10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Nov 22)

3. Shawn Michaels Compared Himself To Ric Flair Before Crown Jewel

Shawn Michaels Triple H Kane The Undertaker
WWE.com

It'd be easy to think that world-class performers like Shawn Michaels, ones who have seen and done it all, don't compare themselves to anyone. That's not quite the case, at least not for HBK. As he camped out behind the curtain at Crown Jewel, the legend's mind ran wild and he started thinking about Ric Flair.

Michaels wasn't second-guessing his decision to come out of retirement or worrying about what Ric would think. No, he was concerned about what the fans would think if he couldn't run through a greatest hits collection of his best spots and moves when the bell started ringing.

On Edge and Christian's podcast, Shawn revealed how keenly aware he was that fans would mercilessly cut him down if he messed up even one of his trademark routines. Meanwhile, to him, it'd be more forgiveable if an elder statesman like Flair returned and didn't live up to his legacy.

In the end, Michaels decided that he couldn't control what people thought of his decision to return to the ring, and settled on trying his best to entertain.

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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.