Tag: Shawn Michaels

The ‘Curtain Call’ reshaped WWE 30 years ago today | Opinion

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Wrestling has produced countless memorable moments, matches and shocking incidents. Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the “Curtain Call” — a controversial moment that arguably helped pave the way for the WWE Attitude Era and the eventual rise of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin as we know him today.  

The background

In 1994, real life friends and WWE wrestlers Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Sean Waltman formed The Kliq. It wasn’t an official on-screen stable like DX but existed backstage among the friends. The group became highly influential backstage due to close friendships and their growing star power in WWE. They traveled together for tours and other wrestling events, influencing creative decisions and developed a reputation for holding significant power backstage. 

What happened on May 19, 1996? 

On May 19, 1996, Hall and Nash competed in their final WWE matches before becoming free agents and eventually signing with WCW. At an event in Madison Square Garden, Hall faced Triple H while Michaels defended the WWF Championship in a steel cage match against Nash.

The shocker came after the main event when Hall entered the ring and embraced Michaels. Later, Nash and Triple H joined in the group hug, bidding farewell to the two who were departing the company.

The incident pre-dated the social media era when it was difficult for videos and photos from wrestling events to quickly spread. However, a couple of fans had snuck in their camcorders into the venue, captured the incident on tape, causing it to spread like wildfire. 

Why it created an uproar

The crowd gasped and were confused at what unfolded. It was an unusual sight because they were breaking a sacred WWE rule by breaking kayfabe in public. Vince McMahon was particular about feuding wrestlers being spotted together at outings so as to maintain their rivalries and good/bad guy personas they had going. 

The curtain call incident shattered the illusion of wrestling which undermined the product’s presentation. 

The fallout 

Nash and Hall escaped any form of punishment since they were done with WWE. Michaels was the WWF Champion and a top star in the company. So, the only person who took the fall was Triple H. 

The irony is that without the curtain call incident of 1996, there wouldn’t be a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin or the birth of the Attitude Era. But how were they related?

Triple H became the scapegoat since he lacked championship status and didn’t have an expiring contract. On June 23 that year, WWE held their annual King of the Ring event. Triple H’s growing stature was leading to him winning the tournament and skyrocketing his career. He did not get a suspension or indefinite leave of absence after the controversial incident, but instead was punished by not winning the tournament.

That accomplishment went to Austin who defeated Jake Roberts to win the event, followed by him proceeding to give the legendary and revolutionary Austin 3:16 promo in a post-match interview. 

The following week, fans started bringing “Austin 3:16” posters to events signifying the impact it had among WWE fans which led to Steve Austin’s trajectory as the next top star to take over the WWE landscape. 

All of that seemed unimaginable back 30 years ago.

Shawn Michaels addresses challenges of preparing NXT talents for main roster

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Shawn Michaels discussed the challenges working with NXT talents and getting them main roster ready within a specified period.

Speaking on What’s Your Story with Stephanie McMahon, Michaels talked about the transition from wrestling to coaching the next wave of WWE talents at NXT. 

“Well, so it was obviously it’s you’ve got the the teaching of the business and wrestling and coaching and you know, again, from basics to intermediate to advanced, you know, very structured from a coaching teaching aspect. But the biggest, the part that moved me the most, is the idea that it doesn’t have to be the over the top kind of tough love that we all got. Now, on one hand, I recognize that there are going to be people that are going to say that the way we got brought up was whatever.”

Michaels also addressed the challenges in moulding NXT talents to be ready for the main roster and key points discussed in his documentary. 

“It’s very challenging and look, and that’s one of the things I can remember being asked like ‘how long do you think it takes to get one of these athletes that doesn’t know anything to get them totally ready for the main roster?’ And I said honestly, to get them ready to what I think is adequate to be ready for a main roster guy, he said. And they said really, you can’t get done faster than that. And I was like, well, we, I mean, I guess we can. But if not, not to get them to where I think they need to be simply because of that, because we don’t have the opportunity there. We have people that, you know, I was, in the hundreds of matches in probably three months.”

Michaels is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative for NXT. He got involved in backstage roles for the brand in 2021 and has been pivotal in creating the future stars of WWE. 

Shawn Michaels reveals reason for The Undertaker’s WWE LFG absence

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The Undertaker and Michelle McCool were replaced in WWE Legends & Future Greats’ third season by Kevin Owens and Natalya.

On the first episode of the season that recently aired, Shawn Michaels implied that Undertaker’s Lucha Libre AAA’s duties contributed to his absence from LFG. 

The show revolves around Performance Center recruits working their way up to NXT and the main roster someday. The Undertaker served as head coach in the first two seasons, and mentored Shiloh Hill and Tyra Mae Steele. Hill transitioned to NXT in December 2025, however, Steele was among the few names released by WWE last weekend. 

Owens eagerly took on the role amidst neck surgery recovery and cited that he was ‘losing his mind’ not being able to compete in the ring. His association with LFG was something he looked forward to. 

He was set to face Randy Orton at WrestleMania last year but announced imminent neck surgery that omitted his participation. In July he underwent subsequent surgery. Owens was spotted training at the Performance Center towards the end of 2025 but there has been no update on his condition to return as an active competitor on the roster. 

Undertaker became a major contributor to Lucha Libre AAA wrestling since WWE acquired the promotion in 2025. He has been instrumental in booking shows, mentoring talents and creative directions. 

During the episode, Michaels also addressed a format change on competition for contracts. Going forward, talents from LFG could be called up to NXT which enables them with an ease in transition.

Shawn Michaels praises Undertaker’s AAA work

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Shawn Michaels thinks The Undertaker is doing a “fantastic” job behind the scenes in Lucha Libre AAA.

After helping to define WWE in the ring from the 1990s-2010s, Michaels and Undertaker are both now important figures behind the scenes. Michaels is in charge of WWE NXT, while Undertaker is a big part of the AAA creative team. Michaels sees the irony in his former undead rival being so heavily involved in lucha libre, but he’s happy to see Undertaker giving back to the industry.

We joke about that quite a bit,” Michaels told Adrian Hernandez. “Here is this unbelievably stoic figure in his WWE career, and he’s out there with the luchadores and everything else going 100 miles an hour and stuff. But, again, so poetic. He’s doing a fantastic job, and that’s no surprise. He’s the man in so many ways. He’s incredibly bright and, of course, once he started coming around the Performance Center and jumping into [WWE] LFG, much like myself, that love, that itch comes back and it makes you want to be able to give back.

“So he’s, no surprise, doing a fantastic job with AAA. But, no, it is sort of ironic that of all people, the man who was The Undertaker, out there having the lucha libre style being his trademark going forward in his career.”

A new Peacock documentary, titled “The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels,” premiered today. It tells the story of Michaels’ wrestling stardom, his battles with addiction, and how he overcame them to get where he’s at now — serving as WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative. Undertaker was among those interviewed for the documentary.

Shawn Michaels: ‘I was begging’ to keep Je’Von Evans in NXT

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Almost anyone who watched NXT in 2025 could have told you that Je’Von Evans would not be on the developmental show for long—anyone, that is, except the man in charge of NXT, Shawn Michaels.

In an interview with Ringer Wrestling, Michaels was asked if there had ever been an NXT star he wanted to keep forever. Evans’ name immediately came to mind. 

“Certainly, Je’Von, obviously was somebody I was begging for,” Michaels said. “Can we keep this kid for another six months?’ Because we had every intention … from an NXT standpoint we were, in our minds, going to build around Je’Von for the next year, and that was kind of the model.”

Michaels knew by that point that his NXT Champion, Oba Femi, was being called up to the main roster, but Evans’ promotion caught him off guard.

“And they’re like, ‘Oh, no, no, no. We’re taking him, too,’” he said. “I pushed back a little bit. I was like, ‘Could we get just six months?’ Like, ‘no.’ I’m like, ‘Three?’ Like, ‘no.’ And I’m like, ‘All right, so. fair enough.’”

Though Michaels was disappointed, he also took the news as a compliment. 

“If that’s the worst news you have to have, is that they’re taking too many of your people, that means we’re doing a pretty good job,” Michaels said. “And that’s something that we always have to remember. That’s part of my job as well, is trying to remind people that, hey, this is what we do.”

Michaels then compared what he’s doing in NXT to the world of college sports. 

“We’re like the NCAA,” he said. “We’re a brand, but at the same time, they are they’re not meant to stay here. We’re not going to build around these people for years and years. It’s just not the reality of NXT. And so, understanding, that you’re going to have these times of setting back and resetting and having to go through a building phase again is just something that you have to do.”

Shawn Michaels addresses use of superkicks in pro wrestling

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Shawn Michaels addressed the superkick being used more prominently in today’s wrestling landscape, and revealed that Dolph Ziggler reached out to ask for permission to use the move as his own. 

Michaels discussed the impact of the signature finishing move during an appearance on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony Podcast . He noted that many wrestlers go into training with a specific idea in mind about what their finishing move will be like. He proceeded to talk about his own move, Sweet Chin Music and revealed his reaction when Ziggler called him to ask for permission to use it.

“I can remember with Sweet Chin Music, the Superkick, it was a couple years after I retired and getting a phone call. One guy wanted to use it. ‘Is it okay?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it doesn’t matter to me’. I want to say I think it was Dolph Ziggler. And I just thought like, ‘Sure, I’m not there anymore'”

“I didn’t want to be an old timer that stopped the progression and the evolution of the business,” said Michaels. “I ran into that a lot. ‘Kids are killing the business, you’re going too fast’. I didn’t want to be one of those kinds of guys. And so once I said yes to that one, it was like sort of opening a floodgate. I don’t know. I guess, I’ll say this. I’m always happy because that question comes up in darn near every interview I do. I still feel like the move is always still gonna be synonymous with me, which I’m appreciative of. And I think to myself, if I’m laying there on my deathbed and my biggest problem in my life is that too many people are using the damn Sweet Chin Music, come on now. That’s hardly anything to complain about.”

His tenure with WWE spans nearly four decades. Since 2018 Michaels has been a contributing figure in NXT’s brand development as a writer and producer. In 2022 he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative following Triple H’s exit. 

Shawn Michaels addresses WWE backstage issues with The Rock

Posted on by Joseph Currier

According to Shawn Michaels, rumors that he and Triple H mistreated The Rock during the Attitude Era are “blown way out of proportion.”

Michaels addressed rumors of backstage heat between himself and The Rock while appearing on NBA legend Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. During the appearance, Michaels was asked why he and The Rock never faced each other.

“He didn’t like me,” Michaels responded before laughing. “No, I will say this — there’s a big kerfuffle in the wrestling business about me and Hunter, you know, doing stuff to him and being mean and stuff like that. All of it way blown out of proportion, none of it even accurate. But things that when he was younger was fed a lot. But, again, later on and to this day, we get along and we talk about stuff.

“That’s one I think everybody would have liked to have seen. But by the time I came back, he was well off into his Hollywood career and stuff like that.”

Michaels noted that, when The Rock first started in WWE, there was some ribbing in the locker room over the “Rocky sucks” chants that he was getting. But Rock was able to turn things around with a character change and gain acceptance from fans, who no longer saw him as just being Rocky Johnson’s son.

When Michaels watched The Rock on Saturday Night Live for the first time, he could tell Rock was going to become a big star in Hollywood.

“What he’s done has been pretty damn impressive,” Michaels said.

Michaels, Triple H, and The Rock all now hold important positions within WWE/TKO. Michaels is in charge of NXT, Triple H is WWE’s Chief Content Officer, and Rock is a member of TKO’s board of directors.

Next Monday (April 13), a new documentary — titled “The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels” — will premiere on Peacock. It will cover Michaels’ career, his battle with addiction issues, and his NXT role.

Peacock reveals premiere date for Shawn Michaels WWE documentary

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A new WWE documentary is coming to Peacock in time for WrestleMania season.

It was announced today that “The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels” will be available to stream on Peacock starting on Monday, April 13. Touted as “one of the most improbable redemption stories in WWE history,” the documentary will cover Michaels’ career, his battle with addiction issues, and his new WWE role as the boss of NXT.

Here is the full synopsis:

  • ‘The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels,’ Peacock’s latest original documentary in partnership with WWE features exclusive behind-the-scenes access with one of the greatest performers of all time and chronicles the career of the WWE Hall of Famer. This intimate look at Michaels spotlights his incredible ability and the personal struggles that led to one of the most improbable redemption stories in WWE history. Viewers will be taken on a journey through his life while also getting an inside look at Michaels’ role as the head of WWE’s developmental brand NXT.

Though WWE’s presence on Peacock has largely dwindled, the two sides are still partners with Peacock airing Saturday Night’s Main Event. It previously hosted the WWE PLE library before that moved to Netflix. NXT content has also left Peacock, with this Saturday’s Stand & Deliver PLE set to air live on YouTube.

Michaels job title in WWE is Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative. He has led NXT behind the scenes since 2021 after already having served as a coach for the brand.

Interviews with Michaels, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Bret Hart, Kevin Nash, and The Undertaker are included in the trailer. Michaels’ daughter was also interviewed for the project.

Je’Von Evans shares advice from Shawn Michaels

Posted on by Ian Carey

Je’Von Evans says some of the best advice he’s received in his career came from Shawn Michaels.

During an interview with Adrian Hernandez that was published on Saturday, Evans was asked what advice he’s been given over the years that has stuck with him. He responded that Michaels telling him to “just be yourself” is something he always takes with him.

Evans said:

“Just be yourself. That’s always that’s like the main thing. I always take that advice with me. And actually, Shawn Michaels, he told me that. When I first got to NXT, he told me, ‘Bro, just be yourself cause nobody’s doing it like you.’“

“We’re talking about like the greatest of all time telling me nobody’s doing it like you. So once he told me that, bro, it was a click, you know what I mean? Shawn sees something. And if he’s telling me that ‘Hey, you need to do this,’ I’m listening to Shawn.”

The 21-year-old is coming off competing in the men’s Elimination Chamber match at the United Center in Chicago on February 28. He has wrestled once since then, facing Dragon Lee at a Main Event taping on March 9, 2026.

Evans’ full conversation with Adrian Hernandez is available below. The video is queued to his comments about the advice he received from Shawn Michaels.

Oba Femi details learning from Shawn Michaels in WWE NXT

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Coming up in WWE NXT, Oba Femi was able to learn a lot from Shawn Michaels.

Femi reflected on his tenure in developmental while appearing on this week’s edition of Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast. When he was in NXT, Femi would come up with elaborate finishes for his matches. It initially bothered him when Michaels would reject those ideas, but Femi learned an important lesson in the process. Everyone is part of the show and all of those elements have to fit together to form a complete picture.

“You can, but I don’t think that’s going to work. You will be very frustrated,” he responded when asked if it’s possible to be a perfectionist in wrestling. “And I think I learned that lesson quickly. So here in NXT when I was in developmental, I’ll come up with these matches and come up with these elaborate finishes and stuff like that. And Shawn would always change it. Shawn Michaels would always change it. And I’m just like — and it used to like eat at me at first. But I’m like, he knows where we’re going after this. I don’t know where we’re going after this. So you kind of have to just lend yourself as a tool to make the art come to life and be okay with where it goes.”

Femi was more than happy to have Michaels tell him what to do given all that Michaels has accomplished in wrestling.

“And at the end of the day, I’m like, okay, whatever I have in mind, I have to put that to the side. It’s what Shawn wants, to give him what he wants. And I will give him what he wants,” Femi said. “So I learned quickly, that’s part of being a student of the game. Like, sometimes I would ask him what he’s looking for and then go draft something. And then he still doesn’t like it — and that’s fine too. But at least that’s part of the learning process, seeing where his mind is at, what direction he’s trying to go on, and learning from him.

“Because I don’t know how to book wrestling. I’m not a booker, but it’s an important skill to learn. I feel like a lot of guys, they’re just like, ‘Make me champion.’ You know, ‘Do this for me, do that for me.’ But they don’t even understand the patterns and the way in which the booking works. The ‘why.’ So I just lent myself to Shawn and I let him take me where I needed to be.”

Matt Bloom, Ivar, and Terry Taylor are some of the other people Femi was able to learn from in NXT. He and Taylor would often disagree about things, but Taylor helped Femi understand the minutiae and nuance of pro wrestling.

Outside of the ring, Femi learned a lot about respect from his father and a lot about love from his mother. He learned to dream big through public figures like Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and former Navy SEAL David Goggins.

Femi was called up to the WWE main roster near the start of 2026 and is now set for a WrestleMania 42 clash against Brock Lesnar.

Blake Monroe discusses working under Shawn Michaels in WWE NXT

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Formerly known as Mariah May in AEW, Blake Monroe switched promotions and joined WWE last year as a part of Shawn Michaels’ NXT.

Recently speaking on The Wrestling Classic, Monroe opened up in detail about the experience of working under Michaels’ management.

“Oh, that’s it’s awesome. I think the thing with Shawn [Michaels] is he was such a phenomenal wrestler, but he also has such a good character. He really understands how to tell a story and where to put those beats. And WWE is really heavy on entertainment and that story side. And that’s what I love. That’s what I thrive on,” Monroe said. The 27-year-old was also involved in one of the most talked-about AEW feuds with Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World title before she departed from the promotion.

“But getting to, you know, when we work on different things, and he’s so hands-on. Matt Bloom and Shawn Michaels when we, you know, we have TV, they are so invested and so is the whole writers team, but Shawn will literally be ringside and he’ll give you advice and, you know, I think back to all the epic moments Shawn Michaels has had and I’m like, when he’s showing me, he’s like, you know, he never tells you how to do you,” she continued.

“Like, he always says, you’re the glamour. You’re the woman from h**l. Like, I’ll never tell you how to do your thing. But, you know, I can see how Shawn Michaels would do it, and maybe the face he would make or the demeanor he would have or the way he would do something, and it’s like that’s pretty cool. He’s pretty much always right.”

Monroe is also a former WWE NXT Women’s North American Champion, having held the title for 52 days before losing it to Thea Hail. She is now scheduled to be in a match against Jaida Parker at NXT Vengeance Day.

Trick Williams shares the differences between Triple H & Shawn Michaels

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Trick Williams believes NXT’s Shawn Michaels and WWE main roster’s Triple H have two very different management styles.

Following a successful WWE NXT career, Trick Williams recently made the jump and joined WWE’s main roster earlier this year. Shortly after his transition, Williams became one of the most popular names on the roster.

Recently, speaking on My Mom’s Basement, Williams opened up about the different approaches used by Michaels and Triple H in NXT and on the main roster, having worked under both.

“I think both are great in their own right. Shawn Michaels has to babysit a little bit more because NXT is younger talent, newer talent who are still trying to figure out their way in the business. So he has to be hands-on and probably, like I said, babysit way more,” Williams said.

Whereas Triple H is awesome. He just kind of… he sits back and sees who you are, and he decides how he wants to present you. So he’s more doing the polishing and the brushing up. At this point, SmackDown and Raw, you’re supposed to be a pro; this is the big leagues. He’s not babysitting. He’s making you a star to the next level.”

Williams was recently a part of the 2026 men’s Elimination Chamber match and is also reportedly on his way toward a babyface turn.

Paul Heyman compares Austin Theory to WWE Hall of Famer

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Paul Heyman is setting the bar high for Austin Theory.

In an interview with Busted Open, Heyman compared the newest member of The Vision to one of the biggest stars in WWE history, noting that he had the size and discipline to become a major player.

“He’s Shawn Michaels when Shawn Michaels was in The Rockers,” he declared. “My apologies to Austin Theory if that’s too low of a bar to set for him. Why not? Why not. If that kid can’t figure out the things that he’s doing wrong and accentuate the things that he’s already doing right then please tell me who can. What doesn’t he have? He has decent size and he’s only getting bigger. He has tremendous discipline, he’s not one of these guys that is out all night in Europe at the eurotrash rave in Paris at 4:30 in the morning, he’s in the gym at 4:30 in the morning and he’s back in the gym as soon as the matches are over.”

Heyman went as far to say that if Theory was able to get everything together, he would be ‘untouchable.’

“He’s highly intelligent. He speaks to the youth. He looks great and can work his balls off,” he added. “So once he figures out the difference between a really good match and a money match, once he understands that being out of character while in character and relaxing within the skin of that character, Austin Theory is going to be untouchable.”

Theory was introduced as the newest member of The Vision at the end of last year after aiding the group at Survivor Series, helping them win their War Games match. In the months since, he has regularly teamed with stablemates Bronson Reed and Logan Paul.

Report: Documentary on WWE Hall of Famer nearing premiere

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

According to latest reports, a documentary centred around WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is nearing its premiere.

As per Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select, a documentary centred around Michaels is close to its premiere and will include several new interviews with his peers and former rivals.

While the documentary does not have an official release date yet, WWE has completed the full-length feature on Michaels, which will possibly dive deep into his career and achievements.

One of the most celebrated wrestlers with multiple title wins, Michaels currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative in WWE NXT.

AJ Styles says the opportunity to learn from Shawn Michaels would have been ‘priceless’

Last month, during an interview with Justin Barrasso of The Undisputed, AJ Styles opened up about never having a match against Michaels, and how the opportunity to learn from him would have been “priceless.”

“The thing that I regret the most about not being able to get in the ring with Shawn Michaels is the opportunity to learn from him. That would have been priceless. It just wasn’t meant to be. Hopefully we’ll get the opportunity to work together in some capacity, whether it’s developing talent or just helping the brand get better altogether.”

V&C&S: A peculiar Granny segment, plus WWF WrestleFest ’92

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

The boys are back (well, most of them) with an unusual Tuesday night show.

Granny is here, but her Facebook is not, so Vinny and Craig and Shawn pepper her with any questions they can find. Then it’s time to review WWF WrestleFest ’92, which featured some good wrestling, some boring wrestling, and a heaping helping of nostalgia.

It’s the start of Shawn Michaels’ singles run and Bret Hart’s championship ascension, so there’s a lot to talk about.

A fun show as always so check it out!

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