10 Things You Didn't Know About Shawn Michaels

Just how close was he to proposing to Sunny?

by Andrew Pollard
shawn michaels sunny
WWE.com

Shawn Michaels is seen by many fans who saw him in his prime as the very best in-ring performer the business has ever had to offer.

We all know about the path his career took, his struggles with alcohol and drugs, his forced retirement and subsequent return, and the fact that he is now a man of God. But there's far more to the Shawn Michaels story that just those facets.

The real-life Michael Shawn Hickenbottom made his wrestling debut back in 1984 and finally hung up his boots back in 2010, giving many people many memories, both positive and negative. In terms of the wrestling business, he is a polarising figure and is just as disliked in some circles as he is loved in others.

Like many others to have graced the wrestling industry, the Heartbreak Kid has a whole host of fascinating, lesser-known and even bizarre facts that many may not be aware of. We've all heard the stories of Shawn being Shawn, of Montreal, of the substance-influenced actions and the giant chip often carried on Michaels' shoulder, but here's some HBK facts that may enlighten even the most ardent of wrestling fans.

10. He Came To Sting’s Rescue During A Religious Wrestling Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fALflqEoMYc

Both Sting and Shawn Michaels have talked at length about how they found God and are born again Christians. In a slightly bizarre moment, the two wrestling legends ended up competing in a sermon/wrestling event that took place in Detroit back in 2005.

Put together by Detroit World Outreach and Power Wrestling Alliance, the event saw the word of the Lord put across whilst people were kicked in faces and put through tables, and Sting was even tied up in chains by demon-like creatures before Jesus Christ made the save. It's definitely an upgrade on RoboCop, at least.

Earlier in the show, the Stinger was attacked by the villainous Greg Valentine and Buff Bagwell (which surely if there really is a higher power then Buff Daddy would be nowhere near the card) before Shawn Michaels ran in to deliver Sweet Chin Music to Valentine and Buff.

To say the show was odd (seriously, just follow the above video link and watch the other parts of the show) is an understatement, but it at least gave fans the first ever time that Sting and Shawn Michaels were in a ring together.

Clearly God was put to the back of HBK’s mind when he superkicked Sting at this year’s Wrestlemania, though.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.