10 Fascinating WWE Survivor Series 2002 Facts

5. Shawn Michaels Had To Be Talked Into Wrestling

Shawn Michaels Elimination Chamber
WWE

The way Michaels remembers it, the idea to have him win the championship at Survivor Series was borne from a rather innocuous promo he cut on Triple H in October, warning that he could avenge the SummerSlam post-match attack at any time. The promo apparently struck a chord with McMahon, who sensed that there was plenty of life left in the Michaels/Helmsley feud. From there, he decided to have Michaels win the belt at Survivor Series.

Michaels, however, was hesitant. He hadn't been keeping himself in ring shape since SummerSlam, as he wasn't anticipating wrestling again so soon. Michaels noted that Vince sold him hard on the idea of the returning legend winning the gold in WWE's home venue, and admitted, "What was I supposed to do, say no to the championship?"

Contributor
Contributor

Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.