Shawn Michaels

Michaels wrestled consistently for WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from 1988 until his first retirement in 1998. He held non-wrestling roles from 1998 to 2000 and resumed wrestling in 2002 until retiring ceremoniously in 2010, before being assigned as a trainer in 2016 and returning for one match in 2018.

In the WWF/WWE, Michaels headlined major pay-per-view events between 1989 and 2010, closing the company’s flagship annual event, WrestleMania, five times. He was the co-founder and original leader of the successful stable, D-Generation X. Michaels also wrestled in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he founded The Midnight Rockers with Marty Jannetty in 1985. After winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship twice, the team continued to the WWF as The Rockers and had a high-profile breakup in January 1992. Within the year, Michaels twice challenged for the WWF Championship and won his first Intercontinental Championship, heralding his arrival as one of the industry’s premier singles stars.

Michaels is a four-time world champion, having held the WWF Championship three times and WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship once. He is also a two-time Royal Rumble winner (and the first man to win the match as the number one entrant), the first WWF Grand Slam Champion and the fourth WWF Triple Crown Champion, as well as a two time WWE Hall of Fame (2011 as singles wrestler and 2019 as part of D-Generation X). Michaels won the Pro Wrestling Illustrated “Match of the Year” reader vote a record eleven times, and his match against John Cena on April 23, 2007 was ranked by WWE as the best match ever aired on the company’s flagship Raw program.

Notable Matches

vs. Marty Jannetty on Raw, May 17th 1993

vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at WrestleMania X

vs. Diesel at WrestleMania XI

vs. Bret Hart in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII

vs. Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XIX

vs. Chris Benoit and Triple H at WrestleMania XX

vs. Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21

vs. Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 22

vs. John Cena on Raw, April 23th 2007

vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV

vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV

vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI

Notable Feuds

vs. Bret Hart

vs. Marty Jannetty

vs. Razor Ramon

vs. British Bulldog

vs. The Undertaker

vs. Triple H

vs. Chris Jericho

vs. Kurt Angle

vs. Vince McMahon

w/ Triple H vs. The Brothers of Destruction

Other Notable Achievements

AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Marty Jannetty

AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Marty Jannetty

NWA Central States Tag Team Championship – with Marty Jannetty

TASW Texas Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Paul Diamond

TWA Heavyweight Championship