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I'm not a Michaels defender, but even Bret said in an interview that wrestling Vader was like wrestling a "garbage bag full of vomit" because he smelled so bad

Shawn Michaels had it all. The charisma, the looks, the talent so you could see why he was the way he was which did end up backfiring on him.

90s Shawn Michaels was a wild wild man.

I’m sure if you were to go to Shawn and ask him about his role in the locker room in the 90s, the color would probably drain from his face. He knows he has said and done things that should have gotten him permanently fired. If Shawn now could meet his 90s self, he would most likely slap him.

I think that back injury he sustained in a match against taker is a blessing in disguise it allowed him to get away from wrestling and found happiness outside of the business. If he didnt get that injury we know for sure shawn will still be the old shawn and probably drove himself the ground.

Michaels' arrogance really got the better of him and honestly, all the events in the 90s showed he isn't above the world. His back injury definitely taught him to quit being a locker room politicking power hungry man and better his legacy for years to come. Looking back on how far he came I totally respect Shawn Michaels

Carol Hickenbottom (Shawn's mom) said he was a quiet and very introverted kid. He grew up in a pretty strict military household and moved quite a bit, so he probably had no roots anywhere. He also was a terrible student (college) and his only saving grace of living a satisfied life was professional wrestling, which was his passion and obsession. Shawn was a pretty clean-cut wrestler until he met Marty Jannety, who introduced him to the high-life of partying and drugs (coke). That's when the demon in Shawn Michaels was unlocked in the late 1980s and the one everyone knew in the 90s lol

This makes me think of something he said to Carmelo Hayes on an episode of NXT: “The moment you think you’re bigger than this business is the moment it will chew you up and spit you out.” I’m glad HBK got a second chance at life to right those wrongs and become the respected legend he always wanted to be.

The difference between Michaels before 1998 and Michaels after 2002 is so huge you'd think they were two different people. Shawn Michaels went from being an absolute narcissistic diva to being considerate and supportive of others. I personally am an athiest, but if him becoming a Christian helps him be a better person, then I'd say he's on the right path.

His self redemption was nothing short of amazing

HHH was the designated driver😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

The irony is, Back then everyone hated the Kliq taking power But now, everone's delighted to see the Kliq back in power

Reminder: the reason why Shawn got away with so much was because of how incredible of a performer he was. Even before his 2nd run, he was the MJ of wrestling in the ring. Even as a kid you could see he moved differently and was in a class of his own.

I believe Shawn’s run after returning from his back injury is his most legendary run

I give triple h a lot of respect and care for what he did for Shawn waking up every 2 to 3 hours to make sure he was ok

Shaun is a great story because he found his redemption and most people now say he is one of the best people they know. Even Jim Cornette said he could have been friends with the HBK of today.

90s Shawn was the fkin man.

It's hard to believe that 90s Shawn and 2000s Shawn where the same Person. I almost never saw something that changed THAT much like Shawn Michaels. That is one of the reasons he diden't wanted to win another WWE Titel. He diden't wanted to get his Ego best of him again. The World Titel he give away as fast as he could.

Shaun is a legend and always will be in WWE history.. Those who think hates him must see matches played in his prime in 90’s

HBK's ways caught up to him. You'd think that getting his ass beat by six marines would've humbled him. I believe the back injury at the RR was the start and HBK himself saying that his son tried waking him up and couldn't. I'm happy that HBK has turned his life around and is a better human being. All about growth and experience that will shape your later years in life.

Your talent and actions don't make you a man. Owning up to them and admitting your mistakes does. I heard an interview with Shawn and it's clear he shows remorse for how he treated people that's good enough for me.

You can tell the difference between the late 80s and 90s Shawn to the man he is today he's totally been transformed

The greatest of all time!!! HBK

Shawn Michaels really changed as a person when he became a Born Again Christian. Respect to him for humbling himself that way.

Thank you for skipping through the Montreal screwjob. That subject has been done to death on multiple occasions! Shawn Michaels abilities in the ring is cemented in wrestling history as some of the greatest. But outside, he was the Goffrey Lannister of the industry

He was the most hated but he was also the best in the business!

Really well made video!!!! Thanks for your hard work on this! Enjoyed the heck out of it!

Shawn Michaels has always been my favourite wrestler of all time, And I largely prefer to think of it as me looking at his Skills on TV as a performer during both runs, while ignoring the backstage problems he had in the mid 90s. Like I said, I much prefer his 2000s run but both as still legendary to me

Michaels was on a path of complete self-destruction and thankfully he realised it. It's easy to see why the old Michaels had to 'die'. In many ways he was just the male equivalent of Sunny. Michaels changed his ways, Sunny didn't. Look at them both now. How Sunny ended up is where Michaels would have gone and he knows it. I have loved watching the transformation of both Triple H and Michaels for the better over the years. They've both fixed themselves and saved their souls and now they're both doing genuinely great things with that experience, and are able to steer the industry away from a type of environment that did them or their friends like Scott Hall no good. Two real-life babyface turns right there.

Shawn will always be my favorite. I was like 10yrs old and I knew he was the GOAT. Everything he did was top notch and before his first back injury he was an absolute tank/greatest wrestler I ever seen. (NOBODY looked better selling than Shawn. He would get a** beat the whole match, getting suplexed outside of ring with legs smashing guard rail and stuff...such a beast lol)

Just wow...your way of presentation n deep research just made this video awesome...C'mon people this guy deserves a lot of subscriptions

Still was the best in ring performer of the 90’s

Undoubtedly the most handsome wrestler.

90s Shawn Michael's was the ultimate chad

Shawn Michael's, Scott hall, and Kevin Nash were 3 of my top favorites. was "the clique" only a backstage name because I don't remember that (but it has been a few years)

Hey, I appreciate the content you put on here. Thoughtful, thorough, straightforward, and high quality. Great job.

Could you imagine 90’s Shawn Michaels in the social media era? He’s be released quick

i’m glad i’m 02 he really sorted himself and changed 90’s Michaels was wild man his return and personality after return made him one of the most loved

4:43 heard that when Shawn and Marty were waiting for Vince, Vince came up to them, saw Shawn's snakeskin boots he was wearing and said, 'nice boots, they're made for walking you know. Just kidding.' Then in the words of Shawn, "he took us in his office and fired us,".

Absolutely love Michaels, a true legend. His past and his history, despite being distasteful, is part of who he is. He wasn't the first and he won't be the last, but we also wouldn't have had his redemption arch or the person he is today without it all. Substance abuse is a true evil, but good men prevail - he will go down in history as the man he came back as, and whether you love him or hate him, you've got to respect him. Edit: he was also surrounded by enablers and no one had the bollocks to put a stop to it, they were almost as responsible as the bloke himself.

Shawn Michaels was a true Rock Star personality which made him really stand out.

Shawn Michaels is the GOAT. He was in the Rockers and he was the best athlete/performer.

Your mini docs on rasstlin are always the best man. Thanks as always my dude.

"HHH could be bag carrier number 1 for the group" is such a hilarious thing to think about considering how big HHH became and his current position as WWE's CCO

The very best in ring performer of all times...💔

You really can't blame him for Sunny, she was willing.

another fantastic video bro.

As a child, i always thought Shawn played the heel role amazingly. He was always intriguing to watch and evolve into whatever he was in the 2000s. I never ever thought he was hated until "behind the scenes" things started popping up. Doesn't change the fact that he is a legend. The work ethic, the looks, and wrestling ability definitely cements him near the top.

I think he is the guy who got most love from fans🙏🏻no others gets this much love in wwe🙌

HHH definitely took a huge bullet for The Kliq. In fact, The Kliq was so much of a threat that Taker had to start The BSK. It’s crazy how the storylines and themes back then actually reflected how everything was influenced by real life stigmas. HHH My Time theme, his whole reign of terror from 99 through’06 all stinting from his distain from solely paying the price for The Curtain Call while the other 3 involved got off scott free. That feud between The Rock and HHH from ‘99 going all the way into ‘00 seemed personal as well, especially when Michaels super kicked The Rock during his Ironman Match with HHH. I always knew The Rock’s career was definitely docked due to jealousy started by the fear of 2 men. The Rock made the wise decision to go to Hollywood in ‘04 instead resigning w/ WWE. He would’ve only been foreshadowed by HHH at every turn seeing it is the political stroke HHH developed around those times. It just proves the dangers of being forced to look in the mirror. The Rock was Shawn and Paul’s karma, and reverse reflection in the mirror. Look at what Shawn and Paul had to do to get ahead, meantime The Rock came in fully gifted ahead of his time never having to cut corners let alone screw the next guy. When take meets real, expect there to be jealousy all initiated by fear first. HHH has always sounded like an easy fall guy for The Kliq. That’s like people who’re druggies frequenting night clubs who includes that one sober person as the designated driver so the rest don’t have to spend anymore nights in the slammer accumulating felonies or suspended licenses.

Thanks for this great documentary!

He was there to entertain and do his job not to make friends and the friends he did make are legends like him

Michaels went from the most hated guys in the locker room to one of the most respected bookers in wrestling today for NXT.

Love him or hate him Shawn Michaels is the goat 🐐

Was led here by Kickin It With Ross. Great video essay Subscribed

As a kid growing up around 95' 96' 97' I never knew he was so hated.

Shawn is one of the all time greats . Back stage bs or not .

90’s Shawn was untouchable in the ring, on the mic, and clearly politicking in the back. I’m glad he turned his life around, but like Nash said “man I miss that old Shawn…”

Whether one is a believer or not..as wrestling fans we all agree that shawn becoming a Christian played a huge part in saving his life. It got him steady and to an extent prolonged his career...cause otherwise he could have been gone.

The Rockers was my favorite tag-team when I was a kid. I was devastated when Shawn Michaels threw Marty Jannetty throw the barber shop window. But after that, I only watched wrestling long enough to see a few solo matches with Shawn Michaels. I stopped watching after the Ultimate Warrior was put into an "airtight casket" by the Undertaker. I've seen videos telling the story of what happened to Shawn Michaels, as if Marty Jannetty were the bad guy due to drugs and alcohol, and that Vince McMahon was the bad guy in how he treated Shawn Michaels. I realized those videos were from fanboys of Shawn Michaels. This video makes the most sense and is consistent with Shawn Michaels' personality. Hulk Hogan was a scumbag for keeping new wrestlers down. Shawn Michaels did the same thing by creating that group. And then Shawn Michaels broke kayfabe, which was totally unnecessary. Brett Hart was the total opposite. He did what he was told. He tried to play by the rules. And he got screwed for it.

Backstage hated him but us 90s babies loved him he why we all got in trouble in class doing the suck it

Shawn Michaels is Shawn Michaels, and in the 90’s he was Shawn Michaels, and after his back injury he was still Shawn Michaels. Regardless of how you feel about Shawn Michaels, he’ll always be Shawn Michaels

You missed 2 very big omissions - During the Curtain Call incident Triple H was groomed to win KotR that year. Instead it went to Stone Cold. Rest is history - By yelling at Vince between 96-98 Shawn knew he could get away with it because Vince was terrified he would immediately go to WCW since Hall & Nash were already there

Do one on Shawn Michaels buddy Kevin Nash one of the top reason wcw went under

He did everything he could that would get him canceled today, he didn’t care about anything and lived his life like he was untouchable. That’s why he said and did what he did. Can you imagine what backlash someone would get doing all the things he did to the Canadian flag today

At one point Sean Michaels ego was worse than Hogan! It took it back injury for him to set himself straight

Funny how they thought Shane wasn't good enough for WWF...but then hhh stole his the franchise gimmick and turned it to his the game gimmick

9:05 that's the modern account, a lot of recollections from guys who worked during the New Generation Era are that a clever young Paul Levesque tagged along to the Kliq, amongst other things carrying their luggage, to improve his own stock.

Good watch. I wish that Shawn and Stone Cold would've been addressed, since it was Stone Cold that directly went over Shawn.

Am I the only one who always loved Michaels and was happy when he put Marty through the window?

Great video Sir

He was the #1 threat to Canada back in the day

Sweet Chin Music is a badass move.

Amazing vid.

Slammer of a stream. So much nostalgia from the time I grew up watching wrestling, just before I tried adulting. Thanks for this well presented piece 👍

Next haircut I get I’m bringing a picture of the “midnight rockers” version of Shawn Michaels and saying do this.

Addiction is the downfall of all greats

Guys like Steve Austin, Undertaker, Rock and Bret Hart didn’t need to destroy other wrestlers careers and bury them to get to the top. They got there on their own merits. Guys like Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall did. That’s the difference.

Good documentary❤

This is what happens when you have story driven wrestling :D

He was byfar my favorite wrestler growing up! When he would get in that corner, put his hand on the ropes and start stomping his foot preparing for the sweet chin music, my little heart would start racing and i would shadow him as he delivered the kick.

Imagine arresting two guys in a hotel. Absolutely brutal fight. Blood everywhere. You go to arrest them but from the shadows: woo ya

I met Shawn Michaels at a restaurant once - we’d accidentally been given his table. Apparently he was fond of the restaurant and had a specific table he liked, and the management had messed up and gotten their days wrong, (it was Tuesday and they thought he was coming on Thursday or something like that). Anyway, the manager, completely embarrassed (this is a pretty nice restaurant) comes by and says “I’m so sorry, but we’d like to move you to another table if you could be troubled, and we’ll gladly compensate you for the cost of the meal and any other meal you’d like while you’re in town.” My sister and cousin were both like “Yeah that’s cool.” and I kind of played the asshole a bit. “I’m sorry, I just don’t understand. We’ve been here for 15 minutes - we’ve just ordered. Can’t we finish our meal here?” Then out of nowhere Shawn Michaels shows up next to the manager and says “Paul, these guys can finish. We’ll be at the bar. I got some time.” And I (being a big HBK fan) said “Oh wow, uh… I had no idea. Please feel free to give them the table.” Shawn was grateful, shook my hand and said thanks, then gave me a card with his number on it and told me to give him a call later. After working up the nerve, I gave him a call that night, and to make a long story short, we had a glorious 11 month love affair, man on man, that I shall never forget. Our bodies intertwined as one, and from the beauty of Morocco, to the French Riviera, to the snorkeling in the Galopagos, Shawn Michaels and I made glorious gay love to each other on six of the seven continents.

He was also the greatest wrestler of the 90's and ever. Some envy there.

That shot of the bottle of liquor in front of the wall of flames looked super cool.

I know he was an ass hat and an addict back then, but he was SO entertaining.

It was a combination of a massive ego, as well as being drugged out of his mind a lot of the time. And Vince let him get away with it over and over and over again.

Undertaker taped up his fists and waited by the curtain and WrestleMania 14 right before Shawn was set to face Steve Austin and told Shawn to do the right thing or else Undertaker would beat up Shawn so bad which apparently scared Shawn into doing the right thing.

Love the Macho Man cameo 💯

Great video, 100% agree with the thesis. This is why Shawn will never be on my Mount Rushmore.

January 3, 1990 to March 29, 1998 Shawn Michaels during the 1990s World Wrestling Federation.

the most fascinating thing in this video is how the kliq formed and how Paul aka triple h was just supposed to be the bag carrier and the driver just because he didn't drink and drive. and well as we know now paul is basically the leader and boss of them.

Vince did NOT want HBK to go to WCW. That’s why he allowed him to do whatever he wanted.

Well kevin nash did say shawn was often too hard on himself and nash would have to tell him to take a breath and relax a little, and remind shawn of how lucky he is. I think shawn would act cocky or be a little eccentric only as a coping mechanism to help overcome that feeling of not being good enough.

Put yourself in his shoes he’s getting paid as a top guy for displaying all these traits

Funny thing is DX Shawn was Shawn finally being his real self..all that screw everyone shit..the gesture...all felt very personal, especially towards Bret. Shawn and Owen are 2 of my top guys though but facts are facts.

It really boils down to one word and I can tell you without watching the video. As a matter of fact, I have the video paused on the first ad as I’m typing this. The word: Drugs.

Michaels is easy to love and easier to hate. Handsome face, great body, phenomenal on the mic, and beyond the pale in the ring. He would do the extreme to be the show stopper.

Austin before he hurt his kneck and Bret Hart were the best workers of the last few eras. They kept bouts looking legitimate. Hbk strong point was at taking big bumps.