SHAWN MICHAELS Real Name: Michael Hickenbottom Also Known As: The Heartbreak Kid, the Showstopper, the Headliner, the Main Event, the Icon of the WWF Date of Birth: July 22, 1965 From: San Antonio, Texas Height: 6'1" Weight: 227 pounds Finishing Move: Sweet Chin Music Famous Quote: "I don't lay down for ANYBODY." Mike Hickenbottom knew from an early age that he wanted to be a wrestler. He trained under the legendary "Super Sock" Jose Lothario, and in his early 20s he was already a top wrestler in the American Wrestling Association (AWA). Michaels teamed with Marty Jannetty and as the Midnight Rockers, the two were AWA tag team champions. In 1987, the team made their way to the greener pastures of the WWF. Known then as the Rockers, they rose to the top of the WWF ranks, winning matches against much bigger teams. In October of 1990, the Rockers struck gold, defeating the Hart Foundation. The victory was never acknowledged on WWF television, and the titles were given back to the Harts. As time went on, the Rockers began to have their share of arguments. Finally, Jannetty confronted Michaels on "The Barber Shop" talk segment and asked him if he wanted to go on as a team. Shawn answered with a superkick, following it up by throwing Jannetty through the Barber Shop glass window. Michaels went on to singles action, becoming one of the greatest heels in WWF history. Michaels won his first singles title, the Intercontinental championship, in October of '92 from the British Bulldog on Saturday Night's Main Event. Shawn lost the title the following June to his old partner Jannetty in an impromptu match on Raw, but less than a month later he introduced his new bodyguard Diesel (Kevin Nash), and used him to recapture the gold. The following September (of '93), Michaels was stripped of the IC title for failing to defend it within the 30-day limit. He then teamed with his bodyguard-turned wrestler (and Intercontinental champion) Diesel to win the tag team titles from the Headshrinkers in the summer of 1994. The two forfeited the belts after breaking up following the 1994 Survivor Series. After a year of feuding with Diesel that included a title match at Wrestlemania 11 (which Shawn lost), Michaels was attacked by his new bodyguard Sid and became a face. It was at this point that he would see his success escalate. In July of 1995 he won the Intercontinental title from Jeff Jarrett (he subsequently forfeited due to injuries suffered outside a night club in Syracuse, NY). And in September of that same year he teamed again with Diesel to capture the tag team titles (the belts were stripped due to controversy in the win). Then, it happened. In March of 1996, Shawn would fulfill his childhood dream, as he defeated Bret Hart at Wrestlemania XII for the WWF title. Shawn became one of the most mainstream WWF champions in history, appearing on talk shows, on primetime television and on the cover of Playgirl among other things. Despite his tremendous popularity, Shawn's style didn't overjoy a percentage of the locker room, most notably Bret Hart. The two developed a legitimate rivalry. But the show had to go on. After losing the WWF title to Sid at the 1996 Survivor Series, Shawn headlined the 1997 Royal Rumble in front of over 60,000 people in his native San Antonio (at the Alamadome) and beat Sid for his second WWF championship. Just one month later, Michaels again forfeited the title on a special "Thursday Raw Thursday" telecast. The WWF stated that a knee injury was the cause of the forfeiture, however rumours were rampant that an addiction to pain killers and subsequent rehab was the real reason. In May of 1997, after several months of complaining about his contract and work environment (ie Bret Hart), Michaels teamed with Steve Austin to once again capture the tag team titles, this time from Owen Hart and the British Bulldog. And yet again, Michaels forfeited his half of the title after taking a leave of absence from the WWF following a backstage altercation with Bret. Michaels stated he would never again wrestle in the WWF and requested his contract release in order to sign with World Championship Wrestling. The WWF would eventually agree to Shawn's financial demands, and so Michaels returned to the WWF. At the 1997 Summerslam card, he appeared as a guest referee for the WWF title match between the Undertaker and ironically, Shawn's "buddy" Bret Hart, and allowed Bret to get the victory and the title after an accidental chair shot on UT. On September 20, 1997, in the UK as part of a special "One Night Only" show, Shawn defeated the British Bulldog for the European championship. He also began a feud with the Undertaker coming off the Summerslam incident. The two met at IYH: Ground Zero in September in a chaotic match that saw no clear-cut winner. The met again at IYH: Badd Blood in the first ever "Hell in a Cell" match that saw a bloodied and battered Shawn come out victorious thanks to UT's brother Kane. Then in November of 1997 at the Survivor Series, one of the most anticipated matches in WWF history took place when Bret Hart defended the WWF title against Shawn Michaels in Montreal, Quebec. Questions loomed over the event. Could these two work professionally together? Would the match go as planned or would it get out of hand? Bret had become irate at Michaels' tactics which included sticking the Canadian flag up his nose. It wasn't known at the time, but Hart was on his way out of the WWF following an agreement between he and WWF boss Vince McMahon. Hart's one demand was that he refused to lose the WWF title to Shawn Michaels. However, Shawn defeated Bret for his third WWF title in what has become famous as the "double cross" incident. As Shawn held Bret in Hart's own Sharpshooter move, the referee (and Vince McMahon at ringside) called for the bell. However, Bret didn't give up. Insiders believe that Shawn was in on a plan with WWF owner Vince McMahon and announcer Jim Ross to take the title from Bret before the Hitman departed the WWF. Nonetheless, Michaels left the event with the belt. By this time it had become known that Shawn and Hunter Hearst Helmsley were long-time friends. The two (along with HHH's bodyguard Chyna) became known as D-Generation X, a group that respected nobody, and obeyed no rules. Shawn also took on Rick Rude as his new bodyguard, but Rude left the WWF following the Survivor Series. Although DX was meant to be a heel group, they had their share of fans. They even got a PPV named after them, as Shawn defended the WWF title against Ken Shamrock at IYH: D-Generation X, a match that would end by disqualification. Shawn also "lost" the European title to HHH, after Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter forced the two to do battle on Raw in an effort to put a stop to DX's controversial antics. But the two had the last laugh, as Shawn laid down and allowed Hunter to pin him, thus giving HHH the European title, with HBK maintaining ownership of the WWF belt. At the 1998 Royal Rumble, Michaels defended the WWF title against The Undertaker in a Casket Match. Thanks in no small part to Kane, Shawn came out with the title intact. However, he would also suffer a serious back injury after being back-dropped over the top rope by UT and ramming the small of his back into the casket at ringside. The injury kept Shawn out of the ring for several months and saw him appear only in interviews and run-ins with DX. In the Spring of 1998, Shawn was obligated to defend the WWF title against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at Wrestlemania XIV. Despite his injured back, Shawn appeared on Raw and attacked Austin on a couple of occasions. Michaels also shocked the world by adding boxing great "Iron" Mike Tyson (who was the special enforcing referee for the match) to DX. At Wrestlemania XIV, Michaels put up a valiant effort against Austin. Despite his visual discomfort with back pain, he nearly came out of the event successfully, but fell victim to the Stone Cold Stunner and was defeated by Austin. Michaels then announced his retirement from active competition due to a back injury, took a long hiatus from the WWF, and severed ties with D-Generation X in the process. Shawn has appeared on WWF television on occasion in a commentating capacity, and also took on the role of WWF Commissioner. Shawn has also started his own wrestling promotion and training school based in his native San Antonio, Texas. The promotion is the TWA (Texas Wrestling Alliance). Shawn has spent the majority of his time working with this promotion and living with his wife Rebecca and son Cameron. Major Titles Won: WWF Championship (3) WWF Intercontinental Championship (3) WWF Tag Team Championship (4) WWF European Championship WWF Royal Rumble (2)