Shawn Michaels on WrestleMania VIII: “I was still trying to find out who I was”
Michaels wrestled his first WrestleMania singles match in 1992
The Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
With WrestleMania taking place this weekend, Undisputed is running a special series each day this week.
The Road to WrestleMania is a series of stories detailing some of the most defining moments throughout the history of WrestleMania.
Wednesday: Shawn Michaels on WrestleMania VIII
Thursday: Hulk Hogan on initial plans for the original WrestleMania
Friday: WrestleMania 41 predictions
Contents for The Week in Wrestling:
Shawn Michaels on WrestleMania VIII
An inside look at the past week in wrestling
What if WrestleMania went back to being one night?
Tweet of the Week
Shawn Michaels on WrestleMania VIII: “That’s a moment that doesn't get the focus that it deserves, but it was very important for me”
Shawn Michaels entered uncharted territory at WrestleMania VIII.
He was wrestling his first singles match at WrestleMania, opening a star-studded show at the Hoosier Dome in a bout against Tito Santana.
Michaels was no stranger to WrestleMania. He had wrestled at the event the prior three years beside Marty Jannetty as part of The Rockers, even picking up his first WrestleMania victory the year before against The Barbarian and Haku.
But none of that prepared him for the spotlight of a show-opener in front of more than 60,000 people.
“I was still trying to find out who I was,” said Michaels. “That was a really key moment for me.”
Michaels had spent the past seven years as a babyface tag team wrestler. Only 26 years old at the time, he was stepping into a whole new realm as a cocky heel. He certainly had charisma, but the challenge became projecting that in a realistic manner while in the ring.
Initially, the plan was for Michaels to wrestle Jannetty at WrestleMania VIII. That would have added a spectacular chapter to their story and properly sent Michaels into the open sea as a villain. Yet the problem was that Jannetty, an incredibly underrated performer, was proving to be extremely unreliable.
After Michaels turned on Jannetty in epic fashion that January, superkicking him and sending him head-first through a glass panel on Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake’s interview segment, The Barber Shop, the plan was for Jannetty to return seeking his revenge. Instead, he was indefinitely suspended due to an altercation with a police officer where he was also charged with possession of cocaine. That March, he was sentenced to six months of house arrest, which led to a subsequent release from WWE.
The former tag partners went on to have their feud when Jannetty returned on Raw the following January, but it lacked the pomp and circumstance of happening at WrestleMania. Instead of wrestling his former tag partner, Michaels opened WrestleMania VIII against Santana, a legend entering the twilight of his career, with the backstory for their feud being that Santana eliminated Michaels from that year’s Royal Rumble match.
Michaels vs. Jannetty would have added a lot to WrestleMania. But, interestingly, it may have worked out better for Michaels.
“That’s a moment that doesn't get the focus that it deserves, but it was very important for me,” said Michaels. “Having the incredibly great fortune to wrestle a guy like Tito was fantastic. He knew who he was, knew exactly what he was doing, and he kept me from going out of my mind wrestling in that spot in front of that many people. It was my first WrestleMania singles match, and I was very fortunate to be in there with a guy who understood what it meant to be a big-time player.”
Santana had plenty of experience at the event, even working the opening match at the original WrestleMania1. Though his brilliance is rarely discussed in the modern era, he was a legitimate superstar during the WWF’s boom in the 1980s. And Michaels just so happened to be surrounded by another star in this match: “Sensational” Sherri, an incredibly talented professional wrestler who shined as a manager in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
“Don’t underestimate how important Sherri was to all of this,” said Michaels. “There was this whole new idea about who ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels was going to be, and it doesn't work without Sherri.”
Michaels won the match at WrestleMania VIII, starting his legacy as Mr. WrestleMania. After a somewhat forgettable bout a year later at WrestleMania IX that is better remembered for the debuting Luna Vachon (and a backstage brawl between Michaels and Mr. Perfect), Michaels wrestled his first WrestleMania masterpiece the following year at Madison Square Garden in a ladder match against Razor Ramon. Many more would follow, including the Iron Man match against Bret Hart where a boyhood dream became a reality, as well as classics against Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, and The Undertaker.
And that journey began at WrestleMania VIII.
“Again, I was very fortunate to wrestle a guy like Tito,” said Michaels. “That helped me shine and make the most of the moment.”
This past week…
Paul Heyman has been instrumental in making the Roman Reigns-Seth Rollins-CM Punk triple threat mean that much more. It would have been even more significant, however, if they were wrestling for the World Heavyweight Championship.
The story between Gunther and Jey Uso would have still been meaningful without a title involved. I can’t see Gunther winning, but it would add an air of unpredictability to the event if he does.
Tonight marks a milestone for AEW, as Dynamite surpasses WCW flagship show Nitro with episode no. 289 (Nitro ran 288). Tonight’s Dynamite will include Mercedes Moné against Athena, as well as Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita.
Kenny Omega’s feud with The Young Bucks was revisited last week on Dynamite, and the Bucks made sense of their attack on Swerve–which they claimed was done for Hangman Page (who wrestles a mystery opponent–Jack Perry, perhaps?–tonight on Dynamite). Somehow, I hope the Bucks getting involved in the world title scene serves as a way to introduce Kazuchika Okada into the picture.
Major news breaking from New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Tetsuya Naito is leaving the company and will be a free agent. The last appearance for the longtime NJPW staple is May 4.
I recommend the WrestleMania IX documentary–Becoming A Spectacle–as there were a lot of fascinating behind-the-scenes moments. But there were some glaring omissions, particularly any detail surrounding a Hulk Hogan-Randy Savage rumor that the doc introduced about Savage giving Hogan his black eye.
What if WrestleMania were a one-night affair?
Vince McMahon used to advertise WrestleMania as the Super Bowl of wrestling.
It’s a solid analogy. You wait all year for the event, a night when the absolute best wrestle.
Except that isn’t always how it turns out. Too often, WrestleMania is all about getting as many people on the card as possible.
This year, there are currently 13 matches scheduled for WrestleMania 41, which takes place over two nights this weekend. But what if it were back to being only one night? And what if only the very best were on the card?
WrestleMania should highlight the absolute best. That means it needs to be a one-night affair.
On paper, a one-night WrestleMania would be spectacular. You could cut the amount of matches in half, focusing on compelling storylines that are most deserving of a spot at the biggest show of the year.
LA Knight-Jacob Fatu is a feud that only picked up steam last week. Rey Mysterio-El Grande Americano is another match that doesn’t merit the bright lights of WrestleMania–for that matter, neither does Jade Cargill-Naomi. How did War Raiders-New Day make the card while Street Profits-Motor City Machine Guns did not?
While we’re cutting, the women’s tag match was rushed. So was AJ Styles-Logan Paul, who could both be added to the IC title bout featuring Bron Breakker, Finn Balor, Penta, and Dom Mysterio.
So that leaves us with seven matches:
Gunther vs. Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight Championship
Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley in a triple threat for the Women’s World Championship
Multi-man match for the IC title
Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins triple threat
Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair for the WWE Women’s Championship
Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest in a Sun City Street Fight
Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship
That’s an outrageous card (and that’s the order I would run it). There are major names missing from it–but not every star makes the Super Bowl every year, either.
WWE makes considerably more money from holding the event over two nights. But in terms of delivering the best WrestleMania possible, going back to one night would be a card you couldn’t miss.
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The real side of pro wrestling.
In a fun piece of trivia, Santana defeated The Executioner by submission in the first-ever match at WrestleMania.