Shawn Michaels
Real Name: Michael Higgenbottom
Stats: 6' 0" 230 lbs.
Born: July 22, 1965
Shawn Michaels (real name - Michael Higgenbottom) is a native of San Antonio who began his Professional Wrestling career in 1984. Standing 6' and weighing 230 lbs., he entered the sport when many of the organization wanted to focus only on the huge superstars (i.e. Hulk Hogan, King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd, etc.) as headliners. Thus, Michaels appeared destined for midcard status. Instead, he did what many normal sized wrestlers did and began working as a tag team wrestler.
Michaels
first attained success
teaming with Paul Diamond as the American Force, winning the Texas All-Star
Tag Team belts in 1985. He followed this the next year by moving to
the to the Minneapolis based American Wrestling Association where he
worked with another performer named Marty Jannetty as the team known
as the Midnight Rockers. After winning the National Wrestling Alliance
Central States Tag Team title, they captured the AWA Tag Team belts
the next year. They also held on several occasions the Southern Tag
Team Title and Michaels enjoyed a great deal of success and popularity
- but nothing like what he would encounter in 1989.
In 1989, Michael and Jannetty moved to the World Wrestling Federation
where, under the name the Rockers, they battled the promotions top teams.
A favorite among younger ladies, the team flourished until Michaels
split from Jannetty seeking the spotlight as a singles wrestler. Later
in that year, Shawn went on to win the WWF Intercontinental Title belt.
Michaels would battle for the belts against several rivals including Jannetty and Razor Ramon, with whom he has several legendary ladder matches. After vacating the Intercontinental title, Michaels teamed up with Diesel to again capture the Tag Team championship before again claiming the IC strap the next year.
In 1995 in Syracuse, New York, Michaels was attacked by a group of men and was injured such that he could not defend the IC belt and was thus forced to vacate the title. After recovering, he turned his sights to the WWF Heavyweight title and obtained the Championship, taking it away from Bret Hart in an epic iron-man match in 1996. He has since held all of the organizations titles and become one of its biggest stars.
In 1997, the WWF decided to rest its fortune on Michaels shoulders
as he took the World Heavyweight title from Bret Hart in the decades
most controversial match. Since then he formed the rebellious group
known as Degeneration X and continues to dominate the attention within
the WWF.
With his good looks, charisma and arrogant nature, Michaels was able to attain great popularity with wrestling fans around the world. With his enormous talent and hard work, he has become one of the sports greatest performers.
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