Although born in Chandler, Arizona, Hickenbottom grew up in San Antonio, Texas, being a military brat. In San Antonio, he attended Randolph High School on Randolph Air Force Base. Trained by Mexican professional wrestler Jose Lothario, he debuted in 1984 in Mid-South Wrestling against Art Crews, and later the Texas Allstar Wrestling promotion, where he and Paul Diamond were awarded the TAW Tag Team Championship by Chavo Guerrero, Sr. He also wrestled for Central States Championship Wrestling, a regional independent promotion associated with the National Wrestling Alliance. There, he and tag team partner Marty Jannetty defeated The Batten Twins for the Central States Tag Team Championship, later losing it back to the Battens. Michaels also made several appearances in the Dallas, Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling throughout 1985. Among his earlier opponents while wrestling in World Class included Billy Jack Haynes. He was mistakenly identified as Shawn Nichols by broadcaster Bill Mercer during his tenure in WCCW.He won the IC title there at a non televised show, but did not count due to injury.Michaels made his national-level debut in 1986 in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), once again teaming with Jannetty. The pair were billed as "The Midnight Rockers", so named to emulate the NWA's highly popular Rock 'N Roll Express and Midnight Express tag teams). They won the AWA World Tag Team Championship twice, feuding with "Playboy" Buddy Rose and Doug Somers. Verne Gagne briefly loaned the duo to Jerry "The King" Lawler's independent Memphis promotion, Southern Championship Wrestling (later re-named the CWA, and, later, the USWA), as heels, where they faced the Rock 'N Roll Express.In a raid of AWA talent, The Rockers were signed by a competing promotion: the World Wrestling Federation. However, they were fired two weeks later for "partying too hard" (a misunderstanding, according to Michaels' autobiography). They returned to the AWA, but were re-signed by the WWF a year later. Because of WWF chairman Vince McMahon's desire to have his performers carry WWF-exclusive monikers (to enable the WWF to trademark these ring names and thus avoid having to share merchandising revenues with [most] performers or their past promoters), they were repackaged as just "The Rockers."Due to the firing of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, the Rockers were scheduled to win the WWF World Tag Team Titles from The Hart Foundation. This was to occur on an episode of NBC's Saturday Night's Main Event. (Neidhart was contractually obligated to work the match for continuity purposes in the WWF/E storylines.) The match was taped, but soon after, Neidhart came to an agreement with management and was rehired. It was decided that the titles would be put back on the Hart Foundation and the Rockers' win and subsequent defenses of the title would be retconned, explained away by the top turnbuckle breaking during the SNME match. To this day, the title win is not included on the title histories on WWE.com.Due to personal issues, Michaels and Jannetty were split up, occurring on an episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge, shown on January 12, 1992 (but taped on December 2, 1991) during an incident on Brutus "The Barber" Beef's "Barber Shop" segment. Michaels superkicked Jannetty and threw him through a plate-glass window on the set.Michaels turned heel and was given the nickname "The Boy Toy". His nickname was later changed to "The Heartbreak Kid", suggested by Curt Hennig, as he hated the old nickname. In his new gimmick as a vain, cocky heel, and was put together with manager "Sensational" Sherri, who, according to the storyline, had become infatuated with him. Sherri even sang the first version of his theme music "Sexy Boy."Sherri was the catalyst for a rare "heel vs. heel" feud between Michaels and Rick "The Model" Martel, which led to a match between the two at the 1992 SummerSlam pay-per-view.Michaels failed to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart in 1992, even losing the WWF's first ever Ladder Match. Still, Michaels was beginning to get over as a heel and won the WWF Intercontinental Championship from "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith during Saturday Night's Main Event on October 27, 1992. Shortly thereafter, he faced Bret Hart for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the 1992 Survivor Series.He also started a feud with his former tag team partner, Jannetty, who reappeared in the WWF in late 1992, leading to several memorable matches. Michaels lost his Intercontinental Championship to Jannetty on an episode of Monday Night RAW on May 17, 1993, but regained it on June 6, with the help of his new bodyguard, and off-air friend Diesel.In September 1993, Michaels briefly left the Federation. On WWF TV, it was explained that WWF President Jack Tunney had suspended him and stripped him of the title; in reality, he had been suspended for testing positive for steroids, a charge that Michaels denies to this day. While off television, he made appearances in the United States Wrestling Association during a WWF/USWA cross-promotion. He returned to the WWF for the 1993 Survivor Series, substituting for Jerry "The King" Lawler in a match pitting himself and three of Lawler's "Knights" against Bret, Bruce, Keith, and "The Rocket" Owen Hart.He soon entered a feud with Razor Ramon, who had won the Intercontinental Title during Michaels' absence. Since Michaels had never been defeated for the title, he claimed to be the rightful champion and carried around his old title belt. This feud culminated in a ladder match between the two at WrestleMania X. Michaels lost the match, which featured both his and Ramon's belts suspended above a ladder in the ring. This match won "Match of the Year" awards from Pro Wrestling Illustrated and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and got the rare five star match rating. It also earned Michaels a reputation of being the "Innovator of the Ladder Match" and is regarded as one of World Wrestling Entertainment's greatest matches of all-time.On an episode of Monday Night RAW after WrestleMania X taped on March 21, 1994, Michaels debuted a segment called "The Heartbreak Hotel," which was mainly shown on WWF Superstars throughout the year. The segment, which featured Michaels obnoxiously interviewing other wrestlers and managers, allowed him to showcase his microphone skills and appear on television, even when he was injured and unable to wrestle. "The Heartbreak Hotel" set was comprised of a heart-shaped bed and a flashing neon sign.He was still accompanied by Diesel, who, though he remained a heel, had become popular among fans in his own right. On August 28, 1994, Michaels and Diesel captured the WWF World Tag Team Championship from The Headshrinkers. During their brief tenure as a tag team, they used a variation of the Headshrinkers' finishing move, where Michaels would finish off their opponent by climbing on Diesel's shoulders and splashing on of their opponents. The next day, Diesel lost the Intercontinental Title to Ramon (who had lost the title to Diesel earlier in the year) at SummerSlam when Michaels accidentally Superkicked his bodyguard. In October 1994, Michaels suffered a hand injury, when Diesel accidentally stepped on his hand after getting out of the ring. This would put him on the shelf as an active wrestler until January.Michaels and Diesel broke up their team on November 23, 1994 at the Survivor Series during their five-on-five elimination match. Diesel had done most of the work in eliminating four members of the opposing team when Michaels insisted upon entering the match to superkick Razor Ramon. Michaels accidentally kicked Diesel for the third time in three months, leading Diesel to begin attacking his whole team. Their tag team was dissolved, and they forfeited the titles, as they no longer wished to associate with one another, along with the fact that Diesel had defeated newly crowned WWF Champion Bob Backlund in a squash match at a house show days later.At the Royal Rumble in January 1995, Michaels entered first, and The British Bulldog entered second. The two would outlast the other twenty-eight opponents and remain as the final two competitors in the match. Bulldog had apparently won the match when he knocked Michaels over the top rope and began to celebrate his victory. However, Michaels held onto the top rope with only one foot touching the floor (the first time the rule that "both feet must touch the floor" came into play). Michaels re-entered the ring and knocked Bulldog off the turnbuckle and over the top rope to win the Rumble. Michaels thus became the first man ever to win the Royal Rumble after entering first. This would lead to a grudge match at Wrestlemania XI vs. former friend and WWF Champion Diesel. Diesel beat Michaels, and the following night on Monday Night Raw, Michaels' new bodyguard Sycho Sid attacked Michaels, executing two Powerbombs. Diesel made the save, beginning Michaels' face turn.[edit]
The Boyhood Dream Comes True
Get Your Own Voice Player Manage
