The word retirement rarely has all that much meaning in wrestling. Even those who have been medically declared unable to return to the ring usually find their way back eventually. Bryan Danielson and Edge are competing again, and it appears Paige, who now goes by Saraya in AEW, will eventually be wrestling again soon too.
Shawn Michaels' Unexpected Return
Although Shawn Michaels didn't have to retire, at least not the second time around, he made the decision to hang up his wrestling boots after an iconic match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26. That was until Crown Jewel 2018 when HBK returned for one more match. A tag team bout alongside his DX buddy Triple H to take on The Brothers Of Destruction.
If you've seen the match, or even if you haven't, you'll know it wasn't great. Michaels likely avoided prior return requests through fear he could no longer live up to the hype. Even though his individual performance arguably wasn't to blame, the match as a whole likely confirmed he was right to be wary. As for what convinced him to change his mind, Conrad Thompson might have shed some light on that this week.
$3 Million For One Match
Thompson and Tony Schiavone covered 2018's Crown Jewel during this week's episode of What Happened When. While dissecting the match, Thompson mentioned that he heard Michaels was paid $3 million to return for the one match. A sizable sum if accurate, and an explanation as to why after all those years away, HBK was willing to return for one more match.
Although not from an official WWE source, or Michaels himself, the $3 million price tag does seem likely. Special attraction Superstars are paid an inflated amount to compete on the Saudi shows to convince them to travel halfway around the world for one show. It was previously believed The Rock was offered $20 million to wrestle on a WWE show in Saudi Arabia, but apparently, he turned it down.
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