10 Wrestlers Who Knew They Were On The Way Out

9. Shawn Michaels (WWE WrestleMania XIV)

Bray Wyatt
WWE.com

From the "angry young man" to "WHO'S THE F*CKING MAN?!", you got every version of mid-1990s Shawn Michaels as he walked the aisle for what many believed might be his final ever time at WrestleMania XIV.

'The Showstopper' hadn't wrestled since taking the infamous Royal Rumble casket bump months earlier, but Michaels raged onto the 'Grandest Stage' as a man determined to have one last WrestleMania moment if it killed him.

Tales of The Undertaker taping his wrists backstage have supposedly been blown out of proportion, but it really wasn't a stretch to believe that the Champion wasn't remotely concerned about putting over the next biggest star in the industry nor headlining one of the most crucial shows of the 1990s.

Looking ready to fight the world twice, 'HBK' was trying to keep up the pretence that he was still 'The Icon that could still go' even if his body was rejecting the cause. Devastated about having to depart but wanting to go out in a blaze of glory, Michaels' heart was in its usual place on his sleeve, even if it was blackened and broken.

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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