All of the body slams, pile drivers and headlocks finally took their toll on Shawn Michaels' back in 1998. He lost the match to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV that year and also lost a healthy back.
"I was told that after my injury that I would never get back in the ring again," Michaels said this past week. "I was pretty content with that and then about two years ago a lot happened in my life. I became a born-again Christian and everything just sort of changed. I experienced health and healing in my body that I never experienced before."
His comeback began with speaking roles on televised WWE events a little more than a year ago.
"(WWE executives) had always said I had never really done a really good farewell for the fans," said Michaels, aka the "Heartbreak Kid," a San Antonio native.
The back healed faster than expected, and Michaels saw his first action in the ring at last year's Summer Slam. He continues his comeback Monday when "WWE Raw" invades the SBC Center at 6:45 p.m. Tickets, $21.35-$46.35, are available at the box office and Ticketmaster outlets.
It's the first pay-per-view wrestling event in San Antonio since the Royal Rumble in the Alamodome in 1997, which Michaels happened to win.
Ed Cohen, executive vice president of live events and booking for WWE, said Michaels is one of the main reasons San Antonio has turned into a consistent tour stop for WWE.
"And I think that's why San Antonio is one of the top WWE markets," Cohen said, "because their native son has done so much for pro wrestling."
"Raw" will pit Michaels against Triple H with the World Heavyweight Championship belt on the line. Other "Raw" superstars scheduled to appear include Brock Lesner, Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam. (WWE's Web site indicates that "Stone Cold" Steven Austin might come out of hiding looking for some action.)
For Michaels, though, going through all of the trouble of rehabilitation had little to do with any longing for the kind of fame WWE brings. Michaels said his comeback is more about using his celebrity to spread the Christian word rather than wrestling accolades.
"I felt that all I needed to do was to be on TV and to do what I felt was my service," he said.
Last week, Mayor Ed Garza presented Michaels with a Certificate of Commendation at the steps of City Hall for helping raise money for families of American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's all just part of being a role model and a good Christian, Michaels said.
"You know, I lived here for so long and I just sort of go to the store, to H-E-B, like everybody else," Michaels said. "Not until I started doing this little media thing just lately have I realized how long had it been since I wrestled here in San Antonio and how appreciative the fans were of my wrestling and my history.
"Today has been a really cool day. I'm 'Honey' and 'Daddy' six days out of the week, and you forget that there are folks that think the job you do is kind of neat."