Series, whilst Michaels over again inadvertently superkicked Diesel (though Michaels experienced non actually wrestled in the match). Michaels so declared that a team was those days are gone, & a Tag Team Championship was so vacated. As well, Diesel was a WWF Champion at a period.

WWF Champion
Michaels became the perceived leader of a backstage class action called The Clique, which obtained sufficient clout by owning WWF creator Vince McMahon to become a dominant wrestling numbers in the promotion for many years in the mid-1990s. For plot line purposes, Shawn's fanbase was nicknamed "The Kliq" as an within information to the really "Clique." Shawn won his 1st WWF Championship inside March 1996 at WrestleMania XII, defeating Bret Hart in the Lx microscopic Iron Human Match, fallowing failing to win it ultimately month's WrestleMania against Diesel. His title reign lasted from either March to November's Survivor Series, in which he was beaten by Psycho Sid, his former bodyguard.

About a equivalent period Michaels posed naked around Playgirl magazine, with his title belt covering his genitals.

At a 1997 Royal Rumble, Michaels recaptured the WWF Title from either Sid before of his hometown fans around San Antonio. He forfeited his title inside February, claiming to keep close at hand "lost his smile" to the series of injuries. Michaels was rumored to become unwilling to lose to Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 in a replay of the last season's match.

Inside November 1997, Michaels beat Hart within the controversial match in Montreal. Hart, world health organization so held the WWF Championship, got reportedly been assured that he would win a match via a disqualification. Notwithstanding, McMahon, caring that Hart was allowing a WWF & will choose a belt by owning him (within spite of Hart assuring him that he would lose a title prior to allowing), intended for a bell to become rung once Michaels applied the Sharpshooter to Hart, making it look such as his opponent thump out (gave higher). Michaels was given a triumph in a match & so was given the championship too. This incident has since turn into called a Montreal Screwjob. Many years late, in an episode of WWE Confidential, Michaels admitted he knew about McMahon's project advance.

Back injury and semi-retirement
Inside 1998, a back injury that Michaels received in the Casket Match against The Undertaker forced Michaels into retirement after losing a WWF Championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV. Shortly fallowing WrestleMania, Michaels would go to to the WWF, but not as a matman; instead, he replaced Sgt. Slaughter as the WWF Commissioner. Throughout 1998 & 1999, Michaels would switch between heel and babyface briefly joining Vince McMahon's Corporation faction and even costing The Rock the WWF Championship. Within early 2000, Michaels handed over a role of commissioner to Mick Foley. Michaels continued to work for the WWF typically appearing at fan conventions like WWF Fan Axess, and possibly officiating a Iron Man match between The Rock & Triple H at Judgment Day in May 2000.

About this instance, Hickenbottom married Rebecca Curci, formerly the WCW Nitro Girl with the stage name Whisper, with whom he would yet have the boy & a girl. He as well became the born-again Christian in 2001 (in heavy section, he states, imputable Rebecca's influence) & does charity act for his church. (Whenever 1 looks closely at a select few of Michaels' WWE product, a single could view crosses in occasionally of the things.)

World Wrestling Entertainment
Inside 2002, Michaels came back to wrestling, brought inside by Kevin Nash as the new member of the nWo. A plot line did non endure super yearn. Fallowing a nWo was disbanded, Triple H asked Michaels to become his manager—them come right friends inside realistic—however Michaels turned him down. After, but, it come down to the ring, by having their D-Generation X music and dress, to the cheers of the crowd. Whenever it were astir to wash their trademark "suck it" twit, Triple H nailed Michaels by owning his finishing move, a Pedigree, knocking him out cold. Likewise, he attacked Michaels backstage, sending Michaels to the hospital. Michaels returned to the ring to wrestle the match against Triple H at SummerSlam 2002, laying the foundation for the feud that would endure for years. Michaels won the SummerSlam match by having a sunset flip however was attacked by Triple H when the match by having a sledge to the back of Michaels.

It faced every more within brutal singles matches, street fights, 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 within the Hell in a Cell match (see following). Michaels' go to was successful, & he has remained active ever since. Ab initio, he was the good-whale performing artist world health organizatiwithin wrestled on the section-half-time basis, however in 2003, he started wrestling good-whale over again.

He went in to become in the independent event of WrestleMania XX where he came higher short within the match against Triple H & Chris Benoit. Subsequently around 2004 Michaels faced Triple H in Hell in a Cell, but yet wasted fallowing many Pedigrees. He besides misused the Globe Heavyweight Championship match against his long-period rival Triple H at Taboo Tuesday when the fans voted for him to face Triple H of these further instance. Michaels went into this match sustaining the torn meniscus within his left leg.

When his feuds sustaining Triple H ended, Michaels began feuding by owning grappler like Chris Jericho, Christian and Edge after Edge speared Michaels at Taboo Tuesday, costing him the World Title. At a 2005 Royal Rumble, Michaels lost a singles match to Edge, by having Edge cheating to win a match, & afterwards he was so taken away from the Royal Rumble by Kurt Angle, who he got eliminated earliest in the match. Angle so went around to leave Michaels in the damn mess, when existence hit in the mind by owning steel steps & tapping bent on the ankle joint lock starting the feud between them that would at length lead to their foremost match against both more at WrestleMania 21.

Michaels went in to lose a very much-anticipated "interpromotional" match at WrestleMania 21 in April 3, 2005, when he submitted to Kurt Angle's ankle lock submisson.

A next nighttime in Altogether, Michaels was attacked by Muhammad Hassan and Daivari. This angered him, and so a next week he faced Daivari; nevertheless, Daivari had a triumph once interference from either Hassan when Hassan kicked Michaels between a legs. Shawn so attend RAW GM Eric Bischoff and demanded a handicap match against them at Backlash in May 1. Bischoff told him he couldn't know, that Shawn would own to call for the partner. Therefore Shawn come back out, had in his knees, & asked WWE Hall of Famer & fellow wrestling legend Hulk Hogan to be his partner. the as a consequence week, Michaels wrestled Hassan witharound a of these in of these match that ended in disqualification after Daivari interfered. Them savagely attacked Michaels later on, potentially Hassan hanging Michaels sustaining his towel, which brought Hogan intent on potentially a odds. At Backlash that season, Michaels & Hogan faced Hassan & Daivari within a tag team match that Michaels & Hogan won quite easy whenever Michaels superkicked Daivari & Hogan manufactured the pin.

A next nighttime in Birthday suit, Michaels was entered into an eight human tournament to decide a first challenger to Batista's World Championship. He faced Shelton Benjamin & connected by having his trademark superkick once Shelton was within mid-air springboarding off the top rope, for the win and advanced in the tournament, however in the 2nd spherical he was defeated by Edge whilst the latter utilized a briefcase to knock Michaels retired whenever Michaels attempted a sunset snotty-nosed handle.

Michaels returned to Altogether in June 13 and challenged Raw's newest draft pick from SmackDown!, Kurt Angle to a WrestleMania 21 rematch at WWE Vengeance, which he won when Angle sprang off the top rope & landed into a superkick.

On the June 27, 2005 edition of Raw, Michaels, John Cena, and Hulk Hogan won the sise human tag team match against Chris Jericho, Tyson Tomko, and Christian whilst Hogan pinned Tomko when a Leg Drop.

In July 4, 2005 on Altogether, Michaels & Hogan fought Kurt Angle & WWE Intercontinental Champion Carlito in a tag team match. Michaels & Hogan won again, after Hogan st& Carlito a large boot & a Leg Drop, and were day trading poses to the delight of the crowd. A crowd wwhen so stunned as Shawn nailed his patented Sweet Chin Music to the head of Hogan, knocking him to the ground. Michaels so surfed down at Hogan, & left a arena. This is a foremost period Michaels has turned heel since his 2002 go to by using the Just released Globe Sequentially. A as a consequence week, Roddy Piper returned to Raw & interviewed Michaels in Piper's Pit. Whenever he asked Michaels a cause for his betrayal against Hogan, Michaels at first began bringing higher cases from either twenty years earliest. Piper so demanded "a real answer" & known as Michaels the coward, provoking the superkick. Michaels so challenged Hogan to the match at SummerSlam, which Hogan accepted on July 18.

On the next week's Raw (July 25), Michaels cut a promo for the forthcoming SummerSlam match, which he ended by telling Hogan "Whatcha gonna do when the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, won't lay down for you?" This was the information two to Hogan's catchphrase "Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?" & Hogan's reputation when a beneficiary of blatant jobs, notably the Fingerpoke of Doom. A resulting Monday (August 1) in Altogether, Michaels did the second promo on a placed processed to look rather that of Larry King Live, with the Larry King impersonator serving as a interviewer of "Hogan", world health organization was plain the mass produced-higher Michaels. This was the parody of a very appearance Hogan experienced upright manufactured in Larry King Survive. Michaels continued around "worked shoot" mode, parodying Hogan's age, mannerisms & backstage clout. Michaels so delivered his "Sweet Chin Music" to "Larry King" & followed by revealing his confessedly identity. He so told Hogan he can last back to his reality show, and finished by saying "What are you gonna do when reality kicks you in the face?" & redeeming Sweet Chin Music to the camera operator. On the next week's Altogether, Michaels & Hogan got the "face to face" confrontation, hosted by Jerry Lawler. Michaels provoked Hogan & continued to interrupt him while Lawler asked questions. Eventually, Hogan asked "whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?" , & Lawler turned & asked Michaels, "Well, what are you gonna do?" This resulted around Lawler getting Sweet Chin Music, & Hulk throwing Shawn away from a ring fallowing a large boot. On a next edition of Altogether from either Montreal, Michaels taunted the Canadian crowd, and processed supercilious remarks just about Bret Hart expression, "Hitman, I screwed you once and I'll screw you again." Perfect fallowing he said this, Bret's music hit & a crowd went crazy. Michaels so laughed & said that Hart would never are back; he went in to say that he would screw Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam. At a prevent of a nighttime, fallowing Hogan was astir to waround his match against Kurt Angle, Michaels come in & applied the Sharpshooter in Hogan to prevent Altogether.

This match would turn bent exist as non l1 an within ring bout, however one offstage besides. A guide just about world health organization would win a match come when an extended bout of politicking. Vince McMahon chose to back Hogan, when he required him to show higher at WWE homecoming. Hogan was unforced to operate another match, but only in the circumstances that he again win, Michaels pick out does'nt to pursue that stock.

the single tool that Hogan & Michaels experienced inside park before a event is that at SummerSlam, the babies of them experienced never misused around a 1-in-person-to-person match scenario at SummerSlam. the match between Hogan & Michaels would turn bent become a independent event of the nighttime, & them collided inside a battle of Legend vs. Icon. the match went back & forth, by owning 2 referees inducing knocked away from a match, & Michaels utilizing a steel chair around an attempt to benefit an benefit. Potentially fallowing hitting his Sweet Chin Music, Hogan however kicked out & took it to Michaels, eventually hitting him using his legdrop (when he would non win any more way) & scoring a triumph. Michaels extended his hand to him, saying "I had to know," & he & Hogan shook mitts. Michaels left a ring to allow Hogan to celebrate by having a crowd. This turned Michaels face again.

Michaels began the feud by having "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters on RAW the night following SummerSlam and was due to face the Masterlock Challenge on the August 29 edition of RAW. the challenge was postponed a week to September 5 for a Tag Team match by having Ric Flair & Michaels ingesting in Masters & Carlito. Carlito & Masters won a match.

On a September Five, 2005 edition of Altogether, patch abortive inside breaking the Master Lock, Michaels did placed the freshly record when he became the longest-lasting contender to choose the Master Lock Challenge and then far. Michaels tried all about from either ramming Masters' head into a turnbuckle to flipping him in his back, however Masters was take a breath to keep the Master Lock applied. Inside an work of desperation, Michaels utilized the mule kick to deliver the moo blow. After his paws seemed to separate, Masters threw HBK down to the mat, grabbed the steel chair & utilized it to hit Shawn Michaels upstairs. Masters so reapplied a hang on to & HBK was unable to break loose. It was announced on a equivalent Altogether that them would face both more at the September RAW-exclusive pay-by the-learn from, Unforgiven.

At Unforgiven, Masters repeatedly tried to lock in the Masterlock & was suspire to until Michaels had to the ropes. Late in the match, Michaels flew off the top by using a crossbody however Masters caught him & slid him in the area of. Masters attempted a Master Lock over agaaround however Michaels slid retired prior to it can be locked in & attached by using a Sweet Chin Music to win the match via pinfall.

At WWE Homecoming, HBK wrestled Kurt Angle to the there are no contest within the Thirty-min Iron Human match. This lead to immense dipute on top a rightful #1 competitor for the WWE title. Fans today use at times the risk to vote HBK into a triple threat match at "Taboo Tuesday" for the WWE title.

Profile
Height: Sestet foot Ace around (185 cm) Weight: 225 pound (102 kilo) Born: July 22, 1965 Hometown: San Antonio, Texas Trained by: Jose Lothario Debut: October 16, 1984

Nicknames
HBK The Heartache Kid The Showstopper The Headliner The Independent Event The Icon Mr. WrestleMania

Previous managers
Sensational Sherri Jose Lothario Luna Vachon Sycho Sid Jenny McCarthy "Ravishing" Rick Rude Triple H Chyna Roddy Piper Kevin "Diesel" Nash

Quotes
''"I'm the showstopper, the headliner, the main event, the icon!" "When I go down, I'm takin' everybody with me, and I'm going out in a blaze of glory!" "The Heartbreak Kid lays down for absolutely nobody!" "The Heartbreak Kid can keep it up all night!" "Kicking it with the kliq." "I am simply the greatest Sports Entertainer in the world!" "D-Generation X rules the wrestling world!" "I am going to give you a show that you have never ever seen before. Why?... because I can." "D-Generation X! You make the rules, we break em!" "I did not sleep with that woman. In fact I was up all night!"''

Finishing and signature moves
Sweet Chin Music (superkick) Teardrop suplex (early 1990s) Piledriver (early 1990s) Diving elbow drop Moonsault Pescado Running Forearm Attack Figure Four Leglock Inverted Atomic Drop Flying Splash Dropkick

Championships and accomplishments

American Wrestling Association
2-period AWA World Tag Team Champion (with Marty Jannetty) 2-instance AWA Southern Tag Team Champion (with Marty Jannetty)

National Wrestling Alliance
1-period NWA Central States Television Champion 1-instance NWA Central States Tag Team Champion (by using Marty Jannetty)

Texas All-Stars
2-period Texas 100%-Stars Texas Tag Team Champion (by owning Paul Diamond) 1-period Texas Everthing-Stars Hexad-Human Tag Team Champion

Texas Wrestling Alliance
1-instance TWA Heavyweight Champion

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him # 10 of the D right singles matman of the PWI Years in 2003 PWI ranked him # 33 in the better tag teams of the PWI Years by owning Marty Jannetty PWI ranked him # 55 in the better tag teams of the PWI Years sustaining Diesel PWI Virtually all Popular Matman of the Season Award (1995) PWI Virtually all Popular Matman of the Season Award (1996) PWI Match of the Season Award, vs. Marty Jannetty (1993) PWI Match of the Month Award, vs. Razor Ramon (1994) PWI Match of the Season Award, vs. Diesel (1995) PWI Match of the Month Award, vs. Bret Hart (1996)

World Wrestling Entertainment
3-instance WWF World Heavyweight Champion 1-period World Heavyweight Champion 3-period WWF Intercontinental Champion 1-period WWF European Champion 3-instance WWF World Tag Team Champion (2-instance sustaining Diesel, 1-instance using Stone Cold Steve Austin) Royal Rumble winner (1995) (first #1 entrant to win) Royal Rumble winner (1996) First Grand Slam Champion First individual to win an Iron Man Match First individual to win the Hell in a Cell match First individual to win an Elimination Chamber match

Entrance Lyrics
Parentheses come utilized to denote a female chorus. A rest was performed by Michaels himself, or even by Sherri Martel (where pack "He's" was substitued for "I'm", then forth). A song, "Sexy Boy", was originally written for Michaels by Jimmy Hart, a manager world health organization wrote several entrance themes. Hart thanked Michaels personally for continuing to apply a song once his entrance music when he was inducted into a WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Foremost Verse (Chorus) 2nd Verse [Spoken] Eat your systems heart retired, girls! Mitts off a ware!

Trivia
Chris Jericho admitted that he emulated Michaels, early around his career Michaels' chaps & leotards came within several different colors like red, black, & white which are then mass produced by "The Legend," Kevin Allen. Michaels filmed the "shoot interview" by using RF Video in 2000 to talk about his career from either the "behind the scenes" perspective. Michaels began utilizing his "Sweet Chin Music" superkick in a early-90s when years of researching the manuever from either the master of the superkick, Chris Adams. Michaels' first cousin, Matt Bentley, is also the matman. Michaels is a single matman inside WWE history to at the same time hang on to the WWE European Championship and the WWF Championship. Michaels competed in the 1st ever Ladder Match in WWE history, losing to Bret Hart with the WWE Intercontinental Championship on the line on July 21, 1992, during the WWF Wrestling Challenge tape. Michaels is a single matman within WWE history to own forfeited a lot leash of a independent titles: the WWE Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, & the World Tag Team Championship. There are no extra grappler has ever forfeited more than of these. around addition, of his eleven title reigns, he has actually simply misplaced 5 of the babies in the match, merely 4 of which were rattling contests. He has forfeited a single WWF Championship & of these Intercontinental Championship, was stripped of a single Intercontinental Championship, forfeited or even was stripped of completely of his Tag Team Championships, & wasted his European Championship by good laying down for friend & mate Triple H (Michaels was a WWF Champion at a period & hence "gave" a lesser European title to Triple H).

Title Reigns