10 Shawn Michaels WWE Moments From The 1990s You Completely Forgot About
John Castro 'The Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels broke into WWE as one half of the Rockers alongside partner Marty Jannetty, wowing fans with their high-flying, double team moves that elevated them to one of the most beloved teams in WWE history. Michaels went on to have a singles career few could rival: World titles, WrestleMania main events, this two-time Hall of Famer has done it all. After injury forced him into early retirement in 1998, Shawn made a return 4 years later, and never missed a beat, winning the World Heavyweight Championship in only his second match back in the inaugural Elimination Chamber match at the 2002 Survivor Series. Shawn's professional and personal rivalry with Bret Hart and the fallout are well documented, as are Shawn's controversies backstage as part of the Kliq, but here are 10 things most fans forget about Shawn Michaels' WWE run in the 1990's.
10 Both Feet Must Touch The Floor
The annual Royal Rumble event has become a much loved January tradition, with the 2 feet must touch the floor stipulation providing some entertaining spots each year as people try to avoid elimination.
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That rule was established in the 1995 Rumble, when Shawn and the British Bulldog were the final 2 men (as well as the first two men to start) when Bulldog threw Michaels over the top, but Michaels hung on, with only one foot touching the floor before eliminating Bulldog to win his first Royal Rumble match.
9 Real Barber Shop Window
The break up of The Rockers is still one of the most memorable heel turns in wrestling 30 years after the fact. Shawn and Marty were guests on Brutus Beefcake's Barbershop segment to address the miscommunication and run of losses the team had been experiencing. To a huge pop from the crowd, Shawn and Marty embraced, before the swerve, with Shawn superkicking Marty before throwing him through the window of the set. What fans tend to forget is that unfortunately for Marty, the stage hands put the original barbershop set up, and Marty was thrown through a plate glass window.
8 Shawn Michaels Tries Out A New Nickname
After the split from the Rockers, Shawn Michaels would wrestle under the moniker 'Boy Toy' but struggled to find any real traction as a singles star until Curt 'Mr. Perfect' Henning suggested changing it to the Heartbreak Kid.
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Sensational Sherri was acting as his valet and even sang the original version of the now iconic HBK entrance theme music.
7 Unwillingness To Lose Titles
Although his tag title win with the Rockers was scratched from the record books due to a fault with the ring ropes resulting in the match not being shown, Shawn went on to win many titles during the 1990s. However, he only lost three in legitimate matches, while injuries and suspensions have also resulted in Shawn vacating titles. Despite Shawn and Bret Hart being rivals on a similar career path, fighting in the tag team, Intercontinental and World Championship divisions throughout the years, Shawn never dropped a belt to The Hitman once.
6 Sycho Sid Served As Shawn Michaels' Bodyguard
After the split with bodyguard and real life friend Diesel, Michaels would win the Royal Rumble that year, setting up Diesel vs Michaels for the title at WrestleMania XI. In the build up to the match, Michaels recruited a returning Sycho Sid to act as his bodyguard.
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However, Sid turned on Michaels the Raw after Mania, writing Shawn off TV and ending their short lived partnership. The two would later feud over the WWF World Title, with both men exchanging wins.
5 Shawn Two Belts
The belt collector in recent years has seen a resurgence in wrestling, with Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns and Kenny Omega all holding multiple titles simultaneously. Michaels achieved double champion status in 1997, as he was reigning European champion when he won the WWE title at Survivor Series 1997. HBK was forced to defend the European title against his running mate, Triple H, in what turned into a joke of a match, with Shawn laying down for HHH to get a cheap win.
4 Shawn Michaels Has Left The Building
The good looking arrogant heel has been a staple in wrestling since the advent of television, so when Michaels took on that role, it wasn't anything new or groundbreaking. His solid in ring work and charisma obviously played a big part in Michaels' rise to the top, but Shawn himself has credited Bobby "The Brain" Heenan for getting him to the next level in the fans' eyes, most famously announcing weekly that "Shawn Michaels has left the building", insinuating Shawn was on the same level of personality as Elvis Presley.
3 Association With Luna Vachon
As reigning Intercontinental Champion, Shawn would defend his title at WrestleMania IX against Tatanka, who had Michaels' former valet, Sensational Sherri in his corner, while Michaels was accompanied by the debuting Luna Vachon.
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While this was purely to set up the feud between Sherri and Luna, as the two ladies came to blows at ringside, the pairing seemed completely off the wall, and Luna was paired with the more compatible Bam Bam Bigelow soon after.
2 Replacing Jerry Lawler When He Was Facing Legal Issues
Survivor Series 1993 was meant to see the continuation of the Jerry Lawler/Bret Hart feud, with Lawler and his "Knights" taking on the Hart family (Bret, Owen, Kieth and Bruce Hart) in the traditional 4 on 4 elimination match, but due to ongoing legal concerns surrounding him, Lawler had to miss the match. Shawn stepped in, making his return from a steroid related suspension, ensuring that the match could go ahead as it was the start of the Owen/Bret feud.
1 The Corporation's Commissioner
After Michaels' forced retirement in 1998, Michaels would make sporadic appearances on WWE TV over the next couple of years, originally on commentary before replacing Sgt Slaughter as WWE's Commissioner. It was in this role that Michaels joined the Corporation faction, allying himself with Mr McMahon. A short lived DX reunion followed, but Michaels took time off for surgery, and on his return his personal demons got the better of him and he was persona non-grata within the company until his triumphant 2002 return after defeating his addiction issues and finding religion.