18 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Shawn Michaels
11. WWE's Continued To Rely On Him Post-Retirement
After eight years of a renewed and outstanding WWE career, Michaels decided to hang up his boots for good. He lost to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 in an incredible retirement match and made a farewell speech the following evening on Raw. True to his word, Michaels hasn't competed in another match, but that hasn't stopped WWE from trading on his name to make money.
In 2012, The Undertaker and Triple H were headed for their third WrestleMania showdown, and Michaels became instrumental to the built. He ended up being instituted as special guest referee for their Hell in a Cell match, and his involvement nearly cost Undertaker the bout.
The following year, Michaels was heavily advertised as appearing in Triple H's corner for "The Game's" WrestleMania bout with Brock Lesnar. HBK ended up getting involved in the match, suffering an F5 at the hands of "The Beast."
The way WWE has used Michaels since his retirement is a reminder that the company still has a ways to go when it comes to creating new stars. It's also, unintentionally, a confirmation that Triple H will always be in HBK's shadow.