Could Shawn Michaels Wrestle Again?

WWE NXT chief is asked this one quite a lot. What's his latest answer?

Shawn Michaels
WWE

No.

Or almost certainly not, anyway, as "never say never" remains as potent as ever in 2022. Nonetheless, Shawn Michaels believes that really is it for his in-ring career, saying as much during a recent interview with Culture State. He said;

“I’ve had that final match...father time waits on no man. I’m good. I’m unbelievably happy with my career, and it is now time to watch the next generation flourish.”

The "next generation" is one 'HBK' currently has a key hand in developing thanks to his increased responsibilities within WWE of late. He became Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative in September 2022, taking the lead in both creative and development at NXT and in the Performance Center, as well as working towards setting up NXT Europe next year.

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Michaels' final match was as controversial as it was infamous. Having formally retired following a loss to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 in 2010, he was lured back into the ring nearly a decade later for a Crown Jewel 2018 tag team match alongside DX parter Triple H against The Undertaker and Kane.

With the show (and WWE) already under fire for going ahead in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death at the Saudi Arabian consulate just weeks earlier, the contest itself was a multifarious calamity. Retiree Michaels ended up holding the whole thing together after Triple H sustained a serious pectoral injury in the first few minutes, both Brothers Of Destruction appeared blown up from the off, and Kane's mask and wig fell off during a slugfest.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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