10 Times You Thought Wrestlers Were Finished (& Were DEAD WRONG!)

5. Shawn Michaels

CM Punk WWE Not Done
WWE.com

Four years is a lifetime in wrestling.

For reference, four years ago at time of writing would be October 2020. Back then, Jeff Hardy vs. Elias was deemed a suitable undercard match at HIAC on PPV, and both Sasha Banks and Bobby Lashley ended the night with titles. Now, neither of those stars are even with WWE. Time has moved on, just as it seemed it had for Shawn Michaels between 1998-2002.

Never rule out the 'Heartbreak Kid'. Management didn't even know what they'd be getting when they booked Shawn vs. old pal Triple H in an "Unsanctioned" war at SummerSlam '02. Would Michaels be able to work such an epic, or would his body completely give out on him midway through? It was a gamble.

That gamble paid off big time. Shawn was on top form during the match, and it kicked off a second full-time run that stretched through until 2010. There were no guarantees he'd be able to make it through the SummerSlam match, but he did. By WrestleMania XIX, the swagger was back, and HBK was feeling on top of the world.

Surprise!

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.