What was shawn michaels first match back

It was A return match at a major pay-per-view, let alone a full-time return, following a four-and-a-half-year absence from a severe back injury was virtually unheard of. Following a strong, personal build-up between the kayfabe best friends turned bitter enemies, Michaels and Triple H wrestled a nearly flawless hardcore brawl. It was a critically acclaimed gem that blew away all expectations. This wasn't a safe contest where Triple H carried Michaels to a respectable sendoff. It was a clinic in telling a story of a desperate man whose ego was not at peace with how it all ended.

The heat-seeking attack sent Michaels to the hospital per storyline. It was reason to believe that this was the way Michaels would be written out of wrestling storylines after going out on his own terms. Three months later at Survivor Series, Michaels would go on to win his first world championship since Michaels would go on to wrestle for another eight years following his memorable comeback. During the match, The Undertaker hit Michaels with a back-body drop to the outside.

While falling, HBK hit his back on the edge of the casket. While it didn't look serious at the time, he suffered two herniated discs and crushed a third one in the fall. As a result of the injury, he could not compete at the next pay-per-view and would soon have to retire altogether, staying away from the ring for four years.

Mike Tyson was the special outside enforcer for the match and it appeared leading up to the event that he would back D-Generation X. At the event, the supposition was revealed to be false. With the referee knocked unconscious, Tyson jumped into the ring for a quick three-count as Steve Austin pinned Michaels.

What a moment. And those awesome As Michaels believed that his wrestling career was over, he opened a wrestling school where he trained various superstars, including a young Daniel Bryan. In , Michaels returned to regular WWE programming, first in a non-wrestling role. Unfortunately, Triple H betrayed and assaulted him, resulting in his first wrestling appearance for WWE since He wrestled Triple H at SummerSlam in a spectacular unsanctioned match, defeating him.

Following the match, Triple H assaulted Michaels, supposedly injuring him again. He announced in February that he was retiring due to a knee issue, but decided to return to action several months later.

After battling drug and alcohol addiction for about a decade, Michaels started a family in San Antonio, got sober, and found religion. More than four years into his retirement, Michaels says he prayed his back pain away, and returned to professional wrestling at SummerSlam in a match with Triple H.

Since retiring from the ring, Michaels has served as a key contributor to NXT, which he says began as a developmental brand that grooms WWE superstars. They are parents to a son, Cameron, and daughter, Cheyenne. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of fame in