WNS GIVEAWAY: Win A Shawn Michaels Watch By Deuce Brand

A Shawn Michaels Career Retrospective By Caylon Knox of WrestlingNewsSource.com

Many longtime WWE fans are already very familiar with the incredible career of "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. But sometimes the aura of his prestigious career tends to make people forget about the man behind the performer. Michael Shawn Hickenbottom is so much more than just a great entertainer. The story of his life, both in and out of the squared circle, is nothing short of remarkable. Michael Hickenbottom, better known as Shawn Michaels, has led a life that many people couldn't even begin to dream of.

Shawn Michaels began his wrestling career in the mid 1980s and displayed the instincts of a veteran from very early on in his career. After being in the business for less than two years, Michaels found himself in the American Wrestling Association, which was the number three promotion in the United States behind the National Wrestling Alliance and World Wrestling Entertainment, which was known back then as the World Wrestling Federation.

Upon making his debut in the AWA, Michaels was soon placed into a tag team with Marty Jannetty, who Michaels had known from wrestling in other promotions in the southern U.S. The duo became known as The Midnight Rockers and spent the majority of their AWA careers in a classic rivalry against "Playboy" Buddy Rose & "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers over the AWA World Tag Team Championship. This was Shawn's first big rivalry in his career, and it was also what caught the eye of WWF officials. The Rockers would eventually go on to become one of the most popular tag teams of the 1980s in the WWF, although they never officially captured the WWF World Tag Team Championship.

After teaming with Marty Jannetty for more than six years, Shawn Michaels embarked on a singles career in late 1991 after Superkicking and assaulting his former Rockers tag team partner on an episode of Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake's Barber Shop segment. Michaels would soon go on to become a dominant force in the WWF's Intercontinental Championship division, where he became a three-time Intercontinental Champion between 1992-1995. During this time, Michaels had classic matches with various WWF Superstars of the time, including "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel (Kevin Nash), and "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon (Scott Hall).

In March of 1996 at WrestleMania 12, Shawn Michaels captured his first WWF World Championship in the first-ever WWF Iron Man Match against Bret "The Hitman" Hart. He would go on to defend the Championship against an impressive list of top contenders, such as Davey Boy Smith, Big Van Vader, Diesel, Sycho Sid, Mankind, and others. But as successful as Shawn was in his wrestling career, this period of time was also when his personal issues began to get the better of him.

Shawn Michaels and those close to him have acknowledged that during the 90s he struggled with drug use, as well as a bout with depression. His wrestling career was also starting to take its toll on his body, and it didn't help that the WWF was in a heated battle against World Championship Wrestling, which at that time, WCW was winning. In fact, during much of the 1990s, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and The Undertaker were really the top three WWF Superstars carrying the load so-to-speak in the ratings war against WCW, which had acquired many of the top wrestling stars from the 1980s, including Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, and many others.

In November of 1997 at the WWF Survivor Series pay-per-view, Shawn Michaels was involved in the legendary and infamous "Montreal Screwjob" incident involving Bret Hart and WWF Chairman Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon Jr. This is something that has followed Michaels in his career ever since. A short time after the incident, Michaels injured his lower back in a Casket Match against The Undertaker. This injury would eventually force Shawn to miss four years of his career, and he competed in his last match in 1998 at WrestleMania 14 against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

During his time away from the WWF, Shawn's personal issues began to spiral out of control. His drug use was at an all-time high and he was also very upset about having to retire from the ring at such a young age. Perhaps the only glimmer of light in his life at this time was his wife Rebecca and the birth of their first child. Finally in 2001, Shawn Michaels changed his life forever by accepting Jesus Christ and the Lord God into his life. He was able to overcome his drug addictions and finally be the husband and father that he had always wanted to be for his family. But although he had finally found peace within himself, he still had the burning desire to perform inside the ring, as only he could.

At the 2002 World Wrestling Entertainment SummerSlam pay-per-view, Shawn Michaels had his first wrestling match in over four and a half years against one of his best friends (and most bitter rivals) in wrestling, "The Game" Triple H. Their match stole the show and Shawn proved to the world and to himself that he could still perform at a main event level. He would also go on to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in November of 2002 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in WWE's very first Elimination Chamber match.

Shawn Michaels had the best run of his career from 2002-2010. His performances were better than ever, and it appeared as though he only got better with age. He had legendary matches against the likes of Chris Jericho, Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, John Cena, Kane, The Undertaker, Edge, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Hulk Hogan, and many other WWE Superstars. His charisma and physical athleticism were simply unmatched. His matches at WrestleManiain particular were nothing short of spectacular each and every single year. Hence the reason why one of his many monikers is "Mr. WrestleMania."

The last year of Shawn's WWE career saw him compete in two of the greatest matches in WWE history against "The Phenom" The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 and WrestleMania 26 in 2009 and 2010. After his losing efforts against Undertaker, Shawn Michaels finally retired from the ring after WrestleMania 26.

Shawn Michaels on television, quite simply, is a perfectionist. Shawn Michaels has always been an artist at work. His acting abilities and wrestling skills are flawless, and he has always been quite possibly the most gifted and well-rounded performer in the history of the business. But Michael Shawn Hickenbottom away from the camera has had an even more incredible journey than his Shawn Michaels persona on television.

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom is the epitome of the word "inspirational." When so many of his peers have lost their battles against their own personal demons, Shawn was able to overcome so much adversity in his life and career. He is a devout Christian and spends much of his free time at his local Church in San Antonio, Texas. He has earned the respect of his peers, friends, family, and almost everybody who has gotten to know him and learn of his story.

Shawn Michaels is the first-ever Grand Slam WWE Champion. Shawn Michaels is a WWE Hall of Famer. Shawn Michaels is arguably the single greatest performer in the history of the wrestling business. Michael Shawn Hickenbottom is a man who has overcome personal demons. Michael Hickenbottom is a man who has devoted his life to being a positive role model and a positive influence to all those around him. Michael Hickenbottom is a man who has lived a life that many of us can only imagine in our dreams.

In 2012, Shawn Michaels teamed up with Deuce Brand to release his own Signature Series watch which you can see him wearing below. The watch is available to order via pre-sale here on Deuce Brand official website.

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