With the release of the WWE Network, subscribers now have more content just a few clicks away than they could ever hope to sift through themselves. Last Word on Sports is here to do the work for you, highlighting the best the WWE Network has to offer.
What better time to start this feature off than during the buildup to the biggest event in professional wrestling history, WrestleMania XXX? And what better wrestler to highlight than the Showstopper himself, Mr. WrestleMania Shawn Michaels?
Between WrestleMania’s V and XXVI, the Heartbreak Kid competed 16 times at the Granddaddy of Them All. During that span he was a part of some of the most notable matches in the history of WrestleMania, so ingraining himself with the event that it warranted its own DVD. However, if you’re already a subscriber of the Network, we’re here to save you $19.96 with our guide to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania.
WrestleMania V: w/ Marty Jannetty vs. The Twin Towers
While the HBK seen here is almost unrecognizable, clad in neon tights and sporting flowing blonde locks, once the match gets going he becomes instantly recognizable. Michaels may have started his WrestleMania career with loss, but he was clearly the best wrestler in the ring that night.
Highlight: The Rockers’ double missile dropkick to Big Boss Man.
WrestleMania X: vs. Razor Ramon
The second ladder match in WWE history, and the first one ever aired, this bout has been the standard to which all other ladder matches are held. In a world where the word “innovative” is thrown around constantly, this is one match that actually earned that moniker. Shawn Michaels demonstrated his aptitude for acrobatics here, and this was Razor at his very best.
Highlight: HBK’s diving splash off of the ladder.
WrestleMania XII: vs. Bret “Hit Man” Hart
My first exposure to Shawn Michaels came via video packages of this win: watching HBK dropping to his knees in triumphant exhaustion, hearing Vince below “the boyhood dream has come true.” You can’t help but feel as if you’re witnessing something truly special. The match doesn’t lend itself too well to repeat viewings, but it’s something every wrestling fan should watch at least once the whole way through.
Highlight: The aforementioned celebration.
WrestleMania XIV: vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Looking back, this match signifies the beginning of what was perhaps the biggest boom period in the history of the industry: the Attitude Era. Austin and HBK put on a great match that exemplified what has become the WWE main event style. Add in significant star power courtesy of Mike Tyson and the fact that HBK was working with a spine apparently being held together with duct tape, you have one hell of a WrestleMania main event.
Highlight: Stone Cold’s counter of a Sweet Chin Music into a Stunner to seal the deal.
WrestleMania 21: vs. Kurt Angle
While his recent exploits seem to have taken precedent in the minds of fans, there is no doubt that Kurt Angle is one of the greatest technical wrestlers in history. Here, he and Michaels clash in a near-half-hour-long bout that was wisely given far more time than anything else on the card. It’s a shame these two weren’t able to meet at Mania again.
Highlight: The psychology involving the Angle Lock and Sweet Chin Music.
WrestleMania XXIV: vs. Ric Flair
After being informed by Vince McMahon that he would be fired the next time he lost a match, “The Nature Boy” chose to put his career on the line against Shawn Michaels at what would be his final WrestleMania. While Flair couldn’t go like he used to physically, these two infused a level of pathos into this match like so few men have ever been able to do inside the squared circle.
Highlight: “I’m sorry. I love you.”
Wrestlemania XXV: vs. The Undertaker
This match marked the beginning of the WWE’s elevation of “The Streak” to mythological proportions. Heading into the contest, HBK had been feuding with “The Deadman,” one of his greatest rivals, over the latter’s undefeated record at WrestleMania; making sure to note that ‘Taker had never bested him in singles competition. These two went on to deliver what many consider to be the finest match of either man’s storied career.
Highlight: The Undertaker’s borderline insane suicide dive.
Wrestlemania XXVI: vs. The Undertaker
Just two years after retiring “The Nature Boy” at the same event, Shawn Michaels goaded The Undertaker into a rematch by putting his very own career on the line. The video package preceding this match is as good as anything this side of Austin/Rock WrestleMania 17. While the consensus, perhaps accurately so, is that this match didn’t live up their affair the previous year, Michaels went out on about as high and fitting a note as one could imagine: the main event of WrestleMania.
Highlight: Michaels slashing his throat and slapping Undertaker in the face, daring The Deadman to finish him.
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