Shawn Michaels assesses the end of his in-ring career.
15 years ago, Shawn Michaels wrestled in what many assumed to be his final match at WWE WrestleMania 26. Eight years later, however, “The Heartbreak Kid” came out of retirement for a tag match alongside his long-time friend Triple H at WWE Crown Jewel. While appearing on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, Michaels revealed which of the two bouts he considered to be the last of his in-ring career.
“It’s that one with Undertaker [at WrestleMania 26],” Michaels said. “Because the other one, it was a tag match, it was DX, and I feel kind of bad, because I don’t mean it in a negative way, but that was just sort of like, I don’t know. It was like Kiss going out, and not even with the original members or whatever, and playing a concert at The Troubadour or something. It was like, Oh, but they’re not really retired, and I know Kiss never retired, just felt like a special, separate one-off. HBK and Mr. WrestleMania, The Showstopper, whatever, that ended with Taker at WrestleMania, because I still came back and refereed the match between Hunter and Taker and again, and will always play a role in the WWE. Would it count if I went into the Rumble this year or something? Don’t get me wrong.”
Would Michaels Really Enter Another Royal Rumble?
When asked if he’d actually enter another WWE Royal Rumble, Michaels noted that he wouldn’t. “Oh, heavens no!” he said. “Probably shouldn’t have said that. I was just using that as an example. But no, I don’t consider those a match. A single performance by me, by HBK, by that guy. That’s not who that was. That was a dude hanging out with his buddies and having a match. So one was the artist, the other one is was a dude, like I said, hanging out with his buddies.”
At WWE WrestleMania 26, Michaels fell to The Undertaker in a Career vs. WrestleMania Streak Match. The two shared the ring once more as Michaels and Triple H took on Undertaker and Kane at WWE Crown Jewel 2018. Michaels and Triple H, as DX, emerged victorious.
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