Women Scream for him wherever he goes now, but it was a long, painful journey to superstardom for Shawn Michaels. He's one man who deserves to enjoy the good life at the top of the WWF!
Twelve years of feuding, anguish, loneliness, and isolation dissolved into a joyous smile of relief. His past now slipped away as insignificantly as the river of perspiration that streamed off his body.
For Shawn Michaels, the liner flow of time had stopped. Now it had reversed itself, on this magical: WrestleMania XII, the night Michaels defeated Bret Hart in an "Iron Man" match to win the WWF World title.
As the panting "Heartbreak Kid" lifted the belt above his head in a celebratory pose, he seemed magically transformed back to 1985, when he was a bold, cocky rookie, Jose Lothario, Michaels mentor, stood ringside smiling.
Michaels career - and his life - had come full circle.
Today, he is an icon. In 1983, he was a San Antonio, Texas, high school jock who was popular enough to run for mayor, even if he was too young to vote.
Upon graduating from high school, Michaels chose not politics, but wrestling. He knew such a career would require him to spend a lot of time on the road away from his family. He was heartbroken about it, but he had to chase his dream.
The experts called him too small to contend for a major title. Jounior heavyweight material? Perhaps. But Michaels had four aces up his sleeve: He was technically proficient, he was acrobatic in the ring, he was hugely confident, and he had charm!
Michaels' bravado and drawing power helped him land a tag team partnership in 1985 with Marty Jannetty. They bonded quickly and partied hearty.
"You could see they had the spunk and ability to be stars," said Lothario.
In 1987, the effervescent duo dubbed themselves The Midnight Rockers, an apt nickname for a pair of wrestlers who flew around the ring like Batman and Robin. On January 27, 1987, they beat Buddy Rose and Doug Somers to capture the AWA World tag team title.
For The Midnight Rockers, it was all guts and glory for the next year. When they jumped to the WWF in 1989, they were big-time wrestlers with big-time wallets and big-time egos. Ultimately, the egos prevailed.
"Although they matured as wrestlers, they did not grow as people," Tully Blanchard, who feuded with them, said. "Shawn was convinced he was the soul of the team."
Ultimately, they were unable to regain a foothold on their partnership. Michaels soon went back to a solo career. In 1992, he made one of the most bizarre decisions of his career, when he joined forces with Sherri Martel. Their relationship came to a shrieking conclusion during SummerSlam '92, when Michaels discovered Martel flirting with Rick Martel.
Undaunted, Michaels finally garnered his first WWF belt when he upset Davey Boy Smith for the I-C title in October 1992. But friend-turned rival Jannetty snatched the belt seven months later. The I-C title loss rendered Michaels introspective and heartbroken. In his typically egotistical style, he made another impulsive business decision in June of 1993. Just minutes before beating Jannetty to regain the belt, Michaels introduced his body guard, a plodding behemoth named Diesel. But why did Michaels need a bodyguard?
Perhaps it was to protect his back, which he claimed was being threatened at every turn. Perhaps it was to protect his immense ego.
Over the next three seasons, Diesel and Michaels would be like twin three-year-olds pinching each other in the back seat of a car. He's bothering me! No, he's bothering me!
Michaels who was engaged in his usual petty feuds, lost several matches when Diesel interfered at the wrong time. In late-September of 1993, WWF President Jack Tunney stripped Michaels of the I-C title for failing to meet contractual obligations. Once again, he was torn apart inside.
Michaels took two months off to regroup emotionally. When he returned, he joined forces with Diesel in what had the makings of a lethal tag team. Although reports of tension between the two men surfaced shortly after the 1994 Royal Rumble, on August 28, Michaels and Diesel beat the Headshrinkers for the WWF tag team title. Still, the two allies weren't completely happy together.
"Shawn felt he had made Diesel," said former WWF star Bam Bam Bigelow. "Now Diesel was getting the attention and Shawn wasn't."
Their relationship ended the night of the Survivor Series, when Diesel tried to attack Michaels in the locker room after the two had been a part of the losing team in an elimination match. Three nights later, Diesel stunned Bob Backlund for the WWF title. Michaels was in need of an emotional transplant. On a tirade against his ex-pal, Michaels reportedly offered to sell secrets about Diesel to Diesel's challengers.
Things were getting ugly and uglier, but ugliest came January 23,1995, just weeks after Michaels had won the 1995 Royal Rumble. Michaels introduced "Psycho" Sid Vicious as his new bodyguard. But Sid's ill-timed interference cost Michaels a match against Diesel at WrestleMania XI. One night later, Michaels set the stage for another ugly divorce. "The next time I face Diesel," he said, "you've got the night off." Sid blindsided the far smaller Michaels with a series of power bombs that rendered him unconscious.
But true to this soap opera relationship, Diesel emerged from the locker room to save Michaels and chase off Sid.
Their tenuous friendship repaired, Diesel and Michaels went on to have successful solo careers. Diesel held the WWF belt for a year, and Michaels captured the I-C crown for the third time in July 1995, when he beat Jeff Jarret. Three months later, Michaels career was in jeopardy when he was attacked outside a Syracuse night-club, but he came back to win the Royal Rumble and beat Bret at WrestleMania XII.
True to form, however, Diesel and Michaels returned to the bickering ways that led to yet another breakup earlier this year.
Shawn Michaels, alone once again, matured in 1996 and grew to become a popular champion. He now has his coveted World title. He has peace. He has no partner to get in his way, to challenge his ego ... to break his heart.
"I finally feel totally happy," he said recently.
"The Heartbreak Kid" rules ... alone.