20 Things You Didn't Know About WrestleMania (1985-1994)

1. WrestleMania X - Shawn Michaels Planned To Stop Wrestling After WrestleMania X

Bret Hart was Vince's first new face of the company following the days of Hulkamania, but Shawn Michaels wasn't far behind. Everyone knows about the classic first-ever PPV Ladder Match between The Heartbreak Kid and Razor Ramon, but fewer people realize that Shawn went into this match knowing that he planned to reduce his in-ring career following this event. Over time, this plan has been overlooked and often forgotten but it shouldn't be. Michaels' absence from the ring for the majority of 1994 after WrestleMania X played a huge impact in the way audiences perceived him in late 1994 and beyond. Just like Hulk Hogan wasn't seen wrestling jobbers on the weekend episodes of Wrestling Challenge and/or Superstars Of Wrestling in the 80s, Shawn Michaels planned to make his appearances special. Shawn came up with the idea of becoming more of a specialty attraction, and he decided to debut the Heartbreak Hotel interview segment shortly after WrestleMania X. To complement the weekly interview spot, Michaels and Diesel did a role-reversal as Shawn played second fiddle to Diesel's matches and quest for the Intercontinental title. Still, Shawn's wise approach to reducing the amount of time he spent in the ring made his character feel more special. Shawn's performance at WrestleMania X presented him in a different light as a potential main event superstar, but immediately after, his appearances changed drastically. After a match like that, most talents want to follow up and capitalize on it by getting back in the ring as soon as possible. Shawn took the opposite approach and it only increased the prestige of that match with each passing day that fans didn't see him back in the ring. It was a risky yet calculated move that paid off big time for the future Mr. WrestleMania.