Shawn Michaels’ in-ring return at SummerSlam 2002 against Triple H was intended to be a one-off, but because he fared so well inside the squared circle, he came back for another match at Survivor Series. One more run turned into eight more years.
In that time, he contested classics with John Cena, Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle, but The Undertaker was perhaps his most pivotal. Michaels’ devastating loss to The Deadman at WrestleMania 25 nearly drove him into an early retirement, but before he could hang up his boots for good, he had to prove to himself one last time he could beat ‘Taker when it mattered most at WrestleMania.
Undertaker’s one caveat for the contest was that HBK’s career would end if he beat him for the second straight year. It was a risk Michaels was willing to take if it meant getting another crack at the Streak.
However, Michaels’ valiant effort against The Phenom was again unsuccessful.
The match itself a gem, and what what made it more special was that Michaels did remain retired for many years. His one-off return at Crown Jewel 2018 alongside Triple H to take on The Brothers of Destruction is best forgotten, as nothing may ever come close to how perfect his original farewell was.
