Shawn Michaels: Difference between revisions
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* [[Arch Enemy]]: [[Bret Hart]] (in the ring and [[Real Life]]).
** Although Hart's return to WWE in 2010 coupled with Michaels's conversion to Christianity seems to have buried that hatchet in [[Real Life]].
** In [[Kayfabe]], [[The Undertaker]] is probably his second most notable example. Some of the most legendary matches in WWE history have been between these two men.
** [[Triple H]] deserves a mention under this trope as well. They feuded for about three years, a feud which survived several of the classic "feud ending" match types (Last Man Standing, Hell In A Cell, Elimination Chamber, and even a Three Stages of Hell match), before finally being put to rest with an HBK win at a Tribute to the Troops show. All that was really missing was an "I Quit" match, although there WAS a Wrestlemania-headlining Triple Threat in which [[Triple H]] submitted (alas, not to Shawn, but to [[Chris Benoit]]).
* [[The Artifact]]: Shawn's persona pre-2002 was ''very'' different than the one he had from 2002-2010. However, Shawn still maintained many of the tropes of his "Sexy Boy" rock star gimmick, perhaps most glaringly his nickname of "the Heartbreak Kid" and his theme song. Anyone who wasn't aware of his gimmicks in the 80's and 90's were probably very confused as to why the Bible-thumping laid back [[Cool Old Guy]] was coming out to "Sexy Boy."
* [[The Atoner]]: Ever since his [[Real Life]] conversion to Christianity, Shawn became this. He tried to tone down his former juvenile delinquent hellraiser persona in the ring and, behind the scenes, work with the current talent and put over younger wrestlers (which he would never have done in the past). Finally, in 2010, he buried the hatchet with [[Bret Hart]] and apologized for his part in the [[Montreal Screwjob]].
** Actually, he DIDN'T apologise. He admited his part on the Screwjob and buried the hatched with Bret, but he was very clear that Bret "deserved what happened 12 years ago in Montreal". It was much more an understanding of what actually happened than an apology. The video is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wWOZ08YsNM here].
* [[Attention Whore]]: In his younger days. He's toned it down a ''lot'' since he found religion and got less of an ego.
* [[Awesome Yet Practical]]: While wrestling finishers get more and more elaborate, Sweet Chin Music (a kick to the jaw) is still a great finisher. It looks visually painful as all Hell (especially when a guy like [[Kurt Angle]] sells it), gives off a nice "thwack" when it hits, can be done anywhere in the ring, to any performer regardless of size, and at any time.
* [[Bash Brothers]]: With [[Triple H]].
** And with [[Kevin Nash]] before that.
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** It's also been [[Lampshaded]] in numerous promos. [[Triple H]] has done it at least twice, once most notably in 2002 to [[Kevin Nash]], when Nash was being forced to choose who he'd side with - Shawn or Hunter. [[Triple H]] reminded Nash of all the times Shawn had screwed over a tag-team partner, including themselves, in the past, and concluded that "you know as well as I do that the best success we ever had in this business was when we walked away from Shawn Michaels".
** Shawn has been the victim of this as well. Once by [[Kevin Nash]] before his Iron Man Match with [[Bret Hart]] and another time by [[Triple H]] in a teased DX reunion in 2002. Sherri Martel did him in as well at the 1993 Royal Rumble. (Of course, he had it coming, having made her take a blow from a mirror to save himself a few months before.)
* [[Continuity Nod]]: Not as fond of [[Painting the Fourth Wall]] as his best friend, [[Triple H]], but is known to occasionally give a nod to past actions. His three-year-feud with Hunter was full of references to both [[The Kliq|the Curtain Call]] and [[D Generation X|DX]], as well as their real-life friendship.
* [[Cool Old Guy]]: From 2002 to his retirement in 2010.
* [[Professional Wrestling/Funny|Crowning Moment Of Funny]]: Shawn doing the "Shane-O-Mac Shuffle" while imitating [[Shane McMahon]] during DX's feud with Vince and Shane.
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* [[Dude Looks Like a Lady]]: Some of his wrestling attire and jewelry in the early-to-mid 90's made him pretty femme. Add that to the long, gorgeous blonde hair and well, it got confusing there for a little bit.
* [[Mr. Fanservice]]
* [[Even the Guys Want Him]]: Shawn's blonde ponytail, midriff-baring outfits, and "broken-heart" tights endeared him to many, many females - and no doubt quite a few males, too.
** Not to mention the short-shorts, penchant for jewelry, and aversion to shirts.
** He posed (in a non-nude spread) for Playgirl unaware that the readership is mostly gay males. A lot of the other wrestlers found this pretty funny. This was [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] later during his second run in DX:
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** He was also one of the very few wrestlers to use [[Chris Benoit]]'s Crippler Crossface.
** Early in his career, Shawn also used a leghook saito suplex called the Teardrop as a finisher.
* [[Foe-Tossing Charge]]: If you are a cameraman, there is a wrestler behind you, and [[Shawn Michaels]] is angry and coming toward you, GET OUT OF THE WAY.
* [[Foe Yay]]: Shawn and [[Bret Hart]], for ''twelve years''. Also had it with [[Chris Jericho]], [[Edge]], and [[The Undertaker]].
** His three year feud with [[Triple H]] also came off as a particularly nasty breakup (especially in the early going when Trips was acting like a deranged abusive boyfriend trying to prove that Shawn needed him for protection).
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** HBK's biggest BSOD came after the 1996 Survivor Series. Not only did the NYC crowd boo him during his WWF Championship defense against Sycho Sid, but Sid resorted to taking out Jose Lothario out with a camera to completely demoralize Shawn. Sid ended up winning the WWF Championship.
** During the second encounter at [[Wrestlemania]] between [[The Undertaker]] and [[Triple H]] in their Hell in a Cell match, where Shawn was the guest referee, at one point during the match things had gotten to the point of Shawn being told by the Undertaker not to stop the match no matter what happened. This was after 'Taker had suffered a few chair shots to the back and Triple H had just gotten the same in return. Watching his best friend and one of his idols beating the tar out of each other was apparently too much; Shawn was sitting in the corner of the ring looking like he was having a nervous breakdown.
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: He and [[Triple H]] are probably the most famous and well-known example in wrestling history, due to their [[Real Life]] friendship [[Real Life Writes the Plot|being exploited]] for storyline purposes. From 2006 onwards, whenever one is in the spotlight, you can be sure they're mentioning the other.
** In 2011, Hunter inducted Shawn into the Hall of Fame, and there was much love abounding [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYooxiT_coE both before] and during the ceremony.
* [[Hijacked by Ganon]]: Had a habit of interrupting other feuds/promos/whatever. Notable examples include:
** The buildup to Wrestlemania XX ([[Chris Benoit]] had earned a title shot by winning the [[Royal Rumble]], but Michaels wanted one, so he interrupted the contract-signing, kicked Benoit in the face, and signed himself up for [[Wrestlemania]]),
** He did basically the same thing before Mania 23, interrupting a segment with [[John Cena]], [[Batista]], and [[The Undertaker]] (who'd just won the Rumble by eliminating Michaels last) and pretty much just declared himself the main event. [[And the Fandom Rejoiced|Nobody complained]].
** He interrupted [[Randy Orton]]'s coronation as new champion by beating the crap out of him.
** This was his entire schtick during his period as Commissioner, often re-booking the entire show, live, on the air, just to screw with people.
** Interrupted the feud between [[Bret Hart]] and [[The Undertaker]] to such an extent that both men pretty much forgot about each other and just started feuding with Michaels.
** Did it hilariously to [[Kurt Angle]] on Raw once. Angle had beaten Cena at Unforgiven, and Cena had since become champion. Angle was arguing that, since he won at Unforgiven, he should get a title shot. Michaels interrupted the segment, pointing out that "If that's all it takes: I won at Unforgiven. I want a title shot." Watch the clip if you can find it; [[Vince McMahon]] can barely keep a straight face through the segment.
** Yet another memorable example: the buildup the first Elimination Chamber match. The buildup had been focused around the feud(s) between [[Triple H]], [[Chris Jericho]], and [[Rob Van Dam]], mostly, with [[Booker T]] and [[Wrestler/Kane|Kane]] thrown in largely for flavor and the sixth spot being pretty much ignored. Michaels, who was supposed to have been crippled by [[Triple H]] at the previous [[Summer Slam]], showed up in a wheelchair, claiming that he was recovering. Then he cautioned, to [[Triple H]], "Don't hunt...what you can't kill." Then, after struggling to get out of the wheelchair, [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|he easily jumped out, started dancing and declared himself the sixth competitor in the Elimination Chamber]]. The buildup immediately shifted to being pretty much: Michaels vs. [[Triple H]], and also four other guys were there.
** Another Elimination Chamber example came a few years later, with a particularly competitive chamber including [[Triple H]], [[Chris Jericho]], [[Edge]],[[Chris Benoit]], [[Batista]], and [[Randy Orton]]. This was considered a rowdy enough group that a special referee needed to be appointed. All the contestants thought this was reasonable until Michaels' music hit. Every single man in the Chamber had previously feuded with (and been repeatedly kicked in the face by) Michaels, except Edge. Edge would join that list by the end of the match.
* [[Hot Dad]]
* [[How Much More Can He Take?]]: Shawn's made a career of this, being put through the wringer again and again.
** His hour-plus Iron Man match against [[Bret Hart]] cemented their positions as the company's best talent, leaving it all in the ring.
** His 40-minute Last Man Standing match against [[Triple H]] at the Royal Rumble in 2004 left the ring soaked in his blood.
** His Hell in a Cell match against Hunter was like this as well, with Shawn taking [[No One Could Survive That|3 Pedigrees]] before finally going down.
*** His original Hell in a Cell match against [[The Undertaker]] also counts.
** His 1995 Royal Rumble win counts, as he was the first man in and last man out, but spent most of the 60-some match getting worked over.
** His 2003 Survivor Series bout definitely counts too. See the CMoA page for details.
* [[Ho Yay]]: He and Triple H are the walking, talking embodiment of the trope, especially in DX. He also has it with [[Chris Jericho]], [[John Cena]], and [[The Undertaker]].
* [[I Have the High Ground]]
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** At ''Wrestlemania XXIV'', he ended [[Ric Flair]]'s career by defeating him; and
** At ''Wrestlemania XXVI'', he bet his career he could end the Undertaker's streak. He couldn't.
** Finally, at ''Wrestlemania XXVIII, he was the guest referee for the Triple H/Undertaker Hell in a Cell match, billed as "the end of an era".
* [[Lovable Traitor]]: Practically the [[Trope Codifier]] for professional wrestling. A good amount of the feuds he's been in over the years, especially, with fellow faces, have been built upon the fact that he can turn on them at any time, usually with his [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder]] being brought up. Yet the crowd loves him for it.
* [[Manly Tears]]:
** Upon winning his first WWF Championship (and [[Memetic Mutation|achieving his "boyhood dream"]]).
** After his final Wrestlemania match and his retirement speech the next night on Raw.
** Upon counting Undertaker's Wrestlemania record to 20-0; Taker having beaten [[Triple H]].
* [[Professional Wrestling/Memes|Memetic Mutation]]: Shawn "losing his smile"; achieving the "boyhood dream"; "LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDER MATCH"; "I JUST KICKED STAN!"; and if you're not down with that, he's got two words for you . . . see below.
** Perhaps the biggest is his contribution to the vocabularies of twelve-year-old boys everywhere - "SUCK IT!".
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* [[Nice Character, Mean Actor]]: As noted by [[Jim Cornette]] during the days of Shawn's excessive [[Drugs Are Bad|pill popping.]] According to Jim, during his match with [[Vader]], Summerslam 1996 Shawn berated Vader for missing a cue. Shawn even [[Kick the Dog|made the big man cry]] after threatening to fire him for pulling his hair.
{{quote|'''[http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction{{=}}blog.view&friendId{{=}}58003799&blogId{{=}}321293827#ixzz0zNN55YTh Jim Cornette:]''' Well, [[Shawn Michaels]] is still the single most talented athlete in wrestling today inside the ring, but outside he's an adolescent, obnoxious jerk who takes his tights and goes home if he doesn't get his way.}}
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: At Wrestlemania XV he didn't agree with the scheduled main event, a Triple Threat match involving [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]], [[Dwayne Johnson|The Rock]], and [[Mick Foley|Mankind]], insisting that the main event at Wrestlemania ''must'' be two wrestlers only. But he wanted Stone Cold vs Mankind; instead we got Stone Cold vs The Rock. Not a bad match, but most agree Mick Foley deserved to star in that main event.
** Which makes Wrestlemania XX yet again a [[Funny Aneurysm Moment]]: the main event was a triple-threat between Shawn, [[Triple H]], and [[Chris Benoit]], and it's widely regarded as one of the best main-events in the history of the PPV.
* [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown]]: Shawn's return match in 2002 - a hardcore brawl with [[Triple H]] - was one of these. Surprisingly, it wasn't one-sided, with both Shawn and [[Triple H]] on the receiving end of said beatdown.
** They did it again at the '04 Royal Rumble, in a Last Man Standing match that ''neither one'' walked away from. It's a testament to both men's abilities and the severity of the back-and-forth beatdown that they pulled off a double-DQ match in ''Philadelphia'' (the birthplace of [[ECW]], whose fans are among the most [[Smart Mark|vicious and rabid]]) and got a standing ovation from the crowd.
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** Arguably he and HHH were on the receiving end of one in a later revenge match with the McMahons and [[The Big Show]] (Vince even teasing pins since he didn't want their mauling to end). [[Hoist by His Own Petard|DX still won however]].
** Both gave and received one from [[Chris Jericho]] at during their feud.
** Appeared doomed to one of these during a handicap match against [[Randy Orton]] and [[Edge]]... but instead he handed them one, culminating in a sledgehammer beatdown homage to his buddy [[Triple H]].
* [[
* [[Pint-Sized Powerhouse]]: Not as small as wrestlers like [[Rey Mysterio, Jr.]] or [[Evan Bourne]], but when five-foot-eleven Shawn is matched against six-foot-eleven Undertaker and can bodyslam him? He counts.
* [[Popularity Power]]
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* [[Refuge in Audacity]]: Virtually everything in the first iteration of DX was done by Shawn trying to make one of the boys laugh. Mooning [[Vince McMahon]], stuffing his trunks with gauze, carrying homemade signs, the frat-boy humor...
* [[Religious Bruiser]]: Became one with his comeback in 2002 and continued as one until his retirement.
* [[Retired Badass]]: His retirement hasn't stopped him from kicking people in the face. He's dropped Drew McIntyre, [[Alberto Del Rio]], and a few others, in addition to being the special guest referee for HHH/Taker II at Wrestlemania 28. During that match, Shawn manhandled both guys, and doled out a superkick to Taker for getting a bit chair-shot-happy.
* [[Ricky Morton]]: Especially in DX. Every single match seemed to run along the lines of "heel team beats [[Shawn Michaels]] like a bag of puppies, Shawn makes the hot tag to Hunter, Hunter kicks ass, they hit their double finishers, and win the match".
* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]:
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* [[Spot Monkey]]: Shawn is an interesting aversion. While he did employ a lot of high-level spots in his matches (at every point in his career, up until he retired) and is pretty much the standard to which all spot monkeys aspire, he's one of the acknowledged best at using [[Wrestling Psychology]] and said spots to tell stories with his matches.
* [[Still Got It]]: The guy was 44 years old when he retired, an age that even the greatest wrestlers (most notably [[The Undertaker]] right now) never really last to in the ring due to the intense physicality of the sport, and Shawn was STILL just as good as he was in his 20s. Some would say even better.
* [[Stripperific]]: In his early days, he took the trope pretty literally.
** Even into his "retirement" years, Shawn would play with this: when Vince tried to fire him as Commissioner, he responded by superkicking the man and then stripping over his unconscious body.
** Shawn portrayed a "sexy Jesus" a few weeks before his match with Undertaker at Wrestlemania XXV. Yes, you read that right. An angelic figure in white, stripping to "Sexy Boy."
* [[Take That]]: His feud with [[Hulk Hogan]] in 2005 was one long Take That. He did a segment that parodied Larry King Live dressed as Hogan and told a "caller" that Hogan only worked big cities and wouldn't put in the effort once he had the money "in [my] front pocket, brother", while adding [[Shawn Michaels]] would work just as hard in Battle Creek, MI as he would in Madison Square Garden. Despite being the heel, that comment received a huge cheer from the crowd for the validity of it. The overselling of Hogan's attacks at Summerslam goes without saying.
* [[Theatrics of Pain]]: He's one of the best wrestlers at selling, especially when it involves his [[Game-Breaking Injury|back]]. He's also admitted that half the time, when it comes to his back, he really isn't faking it.
* [[The Fundamentalist]]: Shawn became an evangelical Christian in [[Real Life]]; it occasionally influenced his wrestling storylines (most notably in his [[Crucified Hero Shot|entrance pose]]).
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** Time will tell us if his current retirement will play this trope straight or not. It's already lasted longer than the last two combined. While he has been back in the ring, it's been strictly as a referee or guest, not as a wrestler. Shawn himself is pretty emphatic he's done with in-ring performing.
* [[Tragic Mistake]]: Shawn and Bret were initially friends whose heat was mostly limited to [[Kayfabe]]. When Shawn made the mistake of actually targeting Bret's family in a promo to gain heat, he crossed a line with Bret. If that had never happened, a lot of tragedy could have been averted.
** It's been alleged (albeit by the [[Bret Hart]] camp) that Vince deliberately encouraged the backstage feeling, thinking it would make a more convincing in-ring product. [[Gone Horribly Right|It did.]]
* [[True Companions]]: [[The Kliq]], which included [[Real Life|real-life friends]] [[Triple H]], [[Kevin Nash]], [[Scott Hall]], and Sean Waltman (X-Pac). [http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/blaqueluna/dx/clique-reunion.jpg Three out of four] were at Shawn's WWE Hall of Fame induction. The fourth (Hall) wasn't there, because he didn't want to be put in an environment that could threaten his sobriety. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PcHJYXPBM0E Video here, proving that the love between these guys is off the charts.]
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: With [[Triple H]], especially in [[D Generation X]]. Also in [[Real Life]].
** ''Especially'' in real life. [http://atlanta.sbnation.com/pro-wrestling/2011/4/2/2087732/wwe-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony-2011-triple-h-shawn-michaels Hunter's induction speech] is full of cracks about Shawn's hair, wardrobe, height, and intelligence . . . but also a ton of love and respect.
* [[With Friends Like These...]]: Kayfabe; HHH and Shawn still had a lot of love for each other even though they spent the better part of three years trying to end each other's career.
* [[Wild Card]]: [[Face]] or [[Heel]], Michaels was unpredictable. And it helped that he has one of the very few finishers (along with the Stunner, the RKO, and The Rock Bottom) that can be delivered pretty much out of nowhere. Many a supposed ally or mouthy interviewer found himself with a face full of foot. Michaels also had a penchant for interrupting other wrestlers promos just because he could (especially [[Kurt Angle]]).
* [[Worked Shoot]]: Subverted by the [[Montreal Screwjob]], which was very much a shoot. After claiming for years he wasn't in on it, he finally admitted he was.
* [[Worthy Opponent]]: Any of his co-[[Face]] rivals [[Arch Enemy|except]] [[Bret Hart]]. [[The Undertaker]] and [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] are perhaps the most notable examples.
** Bret Hart was considered a Worthy Opponent prior to the Wrestlemania XII match.
** Indeed, Hart considered Michaels a worthy opponent; while the two hated each other, they at least had respect for each other's in-ring abilities.
* [[Author Existence Failure|Wrestler Existence Failure]]: The death of [[Eddie Guerrero]] in 2005 robbed wrestling fans of the chance to see Eddie and Shawn in the same ring for the first time.
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[[Category:The Nineties]]
[[Category:Professional Wrestling]]
[[Category:Shawn Michaels]]▼
[[Category:Wrestling]]
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