10 Wrestler Quirks You'll Never Be Able To Unsee

7. Shawn Michaels' Kip-Up Tell

Butch Kofi Kingston
WWE.com

As amazing as Shawn Michaels was throughout his unexpectedly glorious second chapter as a pro wrestler, he was inadvertently incapable of hiding his next move upon entering his closing comeback stretch.

'HBK's athleticism betrayed his age, but it was perhaps because he wanted to roll back the years as a fiery babyface that he ended up foreshadowing one of his hottest spots before actually delivering it.

The kip-up was something he developed with aplomb during his white meat WWE 1990s babyface run to generate the most possible support for his more-guts-than-brains aesthetic. It simultaneously reflected his remarkable physical gifts and undeniable guile. Subsequently it got an enormous pop. He wasn't prepared to forego that when he returned, but he'd crouch in position before springing back to life, diffusing the element of surprise for audiences even if his opponent played it as if they were face-to-face with the same 'Showstopper' that had dazzled over a decade earlier.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett