From IGN.com
Shawn Michaels Interview
HBK talks Rumble, respect, and retirement.
by Jon Robinson
January 27, 2006 - The Showstopper.
To some it's a nickname, to Shawn Michaels it's the truth.
Hell in a Cell, ladder matches, 60 minute marathons. Pound-for-pound, there isn't anybody more athletic, more charismatic, or more controversial. From the Midnight Rockers to Montreal to even Mike Tyson, Shawn Michaels has managed to stay in the spotlight, starring in the soap opera for men known as WWE.
He's been told many times by many different doctors that he'd never wrestle again. His back, his knee, the constant grind of the road and ring.
But through it all, Shawn Michaels has never quit doing what he does best, and that's entertain his fans.
I caught up with HBK to talk about the upcoming Royal Rumble as well as his favorite gimmick matches and possible retirement.
Here's what he had to say…
IGN Sports: I was reading your book and you make a lot of comparisons between the wrestling business and the mob in terms of showing respect. Is it still like that?
Shawn Michaels: You know, less so now. It's funny that you mention that because a number of us were sitting in the dressing room the other night, myself, Triple H, Ric Flair, The Big Show, and a young guy who will remain nameless for the sake of this story came into the dressing room and started sharing a very open and wonderful story. It was a very open and vulnerable story. And when he told the story and left, we just all looked at each other and smiled. We told him how cool he was, how nice he was and everything else, then I thought to myself how ten years ago he would never have been able to do that. He would've been torn apart by the guys in the dressing room about being a wuss or being this or being that and the poor kid would've never opened his heart to another guy, another person again. Again, this sounds like a little bit of humble pie for the wrestling business, but that stuff can go on now where ten years it couldn't because back then, everyone felt more comfortable putting on a big front like they had everything under control when the fact is, they didn't. Everyone was as lost as the next guy, they just didn't want to admit it. These days, it's a lot nicer, a lot more open, so it's not quite like that anymore. Sure, with that you lose a few things like guys not having enough respect for an older wrestler, a guy who has been around the business for X amount of years. But they don't not have that respect because they don't respect them, it's because they're naïve, they don't know what to say, and that's a lot easier to deal with than someone not talking to you because they're being disrespectful and cool.
IGN Sports: I thought it was funny in the book how you said Andre The Giant wouldn't even look at you or shake your hand for an entire year when you first started.
Shawn Michaels: Yeah, that kind of stuff builds character. [laughs] It was good for me.
IGN Sports: Andre would've been perfect for the Royal Rumble. I don't think anyone would've wanted to see him come out at number 30.
Shawn Michaels: Well, we've got The Big Show, we've got our own giant now and he's no slouch. I'm not looking forward to tipping him over the top rope.
IGN Sports: You've been in so many Royal Rumbles. Do you have a favorite moment?
Shawn Michaels: It has to be going in first and going all the way through and winning it. That for me personally is my number one moment. For me as a fan, and it might've been in that same Rumble or the year after, my number one moment is when Bushwhacker Luke came out to the ring, got into the ring, got tossed out, then walked back out and the music was still playing…he never missed a beat.
IGN Sports: It's funny how the Royal Rumble combines some of the most athletic moments and the most quirky moments in wrestling all in one match.
Shawn Michaels: That's what makes the Rumble so special. It has become a favorite among WWE fans and I think that is one of the reasons why. Come Rumble time, you start getting the feeling that big things are happening. Wrestlemania is right around the corner and you know the results of the Rumble have huge implications on Wrestlemania, but to your point, it's also a match where you know you're going to see some interesting things. Whether it be extremely athletic or something where you say 'That was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen, but I'll never forget it'.
IGN Sports: Do you have a favorite gimmick match?
Shawn Michaels: I don't know that they are favorites, but I've always enjoyed the Street Fight. As a wrestling fan I can remember years ago seeing my first Street Fight between Wahoo McDaniel and Tully Blanchard and I remember thinking to myself that I will really think I've made it when I can come to the ring in jeans and cowboy boots with my hands taped and stuff like that. I just thought that was so cool, getting to come as you are and having no rules. We just call them Street Fights now but years ago they were Texas Street Fights of a Bunkhouse match.
IGN Sports: Didn't you have a picture of Tully Blanchard hanging over your bed as a kid?
Shawn Michaels: Yes I did. My buddy Kenny drew it for me.
IGN Sports: Was Tully Blanchard your idol growing up in terms of wrestlers?
Shawn Michaels: Tully was the first young, handsome, cocky, well-dressed bad guy. He was our version of Ric Flair before I knew who Ric Flair was. This was before cable TV or any of that, and Tully was our Ric Flair. He was our young, cocky, arrogant heel bad guy so to speak. He always had the nice suits on and that part of you that wanted to be bad really connected with Tully Blanchard.
IGN Sports: I talked to you last year before your match with Edge at the Royal Rumble in Fresno and you said that if Edge couldn't run with you that night, that he wasn't going to make it. Here we are a year later and he's the champ. What do you think he learned from running with HBK that helped prepare him along the way to winning the belt?
Shawn Michaels: I hope, if nothing else, that his experience with me was a good one and helped him gain confidence. Prior to that, wrestling me was one of those things he had down as a benchmark in his 'what I want to do in my career' books. I was one of those for Edge, and I think if you have those and it goes well, it's a confidence builder. Every one of those things you put under your belt, every time you achieve a goal that you had set for yourself and achieve them well, those are confidence builders. Confidence is one of those things that no one ever wants to talk about in this industry because confidence and ego run neck and neck. But you have to understand, those are things that you have to have in order to make it to where Edge has made it. You've got to have a certain amount of ego and confidence in yourself to get there. I believe throughout that last year, he had a lot of setbacks with injuries, but he continued to keep plugging away and it looks like it has paid off. He's done very well, and more than anything, he's not the same guy now. He's grown over the last year, he's matured, and I think that is important once you put on that belt.
IGN Sports: So if you were one of his benchmarks, who were some of yours?
Shawn Michaels: It's funny because a lot of the guys who were my benchmarks weren't here (in WWE). The thing is, I also had benchmarks that weren't necessarily individuals, but other goals like the Intercontinental championship and the WWE championship. And then the other big thing for me was the ability to perform certain matches. The marathon, hour long match I had with Bret Hart was a benchmark for me because breaking into this business and then growing up in it, going an hour was always a sign of real maturity and a real sign of accomplished skill. Not many guys would do the hour matches, and especially in the late 90's, nobody was doing them. So to go out there and do that with Bret Hart was a benchmark for me, and then winning the championship was a benchmark for me. Individual guys who were benchmarks for me all came later. One was Ric Flair. Even though I wrestled Ric Flair very early on in my career, it was a short match, so getting to wrestle him later on in my career was a benchmark. Wrestling Hulk Hogan was a benchmark for me. But like I said, for me, it wasn't always individuals but matches and titles.
IGN Sports: What would it take to see you do a marathon with Kurt Angle?
Shawn Michaels: Gosh, I think that would actually be an easier match because Kurt and I both feel like we can do anything. I think it would be wonderful, but like Triple H and HBK I think you've seen a lot of Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels so you might want to let it rest for a little while. Although there are some fans who, because Kurt and I have delivered each time we've been in the ring together, that pure wrestling fans don't get tired of us. But with Kurt going to Smackdown, it will probably be quite some time before we hook up again. It has been a joy and it has been a lot of fun to not only wrestle each other, but get to know each other. Again, we've been able to create something special and that was important to him, it was important to me, and like Triple H/HBK or Flair/Steamboat, we've established the fact that anytime you put us in the ring together, it's going to be something special, and there aren't a lot of guys you can do that with. I'm proud to have been able to have the opportunity to do that with him.
IGN Sports: How do you top that for Wrestlemania this year? Who are you looking at right now as a possible opponent?
Shawn Michaels: As I told some folks a few months ago, I'm at the point where I want to do things I haven't done. That's why I suggested the Hogan match many, many months ago. I had mentioned me and Rock because wrestling fans haven't seen it, but he's not interested in doing that. So that's my next endeavor, trying to figure out what I can bring to Wrestlemania that I haven't done yet. That's obviously not easily done. I've wrestled just about everybody, but I'll try to figure something out.
IGN Sports: Someone you have great chemistry with is Shelton Benjamin. Do you see him as the next breakout star?
Shawn Michaels: I hope so. Shelton has come to that level a couple of times but he never seems to get over that hump. I know it's a lot easier to put the heat on "the man" as opposed to the individual, but the fact of the matter is every Monday we get a chance to show you the wrestling fan what we're made of. That is as much control in this industry as any individual gets and you have to make the most of it. I think Shelton can do that and I hope he takes it. The matches I've certainly had with him have been really good. I think Shelton needs to make sure that he has those types of matches even if he's not in the ring with Shawn Michaels. What I'm trying to say is that you want to get to a point in your career where you don't rise to the level of your competition, you make your competition rise to your level, and your level needs to be high all the time.
IGN Sports: Is that what you attribute to your success, how you were able to make everybody look good?
Shawn Michaels: It ain't easy and it ain't always a blast because it puts a ton of pressure on you every time you go out there because the minute you fall short, everybody is going to dump on you. But that's how you challenge yourself each and every time. And that's the only way a 40 year-old man with bumps and bruises all over himself that physically isn't able to do it…that's the only thing that keeps me going because I like to go out there every time and tear it down with whoever I got. I want you the wrestling fans to say 'Gee, he's still doing it.' I want you to enjoy that.
IGN Sports: How much longer do you want to go at this? Do you see yourself like Ric Flair doing a TLC match ten years from now?
Shawn Michaels: Negative. [laughs] I don't think I can do a TLC now. Really though, I don't think any of us retire but I would like to slow down and do it less. So will I be 50 and do this at the pace I'm doing it now? No. But will I be 50 and come back for a Wrestlemania? Maybe. Look at Hogan and Flair, we don't retire, we slow down, and I would like to slow down. I enjoy going out there and working in front of the fans, but I would however like to do it less and spend more time at home with my family. I would like to slow down, and that's something in the not so far off future I'll work on doing.
Shawn Michaels Interview
HBK talks Rumble, respect, and retirement.
by Jon Robinson
January 27, 2006 - The Showstopper.
To some it's a nickname, to Shawn Michaels it's the truth.
Hell in a Cell, ladder matches, 60 minute marathons. Pound-for-pound, there isn't anybody more athletic, more charismatic, or more controversial. From the Midnight Rockers to Montreal to even Mike Tyson, Shawn Michaels has managed to stay in the spotlight, starring in the soap opera for men known as WWE.
He's been told many times by many different doctors that he'd never wrestle again. His back, his knee, the constant grind of the road and ring.
But through it all, Shawn Michaels has never quit doing what he does best, and that's entertain his fans.
I caught up with HBK to talk about the upcoming Royal Rumble as well as his favorite gimmick matches and possible retirement.
Here's what he had to say…
IGN Sports: I was reading your book and you make a lot of comparisons between the wrestling business and the mob in terms of showing respect. Is it still like that?
Shawn Michaels: You know, less so now. It's funny that you mention that because a number of us were sitting in the dressing room the other night, myself, Triple H, Ric Flair, The Big Show, and a young guy who will remain nameless for the sake of this story came into the dressing room and started sharing a very open and wonderful story. It was a very open and vulnerable story. And when he told the story and left, we just all looked at each other and smiled. We told him how cool he was, how nice he was and everything else, then I thought to myself how ten years ago he would never have been able to do that. He would've been torn apart by the guys in the dressing room about being a wuss or being this or being that and the poor kid would've never opened his heart to another guy, another person again. Again, this sounds like a little bit of humble pie for the wrestling business, but that stuff can go on now where ten years it couldn't because back then, everyone felt more comfortable putting on a big front like they had everything under control when the fact is, they didn't. Everyone was as lost as the next guy, they just didn't want to admit it. These days, it's a lot nicer, a lot more open, so it's not quite like that anymore. Sure, with that you lose a few things like guys not having enough respect for an older wrestler, a guy who has been around the business for X amount of years. But they don't not have that respect because they don't respect them, it's because they're naïve, they don't know what to say, and that's a lot easier to deal with than someone not talking to you because they're being disrespectful and cool.
IGN Sports: I thought it was funny in the book how you said Andre The Giant wouldn't even look at you or shake your hand for an entire year when you first started.
Shawn Michaels: Yeah, that kind of stuff builds character. [laughs] It was good for me.
IGN Sports: Andre would've been perfect for the Royal Rumble. I don't think anyone would've wanted to see him come out at number 30.
Shawn Michaels: Well, we've got The Big Show, we've got our own giant now and he's no slouch. I'm not looking forward to tipping him over the top rope.
IGN Sports: You've been in so many Royal Rumbles. Do you have a favorite moment?
Shawn Michaels: It has to be going in first and going all the way through and winning it. That for me personally is my number one moment. For me as a fan, and it might've been in that same Rumble or the year after, my number one moment is when Bushwhacker Luke came out to the ring, got into the ring, got tossed out, then walked back out and the music was still playing…he never missed a beat.
IGN Sports: It's funny how the Royal Rumble combines some of the most athletic moments and the most quirky moments in wrestling all in one match.
Shawn Michaels: That's what makes the Rumble so special. It has become a favorite among WWE fans and I think that is one of the reasons why. Come Rumble time, you start getting the feeling that big things are happening. Wrestlemania is right around the corner and you know the results of the Rumble have huge implications on Wrestlemania, but to your point, it's also a match where you know you're going to see some interesting things. Whether it be extremely athletic or something where you say 'That was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen, but I'll never forget it'.
IGN Sports: Do you have a favorite gimmick match?
Shawn Michaels: I don't know that they are favorites, but I've always enjoyed the Street Fight. As a wrestling fan I can remember years ago seeing my first Street Fight between Wahoo McDaniel and Tully Blanchard and I remember thinking to myself that I will really think I've made it when I can come to the ring in jeans and cowboy boots with my hands taped and stuff like that. I just thought that was so cool, getting to come as you are and having no rules. We just call them Street Fights now but years ago they were Texas Street Fights of a Bunkhouse match.
IGN Sports: Didn't you have a picture of Tully Blanchard hanging over your bed as a kid?
Shawn Michaels: Yes I did. My buddy Kenny drew it for me.
IGN Sports: Was Tully Blanchard your idol growing up in terms of wrestlers?
Shawn Michaels: Tully was the first young, handsome, cocky, well-dressed bad guy. He was our version of Ric Flair before I knew who Ric Flair was. This was before cable TV or any of that, and Tully was our Ric Flair. He was our young, cocky, arrogant heel bad guy so to speak. He always had the nice suits on and that part of you that wanted to be bad really connected with Tully Blanchard.
IGN Sports: I talked to you last year before your match with Edge at the Royal Rumble in Fresno and you said that if Edge couldn't run with you that night, that he wasn't going to make it. Here we are a year later and he's the champ. What do you think he learned from running with HBK that helped prepare him along the way to winning the belt?
Shawn Michaels: I hope, if nothing else, that his experience with me was a good one and helped him gain confidence. Prior to that, wrestling me was one of those things he had down as a benchmark in his 'what I want to do in my career' books. I was one of those for Edge, and I think if you have those and it goes well, it's a confidence builder. Every one of those things you put under your belt, every time you achieve a goal that you had set for yourself and achieve them well, those are confidence builders. Confidence is one of those things that no one ever wants to talk about in this industry because confidence and ego run neck and neck. But you have to understand, those are things that you have to have in order to make it to where Edge has made it. You've got to have a certain amount of ego and confidence in yourself to get there. I believe throughout that last year, he had a lot of setbacks with injuries, but he continued to keep plugging away and it looks like it has paid off. He's done very well, and more than anything, he's not the same guy now. He's grown over the last year, he's matured, and I think that is important once you put on that belt.
IGN Sports: So if you were one of his benchmarks, who were some of yours?
Shawn Michaels: It's funny because a lot of the guys who were my benchmarks weren't here (in WWE). The thing is, I also had benchmarks that weren't necessarily individuals, but other goals like the Intercontinental championship and the WWE championship. And then the other big thing for me was the ability to perform certain matches. The marathon, hour long match I had with Bret Hart was a benchmark for me because breaking into this business and then growing up in it, going an hour was always a sign of real maturity and a real sign of accomplished skill. Not many guys would do the hour matches, and especially in the late 90's, nobody was doing them. So to go out there and do that with Bret Hart was a benchmark for me, and then winning the championship was a benchmark for me. Individual guys who were benchmarks for me all came later. One was Ric Flair. Even though I wrestled Ric Flair very early on in my career, it was a short match, so getting to wrestle him later on in my career was a benchmark. Wrestling Hulk Hogan was a benchmark for me. But like I said, for me, it wasn't always individuals but matches and titles.
IGN Sports: What would it take to see you do a marathon with Kurt Angle?
Shawn Michaels: Gosh, I think that would actually be an easier match because Kurt and I both feel like we can do anything. I think it would be wonderful, but like Triple H and HBK I think you've seen a lot of Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels so you might want to let it rest for a little while. Although there are some fans who, because Kurt and I have delivered each time we've been in the ring together, that pure wrestling fans don't get tired of us. But with Kurt going to Smackdown, it will probably be quite some time before we hook up again. It has been a joy and it has been a lot of fun to not only wrestle each other, but get to know each other. Again, we've been able to create something special and that was important to him, it was important to me, and like Triple H/HBK or Flair/Steamboat, we've established the fact that anytime you put us in the ring together, it's going to be something special, and there aren't a lot of guys you can do that with. I'm proud to have been able to have the opportunity to do that with him.
IGN Sports: How do you top that for Wrestlemania this year? Who are you looking at right now as a possible opponent?
Shawn Michaels: As I told some folks a few months ago, I'm at the point where I want to do things I haven't done. That's why I suggested the Hogan match many, many months ago. I had mentioned me and Rock because wrestling fans haven't seen it, but he's not interested in doing that. So that's my next endeavor, trying to figure out what I can bring to Wrestlemania that I haven't done yet. That's obviously not easily done. I've wrestled just about everybody, but I'll try to figure something out.
IGN Sports: Someone you have great chemistry with is Shelton Benjamin. Do you see him as the next breakout star?
Shawn Michaels: I hope so. Shelton has come to that level a couple of times but he never seems to get over that hump. I know it's a lot easier to put the heat on "the man" as opposed to the individual, but the fact of the matter is every Monday we get a chance to show you the wrestling fan what we're made of. That is as much control in this industry as any individual gets and you have to make the most of it. I think Shelton can do that and I hope he takes it. The matches I've certainly had with him have been really good. I think Shelton needs to make sure that he has those types of matches even if he's not in the ring with Shawn Michaels. What I'm trying to say is that you want to get to a point in your career where you don't rise to the level of your competition, you make your competition rise to your level, and your level needs to be high all the time.
IGN Sports: Is that what you attribute to your success, how you were able to make everybody look good?
Shawn Michaels: It ain't easy and it ain't always a blast because it puts a ton of pressure on you every time you go out there because the minute you fall short, everybody is going to dump on you. But that's how you challenge yourself each and every time. And that's the only way a 40 year-old man with bumps and bruises all over himself that physically isn't able to do it…that's the only thing that keeps me going because I like to go out there every time and tear it down with whoever I got. I want you the wrestling fans to say 'Gee, he's still doing it.' I want you to enjoy that.
IGN Sports: How much longer do you want to go at this? Do you see yourself like Ric Flair doing a TLC match ten years from now?
Shawn Michaels: Negative. [laughs] I don't think I can do a TLC now. Really though, I don't think any of us retire but I would like to slow down and do it less. So will I be 50 and do this at the pace I'm doing it now? No. But will I be 50 and come back for a Wrestlemania? Maybe. Look at Hogan and Flair, we don't retire, we slow down, and I would like to slow down. I enjoy going out there and working in front of the fans, but I would however like to do it less and spend more time at home with my family. I would like to slow down, and that's something in the not so far off future I'll work on doing.
