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| source// wwe.com |
When all is said and done, Shawn Michaels may well go down in history as the greatest mainstream American professional wrestler of all-time. The Heartbreak Kid did everything there was to do in World Wrestling Entertainment, winning all the gold on offer and doing it at a level higher than most of his peers for a longer time.
HBK’s career was ended early by a terrible back injury, but he was able to return to the ring and put together a second career run that surpassed the first in terms of the consistency of his match quality. It was a different Michaels, the cocky youth replaced by the wily veteran, and WWE was all the better for it.
It was at WrestleMania that this particular star shone brightest. Michaels took part in 17 different WrestleManias, featuring in tag team matches, ladder matches, Ironman matches and a whole lot more. He won his first WWE Title at the event, and his career would end there, too. His run of matches in the second half of his career, in particular, beggars belief. A better run of matches one will not find.
But how do the matches rank against each other? Let’s waste no more time and get to separating them, from worst to best.
17. Vs. Big Boss Man & Akeem – WrestleMania V
The debut of Mr. WrestleMania came as early as WrestleMania V.
At this time Michaels was a member of The Rockers, a high-energy tag team with Marty Jannetty, and at the 5th Mania they took on Big Boss Man and Akeem, known collectively as the Twin Towers. Akeem was previously known as One Man Gang, and I don’t think anyone will ever truly understand why this gimmick changed happened, but there we go.
There isn’t much to write home about with this match, but don’t let its positioning at the bottom of this particular list fool you; The Rockers were seemingly incapable of putting on a bad match in the 1980s, and what we have here is a nice little Big Team vs. Little Team match. Boss Man in particular was a high quality big man, and Akeem was no slouch either.
Michaels and Jannetty bumped like lunatics for their larger opposition, with Michaels showing the bumping prowess that would eventually become a trademark of his during his singles run. Akeem would eventually hit Michaels with Air Africa (running splash) to give the big men the win.
16. Vs. El Matador – WrestleMania VIII
From his big show debut to his first match as a singles competitor at WrestleMania.
By 1992 Shawn Michaels was a star on the rise, fresh off throwing Jannetty through the window of the Barber Shop and embarking on a heel run that would change everything for the man. His first singles match at ‘Mania came against the legendary Tito Santana, albeit a legendary Tito Santana now known as ‘El Matador’.
For someone who seemed like an exciting performer at the time, Santana was pretty snooze-worthy. Most of his offense consisted of punches and headlocks, and whilst this doesn’t exactly capture the imagination 20 years later it is clear to see the importance of working with veteran babyface performers.
Another nothing match, this sits above the tag match purely for the fact that it was Michaels’ first singles match on the grandest stage.
15. Vs. The Orient Express – WrestleMania VI
The Rockers would have a number of excellent matches with variations of the Orient Express in 1990 and 1991, with the finest coming at the 1991 edition of Royal Rumble. This match from WrestleMania VI didn’t quite reach that high level, and it wasn’t helped by a lousy count-out finish. Still, this was The Rockers against The Orient Express at the beginning of the 1990s, so there was a lot to love regardless.
Mr. Fuji accompanied the Express for this match, and if there is one thing we know about Fuji and WrestleMania it is that he brings his most effective and vicious salt to the event. That salt would come in to play at the end of this match too, with poor old Marty Jannetty feeling its wrath, leaving him incapable of beating the count.
Maybe Mr. Fuji is to blame for Marty Jannetty being the Marty Jannetty of The Rockers?
If anything, this match is a little disappointing, but that is only because of the quality of the Royal Rumble 1991 match between the two teams. Seriously, go find it.
14. Vs. Tatanka – WrestleMania IX
One year after making his singles debut at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels would open the show defending his Intercontinental Championship. Tatanka was the challenger, but the real story here revolved around Sensational Sherri. Michaels had recently put Sherri in harms way, leading to her leaving HBK and looking to gain revenge.
Luna Vachon seconded Michaels here, meaning Tatanka was essentially the fourth most important individual in his IC Title challenge.
The match could arguably be called Tatanka’s finest, and the development of Michaels into a top tier worker was clear for all to see. Another terrible ending leaves a sour taste in the mouth, but this was the WWF and it was the early 1990s; if you were a heel champion defending against an undefeated babyface, chances were you were losing by DQ.
That is exactly what happened here, as Shawn would put his hands on the referee leading to the match being thrown out. Still, they almost got 20 minutes before that, and it was never any less than good.
13. Vs. Barbarian & Haku – WrestleMania VII
The Rockers took part in three matches at WrestleMania, and their only winning effort is probably the best of these.
It was another big chaps/little chaps effort, this time against Heenan Family members Barbarian and Haku. Those two chaps were pretty standard big men workers in the 1980s, legitimate tough guys who were credible enough to give a boost to those who defeated them. Michaels and Jannetty were the victors here, following a missile dropkick/top rope crossbody combination.
By 1991, The Rockers had perfected the fast-paced tag team opener. They bumped liked maniacs for their opponents, and their comebacks were defined by the swells of support the crowd would provide. We would grow used to these from Michaels throughout his career, and looking back it is clear that he was always going to outgrow tag team wrestling eventually.
Shawn performs hot tag duties here, and his babyface fire is clear for all to see.
12. Vs. Vince McMahon – WrestleMania 22
More of an angle than a match in reality, HBK’s violent brawl against Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 22 is the least fantastic of the matches from the man’s second run. Vince McMahon certainly isn’t a professional wrestler, yet the man has been involved in a whole host of fun brawls at WrestleMania. They always come with No Holds Barred/Street Fight stipulations, a load of outside interference and a plethora of shenanigans, and so they should.
The roles in this match are fairly unique, with Michaels in the role of beatdown-giver as opposed to taker. Say what you like about Vince McMahon, but he is willing to do some particularly extreme things to make sure he puts on a show worthy of WrestleMania. He will take insane bumps, he’ll bleed, he’ll do whatever he needs to do.
The most memorable spot of this match comes with McMahon prone on a table in the centre of the ring, his head and upper body shoved inside a trash can. Michaels comes off the top of a ladder with this Showstopper elbow, taking McMahon, the table and the bin out in the process. A crazy, crazy spot.
One Sweet Chin Music later and that was that.
11. Vs. Diesel – WrestleMania XI
I must confess that memory of this match is dominated by Pamela Anderson and Jenny McCarthy, two of the biggest sex symbols of the 1990s.
It is pleasantly surprising to revisit this match and see just how good it was, especially on a show that pretty much sucked otherwise. Shawn’s rise to the top had taken something of a detour thanks to the popularity of his former bodyguard, Diesel, and the two collided here with Shawn challenging for Diesel’s WWF Championship.
Shawn had been working singles for a number of years at this point, and his rise to the main event the unique feeling of being organic yet pushed as well. By WrestleMania XI he was well and truly comfortable in the role, and was working like a top player to boot. His bumping was impressive as ever, and he was able to put together one of the best matches of Kevin Nash’s career.
1995 was a stellar year for Michaels, having started it off with a coast-to-coast Royal Rumble win. He was unsuccessful in his title challenge here, but his performance was one to be applauded.
10. Vs. Ric Flair – WrestleMania XXIV
If these matches were judged by emotional value alone, there’s a good chance that this would be streets ahead at the top of the lot.
Ric Flair’s career was on the line here, as Vince McMahon had decreed that the next match Flair lost would be his last. All of this led to Naitch obviously losing one last epic battle at WrestleMania, and Shawn Michaels was chosen as the man to do the honours.
Despite the predictability of the finish, this match kept viewers right on the edge of their seats. I watched WrestleMania XXIV with a number of friends, some of whom had no interest whatsoever in professional wrestling, yet each one of them was pleading with Michaels to tap as Flair slapped on the figure four.
After Michaels administered the last rights to Flair’s career, the silence in the room was one that comes only when a group of viewers have been truly moved by something.
Take the emotion out of the match and it certainly wouldn’t be regarded as anything more than a competent RAW match. Flair wasn’t the same great worker he once was at this point, completely understandable considering his age and length of career. Michaels helped the great man put on one hell of a show, though.
It is truly a testament to the quality of Mr. WrestleMania that this, one of the most emotional matches in wrestling history, is his 10th best match at the Showcase of the Immortals.
9. Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – WrestleMania XIV
More celebrity involvement at WrestleMania XIV, as Mike Tyson performed special enforcer duties in the main event between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin. This would be HBK’s last match for over four years, and would also act as something of generational-shift in professional wrestling. Austin took the win, and the Attitude Era was about to begin proper.
The match itself is remarkable considering the state of Shawn’s back at the time. He shouldn’t have been performing full stop, let alone performing at such a high quality on the biggest stage of them all. Watching back it is almost as if Michaels knew he was done, and he wanted to go out on the highest of highs.
Whilst it is easy to view Austin’s win as the turning point for the WWF as he would spearhead a new era, this can also be interpreted as Michaels being on top during a weak era for the company. The truth is that he helped steer a ship that had no direction, sitting on top as a credible champion whilst the company was embroiled in turmoil.
Hs final match was another notch in the belt of Michaels’ ‘Mania show-stealing.
8. Vs. John Cena – WrestleMania 23
The main event of WrestleMania 23, John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels is something of an underrated classic. There wasn’t much of a story going into the match, but these two had a chemistry that simply could not be denied. They would go on to better this match in the UK just a few weeks later, too.
The early stages were all power vs. speed, with neither performer getting a clear advantage. Too many wrestling matches descend into a predictable flow and structure, so such an equal match was as refreshing then as it would be now. This isn’t to say there are no shenanigans, however, and once Mike Chioda went down all bets were off.
Michaels hits Cena with a freakin’ piledriver on the steps, a move that is guaranteed to illicit ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaaahs’ from any crowd, not to mention exclamations of shock in that most wrestling crowd of manners. Michaels eventually tapped out to the STFU and, whilst you can pick the odd hole in it, this was a fantastic match overall.
7. Vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania XII
WrestleMania XII can be seen as the birth of Mr. WrestleMania. In the main event, Shawn Michaels battled Bret Hart for the WWF Championship in a 60-minute Ironman match. Michaels makes his most famous of entrances, flying into the arena via zip line in one of the most impressive arrivals in professional wrestling history.
Everything about this felt like a big moment, and everything about it felt like the official crowning of a new star.
This is a unique match in modern WWE history, going over one hour as it did, and as such it is difficult to rate it on a normal scale. They start slow for obvious reasons, and the first half could easily be regarded as being tedious and plodding. All of this is forgotten in the second half, and the last 20 minutes or so are particularly thrilling.
The regulation hour ends with neither man scoring a pinfall, so Gorilla Monsoon heads down to the ring to send the match into overtime. Less than two minutes later, Sweet Chin Music connects and the boyhood dream is realised.
Mr. WrestleMania had arrived.
6. Vs. Chris Jericho – WrestleMania XIX
WrestleMania XIX marked the grand return of Shawn Michaels to the Showcase of the Immortals, and what a return it was.
Michaels went up against Chris Jericho in a classic wily veteran/cocky upstart bout, and it more than delivered. It isn’t fair to call Jericho a cocky upstart at this point, as he had appeared in the main event of a WrestleMania and won all sorts of championships by this point, but the story revolved around Jericho’s former idolisation of Michaels.
The match starts slow (as many classics do), but once the pace picked up it certainly didn’t relent. Michaels eventually picked up the win with a rollup after a number of false finishes, including a picture-perfect Sweet Chin Music delivered by Y2J to HBK. The two embraced after the match, only for Jericho to boot Michaels in the nuts and spit on his former idol!
Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho have had a whole host of classic matches throughout their two legendary careers, and this stands up with them all as one of the best. It has technical wizardry, impressive athleticism and fantastic character work to boot. Ticking all of the boxes, this one.
5. Vs. Triple H Vs. Chris Benoit – WrestleMania XX
One year after making his WrestleMania return, Shawn Michaels found himself straight back into the main event of the show. It was his longtime friendship/rivalry with Triple H that brought him there, as he did battle against his former DX cohort and Royal Rumble winner Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship.
This was Benoit’s night, but the role Michaels played as the wildcard element in the triple threat can not be downplayed. The match ticks all of the classic triple threat boxes, but the quality of all three performers adds extra spice to them all. Michaels is particularly impressive with his timing here, most memorably with a saving Sweet Chin Music delivered to a Rabid Wolverine who was moments away from making The Game tap to the Sharpshooter.
History has forgotten this match because you know why, but it still stands up as arguably the greatest singles triple threat of all-time, and one of the greatest WrestleMania main events in history.
4. Vs. Kurt Angle – WrestleMania 21
If this list was an entirely personal and subjective one, I think this match would take top spot. In 2005, WWE was still in its brand-split phase, and this meant that a lot of dream matches could be saved for the biggest show of the year. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle was one of these, and it met every single lofty expectation levied at it.
Simply put, Michaels and Angle are two of the greatest professional wrestlers ever to grace this glorious sport. Both were able to bring their A games here, and their chemistry was as magnetic as any two performers could wish for. Looking at the second half of his career, Michaels was involved in classic after classic after classic at ‘Mania, truly cementing his reputation as Mr. WrestleMania.
This is one of my all-time favourite matches. The timing is perfect throughout, and some of the counters Angle manages to throw out truly embed him at the top of any and all ‘all-time’ lists. The match builds to a most dramatic finish, as Michaels desperately attempts to escape from the Ankle Lock to no avail.
3. Vs. Razor Ramon – WrestleMania X
Back at WrestleMania X, the ladder match was an entirely new and exciting concept in professional wrestling. Regardless of who invented the idea (Bret Hart claims it was himself), this was the first match of its type at WrestleMania and it set an incredibly high bar for all ladder matches that would follow it. Michaels and Razor were able to work from a clean slate, but they still put the effort into to make every movement memorable.
The match was to unify the Intercontinental Championships, as Michaels had left whilst champion without dropping the strap. Razor had won a battle royal tournament to become champion, and Michaels was back to show who the real champ was. The bout was full of things we simply had never seen at the time, and whilst the violence of the Attitude Era may have lessened the impact over the years they were as jaw-dropping as anything back in 1994.
The drama towards the end is amazing to witness, as Michaels attempts to free himself from the ropes in order to stop Razor climbing the ladder and retrieving the gold. He would be unsuccessful in his attempt and wouldn’t leave with the gold, but a legend was born that day.
2. Vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXV
Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker battled each other across different eras as different characters in different matches, but it is their two battles at WrestleMania that arguably stand longest and loudest in the memory.
As far as modern Undertaker Streak matches go, this immediately had a different feel to the ones that preceded it as Michaels wasn’t afraid of ‘Taker in the slightest. This was a battle between two men who knew what the other was going to bring to the table and it made for a hell of a human chess match.
Michaels would use his quickness throughout, as the psychology built leading to the expected yet still effective false finishes towards the end. The biggest botch of the whole match brings one of its most memorable moments, as Taker caught himself diving over the top rope and lands headfirst on the outside, taking a (planted) cameraman out in the process.
I loved the finish of this match watching it at the time, and I still love it now: Michaels went for a moonsault, only to be caught and planted with a gnarly Tombstone Piledriver for the win, putting an exclamation mark on what had been one of the best WrestleMania matches ever witnessed.
Little did we know they would better it just one year later…
1. Vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXVI
After putting on a true all-time classic at WrestleMania XXV, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker somehow managed to top it just a year later.
All of the sloppy or unsure moments from the year prior were erased, and where XXV was built around two veterans facing off, XXVI was a whole different beast. This was the climax of one man’s obsession, a desire to prove his worth and complete his career by doing what no man had ever been able to do at the time, which was to beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania.
You could put either match at the top of this list, but WrestleMania XXVI will always stand out as the best for me. The psychology throughout was pitch perfect, with Michaels frequently falling foul of his obsession with winning here and ‘Taker capitalising on the mistakes this brought about. The flipside of this was that The Phenom knew he would have to go the extra mile to put HBK away, so a lot of his offensive attacks had extra bite.
The finish is beautiful, with Michaels beckoning Undertaker to finish him off and even going as far as to slap the Deadman to ensure that he did so. One jumping Tombstone later and one of the most storied careers in World Wrestling Entertainment history was done with a match that could easily top any all-time WWE matches list.
It has everything one could want from an in-ring standpoint, added to WWE storytelling and tight psychology. It is everything that is wonderful about WWE, on top of everything that is wonderful about professional wrestling. It is also the greatest match in the storied career of Mr. WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels.
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