10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (March 11)
4. Shawn Michaels Made A Big Decision Post-WrestleMania IX
At WrestleMania IX, Shawn Michaels opened the show with a countout loss to Tatanka. There's no denying either man's talent, but the WWF Intercontinental Title bout did seem to drag on a little.
Analysing the times of the matches from that 'Mania card, Michaels vs. Tatanka was only a few seconds shorter than Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake against Money Inc. This made it the second longest on the event.
Going close to 18 minutes, there was nothing particularly show-stealing about Shawn's performance that night. Speaking to Jonathan Coachman on ESPN, Michaels said this was something he became immediately aware of.
Following the match, he consciously made a promise to himself that people would talk about his WrestleMania performances going forward.
True to his word, the next year he contested a brilliant Ladder Match for the same IC Title against Razor Ramon. Alongside Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart, that is the clash most people talk about when discussing 'Mania X.
It also set the scene for more amazing matches to come later, helping Michaels become 'Mr. WrestleMania'.