It takes great talent and perseverance to make it in the pro wrestling business, it’s a dog eat dog world that’s littered with the corpses of wrestler’s careers who showed great promise and potential only to see their dreams go unfulfilled. However, despite the odds, some men do reach the pinnacle of their chosen profession. Few have a rightful claim to the title of “Best Wrestler of All Time,” but guys like “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Bret “The Hitman” Hart are all in the running, and a good argument can be made on all their behalves. Then of course there’s “The Showstopper,” “The Main Event,” “The Icon,” the one and only “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. Legendary play by play announcer “Good Ol’ JR” Jim Ross, famously said “Nobody has ever outperformed Shawn Michaels in a big match situation,” and he was damn right! HBK was a “Triple Crown Champion,” winning the 3 major titles WWF had to offer at the time, and was the first ever “Grandslam” champion, after winning every title WWF had to offer. Michaels also had a knack for finding himself in various “First Time” matches throughout his career, being the first to wrestle a Ladder Match, Iron Man Match, Hell in a Cell Match, and an Elimination Chamber Match for Vince McMahon‘s promotion. He main evented Wrestlemania in 3 different decades (’95,’96,’98,’07,’10), and often stole the show on wrestling’s grand stage, even if he wasn’t the main event, earning him the nickname “Mr. Wrestlemania.” There’s only one Shawn Michaels, and for those of us who were lucky enough to see him perform, he may very well be the best of all time.
