While Wrestlemania XII is where Shawn Michaels' "boyhood dreams" became reality, without Michaels' push for more adult-themed content, Vince McMahon would likely have never been on the road to realizing his dreams of billionaire status. Michaels was already a big earner for McMahon as a hard-working WWF Champion who was able to have a number of small-time pop-culture crossover moments. However, in pushing Vince to accept The Kliq's influence and Degeneration X, that's where his greatest impact was felt. As well, without Shawn Michaels, Daniel Bryan doesn't learn how to wrestle, and without Daniel Bryan learning how to wrestle, we don't get Wrestlemania XXX. Clearly, Vinnie Mac owes Shawn Michaels and his influence a ton.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
