On April 2nd, the greatest wrestler of all time, the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame 2011. I must admit, since Shawn Michaels has always been my favorite wrestler, I got a little emotional. But after watching the Hall of Fame, I came to the realization that he has surpassed every other WWE Superstar in history. There is no one in the WWE locker room who can deny that. Not only is he "The Icon", "The Main Event", "The Showstopper", "Mr. WrestleMania", he is also ranked #1 in the 50 Greatest Superstars of All Time DVD.
The Rockers, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannety are my personal favorite tag team. I remember being a kid and watching The Rockers take on tag teams like The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs and Demolition. They were considered "Tag Team Specialists". Always being the smaller guys trying to prove themselves to their bigger counterparts. They were younger, quicker, and my earliest memory of high flyers. Being a young kid rooting for the good guys, I remember being so angry that Shawn turned his back on Marty, throwing him into that glass window. But even though my favorite tag team split up, my favorite singles wrestler just began his journey to the top.
He then started his sexy boy gimmick as The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, managed by Sensational Sherri. He was probably the first heel I liked. That flamboyant, cocky attitude is what made me love to hate him. He was a small fish in a big pond. He had to prove himself in the business of professional wrestling, by making sure that he had the best match of the night. Whether he was a baby face or a heel, he never disappointed the fans. The Ladder Match against Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) at WrestleMania 10 is by far the best one on one ladder match in history. The Iron Man match against Bret "the Hitman" Hart at WrestleMania 12 is not only my personal favorite match but is also ranked #1 as the best WrestleMania match ever. "I will give you a show, like you have never, ever seen before. Why? Because I can." That is why he's Mr. WrestleMania. Shawn Michaels is responsible for a lot of WWE moments being the "1st" at many accomplishments. He's the first ever Grand Slam champion, winning the Tag Team, European, Intercontinental and WWE championships. He was the first to win the Royal Rumble, entering at #1. Was a part of the first Ladder, Hell in the Cell, Iron Man, and Elimination Chamber matches in the history of WWE?
Even after he came back from his retirement, he proved to the world that he's still got it. Performing like he never left. Even re-uniting with Triple H as the original Degeneration X. He has come a long way, had an amazing career and will forever be the best. When you hear the WWE Superstars of today say the he is the best in-ring performer of all time, it's because it's true. Thank you Shawn, thank you.
