"That kid's done a lot of growing up."
I won't mention names, but one of my coworkers offered that comment recently following a phone interview with Shawn Michaels for wwf.com concerning his new wrestling school. Just about a month after back surgery to fuse several of his vertebrae, my colleague said, the Heartbreak Kid sounded like "a new man."
For some of his peers, it was a long time in the making for the superstar who once lived in and out of the squared circle with reckless abandon. Part of the reason or his new attitude has to be that Michaels is finally pain free for the first time in years. Despite the fact that he may be physically unable to compete at his previous superhuman level, history will still regard him as one of the greatest performers in the history of the sport.
But in case you are wondering, Shawn still doesn't lie down for anyone or anything, even during his absence from the ring. Lesser athletes would call it a career and wallow in self-pity, but the show must go on for the "showstoppa." Now, he's ready to embark on a new journey... one that which will transform him from the student into the teacher.
This April, the doors officially opened for the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy in San Antonio, Texas. It's a joint venture between Michaels and his former mentor, Jose Lothario, offering the chance for future wrestlers to train with two of the best in the business. It's a familiar situation to Shawn, who began his career in the early 1980s much the same way by walking into Lothario's office and asking for an opportunity.
A bond developed between the two, which has been documented on numerous occasions in the Raw Magazine as well as on World Wrestling Federation programming. When Michaels started working in the independents, Lothario was by his side. On the eve of the biggest match of his career at WrestleMania XII, it was Lothario who trained him for the "Iron Man" match. And when HBK made his San Antonio homecoming at the 1997 Royal Rumble in front of more than 62,000 fans, the teacher was there alongside the student.
Becoming "the Showstoppa, the main event, the icon" came at a high price. Shawn is the first to admit that going full throttle down the Federation highway will eventually lead to a crash, which is exactly what happened. Many veterans of the business told him to slow down, both in the ring and out of it, but HBK didn't hear it. His condition was worsened at the 1998 Royal Rumble when during a bout with the Undertaker, HBK slammed his back into the hardwood casket. In the months that followed, his injuries progressed to the point where rest wasn't healing.
Shawn eventually had no choice but to elect surgery, potentially cutting short a legendary career which might have enjoyed several more title reigns. Whether he will attempt a comeback one day is a decision only Shawn can make. This type of surgery in which the vertebrae are fused leaves the spine little flexibility. If HBK attempted to lace up the boots once again, he might shatter the fuse and risk permanent paralysis.
As it turned out, Shawn's condition-and his outlook-improved tremendously after the surgery. Within a month he was already taking part in swimming exercises and light aerobics, and as of this writing he is awaiting doctor's permission to begin weight training. The pain is gone as is the pressure-in his spine as well as to perform in his role in the Federation. No longer does Shawn have to feel he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Stone Cold, The Rock, Mick Foley and Triple H have more than successfully carried the torch the Heartbreak Kid passed to them.
Despite the setback, there is life after wrestling for the Heartbreak Kid. Settling down and even marriage are possible options on his horizon. But once the sport is in the blood, it never goes away. With the gratitude for the opportunity Jose Lothario granted him 17 years ago, Michaels was ready to give back to the sport he loved. Like "Grasshopper" finally snatching the stones from the Kung Fu master's hand, he now posses the necessary skills to share his knowledge with others.
"I'm encouraged by the whole experience because I think I have something to offer as a teacher," Shawn told Raw Magazine recently. "it's a great way for me to live vicariously through the students. If I can't go out there and be the 'Showstoppa,' maybe I can find the next Shawn Michaels who can."
For athletes looking to break into the sport, Shawn's school offers a rare opportunity to train under a former World Wrestling Federation Champion. How many other institutions can claim that? Often in this business newcomers fall
victims to being educated by someone who isn't qualified. There are hundreds of wrestling schools, but frankly some are jokes. When the biggest accomplishment a teacher boasts is having once been a champion in some small independent promotion in Oshkosh, Wisconsin... well, you get what you pay for.
After graduating from a wrestling school, many potential wrestlers are on their own when it comes to booking themselves on cards across the country. Students at Shawn's academy will have the opportunity to take part in on-the-job training, as Shawn and Jose's "Texas Wrestling Alliance" holds independent cards throughout the Lone Star State.
Joining Shawn and Jose as trainers at the academy, which will be based out of San Antonio, Texas, are Rudy Gonzalez and veteran "Mad Dog" Ken Johnson, who helped "Super Sock" train HBK in the early 80s. The site of the new school is the facility where Lothario trained his student for his WrestleMania XII bout, which has undergone major renovations in preparation for classes. Students will have the option of either a full-time three-month course or a part-time six-month course. Already one of Shawn's prize pupils is Pete Lothario, his mentor's son.
"I think Pete has a lot of ability-obvioulsy it runs in the family," Shawn said. "It may sound flattering, but I see him mimicking a lot of my moves. he has very good teachers, and the best part is that he is quiet and listens to what we ask of him."
How fitting that HBK will now have the opportunity to alert the eager, younger Lothario about the risks of reckless abandon in the ring... a lesson the teacher will be more than happy to recite to his students.