The impact Shawn Michaels has had on wrestling is impossible to calculate. Almost every active wrestler today borrows some aspect of HBK's in-ring style or microphone persona. "Mr. WreslteMania" held major titles in four different decades, was a founding member of D-Generation X, is a two-time WWE Hall of Famer, and is currently a Vice President at the WWE. His long journey in the world of wrestling was not without its difficulties.
Michaels suffered many injuries throughout his career. He's also battled through many minor (and major) wounds. Some of his injuries, like his lazy eye, which started thanks to a bump he took from Kane, weren't severe enough to keep Michaels out of action. HBK's journey in the WWE is one any wrestler would dream to replicate and the fact that Michael's achieved all he did despite many massive injuries is telling about his competitive spirit and love for the craft. This list will examine every major injury "the showstopper" suffered during his illustrious wrestling career.
7 Torn ACL - 1990
Michael's had a ton of knee injuries throughout his long career. The first major injury happened as early as 1990 for Michaels. Any time sports fans hear of a "torn ACL," they know someone is about to be out of action for at least seven months to a year. Michaels tore his ACL at a house show a few weeks before SummerSlam.
Instead of missing more than six months, as most would expect, Michaels only missed two months...kind of. He wrestled two matches (with a torn ACL) in August and September. Instead of having his ACL repaired, HBK had his knee scoped, meaning loose cartilage was cleaned out of his knee. For years after this, he would tape his knee, but the injury would not be fully healed until many years later.
6 "Career Threatening Knee Injury" - 1997
Although many fans remember the segment on Raw where Michael announced that he had "lost his smile," many forget that he also mentioned a "career-threatening injury" he sustained that also contributed to his departure and the vacating of the WWE Championship.
Vince McMahon says in the segment that Michael was facing a knee operation. Michael admits that a doctor told him he may never be able to wrestle again. Michael's story has always been that the injury was not scripted, and his doctor told him the injury was severe enough to end his career. It was not until he met Dr. James Andrews that he returned to wrestling a little over three months after the segment. Later that year he would also experience the Montreal Screwjob.
5 Herniated Discs - 1998
The most well-known injury of Michael's career happened in a Casket Match against The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble 1998. This injury occurred when HBK was red-hot as WWE Champion. When many fans think of Michaels in the 90s, they think of this timeframe when D-Generation X was as hot as its leader HBK.
Michael herniated two discs on the wooden casket and then crushed the third one in his fall. The injury absolutely debilitated Michaels. Apparently, he was barely able to walk in the weeks that followed his match with the Undertaker. HBK didn't wrestle again until his match with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14 over two months later. HBK is clearly fighting through agonizing pain in this match. There was so much opportunity for Michaels and Austin to have more classic rivalries through the Attitude Era, but the injury was so devastating it kept Michaels out of action until 2002.
4 Torn Meniscus - 2004
At the first Taboo Tuesday, fans voted for Michaels to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. A few weeks before the event, Michaels suffered a torn meniscus that would require a few months of recovery time.
Somehow, Michaels battled through the match and put on a gutsy effort against his former partner in crime, Triple H. It was his last match of 2004, and he didn't return to action until January of the next year.
3 Spirit Squad Knee Injury - 2006
The buildup to the relaunch of D-Generation X in 2006 featured Michaels entering into a feud with Vince and Shane McMahon. Before he and Triple H were paired together, HBK faced The Spirit Squad (Johnny, Kenny, Mikey, Mitch & Nicky) in a Five On One Handicap Match.
The Spirit Squad appeared to injure Michael's knee in the segment because, in real life, his knee was injured and needed surgery to be repaired. In typical HBK fashion, he only missed in-ring action for a few weeks before coming to the aid of Triple H against the Spirit Squad and reforming D-Generation X.
2 Knee Injury - 2007
In the build-up to his Judgment Day 2007 match against Randy Orton, Michael was made to seem very injured due to attacks from Orton. The injuries were mostly kayfabe, but Michaels was nursing a serious knee injury in real life.
After Orton won the match via technical knockout, he continued to beat up Michaels. HBK was removed on a stretcher and didn't return to action for nearly five months. When he finally returned, he gave the newly crowned WWE Champion, Randy Orton, Sweet Chin Music setting up a title match between the two at Cyber Sunday.
1 Tricep Tear - 2008
During a feud with Chris Jericho, where Michael's suffered a storyline "retina detachment," the two had a rare contract signing that led to an injury.
HBK suffered a small triceps tear in their scrum, which put him out of action for a little less than two months. He returned to the ring at Unforgiven 2008 where he severely beat Chris Jericho.