The following is a recap of Shawn Michaels’ appearance on ESPN’s WWE Off The Top Rope segment tonight:
Coach welcomes Shawn Michaels to the show and talks about his reputation as ‘Mr. Wrestlemania’, and asked why he shined at the event. Shawn says just getting to Wrestlemania is a feat in itself, and he focused on making each one count, deciding around Wrestlemania IX to get everyone to talk about his match each year. He says he wanted to do it to honor his job as a wrestler, then Coach asks about which Wrestlemania match is his favorite. Shawn says that’s hard to answer, citing Wrestlemania X and XII for his individual accomplishments, but also notes working with Ric Flair and Undertaker later on. He says all he can do is be thankful for how many special moments he was involved with, and it’s hard to pick just one.
Coach talks about Shawn wrestling Flair at Wrestlemania XXIV, and Shawn says it went from him admiring Flair as a kid all the way to being the person to be picked in that match, and it meant a lot to him. Shawn talks about honoring Ric Flair at Wrestlemania 24, and he says he wanted to do as much as he could to show his appreciation. Shawn says he wanted Ric to have a sense of pride, and he also wanted everyone who worked with Ric and knew him to know it too.
Coach brings up Shawn’s final match two years later and asks why Shawn knew that night was it. Shawn says it was ultimately about his family, telling a story about how time was passing and his son would be grown up soon enough. He says that cued him to start thinking about life after WWE, and walking away was huge, but he wanted to do this for his family and be an active part of his raising his family. He says all he knows is to perform at the best he can, and luckily he had a great opponent that night.
Coach thanks him and says maybe they will see him at Wrestlemania 32, and Shawn says it’s basically in his hometown and he might have to make some moves, but they could see him there.
HBK’s Top Wrestlemania Moments
Top Feud
Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker
Top Move
Shawn Michaels’ dives off the ladder at Wrestlemania X
Top Moment
Shawn Michaels says ‘I’m sorry, I love you’ and superkicks Ric Flair, pinning Flair to retire him
Top Win
Shawn Michaels defeats Bret Hart at Wrestlemania XII to win the WWE Championship
