10 WWE Superstars That Got Out At The Right Time

1. Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels
WWE.com

Money can't buy you love.

Shawn Michaels loved professional wrestling. Well, at times he f*cking absolutely hated it because he hated everyone and everything, but even during his darkest lows he still performed as if his love for professional wrestling was reaching new heights. It's the only way to explain how, between 1995 and 1997, he was so utterly peerless despite his spiralling personal life.

He presumably still loves it today too. Now a Performance Center coach, there are few wiser heads to have shaping the bodies and minds of tomorrow than 'The Showstopper' himself. But training is a way to transfer that love to others without having to express it the old fashioned way.

At Crown Jewel, Shawn Michaels performed admirably in a good-not-great match that it wouldn't be a stretch to say he carried. What he didn't do was dazzle and delight in the manner he managed with such mind-blowing consistency during his two full-time tenures. Many were disappointed when he seemingly ruled out doing it all over again in his post-Saudi Arabia interview, but his eyes told the story of a love lost. Shawn Michaels still loves wrestling, but he loves it enough not to abuse it with a version of himself unconnected to the man that retired in 2010.

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