A new WWE Untold episode will be arriving on Peacock and the WWE Network this May.
WWE has announced that “WWE Untold: Two Dudes with Attitudes” will premiere on Sunday, May 2. The documentary, which will be made available on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network everywhere else, is focused on Shawn Michaels & Diesel’s partnership from the 1990s.
“This new documentary takes WWE fans back to the Dudes’ formation in 1993, when Michaels saw something in a young Kevin Nash that not many others could see. With one phone call, both of their lives would change forever, as Nash risked everything to leave WCW and enter WWE as The Heartbreak Kid’s imposing bodyguard, Diesel. What followed was a meteoric rise to the top, a bit of hellraising and a lifelong friendship,” WWE wrote.
“Michaels and Nash sit down to reveal how their time together included not only lessons for the squared circle, but for life outside the ring as well. The episode will also feature interviews with WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard and author David Shoemaker, who share their insights on Diesel and HBK’s dominant run in the ’90s.”
Michaels & Diesel held the WWF Tag Team titles together twice. They also faced off against each other for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XI in 1995.
One week before the Michaels & Diesel Untold episode premieres, a new edition of WWE 24 will make its debut. WWE 24: The Miz will premiere on Peacock and the WWE Network this Sunday (April 25).
The story of Jim Crockett Jr., and the rise and fall of Jim Crockett Promotions is the lead story in the current double-sized issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We look at the death of Crockett, the Crockett’s family original involvement in wrestling, how Jim took over the moves he made in building a small market territory into one of the big three companies in the U.S., original plans and why they changed, the rise of Ric Flair, where Jm was a Hall of Fame promoter, the fight with Vince McMahon from 1984-88, getting the TBS deal, what led to JCP selling to Turner, the framework of the NWA in the 70s and 80s, the rise of the super show concept, mistakes made at the end, what happened when TBS took over, attempts to get back in wrestling and life after wrestling.
Also in this issue:
NXT to Tuesday, why, what should be expected for the unopposed shows, WrestleMania plans, Takeover plans and how this affects the industry as a whole.
We also look at the next four PPV shows in pro wrestling with current plans and what happened this week to change plans.
A court case that has major ramifications on major wrestling companies.
A new documentary from a WWE star away from WWE.
Raw conflicting with college basketball, how other sports do on TV against AEW or WWE, Canadian rating updated, where wrestling stands with mother major sports programming, WWE losing a time slot to AEW, WWE injury dates, Ric Flair talks his angle being dropped, WWE market value and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
New Japan Cup and company plans going forward, Castle Attack shows, injury update, business notes and stadium shows.
Stardom’s biggest show in its history at Budokan Hall.
Life and times of Dean Higuchi, or Dean Ho, one of the major babyface stars of the 70s and his debut in Hawaii, his notoriety prior to wrestling, and his biggest career runs in WWWF and for Roy Shire.
Saturday’s UFC show.
The life of Art Michalik, who was responsible for a major change in pro football, his NFL career, getting into pro wrestling, headlining in Japan and life outside of wrestling.
The life of Johnny DeFazio, one of the most famous local stars in Pittsburgh, the heyday of Studio Wrestling and his life outside of wrestling including being a union head and for decades later a councilman.
The career of Don Serrano, who spent decades in wrestling and certain firsts he was involved in.
The life of Ann Casey, a noteworthy woman wrestling star of the 60s and 70s.
More into detail on the ratings than any other source, we have how every segment on NXT and AEW did as well as how it did with different age groups, genders and more, plus a look at all other wrestling shows of the past week.
Results of the major pro wrestling events of the past week.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.
In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.
For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
HeelbyNature reported that WWE has voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The details of the lawsuit have been sealed to the public.
In an interview with the New York Post, Shawn Michaels discussed a potential NXT move to Tuesdays: “It’s always clearly easier when [you’re] sort of destination programming, so to speak. Nothing would change certainly for us. We still try to put the best show out there that we can. Clearly, I know that’s everybody’s goal. I think it would only be fair to say everyone knows that when you are not competing against another similar show that it makes it a little bit easier. It allows people to enjoy that. And then you think about the follow from Raw the next night. So, clearly, it certainly wouldn’t hurt.”
Michaels also talked about the use of leg slaps by wrestlers.: “Clearly I look back and I go, OK I did it. I just did one. I’m always of the cloth, I can remember when I started people telling me too fast, too much, too this and there’s a balance there. They were right in some respects and at the same time, the business also evolves and changes. Football isn’t played the same. Basketball isn’t played the same, so I don’t know. I’m somebody that embraces those changes. I feel like somewhere in the middle and balance is so important. I appreciate the style of today. I appreciate the athleticism of the performers of today. Are they perfect? No. But neither were we.”
The company has trademarked “Symbiosis” and “Franky Monet”.
Other Wrestling
The NWA has announced that Jordan Clearwater, Crimson, and Slice Boogie will be part of their return on March 21 on the Back to Attack pay-per-view on FITE TV.
Last night’s Dark Side of the Ring: Confidential on VICE placed 133rd for the night, averaging 79,000 viewers.
Matt Taven and Vincent will take part in a “summit” moderated by Brian Zane that will stream at 7 pm ET on ROH’s YouTube page.
Mick Foley commented on the ending to Sunday’s AEW Revolution event: “SAD, BUT TRUE! I’ve been there – at the 1995 KOTDM when the exploding ring underperformed. I feel bad for Mox & Omega, but suggest that@AEW deep-six the Kenny built a crummy ring story, and just admit that mistakes happen…and will learn from this mistake. Just my opinion.”
A face-to-face segment with Finn Balor and his TakeOver challenger is set for tonight’s episode of NXT.
Ahead of their NXT Championship match at TakeOver 31 this Sunday, Balor and Kyle O’Reilly will go face-to-face. The segment will be hosted by Shawn Michaels.
O’Reilly became the number one contender to Balor’s title by winning the gauntlet eliminator match in the main event of last week’s NXT. The gauntlet eliminator also featured Cameron Grimes, Timothy Thatcher, Bronson Reed, and Kushida.
Candice LeRae won a number one contender’s battle royal on last week’s NXT and will challenge Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver. LeRae’s husband Johnny Gargano is also challenging Damian Priest for the NXT North American Championship at TakeOver. Tonight, LeRae & Gargano will team up against Shirai & Priest in a mixed tag match.
Shotzi Blackheart eliminated Dakota Kai in last week’s battle royal and made it to the final two before being eliminated by LeRae. A match between Blackheart and Kai has been announced for tonight’s show.
Our coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
***********************
Shotzi Blackheart defeated Dakota Kai (with Raquel Gonzalez)
Blackheart pinned Kai with a schoolgirl. They went to the finish after a scary bump on the apron. Rhea Ripley ran down at one point to confront Gonzalez.
Blackheart with shine at the outset. She grounded Kai and tied her up in holds. Kai cut off Blackheart, and she began to work her over. Blackheart sidestepped Kai, and Kai got caught on the ropes. Blackheart was going for her signature senton into the ropes when Gonzalez jumped on the apron for a distraction. That allowed Kai to deliver a backbreaker for a two count.
The show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial break as Kai got heat on Blackheart. After the break, Blackheart made a comeback in which she finally delivered the senton she was going for earlier. From there she executed a Tiger Driver for a two count.
Kai with double knees halted Blackheart’s momentum. Blackheart escaped Kai’s finisher, and the fighting spilled onto the apron. They traded kicks, and then came a crazy spot. Blackheart was going for some sort of bulldog, and she flipped backwards giving herself a reverse suplex taking a scary bump on the apron. Not sure what they were going for, but did not look safe. The announcers gasp. I gasp. Time stood still for a moment.
They went right into the finish. Blackheart hit the ropes, and Gonzalez tripped her. That brought out Ripley to shove Gonzalez. Referees poured out to separate them at ringside. Kai missed a kick in a corner, and Blackheart rolled her up for a three count.
Next was a split screen segment hyping the Cruiserweight Championship match at TakeOver. Santos Escobar and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott cut promos on each other debate style. After the debate debacle last night, that is the last thing we need on US televsion, but here it was. The segment was okay for what it was.
Reminding me of old school “Face-to-Face” segments on WWF Superstars of Wrestling, they build up their title match on Sunday.
A vignette showed a mysterious character riding around on a motorcycle. He or she is coming on 10.4.20, which is the date of TakeOver.
Next was a tremendous mini-doc profiling Kyle O’Reilly ahead of his match on Sunday challenging for the NXT Championship against Finn Balor. This was great!
Sarah Schreiber interviewed Candice LeRae & Johnny Gargano ahead of their mixed tag team match later tonight. They want to be the first married couple to both hold championships at the same time. They both have title matches on Sunday. They said it starts tonight and contiues on Sunday. Gargano was great here making snide remarks.
Cameron Grimes Invitational
Cameron Grimes came to the ring and cut a promo. He was mad about missing his chance to challenge for a title because of the gauntlet eliminator. He panned the idea of that match. He can cheer up, though, because he building stepping stone back to the top. He said he had a series of handpicked matches, and then introduced his first opponent. Out came some small guy that Grimes announced as from the 85 pound division.
The poor guy got in the ring, and Grimes hit him with a Cave In. A referee counted three, and Grimes was the winner without even taking his vest off. Grimes then introduced his next opponent he called Joey Strong. Enter stage left was some other small guy being thrown onto the stage by Ridge Holland. Looks like Grimes has a new and different opponent. Holland threw the small guy off the stage.
Grimes said it was nice to meet Holland, and he would shake his hand. However, Grimes told Holland he was not part of the Cameron Grimes Invitiational. Holland headbutted him, and a match was on regardless of Grimes’ thoughts on the matter.
Cameron Grimes defeated Ridge Holland via disqualification
Holland pummeled Grimes until the referee called for a DQ when Holland would not break for a five count. It was Vinny V’s least favorite finish, Holland was DQ’d for kicking too much ass. That was it. Grimes was near the ropes, but not in them. Holland had ahold of the top rope, but is that illegal? Kind of I guess, but it’s an old rule that is hardly enforced. Good segment overall, but a bad finish.
Austin Theory cut a promo saying he was more of the future than Kyle O’Reilly because Theory is younger. He said, “Kyle O’Reilly should try to catch up with Austin Theory.” What, bruh? You’ve done nothing but lose matches for weeks.
A vignette hyped Kushida before the next match.
Kushida defeated Tony Nese
Kushida submitted Nese with a Hoverboard Lock in a quick match.
Nese snapped Kushida on the top rope early on, and they went outside. Nese was posted shoulder first, and Kushida gave him no quarter. Displaying his new fiery side, Kushida targeted the shoulder and arm. He locked in the Hoverboard Lock, and Nese tapped out. This was all about making Kushida look like a killer.
The lights in the arena turned purple, and Dream appeared on the video screen. He said he looked best under the brightest lights, and he would see Kushida on Sunday at TakeOver.
Cameron Grimes was walking around backstage selling his face. He had a towel held to his face, and he was looking for William Regal. Grimes ran in to Dexter Lumis, who just stared a hole through him. Grimes said “you’re a freak, man”, and then he stormed off.
After a commercial break, Adam Cole was in the ring for a promo. For three years Undisputed Era has dominated NXT. They’ve done what they want, when they want, and nobody has been able to stop them. They had a prophecy saying they would win every championship, and they did. The locker room knew not to cross them. Then the prophecy ended, and they lost those championships. People then felt they changed, but Cole said nothing has changed. They are the same UE that won War Games, and dominated the brand. Cole then called out Austin Theory for running his mouth about Kyle O’Reilly.
Theory entered stage left, but he would not get in the ring. Cole gave him two option. The first was to get in the ring and fight him, or stay there and don’t move. UE would then beat him down and make him pray he would have taken the first option. Theory got in the ring, and a match was on.
Adam Cole defeated Austin Theory
Cole pinned Theory after hitting The Last Shot.
Cole took the fight to Theory, who tried to powder. Cole followed him outside and gave him a pump kick on the floor. He went on to send him into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Cole gave him a neckbreaker for a two count.
Theory took a suplex, and moments later he got his leg caught in a rope. Cole locked in a headlock, but Theory was still talking trash. “Undispute crap,” Theory said. Cole made him eat a back elbow, but Theory cut him off rolling through and springing up into a dropkick. The show cut to commercial, and Theory was working over Cole when the show returned from break.
Cole soon made a comeback, and he got a two count after a backstabber. A pump kick and an ushigoroshi led to another near fall. Cole was smirking before he climbed the ropes. He went for Panama Sunrise, but Theory blocked it with a backdrop. He superkicked Cole, and Theory gave Cole a Blue Thunder Bomb for two.
They exchanged strikes, and Cole superkicked Theory. A moment later, Theory went for his springing dropkick again, but he ran into a superkick instead. Another ushigoroshi, and Cole delivered The Last Shot to score the pinfall.
Cole after the match looked into the camera and cut a promo putting over O’Reilly. He said he is going to shock the world on Sunday, but it won’t shock Cole. He knows how great he is. Hmm, this all smells like a turn or split brewing. This reminds me of when they turned on each other in ROH. Not the storyline necessarily, just something behind the eyes.
Kayden Carter (with Kacy Catanzaro) defeated Xia Li
Li was very aggressive, and had Carter reeling early on in the match. Li hit her with several kicks, and went for succession of covers. Carter kept kicking out, and Li grew frustrated.
Carter created separation and started a comeback. They traded near falls until Carter cradled Li to score a pinfall.
Li was angry. Carter offered her a handshake, and she helped her up. Li shoved down Carter, and she stormed away.
Balor & O’Reilly Face-to-Face
Shawn Michaels moderated a face-to-face segment with Kyle O’Reilly and Finn Balor ahead of their NXT Championship bout on Sunday.
They agreed to shake hands before sitting down. Balor congratulated O’Reilly on winning the gauntlet qualifier, and Balor said he respected him as a competitor. Balor said he was looking forward to their match at TakeOver. O’Reilly said the feeling was mutual. Nothing but respect.
Michaels steered the conversation in a different direction. He asked Balor how he planned to prepare for O’Reilly, and Balor answered he knew how good O’Reilly really is as a wrestler. O’Reilly responded by saying Balor likes to stroke his own ego because Balor thinks he can beat him. O’Reilly went on to say Balor’s defeat was absolute certain.
Balor asked if Unidsputed Era would get involved in their match. O’Reilly said this Sunday is not about Undisputed Era, this is his moment. Micahels asked about any conflict between UE if O’Reilly were to win the title. O’Reilly dismissed it.
They started mocking each other before getting more serious. They moved in closer and glared in each other’s eyes as they kept jawing with each other. O’Reilly said him being an underdog was “bull****”, and he vowed to win the title.
Balor got the last word by saying O’Reilly had everything it takes to be NXT Champion, and he would be if the title was on anybody else except for Finn Balor.
Candice LeRae & Johnny Gargano defeated NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai & NXT North American Champion Damian Priest in a non-title match
The two champions rushed into the ring to start a brawl before the bell. The champs cleared the ring, and then the match began. Garagno tried to stick-and-move, but Priest mowed him down instead. He gave him a sidewalk slam, and Gargano crawled over to tag out.
Shirai and LeRae squared off, and they started a slugfest. They countered and reversed the other until LeRae with a roll-up for two. Shirai gave LeRae a flapjack, and Garagano jumped into the match to make a save. He got in Shirai’s face. Priest then stepped in to rock Gargano with a kick. Shirai delivered running knees, and the Garganos rolle outside.
Jumping off Priest’s shoulders, Shirai dived on to Gargano and LeRae. The show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial. LeRae cut off Shirai when Gargano sacrificed himself to take a Tiger Feint Kick, and the heels gained the advantage. LeRea had Shirai in a neck vice as the show returned from the commercial break.
Shirai fired up to give LeRae a German suplex. Priest in off a hot tag, and he cleaned house on Gargano. Priest with a Broken Arrow for a near fall. Gargano escaped a Razor’s Edge, and he springboarded into a tornado flatliner on Priest.
Shirai tagged in, and she hit Gargano with a springboard missile dropkick. LeRae bumped and fed, and Shirai applied a crossface. Gargano broke the hold by dragging Shirai away. Priest came around the ring to grap Gargano by the throat. Gargano blocked a chokeslam, and he hopped onto the apron. Shirai kicked him off, but she had turned her back on LeRae. Shirai turned around into an small package, and LeRae got a two count.
LeRae after a senton missed a lionsault. Shirai with a double underhook backbreaker, and she climbed the turnbuckles. As she set up for her moonsault press, Gargano got in the ring to roll his wife out of the way. Gargano was talking trash to Shirai as Priest gave him a bell clap. Priest with a cyclone kick on Gargano, and Shirai followed with a moonsault on Gargano. LeRae came into the ring to give Priest a low blow behind the ref’s back. Gargano caught Priest with a slingshot DDT, and covered him for the pinfall.
LeRae after the match gave Shirai a backstabber, and the married couple stood over the champions. Gargano fetched the title belts, and the heel couple held them overhead as the show closed.
Randy Orton ambushed Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Big Show, and Christian in the show-closing angle of last night’s Raw.
After all four legends got involved in his ambulance match against WWE Champion Drew McIntyre at Clash of Champions, Orton laid them out at the end of last night’s Raw. Orton was disguised as a janitor until entering the Legends’ Lounge that Michaels, Flair, Big Show, and Christian were playing poker in. Orton put on night vision goggles, turned off the lights, and laid out Michaels, Flair, Big Show, and Christian with a steel chair.
McIntyre opened last night’s Raw alongside Michaels, Flair, Big Show, and Christian. They were interrupted by Orton, with Orton warning McIntyre that things between them aren’t over until he says they are. Orton said he’ll be given another title match because he’s Randy Orton. Orton then left the arena before appearing again at the end of the night.
McIntyre issued an open challenge last night to anyone who hasn’t challenged him for the WWE Championship before. It led to McIntyre retaining his title against the returning Robert Roode in last night’s main event.
– After retaining his title against Randy Orton in their ambulance match at Clash of Champions, WWE Champion Drew McIntyre will kick off tonight’s show. He’ll be joined by Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Big Show, and Christian for the segment. Michaels, Big Show, and Christian all got involved in McIntyre and Orton’s match at Sunday’s pay-per-view and got revenge against Orton for past attacks on them. Flair also drove the ambulance away after McIntyre won.
McIntyre hit a Claymore on Orton and put him in the ambulance near the end of their match last night. But instead of closing the door, McIntyre hit a punt on Orton. McIntyre then closed the door to get the win.
– Jerry Lawler will host a King’s Court segment with the Mysterio family as his guests on tonight’s Raw. Last week, Seth Rollins taunted the Mysterios by trying to claim that Rey Mysterio’s daughter Aalyah isn’t his. Rollins showed video of Aalyah checking on Murphy after his steel cage match against Dominick Mysterio on Raw the previous week. Rollins said that doesn’t look like something a Mysterio would do.
Aalyah got angry at her father for calling her young and naive. Murphy then tried to comfort Aalyah backstage and apologized if he’s done anything to hurt her.
– Kevin Owens and Aleister Black will face off again on Raw tonight. Owens defeated Black on Raw two weeks ago, getting the win by hitting a stunner when the lights flickered. Black then attacked Owens during a KO Show segment on Raw last Monday and drove Owens crotch-first into the ring post three times.
In a rematch from Clash of Champions, tonight’s Raw will also feature Asuka defending her Raw Women’s Championship against Zelina Vega.
An appearance by Shawn Michaels is set for NXT’s go-home show for TakeOver 31.
WWE has announced that Michaels will host a face-to-face segment with Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly on Wednesday’s episode of NXT. Balor is defending his NXT Championship against O’Reilly at TakeOver 31 on Sunday, October 4.
O’Reilly became the number one contender to Balor’s title by winning a gauntlet eliminator match in the main event of this week’s NXT. Kushida, Bronson Reed, Timothy Thatcher, and Cameron Grimes were the other participants in the match. It came down to O’Reilly and Grimes at the end. After O’Reilly submitted Grimes to get the win, Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole and Roderick Strong came out to celebrate with O’Reilly. Balor then appeared on the stage and stared O’Reilly down.
Balor won the NXT Championship by defeating Cole on NXT two weeks ago. The title was vacant after Karrion Kross had to relinquish it due to injury. A four-way Iron Man match between Balor, Cole, Johnny Gargano, and Tommaso Ciampa took place to decide the new champion, but it ended in a two-way tie between Balor and Cole. Balor and Cole then faced off for the title in a singles match the next week.
NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai & NXT North American Champion Damian Priest will face Candice LeRae & Gargano in a mixed tag match on Wednesday’s NXT. That will preview two of the title matches for TakeOver 31. Shirai is defending her title against LeRae at the event, and Priest is defending his title against Gargano.
Shotzi Blackheart vs. Dakota Kai has also been announced for Wednesday’s NXT.
Raw’s final build to SummerSlam featured Randy Orton attacking another legend ahead of his WWE Championship match against Drew McIntyre.
After Orton laid out Ric Flair last Monday, Shawn Michaels appeared on this week’s Raw and addressed Orton. Michaels said there would be no Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Batista, Edge, Christian, Big Show, or Drew McIntyre without Flair. He said Orton is also on that list, but Orton doesn’t have the same gratitude and appreciation for Flair that the rest of them do.
Michaels claimed that Orton feels like he was owed Flair’s mentorship and deserved it. Michaels warned that Orton would meet his justice at SummerSlam — whether it be a Sweet Chin Music from Michaels or a Claymore from McIntyre.
Orton then blindsided Michaels as he was leaving the ring. He gave Michaels an RKO and a punt before McIntyre ran down. Orton bailed but then tried to attack McIntyre when he checked on Michaels.
McIntyre initially got the better of a brawl with Orton. When he went to check on Michaels again, Orton dropped McIntyre with an RKO.
Raw’s go-home show for SummerSlam will include an appearance by Shawn Michaels.
Michaels will be on the show to address Randy Orton’s attack on Ric Flair from this past Monday. The main event angle of this week’s Raw saw Orton turn against Flair, laying him out with a low blow and a punt.
Orton is challenging for Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship at SummerSlam. McIntyre came out to the ring to chase Orton off after Orton’s attack on Flair.
Dominik Mysterio is making his in-ring debut against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. Rollins and Murphy brutalized Dominik with kendo stick shots on Raw this week. WWE is teasing that Rey Mysterio will appear on Monday’s go-home show, returning to television for the first time since losing his Eye for an Eye match against Rollins at Extreme Rules:
Rumors have been running rampant that Rey Mysterio is coming to Raw this Monday.
Mysterio, of course, has not been seen since suffering a gruesome eye injury at the hands of Seth Rollins in the Eye for an Eye Match at The Horror Show at WWE Extreme Rules.
While the outlook on Mysterio’s recovery has been positive, his reemergence was not expected so soon. That may have changed after this past Monday on Raw, when The Monday Night Messiah brutally attacked his son Dominik, ruthlessly striking him with a Kendo stick more than two dozen times, screaming at Rey to beg for mercy all the while.
Any reports on Mysterio’s return are unconfirmed at this point, but if they’re true, will Rollins be faced with the retribution of a furious father? Find out on Raw, this Monday at 8/7 C on USA!
The single most controversial candidate in the history of the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame balloting, Shawn Michaels, heads the list of four new members for 2003 in the Hall of Fame.
Michaels, 38, who had come close in three of the past four elections, got through easily this year, and was joined by Chris Benoit in being voted in on balloting from reporters, historians, as well as current and past wrestling figures. Two others, early 1900s world champion Earl Caddock, and famous Mexican promoter Francisco Flores were also added as overlooked figures from the past.
Michaels’ return to active wrestling after (with one exception) a more than four year hiatus largely due to lower back surgery, spelled the difference, as in particular his respect among past wrestling major players changed and gave him enough votes to make it by an easy 13 vote margin. Michaels got mentioned on 119 of the 177 ballots that came from or listed wrestlers from the U.S. and Canada region, or 67%.
When a documentary examines unexplored terrain over multiple hours like WWE’s “Undertaker: The Last Ride” is doing, there are bound to be sags along the way. Episode three — the midway point of the five episode series — experiences just that, a bridge episode of sorts.
Part of the reason is that through two hours, we’ve already seen so much more than we ever expected to in a series about the Undertaker. Thus, “End Of An Era” struggles to sustain the same engagement level as those first two hours until the last 10 or so minutes.
The majority of episode three was spent on the relationship between Undertaker (Mark Calaway), Triple H (Paul Levesque), and Shawn Michaels with the four match WrestleMania series involving all three in different degrees as the focus.
Those with a predisposition to not caring for Levesque will likely have similar feelings here because he is featured so much in it. His relationship to Calaway and how they became friends after an icy start is explored with both men admitting that the other isn’t someone they keep in touch with daily, but they are there for each other any time there is need.
Calaway says the four Mania matches are the favorites of his career. As presented, they tell a long story of how these two best friends could not best the demon no matter what they tried, ending in a pose at the top of the Mania stage that all three men treasure, hence the name of the episode, a phrase WWE attached to the second Taker-HHH match.
Woven throughout the episode is the ‘will he/won’t he’ retirement question which Calaway continues to, ahem, wrestle with. He is looking for “that moment” when he knows the time is right, one that Edge says he hopes Calaway holds on to when he finds it. The issue though is can’t quite get there and is envious that Michaels knew when the time was right.
Similarly to Levesque, the Michaels/Calaway relationship is examined, especially with Michaels’ well-publicized issues.
The final act covers the WWE’s run of stadium shows in Australia and Saudi Arabia and how excited Calaway was to be part of those events. He seems happy with his final singles match against Levesque in Australia, one that I don’t remember to be received that well. Leading into the match, Calaway wanted fans to be excited as the “expectations were astronomical because of the talent involved,” something I also don’t recall.
Of course, that match set up the infamous tag team match featuring he and Kane against Levesque and Michaels, the latter’s return to wrestling after being retired by Calaway.
In honesty that has been a hallmark of the series to date, Calaway, Michaels, and Levesque all admit the match was a disaster. Levesque tears his pec, Kane’s mask pops off, Michaels does a moonsault and isn’t caught, and the match was just plain bad. What was supposed to be “a night off” wasn’t.
Calaway admits that his head wasn’t in it due to “family drama” that isn’t explained. The key takeaway is that it doesn’t give Calaway the closure he needs, something that his wife (Michelle McCool) says he needs in order to call it a career.
He speculates that if the Mania match with John Cena (covered last episode) went longer, that could have been it. Then, he says if the tag match was better, that could have been it. Michaels later says it’s a case of chasing the dragon with McCool saying, with some frustration, that every time he can’t find that moment, the cycle starts again.
Earlier in the episode, Levesque says that closure moments can be a Catch-22 in that you keep wanting more. This only adds to the mental puzzle Calaway is facing as the end is closing in whether he likes it or not.
If someone was to watch this out of context, “End of An Era” doesn’t feel any different than your run of the mill WWE one-hour documentary which is unfortunate. With two episodes left to go, I’m hoping “The Last Ride” gets back on track but am concerned if they have the next level to go to in order to do that.
The main question and perhaps where that next level resides: was this year’s WrestleMania “match” with AJ Styles the one that gave him that closure?
Other Notes:
The next episode won’t air until June 14th which I thought was odd and perhaps due to COVID-related production delays. When I asked WWE, I was told that was the plan the whole time.
We learn Calaway’s youngest daughter is a big Cena fan. She was happy her dad won at Mania, but is still upset her hero lost, leading to Calaway joking he has to worry about that now. It’s these humanizing moments that have really made the series.
We get a lengthy look at Calaway’s likely final MSG appearance as he came to WWE’s annual Christmas week show in the middle of his vacation. He gets emotional in talking about his experiences there and how in awe he was when the outside of the arena was lit up in purple for him.
Things I didn’t know for $200, Alex: Calaway was in Levesque’s wedding and Levesque came to him to ask advice on whether continuing to date Stephanie McMahon was a good thing.
A great Levesque line while he and Randy Orton followed Undertaker/Michaels at Mania: “We’re f*cked.”
We learn Calaway is a backstage cards player, focusing on gin with WWE trainer Larry Heck. We also learn that Hornswoggle, Tony Chimel, and Big Show are apparently bad luck if they are present while he’s playing.
The series has felt like a good advertisement for both Nine LIne and Roots of Fight t-shirts.
Episode four will focus on the disastrous Goldberg match from Saudi Arabia as well as the first WrestleMania without Undertaker on the card, both of which should be great topics to really delve into if they choose to.
The WWE changed five championships, including the big two, and debuted the most expensive structure in wrestling history to headline the Survivor Series on 11/17 from New York’s Madison Square Garden.
On the positive side, it was a very entertaining stand alone show before a unique New York crowd that was very vociferous about what it liked. The bigggest pops were for the reuniting of the Dudleys, the debut of Scott Steiner, and the Raw title win by Shawn Michaels. It also, with booing, let the promotion know it didn’t like Edge all that much (the pretty boy thing), loved to boo Kurt Angle so much they were real mad when he was eliminated from the tag title elimination match, and thought more of Rob Van Dam than the promotion seems to. The effort was there in every match and while there was some sloppiness, there was nothing you would call a bad match.
When Crown Jewel ended last Thursday, it seemed like things weren’t quite as awful for WWE as their previous shows in Saudi Arabia.
In the ring, this year’s Crown Jewel was probably the best event that WWE has had in Saudi Arabia. There were low points, but the show was focused more on the current roster and special attractions than relying solely on nostalgia. Though Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were part of the show, they coached teams of current wrestlers and weren’t actually competing themselves. A major title change even took place, with The Fiend becoming Universal Champion by defeating Seth Rollins in their falls count anywhere main event.
Most importantly for WWE, they got to put on the first-ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia. Natalya defeated Lacey Evans, and it went as well as could be expected.
Ahead of SummerSlam, Trish Stratus is returning to the ring on tonight’s episode of Raw.
WWE has announced that Stratus & Natalya will team against Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch on tonight’s episode. This will be Stratus’ first match since the night after Evolution last October.
Stratus vs. Charlotte is set for SummerSlam, while Natalya will challenge for Lynch’s Raw Women’s Championship in a submission match at Sunday’s pay-per-view.
WWE has also announced that Shawn Michaels and Dolph Ziggler will appear on Miz TV tonight. The segment is supposed to be a contract signing for The Miz vs. Ziggler at SummerSlam, but Dave Meltzer reported last week that Goldberg is actually Ziggler’s opponent for the PPV.
Tonight’s Raw is the go-home show for SummerSlam. The episode is taking place at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. WWE has confirmed that Brock Lesnar will appear tonight, which comes after the angle where he attacked Seth Rollins last week. Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Rollins on Sunday.
Date: July 22, 2019 Location: Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL
The Big Takeaway —
Raw Reunion was a letdown outside of Steve Austin’s appearance at the very end of the show.
There were no big angles involving the legends, outside of maybe Bray Wyatt attacking Mick Foley.
Ric Flair was allowed to soak in the crowd, but never spoke. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash appeared with DX in their nWo gear, but they also never spoke, nor did they get their music. Kurt Angle had one line. The 24/7 title changed about eight times. AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are The OC now.
Read below for more.
Show Recap —
John Cena kicked off the show. He received a big reaction and people sang “John Cena sucks” to his music. Michael Cole called him the greatest of all-time. Once his music cut, he was mostly cheered. He wondered if all he had to do was get cheered was be part of a reunion. He ran down the some of the names appearing tonight, including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, DX, and Steve Austin. (They were all cheered. A very small number booed Hogan.)
Cena said he missed being here. He called this is home, and he wasn’t just saying that because he lives in the Tampa area. He said he was as excited to be here tonight as he was on day one. He wanted to get the show started, and that brought out The Usos.
The Usos said the fans wanted them to drop rhymes with Cena. Cena began leaving, so the crowd booed. The Usos wondered if he was still the doctor or the man who left us for the movie business.
Cena came back in and proceeded with a rap, telling the Usos they looked just like their mugshots and asked what it was like being arrested. The Usos appreciated the line. Cena was about to leave again, but they told him to stay because their dad was there. Rikishi came out and people chanted for him.
Cena went to leave again, but Rikishi called him back in. Rikishi said he couldn’t let Cena leave “fast and furious” without busting a move first. They got ready to dance, but The Revival interrupted. Before coming to the ring, they brought out back-up — D-Von Dudley.
Backstage, Hogan told Jimmy Hart he was pumped up and mentioned some of the names he was excited about, like Kurt Angle, Austin and Jerry Lawler.
I’m not sure if this aired everywhere, but there was a WWE Network commercial that ended with a brief flash of Bray Wyatt.
Booker T entered and joined commentary for the next match.
The Usos (w/Rikishi) defeated The Revival (w/D-Von Dudley) (7:51)
In Canada, they took a quick commercial break a few minutes into the match. I guess in the U.S. there was an in-set commercial instead and the match continued through the break.
After Jey Uso fell to the outside, D-Von was about to go after him, but Rikishi got in his face and backed him off. Jimmy Uso gave Scott Dawson a superkick and another to Dash Wilder. Jey Uso gave Dawson a diving splash for the win.
Seth Rollins will be on MizTV and face AJ Styles tonight.
Backstage, Alicia Fox gave Kaitlyn a sparkly hat. Dana Brooke was with them. Torrie Wilson showed up, then they were joined by Santino. They were excited to see him and he said, “it’s me, it’s me!” They asked where his sister was and he said she was under the weather. They asked about his little friend and he pulled out the cobra. He teased them for a bit until Drew McIntyre showed up. He shook his head at these “legends” and walked off.
Charly Caruso interviewed R-Truth and Carmella. She aired a clip of Truth at Comic-Con doing an interview with IGN. During that interview, Hurricane Helms tried to roll him up but failed. Drake Maverick tried too and also failed.
Truth made animal jokes to Caruso when Renee Michelle showed up to tell Truth that he ruined her wedding. Carmella got in her face, then Maverick rolled up Truth and won the 24/7 title. Maverick and Michelle ran away, then Truth and Carmella chased after. Godfather showed up and danced with Caruso. The crowd popped when Maverick won.
Drew McIntyre vs. Cedric Alexander
The match never happened. McIntyre left the ring and attacked Alexander during his entrance. Alexander fought back and hit him with a soccer kick and moonsault off the second rope (to the outside). McIntyre then launched him into the post and drove him into the barricade. McIntyre then gave him the inverted Alabama Slam onto the edge of the ring, which looked perfect.
Maverick scampered into the locker room to grab his stuff. He opened his luggage which was filled with worms and he freaked out. The lights turned red and the Boogeyman appeared. Maverick backed away but fell on his ass. Pat Patterson appeared and kicked away at him. Patterson then pinned him and won the 24/7 title. The crowd popped for that too.
Christian entered and joined commentary. He hugged fellow Canadian Renee Young. Lilian Garcia was introduced and was the ring announcer for the next match.
The Viking Raiders defeated Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins (2:35)
During the first match, Booker spent most of his time putting over the Revival. Here, Christian put over the Viking Raiders. Christian made sure to say they could surpass the accomplishments of The Dudleys, as opposed to himself and Edge. Corey Graves asked who was better between him and Edge. Christian said he was better than Edge.
Hawkins and Ryder tried to catch them off guard at the beginning, but it didn’t work. Viking Raiders won quickly with the Viking Experience. Christian said Hawkins and Ryder might’ve won if they were Christian-heads instead of Edge-heads.
There was a party backstage. Maria Kanellis yelled at Mike Kanellis, who was speaking to Eve Torres. Eric Bischoff, who was cheered, was there too and offered them a job on SmackDown. Maria yelled at Mike some more before leaving. Ron Simmons showed up, grabbed Jimmy Hart’s megaphone and said “damn” at Mike. I think it legitimately made him jump. Jillian Hall was in the background but wasn’t acknowledged.
Tomorrow on Smackdown, Shane McMahon addresses Kevin Owens, and Kofi Kingston issues a SummerSlam challenge.
Backstage, AJ Styles spoke with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. They have a new t-shirt with “The O.C.” on it. Styles said they were the originals, but of the most part, they’re actually calling themselves “The O.C.” Styles said he would beat Rollins tonight.
Backstage, Patterson was on the ground. Gerald Brisco was standing over him with the 24/7 title. Brisco had already defeated him for it. Patterson called Brisco a stooge as he celebrated. Kelly Kelly showed up and hugged Brisco. She then low-blowed the 72-year-old man and pinned him to win the title. She’s the first woman to win it.
[Second hour]
Samoa Joe promo
Samoa Joe came out. Joe said shows like Raw Reunion were a plague to WWE because it fed the fans’ ridiculous addiction to nostalgia. Instead of seeing Joe doing what he does best — painting in brutality and sculpting in violence — they got the Usos with their daddy spouting rhymes with Cena. He was surprised they didn’t dance around more.
Roman Reigns interrupted. Reigns told him if he had something to say about his family, to say it to his face. Joe responded, “I already said something about your family” and got in his face. Reigns said they were from the same island, which means Joe knew what comes next.
Joe tried for a cheap shot but Reigns fought him off. Joe then raked the eyes and launched him shoulder-first into the post. Joe tossed Reigns around ringside as the crowd chanted for Reigns. Joe was all over him until Reigns came back with a superman punch, knocking Joe off the apron.
Joe grabbed a mic and wondered if the fans wanted to see this tonight. The crowd cheered. Joe said he didn’t care, then began leaving. Reigns assured the crowd that not all Samoans were cowards. Joe agreed to a match and threatened to put Reigns to sleep.
Roman Reigns defeated Samoa Joe (5:40)
Reigns was in control until Joe dodged a charge and Reigns again went shoulder-first into the post. Joe chucked Reigns out of the ring and nailed him with a suicide dive. Joe went for another dive later but Reigns moved, then hit a dropkick. Reigns came back with a leaping clothesline, clotheslines in the corner and a big boot.
Joe avoided a superman punch and hit an inverted atomic drop, big boot and senton for a nearfall. Joe applied the Coquina Clutch but Reigns slipped out and followed with a spear for the pinfall win. The crowd liked Reigns and popped when he won but they weren’t that into his comeback/trademark spots.
MizTV with guest Seth Rollins
The Miz plugged his show and admitted to not being above promoting his own stuff. He introduced Rollins. They showed a replay of Rollins winning last week’s battle royal, then Miz showed a replay almost immediately after that of what happened at Extreme Rules.
Rollins did some lame comedy, impersonating Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. He said despite Lesnar’s gifts, he would never want to be him. He then called Lesnar a Seth Rollins wannabe.
Heyman interrupted. He was in Gorilla position. Heyman told Rollins he can’t complain about Lesnar cashing in because Rollins did the same thing at WrestleMania 31. Rollins said that was true, but it took Lesnar four years to return the favour because he’s a Rollins wannabe.
Heyman came out onto the stage, but after Rollins threatened him, Heyman ran away. Rollins said Lesnar was just a man, and any man can lose. Rollins said the Universal title would be on the line at SummerSlam, and Brock Lesnar would lose.
Rollins said he didn’t get ready by resting like Lesnar, he got ready by facing the best of the best and would burn it down against Styles tonight. This was really bad.
Back at the party, Caruso wanted to interview a few legends but Sami Zayn stopped her. Zayn said those people weren’t legends, they just happened to be there at the time. He said watching tonight’s show was like watching it through the face app. He told them all to go home and stay there. Rey Mysterio appeared and told him to show respect to people who paved the way.
Zayn threatened to pave the road right through him. Kurt Angle showed up and said, when he was GM, they would settle things in the ring. That was Mysterio’s cue to go to the ring, even though Angle has no power. Angle delivered the line like it was Teddy Long making a tag match, but the crowd didn’t react because it’s not a memorable line.
Kelly Kelly showed off her title to Candace Michelle. Naomi and Melina showed up. Kelly wondered what Melina had been up too. Melina said she got her license — her referee’s license. Candace attacked Kelly and pinned her to win the title. She pranced around, then Alundra Blayze showed up and choked her out (while saying how much she hated women like Candace). Blayze told them she wouldn’t be champion for long, then walked off with the belt.
Jonathan Coachman joined commentary. Cole hung his head when Coach showed up.
Rey Mysterio defeated Sami Zayn (5:00)
Mysterio set up for a 619 but Zayn escaped the ring. He was about to leave until RVD’s music hit and he came out. He was joined by Sgt. Slaughter, Hurricane Helms, (this should be a countout by now), and Kurt Angle. Zayn slipped back into the ring where Mysterio caught him with a 619 and frog splash for the pinfall win (he did the RVD pose before landing the splash).
Ric Flair arrived in a limo.
Montez Ford found Angelo Dawkins who was applying eyedrops. Ford wondered why, and Dawkins told him he was just hanging out with RVD. The party included Mark Henry, Kelly Kelly, Ric Flair, and the Boogeyman. Dawkins took a call from the Godfather and walked off. Ford was jealous. The crowd laughed at the line about RVD.
Alundra Blayze came out to the commentary desk and threatened to toss the 24/7 belt in the trash. Ted DiBiase came out and offered her cash for it. She accepted without an issue. They announced that DiBiase was now the champion. Graves didn’t know you could buy championships. Young was laughing and smiling as Blayze was about to trash the belt.
(The Street Profits bit and the Blayze/DiBiase segment were the only things that happened between commercial breaks.)
[Third hour]
There was a SummerSlam commercial that ended with Bray’s masked face again (like the Network commercial earlier). Jerry Lawler joined commentary for the next match.
Seth Rollins defeated U.S. Champion AJ Styles (w/Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) via DQ in a non-title match (8:04)
Lawler said Styles was the nicest guy when he showed up to WWE, but now he seems full of himself. Graves wondered about someone who calls himself “the king” accusing someone else of being full of themselves.
Rollins was easily distracted by Anderson, so Styles knocked him off the apron. The three OC members were about to go after him but the DX music played and Triple H and Shawn Michaels came out.
They did a full-length commercial break, then after the break, Styles and Rollins were in the ring ready to go and the referee signalled for them to start. So they just stood around for a few minutes during the break. Rollins caught Styles with a few kicks, then Anderson tripped him for the DQ (which happened like a minute after they came back from break).
DX jumped in the ring to stop a beat down from the OC. Styles and his buddies offered to “too sweet” them. DX pretended to oblige but did the crotch chop instead. DX sent them from the ring. Styles was pissed and the OC all grabbed steel chairs.
Before they could attack, Road Dogg’s music came out and he entered with X-Pac, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Hall and Nash wore their nWo shirts but didn’t get their music. Road Dogg introduced the OC to the actual OGs. He was about to tell them to suck it, but let Rollins do the line instead. (The crowd seemed disappointed that Road Dogg didn’t do it.) This was lame.
DiBiase jumped into a limo, proudly carrying the 24/7 title. After the door closed, there was a commotion in the car. Maverick emerged as the 24/7 champion and celebrated when he saw Renee Michelle, then he was chased away by the usual losers. Michelle told him to come back as she waited to enter the limo (the one with DiBiase’s body inside).
Mick Foley segment
Foley came to the ring and as he spoke, Maverick ran away from the other wrestlers through the ring and to the back. Foley wanted to go after him, but didn’t. Foley said he was asked to pick a favourite moment of his career from Raw. He began showing a replay of his WWE Championship win when the lights began to darken. Bray Wyatt appeared. The lights turned on and he put Foley down with the mandible claw. The lights went out as Bray posed. The crowd popped when he appeared, but it was a mixed reaction after he attacked Foley.
A Moment of Bliss with guest Becky Lynch
Alexa Bliss hosted alongside Nikki Cross. Bliss said that after what we just saw, we needed a moment of Bliss. They introduced Lynch. Bliss was about to ask her about Natalya, but Natalya interrupted. Natalya said if Lynch had something to say about her, she could say it to her face. Bliss showed a replay of their exchange last week.
Natalya couldn’t believe the lack of respect Lynch showed her. Lynch accused Natalya of trying to cut her legs out from under her when she came to WWE. Lynch also said Natalya volunteered to train Ronda Rousey to beat her at WrestleMania, but Lynch beat Rousey anyway. Lynch referred to her title belt as the scalp of the baddest woman on the planet.
Lynch said she would embarrass Natalya in her home country, then they got into a brawl until it was cut off by officials. Lynch was good here.
After a break, Natalya told Caruso that Lynch made this personal by trying to re-write history. She said the women’s evolution was built on the back of women like her and she would take the title at SummerSlam. This was alright, but Natalya was flustered.
Maverick found Michelle waiting in the limo. They were about to leave but Truth rolled up Maverick to win the belt. Truth jumped in the limo and it drove off, with Michelle still in the car (and presumably DiBiase’s body). Maverick freaked when he realized the title was gone. Carmella showed up and at that point, he realized Michelle was gone too.
Braun Strowman defeated Randy Rowe (0:40)
Strowman won with an elevated chokeslam. They aired replays of every move he did, but because of the way it was shown, it probably took longer than the match itself. Graves said something about the jobber that seemed to make Cole laugh hard enough that he muted himself. You couldn’t hear Cole at all, but Graves was cracking up because he broke Cole.
Main Event – A Toast to Monday Night Raw
Ric Flair entered to his music. As he posed on the stage, all of the old wrestlers came out to join him (with his music still playing). The crowd was on its feet.
Hulk Hogan’s music hit and he came out next. He and Flair bowed to each other. Hogan apologized to Foley before getting a cheap pop from his hometown of Tampa. He thanked the fans and said, “Whatcha gonna do when the Raw reunion runs wild on you?” His music played again. The camera panned the row of legends as Cole talked about the history of Raw.
Steve Austin’s music hit and the crowd erupted. Austin came out and marched straight to the ring. He posed around the ring, then grabbed a cooler filled with his own brand of beer.
The crowd chanted for Austin, then he got to them to yell “hell yeah” three times. He reminisced about being in Tampa but assured us he wasn’t going to get sentimental because he was also ready to drop everyone on the stage.
He then said everyone on that stage has bleed, sweat, cried, and probably crapped and pissed themselves for the business. The crowd cheered. He said they were his family. The guys holding the cameras, driving the trucks, they were all his family. The fans in the arena and watching on TV, they were all his family. He was glad they could all celebrate this reunion.
Austin said he arrived early and spent time with Hogan. They recorded a podcast and ate sushi. He noted that he had never hung out with Hogan before. He also went out last night with Ric Flair and drank all the beer at the bar.
He went back to the hotel and ordered everything he could (he ran down everything and the crowd yelled “what” after each item). He wasn’t ready for his night to be done, so he went downstairs and bumped into Ron Simmons. He yelled “damn” when he saw him and they hugged for 20 minutes. He told all of the wrestlers to come to the ring so they could have some beers.
Austin toasted everyone watching and ended with “‘cause Stone Cold said so.”
Austin handed out beers. He told them to cut the music and asked how much time they have left. They told him 60 seconds. He admitted he didn’t know what to say tonight, but Coachman told him earlier to just be himself. He thanked everyone in the ring, but told them he wasn’t sending them Christmas cards or “any of that sh*t,” then realized they were counting him down. They played his music again and they went off the air.
Obviously, Austin was great here and by far the highlight of the show.
The night after he takes part in Raw Reunion, Shawn Michaels will be doing commentary on SmackDown next Tuesday (July 23).
Michaels announced the news via Twitter today: “I’ve had a lot of …ahem.. fun times on Monday Night #Raw, but I’m not just coming to #RawReunion to see some friends, ol’ HBK is going to be joining commentary THIS Tuesday on #SDLive! #IveBeenPracticing”
At WrestleMania 35, Michaels joined in on commentary with Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Renee Young for Triple H and Batista’s no holds barred match. Michaels also called NXT’s Halftime Heat special alongside Vic Joseph this February.
Next Tuesday’s SmackDown is taking place at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The Amalie Arena in Tampa is hosting Raw Reunion the night before that.
Michaels was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for a second time this April, going in as part of D-Generation X with Triple H, Chyna, X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn.
