One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY Month Of The WWE Attitude Era

8. September 2000 | Media Spin

In September 2000, another update emerged on Shawn Michaels. It was either grim, or a load of complete b*llocks. One of the two. 

Throughout the entire Attitude Era, the condition of Shawn Michaels was shrouded in mystery. Was he injured? To what extent was he injured? Did he want to jump to WCW? Did the WWF continue to pay his talent contract purely to prevent him from doing so? Did Shawn raise hopes of an in-ring comeback so that the bag remained secure? Here’s another question, prompted by an excerpt from the September 2000 issue of the Observer: did Shawn prompt the media and fandom into asking these questions because he wanted the publicity? 

Per the September 25, 2000 issue of the Observer, it was reported that Shawn was no closer to making a comeback; any noise to the contrary was all Shawn’s making because he wanted the publicity. 

This is just a report, one that was contradicted by the Observer itself later in the year, but it might illuminate the four year-long mystery. It makes sense that Shawn wanted to keep his name in the mix. He was still struggling badly with addiction. His self-esteem issues informed much of his awful conduct in the mid-to-late 1990s. The staggering success of the Attitude Era must have destroyed his mental state because, after all that transgressive, cutthroat behaviour, the WWF didn’t even need him. Working the “sheets” into thinking he was making a comeback, just so that some fans might get excited about the prospect?

It’s not beyond the thin-skinned pro wrestler, is it?