To elaborate a little more...
The Heartbreak Kid became my favorite guy within my first year as a wrestling fan. In late '91 the foundations of my obsession with the WWF were built on old tapes of Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage. But when I discovered this new character, this cocky, arrogant, womanizing athlete, I had a new definition of what cool was. He was it.
From that point on I was the kid in the playground insisting that Shawn Michaels would one day be world champion, at a time when he was just acclimatizing himself to the Intercontinental Title. Of course no one believed me - that was a spot for the Yokozunas and the Hulksters. Even the Bret Harts. But not the Boy Toys.
So it was with some vindication that I watched - bouncing on the couch - as Michaels went on to win his first WWF Championship at WrestleMania XII, and become the company's top guy right into the late '90s, helping to revolutionize the business at the helm of D-Generation X.
When a back injury forced HBK into retirement in early '98, it was hard to accept. But over time I got used to a wrestling world without the number one guy in it. And with the rise of the Internet, it was during this time that I even began to separate my appreciation for Shawn's work from his reputation backstage, as I read more and more about the political games played by the Kliq. To then hear of his newfound love for religion distanced me even more, as I felt like the Shawn Michaels who I could always inwardly relate to was either gone forever, or had never truly existed.
His unexpected return in 2002 would gradually change all that. Not only did he extend and improve upon his in-ring legacy for another eight years, but perhaps more importantly, he redeemed his reputation. He became almost the model professional, a man who suddenly no one had a bad word to say against. And in proving that he was the same ineffable performer that he always had been, in his own way he illustrated to this atheist that finding God does not mean losing spirit. This was the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels showing everyone how it could be done, both in and out of the ring.
Shawn Michaels is a true artist, with a body of work comparable to none. What he has contributed to wrestling's rich tapestry is unparalleled, and for any young performer breaking through today it will be a mighty challenge to live up to. No doubt they'll tackle that mountain, just as he did, and they may well succeed. I look forward to seeing it. But to this fan who grew up practicing superkicks on a giant teddy bear and doing crotch chops behind teachers' backs, there'll only ever be one HBK.
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Topic: The HBK Appreciation Thread (Read 474 times) Share