Over the years, Shawn Michaels has had some good friends, and some even better enemies. He's been accompanied to the ring by bodyguards, valets, tag-team partners and managers, most of whom eventually became fierce enemies of the "Heartbreak Kid." Yet despite these intense rivalries, the self-proclaimed "Showstopper" commands an incredible amount of respect within the industry. As proof of this, we reached out tonumerous important figures from HBK's past and present, to give his fans a better grasp of exactly what kind of mark he's made on this industry.

Triple H: Anyone who's watched sports-entertainment in the last decade knows of the long, storied history between Triple H and Shawn Michaels. The former best friends traveled together as part of the infamous "Kliq" and were the founding fathers of the most outrageous faction in WWE history - D-Generation X. In 1998, after Michaels went into temporary retirement with a severe back injury, "The Game" unceremoniously booted him from the group, accusing him of "dropping the ball. " Since then, Triple Hand HBK have tried to mend fences several times. They even had a brief reunion, but as the two posed in the ring, "The Game" delivered a Pedigree, and put a permanent end to their friendship. The actions caused an intense rivalry that culminated with a brutal Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood 2004. Most likely, their paths will eventually cross again.
When asked for comments regarding Shawn's in-ring ability, "The Game" hesitantly remarked about HBK's legacy, before retreating to the Evolution locker room.
"If you'd have to pick the No. 1 and No. 2 wrestlers of this generation, it would be me and Shawn. We've had the greatest battles ever. We'll disagree about who's No. 1 and No. 2, but he's right there."

Ric Flair: One of Michaels' biggest influences, Ric Flair was the man that HBK actually patterned much of his style after. For years, many fans eagerly anticipated a dream match between the two legends, and at Bad Blood 2003, they got their wish. Unfortunately, little was solved as Flair defeated HBK with the help of outside interference. Despite being at odds over the past few years, Flair respects HBK's abilities, and recognizes his place in the annals of sports-entertainment history.
"Shawn definitely ranks in the top five greatest opponents I've ever had. The first time I wrestled him was for three minutes, back in 1991, but that was a very different Shawn. The second time we met was so much better, and I had looked forward to it for a very long time [while in WCW].
I think Shawn is a phenomenal performer, an exceptionally gifted athlete, and he's got what I call `it.' He understands the business, he understands the psychology, and things come naturally to him that don't come naturally to 99% of the guys in this business. Between his in-ring ability, his love of the business, and his respect and passion, that's the difference between being good and being great. He's always had the desire to be the No. 1 guy. I think he's still got a long time left, if he stays healthy."

Kevin Nash (aka Diesel): Kevin Nash first appeared in WWE as the "Heartbreak Kid's" bodyguard, helping , him to the Intercontinental Championship. In time, the two split, and even competed against each other in a WrestleMania XI match for the WWE Championship. They were reunited in 2002 as part of the new World order (nWo), and have stayed close friends to this day. Nash is also responsible for introducing Shawn to his wife, Rebecca.
"I was fortunate to wrestle in an era when there were a lot of great guys, but to me, Shawn was the Michael Jordan of sports-entertainment. I was also fortunate to be linked up with him when I broke into WWE. I also broke in with Scott Hall, and the three of us traveled 275 to 300 days a year. All my successes were based on what I learned from Shawn and Scott, wrestling with and against those two guys over the course of the next two years on a nightly basis. From 1993 to 1996, I spent more time with those guys than with anyone else on the planet.
"There's two Shawn Michaels. There's the Shawn Michaels before Rebecca and after Rebecca. Once he met his wife and had [his children] Cameron and Cheyenne, and once he found Christ, it's just a different Shawn Michaels. But the competitor is still there. If he's gonna go out there and give 110 percent and steal the show, he expects no less from you. In the past, if you went out there and messed up, you'd know about it. That was the old Shawn. Now, Shawn has matured, and he's found happiness in his personal life.
"Early in his career, everyone judged him on what he did every night as a performer. That's the only thing that mattered to him, and Shawn will be the first to tell you that. If you ask him what he is, he won't say he's an entertainer, he'll tell you he's a pro wrestler. Shawn's proud to be a pro wrestler. He's a great pro wrestler-one of the greatest ever-but now he has a lot of other things in his life and it's just one of the things that make up who he is, whereas before it defined him."

Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon): While Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon were often the fiercest of enemies in the ring, their intertwining careers eventually led to a close friendship. While not embroiled in an ongoing rivalry, they made up half of the "Kliq," and thought of each other as brothers. Many mat critics cite Razor and Shawn's Ladder Match at WrestleMania X as one of the greatest WWE matches ever.
"I first met Shawn when I was wrestling in the central states-Kansas City-and I have a picture in the gym at my house where Shawn looks like he's 12. It's the funniest thing in the world. We wrestled out there, and then we both moved to Minneapolis, where we wrestled for the AWA together, and then I went to Florida, while Shawn bounced around before starting in WWE. So he and I have known each other for about 15 years, and I consider Shawn
one of my best friends in the world. "Him, Kevin Nash and I spent a lot of time together, both in the ring, and outside of it, too. At times, we traveled together, ate together, and even shared rooms together. It was a wonderful experience for me, both professionally and personally.
"The thing with our little clique of guys was that we thought of wrestling as a way to feed our families. We'd pack four guys into a Ford Taurus, stay at the cheapest little dive we could find, and all stay in the same room. Our whole deal was that we wanted to take our money home to our families, and we wanted to save enough from wrestling so that we could all kick back when we turned 40, and never work again.
"When I came to WWE, neither one of us was a fan favorite, but we got put into a match against each other at Madison Square Garden, almost like a test to see who the fans would cheer for. I assumed that the fans would root for Shawn, because I was bigger than him. Normally, the fans have sympathy for the smaller guys, but Shawn was such a cocky, little son of a gun that the fans chose me. A short time later, he had to take some time off, although he never lost his Intercontinental title. And in the time he was gone, I won a battle royal, then defeated the co-winner, Rick Martel, for the vacant Intercontinental title. But when Shawn came back, he still had his belt, and we started going town to town, each wearing our respective belts to the ring. Eventually, we were signed to have this Ladder Match at WrestleMama X to decide who the undisputed champion really was. And what was cool about that match was that sometimes, it seemed as though the ladder was working with us. It would fall on it's own, and land on me or on Shawn, and the crowd would `ooh' and `ahh.' So things really fell into place that night.
"We actually had another Ladder Match at SummerSlam '95 in Pittsburgh, and if you watch that match, it's funny because the belt that's hanging from the rafters was brand new, and the straps were so tight that when Shawn jumped off the ladder and grabbed the belt, it didn't come off. We used two ladders in the match, and as I climbed one ladder, I got hit with Sweet Chin Music from Shawn, who was on the other one. And as I'm lying there regaining consciousness, I hear Shawn hit the ring, but I don't see the belt in his hands. Then I hear him cursing. So I got back up, and tried to hit him with the Razor's Edge, but he backdrops me from the ring, tries to get it again, and it just barely comes off.
"I've always considered Shawn the best wrestler in the business. I've wrestled just about everybody, and if he ain't No. 1, then I'd like to see who is, because I've never seen anybody who can perform like him, do the interviews like him, and do everything-from personal appearances, to the locker room, to the whole thing-the way Shawn does it. To me, he's the best in the business."

Undertaker: Aside from Michaels, 'Taker is the longest-tenured WWE Superstar on the roster. During the last decade-and-a-half, the two athletes' paths have crossed numerous times. In the very first Hell in a Cell match, Michaels pulled off a bloody, hard-fought victory over the Deadman. And just a few months later, they met again in a Casket Match, where a bad fall onto the casket severely damaged HBK's back, forcing him into retirement for more than four years. Despite being on separate shows, Undertaker still has some vivid memories of their brutal confrontations.
"Pound for pound, he's one of the toughest guys that I've ever been in the ring with. His heart in the ring always far surpassed his physical size. That's why he's been able to compete with guys twice his size and do remarkably well. His mental and physical toughness was severely underestimated until our first Hell in a Cell match. To survive that beating and continue to be able to wrestle was a remarkable feat."

Marty Jannetty: Christened the Midnight Rockers in AWA, Michaels and Jannetty were more than just tag-team partners: they were also close friends. Eventually, however, fame, success and jealousy drove a wedge between the two, and their relationship took a turn for the worse. Now both born-again Christians, the Rockers have mended fences, and rekindled their friendship.
"I met Shawn way back, when I first started out 20 years ago in Kansas City. He and I were with D.J. Peterson, and the three of us were all partners. One night, a tag team didn't show up, and they just put Shawn and I together. We hit it right off. When it was over, we shook hands and were like "wow." Right from the get go, we clicked. On a personal level we were always cool, so when we made our way to the AWA with Verne Gagne, I was by myself at first, but I told them that I wanted to tag with Shawn, and we were put together. We were told to come up with a catchy name, and that was a quest in itself. We made a big list of names before coming up with Midnight Rockers.
"It was the beginning of an era, and we changed part of the industry. Shawn and I were fast-paced characters, who brought a lot of new skill and innovation to the ring. We did a lot of combination stuff, and at that time, the Rock 'n' Roll Express was the only other team who would do that, so the younger crowd liked us and got behind us. The other wrestlers liked us as well.
"Shawn's always brought a lot to the table. He's a great guy, and he's got the heart for doing what he does best. We spent most of our time together as a team, and we made headlines, but after we split as a team, we had some great, terrific matches against each other-probably some of the best matches of my life. It was great to wrestle against Shawn, and even back then, he was seen as one of the top guys in the business. With him, wrestling was `liquid,' in that everything clicked right away.
"His faith inspired me, and there was a point in my life where I fell into a slump and didn't know where to turn. Then, I got a call from Shawn inviting me to the Christian Athletes International Ministry out in Arizona. It was one of those things that was more than a coincidence. I was walking around a friend's neighborhood, and I had his cell phone, and while I'm walking around, having some really bad thoughts run through my head, the phone rang. Now, I didn't pick it up; I thought the call was for my friend. But when I got back, he checked the message and it was from Shawn. I hadn't spoken to him in years, and while I'm at this low point, he called. Turns out he got the number from an independent wrestler who I'd crossed paths with a year or so ago.
"Shawn told me all about what he'd gone through, and after hearing him speak, the timing of the call seemed a bit more than coincidence, and made a believer out of me. I flew to Arizona and met with him for the first time in years. It wasn't just about being born again, it was also about being reunited with my friend, someone I'd spent a good number of years with when I was starting out.
"Shawn is a great guy, and I don't just mean that he's great for the sports-entertainment business; he's a great guy to know personally. When he has the heart to do something, he does it. That's the Shawn I know. He's always had the drive to succeed at whatever he wants, and I'm very proud of him. When I found out he was the real deal with re-discovering religion, it made me so happy for him. He does it with full conviction, and 100 percent heart. I hope he continues to do what he does best. And as far as the Rockers go: never say never.

Sherri Martel: Upon tossing Marty Jannetty through a glass window, and subsequently splitting the Rockers tag team, Shawn took on "Scary" Sherri as his manager. In fact, it was Sherri who initially recorded HBK's theme song "Sexy Boy." Although no longer active in the industry, Sherri still has priceless memories of Shawn from WWE and before.
"I had just started in the AWA a little before the Midnight Rockers became popular, and I was working with Buddy Rose and Doug Summers, who were going up against Marty and Shawn. They were like any other cute, good-looking tag team. But they were different in the fact that they had a lot of charisma. If you watched them do their interviews and the way they interacted together, you knew that they were something special. When Marty and Shawn got in the ring with Buddy and Doug, they had great chemistry, and their matches became the main event every time.
"When I came to WWE, I first started working with Randy Savage-that was right around when Shawn and Marty came-and after I finished working with Ted DiBiase, I started accompanying Shawn. I remember sitting in my dressing room, thinking, `This is something'. After going through everything in the AWA, who would have thought that I would actually get paired with Shawn Michaels?'
"Shawn's momentum kicked up when he worked for WWE, and I didn't think he needed anybody to manage him. He's the total package. He's good-looking, he's a good person, he has excellent charisma in the ring and he's very articulate. I just stood at ringside, and I couldn't believe it.
"Shawn was always easy to talk to, he has a good heart, and he always included me in his matches. He was just an amazing person to work with, and it doesn't surprise me that he has come back from a terrible injury to be on top again. Shawn doesn't know the meaning of the word `failure.' He doesn't know any boundaries, and if he did, he wouldn't be afraid of crossing them. He has a lot of heart, and each and every time he goes out there, regardless of how he feels, he always gives 150 percent in the ring.
"I want to thank Shawn for all the time he spent with me, and all the good advice he gave me. I am so proud of him, and I am a better person for knowing him. I really enjoyed working with Shawn, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Tito Santana: Another of HBK's major influences was Santana, who as El Matador, faced off with HBK at WrestleMania VIII for the Intercontinental Championship. This past Mrch, Shawn inducted his friend, role model and fellow legend into the WWE Hall of Fame.
"Undoubtedly, he is one of the best, but he had a slow start. I remember advising him to be patient, because I saw the potential that he had. Sometimes, when someone gets to WWE, they want instant stardom, because they had it somewhere else, but luckily, he was smart enough to hold on and wait for his time. He soon became one of the best, and he still is.
"We had great matches. I would have liked to have had more of them, but unfortunately, I didn't get to wrestle against him in very many singles matches. I thought it was a great honor to have him induct me into the WWE Hall of Fame, and what he said [about me] was pretty touching. I'm very grateful for that, and for how he felt about me. If Shawn ever lacked anything, it was size, but he was just so good that it didn't matter. I saw him in matches with Undertaker and other giants, and the size difference never seemed to slow him down a bit. He could wrestle with anyone."

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