10 Wrestling Messages Hidden In Plain Sight

7. The Heartfelt Kid

Brock Lesnar Undertaker
WWE

A story on 1995 Shawn Michaels being nice for a change.

'The Heartbreak Kid' entered that year's Royal Rumble in peak physical and mental conditioning to go end-to-end to secure his place against Diesel at WrestleMania XI, but the title shot wasn't the only reward for that year's winner.

Baywatch megastar Pamela Anderson had promised to accompany the last man standing to the ring at the 'Show Of The Shows', and was there in person to be harassed and harangued by a drooling New Generation roster that, oddly enough, didn't include 'HBK'.

Knowing that he'd be celebrating with Anderson at the bout's climax, Michaels made his romantic loyalties crystal clear during his arrival as the #1 entrant. Flashing his glove at the camera, the letters "TK" were clearly visible. This - alongside the slightly excruciating kissy faces he made down the lens - were to girlfriend and former 'Raw Girl' Themis Klarides.

He'd be even more grateful for her the following year. Ahead of a 22 year (and counting) stint in the Connecticut House Of Representatives following on from her background as an attorney, she was a fitness trainer, aiding his preparation for the iconic WrestleMania XII Iron Man match against Bret Hart.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, 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