10 Rare Times Wrestlers Were Self-Aware

8. Shawn Michaels

Undertaker Self-Aware
WWE.com

Shawn Michaels tarnished a glittering in-ring legacy at Crown Jewel 2018, but to underscore the extent of that brilliance, he was far and away the best performer in an hilarious disaster of a tag team match pitting D-Generation X against the Brothers of Destruction. His gait was awkward and he couldn't summon the old dynamic electricity, but at least he didn't badly injure himself or melt his wig off mid-match.

And then, when it was all said and done, Shawn Michaels stared at his trembling, money-grubbing hands and cursed the greed they had wrought on his legacy.

Well, he didn't, but he did slouch against the bottom turnbuckle, with Triple H's arm draped around his shoulder, his eyes rolling in embarrassed fury, and mouthed "We're too old for this sh*t" in his longtime friend's ear. Michaels, like Triple H, had recognised that he'd taken a giant sh*t in his baggy trousers, but at least had the good grace to take the blood money and run.

Triple H knew that he had one last plodding, deathly silent slog in him, and worked a plodding, deathly silent slog against Batista at WrestleMania 36.

 
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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!