| From WorldWrestlingInsanity.com DVD Reviews
The Shawn Michaels Story:
Heartbreak and Triumph
"Wait a second...ZAH is reviewing a Shawn Michaels DVD? Doesn't he hate the guy?"
Well...the answer to that question would be 'yes'. Actually that's two questions...dammit...making mistakes already. However, the answer is still the same. I've gone and picked-up a copy of this DVD for one primary reason: No matter what Shawn Michaels may have done throughout his career...no matter what my personal feelings for the guy...he's had one hell of an interesting career and I'm keen to see how it's dissected.
So I decided to jump right into the DVD with an open mind. I'll pretend I don't know the guy...I've never heard of him before...he didn't lie for years and years and refuse to drop titles...he's somebody I'm seeing for the first time. And looking back, boy...that was the right decision to make.
The first thing that kicks off things is knowing that his parents wanted a girl when he was born and that they were initially very disappointed to know they had a baby boy. As he got a little older, though, he became a huge wrestling fan. He would pretend to be Ric Flair...he would go to the local arena and watch the late legends like Bruiser Brody and Gino Hernandez...he would suplex his friends into his parents' swimming pool (there are many pictures documenting these things, too...some very cool stuff to look at). He wasn't a late fan or simply in it for the money; he has been a lifelong wrestling fan.
Shawn did what his parents wanted him to do after high school and attended college. He only lasted a couple of semesters before coming home and asking him parents to give him the okay to try his hand at professional wrestling (he told them that he no longer wanted to waste their money or his time on something he was never going to follow-up on).
Two months after his initial training with Jose Lethario, he was told that he should just jump into things and get going. He went from Mid-South to Kansas City to San Antonio with varying small degrees of success. He first met Marty Jannetty while in Kansas City. He only teamed with him once but felt comfortable once the match was over.
While Michaels was in Texas, Marty had signed with the AWA and was doing singles. Greg Gagne said that Marty's style and look were great, but he'd love to see a tag team where both guys were doing the same shtick. Marty claims that Shawn was the first name that popped into his head and gave him a call. Jose had already sent out tapes of Shawn to both WWE and the AWA, so everything had seemed to fall into place as the Midnight Rockers were born.
This is where history begins to play some selective memory on the DVD...at least just a bit. I remember when the Midnight Rockers were initially put together, and during that time they were seen as the AWA's answer to the NWA's two top tag teams, the Rock'n'Roll Express and the Midnight Express. It took both Jannetty and Michaels a lot of time to shake the stigma of being "copycats"...and it really wasn't until their kick-ass feud with Buddy Rose and Doug Somers where they started receiving the respect of the fans outside of the core AWA base.
Thankfully, their first big initial feud is focused on in the DVD. While they were having a blast partying all night and living up to their in-ring personas, they were given the opportunity to feud with the tag champs of Rose & Somers (managed by Sherri Martel). For whatever reason, the champs would hold onto their tag titles for almost a year while the Midnight Rockers chased them (in fact, there's a graphic showing that they were the #1 contenders to the tag titles for 27 consecutive weeks...a new AWA record...lol). It was during this feud that the Rockers had the infamous "blood bath" match with the champs, which really helped to solidify their spot and "made" them in the eyes of fans. Things changed shortly afterwards and they finally won the tag titles.
Pat Patterson was the man who initially convinced Vince to bring the Rockers to the WWF. They already had a reputation from the boys as being difficult (which Shawn readily admits that they were), and were given a bit of a weird reception from Jesse "Jimmy Jack Funk" Barr, who helped to get them fired just as quickly as they were hired for excessive partying. Wow.
They then went down to the Continental territory, wrestling in front of 50 people and having miniscule paychecks. A huge depression overtook both men, with Michaels the one heavily diving into drugs. He even gets a little choked-up as he recounts a moment when, if he had a gun, he would have killed himself to stop the pain he was feeling.
They moved to Memphis and then back to the AWA to again win the tag titles. After about a year, they realized that the AWA was going downhill so they attempted to get back into the WWF, because as Shawn states, "...there was only one place to go to be a success in this industry." I think the fact that the NWA still had both the Rock'n'Roll Express and the Midnight Express on their main roster (not to mention the whole "Original" Midnight Express situation going on in the AWA) probably had a lot to do with the decision to go back to the WWF, which was still looking for a "fresh babyface" tag team that could make the teenage girls go wild. There may have been only one place to go, but it was primarily because it was the only place to go for them.
At this point, the WWF really didn't have any "high flying" tag teams...and while the Rockers' style was originally patterned after the two NWA Express teams, they really came off as something totally different and unique in the world of primarily mat-based 'ground-n-pound'. In fact, Arn Anderson makes a statement that he thought the Rockers were probably the best team he had ever been in the ring with...which is extremely high praise, indeed. On the flip side, both Michaels and Jannetty give a ton of credit to the Brainbusters (i.e. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) for helping them mature and develop as in-ring performers.
The DVD then briefly discusses the "phantom title change" with full explanation and footage. Basically, it was a 2 out of 3 falls match that was taped for Saturday Night's Main Event between the Rockers and the Hart Foundation when the top rope broke. They finished the match and at the end the Rockers had won the tag titles. Once Vince saw the footage, however, he realized how bad the match was and told the guys that he couldn't air it...so the title change simply "disappeared" from the record books and they never again won tag gold. What's even better is that this match is included on the DVD. Shortly thereafter, though, Michaels and Jannetty broke up.
,
It was Pat Patterson's idea to team Sherri Martel with Michaels, as she had helped both Randy Savage and Ted DiBiase during their heel runs and he really thought she could bring him up another level. As another interesting tidbit, it was actually "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig who just happened to blurt out on commentary that Michaels was the "heart-break kid", at which point everybody decided to go with it and, thus, history was made.
At the time, it seemed like every great performer won the Intercontinental title before moving on to the World title. Shawn's reigns as IC champ were no exception as he really blossomed and came into his own during this period. As he moved away from Sherri onto his own, he felt the need to change-up his character and proceeds to tell the funny story of how "Big Daddy Cool" came into the WWF from WCW.
At this point Shawn recounts a story where he flunked a drug test and was suspended by the WWF (I didn't know this story). He was (and still is) adamant that he didn't take any steroids and refused to send the IC belt back to management at their request. This was the real reason for the whole Razor Ramon vs. HBK "who is the real Intercontinental champion?" storyline that culminated in the now-famous WrestleMania X ladder match.
The DVD then takes an interesting turn as Vince makes his first appearance to discuss "The Clique". I think it's easy to say that the back-story of how they ended up getting together is totally legit, but the remainder of the behind-the-scenes information is really glossed over. They were "hell raisers", apparently. Some didn't like their attitude. Well, the reality of the situation was much more than that...especially if you look back and start picking out specific instances and situations where they used their "political power" to their advantage. I didn't expect the DVD to really dive into this too hard, but I expected more than what I got.
A very interesting, albeit brief, segment dives into one of the greatest segments in wrestling history (imo)...the Shawn Michaels "concussion" match. I remember that match to this day and how I, along with 99% of the fans watching, totally bought into the fact that Michaels was seriously hurt. It's interesting to hear Shawn describe how he had to convince everybody to do things a certain way to make it more believable and real...especially looking back in hindsight and knowing what I know now.
That angle led-up to the "dream" storyline where he was to wrestle Bret Hart at WrestleMania for the WWF championship. Not surprisingly, they ignore the whole "get him out of my ring" comment made by Shawn once he won the title so he could do the whole fake tear thing. Oh well...I know it happened...it's well documented. Whatever.
"The Curtain Call" is next on the agenda, and there are some very strong feelings on it from some different individuals. What really makes it special is that they showed the infamous amateur video from that night and actually play some of the audio from it, where you can hear whomever is holding the camera screaming "Oh my god!!" It really helped cement how crazy that was for the fans of the time to see. This is one of those things that I never really heard about until after the fact a few years later...so it's interesting to hear everybody's take on it (well...everybody except Hall and Nash).
"Was Shawn difficult to work with? Wow. At that time, Shawn was very opinionated and strong-willed and confrontational. Shawn has said things to me, and the way he has said them as well, that I would never take from anybody else. Never did before and never would again. Shawn was just different...and you knew he had this passion for the business so you forgave a lot of that." – Vince McMahon
Shawn was diagnosed with such a bad knee that he feared his wrestling career was over. Hence, on February 13th 1997, the "Shawn Lost His Smile" incident is covered. Now, my understanding was that he didn't want to drop the WWF title to Bret Hart, but he actually denies this. Michaels claims his mother asked him where his smile was, and that was a heavy thing for him to hear...so between that and his knee injury, that's the real reason he left.
Of course...three months later he was back so believe what you want. ,
D-Generation X and the whole "breaking down the kayfabe wall" is discussed next. I actually spaced out a bit because they show a lot of the anti-Canada stuff that Shawn did during his feud with the Hart Foundation. It's a bit silly to look at it now, but I still harbor resentment over the whole "flag in the nose" and "humping the flag" incidents. That kind of thing doesn't just disappear...but hearing Michaels himself say that he probably should have been on a psychiatrists' couch makes things a little easier to handle. .
Looking back on some of the things they he and Hunter did during the initial DX run still make me laugh out loud, though. They got their asses chewed out many times for going "over the line" (whatever that was), but because they were so over there was nothing really anybody could do about it...especially once the USA Network was on board and began asking them to do more.
November 9th, 1997
All I'm going to say is that it's very interesting to see "the other side" tell their story on the Montreal Screwjob. I've seen the Bret Hart DVD...I've seen "Wrestling With Shadows"...I've read the transcripts and I've now heard both sides. As I said...this is interesting. ,
Shawn's back injury is covered next. Now, I had never really seen footage of how he initially hurt himself...but seeing it now makes me grimace. He was backflipped over the top rope by Undertaker and his back hit the casket (set up there for their gimmick match) before falling to the floor. Shawn was in pain but finished the match. It was the next day, however, that he truly realized how serious his injury was. This led up to what was considered at the time to truly be his final wrestling match at WrestleMania 14 against Steve Austin.
When you watch highlights of the match today, you just shake your head at just how crazy Michaels was to wrestle as hard as he did with the injury that he had. But much like "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig did with Bret Hart years before him, Michaels knew that he had to do the right thing and his ego wouldn't allow himself to do anything less than 100%.
The story of how Shawn cleaned-up is a heart-felt one, especially if you're a parent. You sometimes hear about how people have a "moment of clarity" in their lives, but it's hard to take those people at face value. Shawn doesn't come out and use those words, but I believe that is what happened to him. One incident...one night...one phone call to Kevin Nash...and he has never done drugs or had alcohol since.
This segment is then followed by Shawn making amends in his life, beginning with finding Jesus Christ. Next came making amends with Hunter, whom he hadn't spoken with in over a year because of being fired over his drug issues. His return came shortly after that as he was asked to re-join the WWE family under the nWo banner.
When you think about it, his return to wrestling after a five year hiatus is absolutely mind-boggling. To wrestle in one more match against Hunter was totally Shawn's idea, because he missed it so much. When you look at the highlights from that match, you simply have to concur with Hunter that it was an amazing feat to see him come back and look like he hadn't missed a beat. He worked a 45 minute match and make it appear as if he never had left. That, kids, is something that extremely few in the industry could ever, ever do. I almost forgot that soon after that match he ended up winning the initial Elimination Chamber match and became WWE champion one more time. The emotion he showed that night, unlike the first title win over Bret, seemed genuine and not forced in any way. Even his beautiful wife appreciated how the fans reacted to him that night, and it made for a very special moment for him.
I gotta say, one of the best match/storyline recaps is the one they do on the WrestleMania 19 match between HBK and Y2J. Jericho was such a huge fan of Michaels and the match was just so spectacular, the music and the interviews really do the match justice. That match, actually, was the final "go ahead" that helped Shawn realize that he could still wrestle if he truly wanted to.
"I was really happy with it.
I think Chris and I had a fantastic match.
I wanna live for a long time but if, God forbid, I didn't...I've seen the birth of my son and I love my wife and I've been able to come back to do this...this is, my life, I'm blessed, and everything above and beyond this is just extra, it really is.
This has been an awesome thing, being back with this company and then coming back on this show in front of all these people...it's pretty cool." – Shawn Michaels, post-match interview, WrestleMania 19
Next on the agenda is an in-depth look at the match between Michaels and Hulk Hogan...the infamous "SummerSlam selling" match. Shawn initially wanted a "babyface vs. babyface" match, but was told that things would be better if he were the "HBK of 1998". When Shawn questioned things, he was told that "Terry's business", meaning that Hulk would want whatever was best for the match. Shawn then proceeded to do the great Larry King piece where he played the part of a washed-up Hogan times a hundred. Again, apparently, Shawn asked if Hogan was okay with everything and was told, "Terry's business". Shawn then goes to proclaim that he asked Hogan before, during, and after the build-up segments if Hogan was okay with everything and all he got was the "no problem, brother/work with me, brother" response. Of course, it's not discussed how over-the-top Shawn played it up nor how he buried Hogan the next day on commentary...but I wouldn't expect as much, either. ,
The Vince/Shawn feud was next, but it was initially glossed over more to focus on their actual match at WrestleMania. Here is where Michaels carried Vince to a more than passable match...topped off by that incredible ladder jump. But then they veer towards the whole "God" storyline that seemed to upset a lot of people and even made me question Shawn's honesty about his faith at the time. Vince's explanation?
"God has to have a sense of humor." – Vince McMahon
, I'm sorry...but this made me laugh out loud. I really enjoyed this storyline initially and couldn't understand why people were so offended. Of course, I'm not an overly religious man nor do I offend very easily...so I thought I was just crazy. They turn to the "Vince & Shane vs. Shawn & God" match and even Hunter's laughing about how he never thought Shawn would go for the things that they ended up doing. ,
, "That was a one of a kind match. In all likelihood...to never, ever happen again." – Vince McMahon
I hate to keep throwing quotes in here...but this one came immediately after the last one:
"The return of DX, meaning this time the two members of Shawn and Triple H was awesome...but it was more sophisticated." – Vince McMahon
I'm sorry...but that was just a bunch of crap. I know how much he loved the reincarnation of DX and all, but "sophisticated" wouldn't be how I would have described the latest incarnation of that pairing.
, Apparently this time was a little rough on Shawn, because a lot of things did, in fact, mess with not only his beliefs but also his concern over children watching the product...especially after now being a father. Shawn felt that he could have just as much fun being a 40-something person trying to act like he was a 30-year old...and that's pretty much how I felt about the whole mess, too. Oh well...it's over and done with now.
, The now epic encounter at WrestleMania 23 between him and John Cena was next on the DVD...with Michaels making one last pot-shot at Hogan:
(whispering) "I drew 80,000 people, brother...in Detroit...okay, have you done that?" – Shawn Michaels
John Cena compared to being in the ring with Michaels in WrestleMania's main event with hitting a home run in the world series. I think I agree with Chris Jericho's thoughts on that while it may not have happened every time, almost every single match that Michaels has had at a WrestleMania has resulted in the best match on the card. That's high praise and it's entirely accurate.
The final few minutes are devoted to people putting Michaels over...and you can't really disagree with any of them. Is he the Rembrandt of professional wrestling? I dunno...there will always be different standards to look at and reference. However, there is no doubt whatsoever that Shawn Michaels will go down as one of the all-time greats...and at a running time of just over two hours, the documentary portion of this DVD set alone is worth the price. While some things were conveniently forgotten and "glossed over", the overall biography was extremely well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Shawn Michaels is truly happy to have been given a second chance in the business that he loves to go out on a high note. I, for one, may never call myself a "fan" of his...I'll never take away what he has been able to give to this business. If you're even just considering buying this DVD, do it. I don't think you'll be sorry at all. © Copyright by WorldWrestlingInsanity.com WorldWrestlingInsanity.com is not
affiliated with any wrestling promotion. |
