10 Times Shawn Michaels Dragged His Opponents To A Good Match
He could get a 4 star match out of a broomstick…
With the in-ring return of 'The Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels confirmed, fans around the world have been overcome with anticipation. To hear the opening drum beat of "Sexy Boy" pound around an arena one again has been a dream of many fans for the last eight years, and we're all excited to see what he can do.
However, an unwelcome feeling of dread is beginning to settle in.
Sure, he might be the greatest of all time, but his retirement match was the perfect end to his career, and who knows how he'll perform upon his return? However good he may be, the man is well into his 50s, as are his opponents, Kane and The Undertaker. And early evidence from their collective appearances thus far haven't given rise to much hope.
This isn’t the first time fans of ‘The Showstopper’ have been apprehensive about a match of his. During the 1990s and 2000s, Shawn Michaels was constantly relied on to produce good matches out of green upstarts, and most of the time he delivered. Using his veteran instinct as well as elite athleticism, 'HBK' could get a good match out of (literally) anyone.
10. Vince McMahon (WrestleMania XXII)
No one expected Vince McMahon vs Shawn Michaels to be a technical clinic. Not a single fan walked into the Allstate arena expecting to see a match full of counters, submissions and high-flying moves; they came for a brawl, and that’s exactly what they got.
McMahon deserves credit for match as he played his part of the psychopathic villain well, but the real star of this match was Michaels. Selling McMahon’s weapon-based offence in trademark rag-doll fashion, he elevated the good-vs-evil dynamic of the match to a whole new level. Key interferences from Shane McMahon and The Spirit Squad only helped to further Michaels’ image as the underdog, and soon every single fan was rooting for ‘The Heartbreak Kid’.
The climax of the chaotic match came when Michaels climbed to the top of a ladder to execute his signature elbow drop, only to climb back down and throw the ladder out of the ring, to the relief of Shane and dismay of the fans. However, the pop when Shawn returned with an even bigger ladder was deafening, and Michaels dropped McMahon with the elbow for the win.