10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 1998 Facts
4. Michaels Suffered A Serious Injury In The Casket Match
If you never knew why, exactly, Shawn Michaels sat out for four years from 1998 to 2002, the simple answer is that he had a screwed-up back. Michaels' professional life was predicated on taking ragdoll bumps in and out of the ring, and they would eventually catch up to him. At the 1998 Royal Rumble, Michaels exacerbated his already ailing spine with one particular landing.
During his casket match with Undertaker, Michaels took an eye-opening back body drop out of the ring, with his lower back striking the casket's edge. According to Michaels, the pain was not immediate, and it wouldn't be for a few days that he started to feel a constant stabbing sensation in that area.
A few weeks later, at his home, Michaels found himself unable to stand up. After being hospitalized, he was diagnosed with two herniated discs and one crushed disc. Michaels didn't wrestle again until he dropped the belt to Austin at WrestleMania, which was the end of his career for some time.