That Time Shawn Michaels Was In The nWo And It Went NOWHERE

New World Disorder

Shawn Michaels Kevin Nash Big Show X Pac NWo
WWE.com

The 2002 return of Shawn Michaels is daubed in permanent marker as wrestling's greatest ever comeback story. 'The Heartbreak Kid' had already dazzled audiences the prior decade before a devastating back injury expedited an unexpected exit from the industry he'd once arrogantly claimed to own. Then, in the ultimate babyface comeback, he was physically and spiritually reborn. First turning back the clock for a lone exhibition against his best friend, he superkicked Father Time altogether, assembling a superlative second life many preferred to the original vintage.

With a dynamic collection of matches beyond the expectation and ability level of nearly all his colleagues, Shawn referred to himself as 'The Wrestler Of The '90s' immediately following his 1992 heel turn and split from 'Rockers' partner Marty Jannetty and rapidly practiced what he preached. In just six years that came between the 'Barber Shop' window glass smashing around Jannetty's head and the same echoes ushering in Steve Austin's first title reign at his expense at WrestleMania XIV, 'HBK' had lived, loved and lost every inch of the industry. Alongside real-life nemesis Bret Hart, he'd carried nearly all of the in-ring quality during the company's financial and creative nadir with a co-dependent cocktail of narcotics and narcissism.

Shawn Michaels Casket
WWE

The coercive crumbling of his physical and mental state in 1998 held true of many that left the business on bad terms, but came with an additional sucker punch - the company exploded back into the mainstream almost literally the day after he departed. Everybody got rich and the happy days were here again, but the Shawn Michaels show had stopped.

CONT'D...

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett