Shawn Michaels WWE Career Timeline

Triple H and SHawn Michaels battle at WrestleMania XX
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By
Eric Cohen
Eric Cohen
Eric Cohen is a sports writer focused on pro wrestling. He is a featured guest in wrestling discussions on BBC Radio and Sirius Hardcore Sports Radio.
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Updated on 01/09/18

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels began his WWE career as a tag team specialist as one-half of The Rockers with Marty Jannetty. He would go on to become one of the most successful and controversial superstars in wrestling history due to a combination of his personal demons and in-ring performance with the cutting-edge group D-Generation X. A back injury put a halt to his career while he was at the top of his game. He would return a few years later with a new attitude towards life due to becoming born-again.  It just wasn't his faith that was born again, upon his return he looked better in the ring than he did before he was injured. Due to his show-stopping ability, "The Showstopper" earned the moniker of "Mr. WrestleMania" due to consistently putting on the best match of the year at the biggest show of the year.

The following is a timeline of the WWE career of Shawn Michaels. Listed is every PPV match (excluding battle royals where he was not involved in the ending) and title change that he has been involved in. Bolded items represent title victories while italicized items represent title losses. Please note that from 1988 until 1991, every match listed for Shawn Michaels is as part of the Rockers tag team with Marty Jannetty.

1988

  • 11/24 Survivor Series - The Powers of Pain, Rockers, Young Stallions, British Bulldogs, & Hart Foundation beat Tag Champs Demolition, The Rougeau Brothers, Brainbusters, Bolsheviks, & Los Conquistadores

1989

  • 3/11 SNME - fought to a double-count out with the Brain Busters
  • 4/2 Wrestlemania V - lost to Akeem & the Big Bossman
  • 8/2 SummerSlam - The Rougeau Brothers & Rick Martel beat the Rockers & Tito Santana
  • 11/25 SNME - beat the Brain Busters in a best of 3 falls match

1990

  • 4/1 WrestleMania VI - loss to the Orient Express via count out
  • 4/28 SNME - fought to a double-DQ with the Hart Foundation
  • 7/28 SNME - lost to tag team champions Demolition
  • 8/27 SummerSlam - lost to Power & Glory
  • 11/22 Survivor Series - Rick Martel, the Warlord, and Power & Glory beat Jake Roberts, the Rockers, and Jimmy Snuka

1991

  • 1/19 Royal Rumble - beat the Orient Express
  • 3/24 WrestleMania VII - beat The Barbarian & Haku
  • 11/27 Survivor Series 1991 - The Nasty Boys & Beverly Brothers beat the Rockers & the Bushwhackers

1992

  • 4/5 WrestleMania VIII - beat Tito Santana
  • 8/29 SummerSlam - fought to a double count out with Rick Martel
  • 11/14 SNME - beat the British Bulldog to win the Intercontinental Championship
  • 11/25 Survivor Series - lost to WWE Champion Bret Hart

1993

  • 1/24 Royal Rumble - beat Marty Jannetty
  • 4/4 WrestleMania IX - lost to Tatanka by DQ
  • 5/17 RAW - lost the I-C title to Marty Jannetty
  • 6/6 - Regained the I-C title from Marty Jannetty
  • 6/13 King of the Ring - beat Crush
  • 8/30 SummerSlam - beat Curt Hennig via count out
  • Shawn is stripped of the title in September
  • 11/24 Survivor Series - Bret, Owen, Keith, & Bruce Hart beat Shawn Michaels (replacing Jerry Lawler) and the Black, Blue & Red Knights

1994

  • 3/20 WrestleMania X - lost to Razor Ramon in a ladder match
  • 8/28 - w/Diesel beat Fatu & Samu to win the World Tag Team Championship
  • 11/23 Survivor Series - Razor Ramon, Fatu, The Kid, Davey Boy Smith & Fionne beat Diesel, Shawn Michaels, Jeff Jarrett, Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart
  • 11/23 Survivor Series - Diesel and Shawn split up and vacate the World Tag Team Championship

1995

  • 1/22 Royal Rumble 95 - won the Royal Rumble by last eliminating Davey Boy Smith
  • 4/2 WrestleMania XI - lost to WWE Champion Diesel
  • 6/25 King of The Ring - Quarterfinals: Shawn Michaels & Kama wrestled to a 15-minute draw
  • 7/23 In Your House 2 - beat Jeff Jarrett to win the Intercontinental Championship
  • 8/27 SummerSlam - beat Razor Ramon in a ladder match
  • 9/24 In Your House 3 - w/Diesel won the World Tag Team Championship by beating Yokozuna & Davey Boy Smith
  • 9/25 RAW - Diesel & Shawn are stripped of the World Tag Team Championship due to a technicality from the night before
  • 10/22 In Your House 4 - Shawn vacates the I-C title due to injury
  • 11/19 Survivor Series - Davey Boy Smith, Sid, Ahmed Johnson, & Shawn Michaels beat Razor Ramon, Dean Douglas, Owen Hart & Yokozuna

1996

  • 1/21 Royal Rumble - won the Royal Rumble last eliminating Diesel
  • 2/18 In Your House 6 - beat Owen Hart
  • 3/31 Wrestlemania XII - beat Bret Hart in a 60 minute Iron Man Match to win the WWE Championship
  • 4/28 IYH Good Friends Better Enemies - beat Diesel in a No Holds Barred Match
  • 5/26 IYH Beware of Dog - fought to a draw with Davey Boy Smith
  • 6/23 King of The Ring - beat Davey Boy Smith
  • 8/18 SummerSlam - beat Big Van Vader
  • 9/22 IYH Mind Games - beat Mankind by DQ
  • 11/17 Survivor Series - lost the WWE Championship to Sid

1997

  • 1/19 Royal Rumble - regained the WWE Championship from Sid
  • 2/13 RAW - Shawn vacates the WWE title with the infamous "lost my smile" speech
  • 5/26 RAW - w/Steve Austin beat Owen Hart and the British Bulldog to win the World Tag Team Championship
  • June - Steve Austin and Shawn split up and vacate the World Tag Team Championship
  • 6/8 King of The Ring - fought to a no contest with Steve Austin
  • 9/7 IYH Ground Zero - fought to a no contest with the Undertaker
  • 9/20 - beat the British Bulldog to win the European Championship
  • 10/5 IYH Bad Blood - beat the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match
  • 11/9 Survivor Series - beat Bret Hart to win the WWE Championship in the infamous "Montreal Screwjob"
  • 12/7 IYH DeGeneration X - lost to Ken Shamrock by DQ
  • 12/22 RAW - "lost" the European Title to Triple H

1998

  • 1/18 Royal Rumble - beat the Undertaker in a casket match. During the match, Shawn landed incorrectly on the coffin & suffered a back injury that would lead to him being out of the business for 5 years.
  • 3/29 WrestleMania XIV - lost the WWE Championship to Steve Austin. Mike Tyson was special enforcer outside the ring. This was Shawn's only match for 5 years after suffering an injury at the Royal Rumble.

2002

  • 8/25 SummerSlam - beat Triple H in an Unsanctioned Street Fight
  • 11/17 Survivor Series - Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship: Shawn Michaels beat champ Triple H, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho & Kane to win the title
  • 12/15 Armageddon 2002 - World Title best of 3 falls (streetfight, cage, & ladder match): Triple H beat Shawn Michaels to win the title. Triple H won falls 1 & 3

2003

  • 3/30 WrestleMania XIX - beat Chris Jericho
  • 4/27 Backlash - Triple H, Ric Flair & Chris Jericho beat Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, & Booker T
  • 6/15 Bad Blood - lost to Ric Flair
  • 8/24 SummerSlam - Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship: Champion Triple H beat Goldberg, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Randy Orton, & Chris Jericho
  • 11/16 Survivor Series - Chris Jericho, Christian, Scott Steiner, Randy Orton & Mark Henry beat Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Booker T and The Dudley Boyz. As a result, Steve Austin was fired as co-GM of Raw.
  • 12/14 Armageddon - beat Batista

2004

  • 1/25 Royal Rumble - the Last Man Standing for World Heavyweight Title: Champion Triple H & Shawn Michaels fought to a draw
  • 3/14 WrestleMania XX - World Heavyweight Championship: Chris Benoit beat Champ Triple H & Shawn Michaels to win the title
  • 4/18 Backlash 2004 - World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit beat Triple H & Shawn Michaels
  • 6/13 Bad Blood - lost to Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match
  • 9/12 Unforgiven - beat Kane in a no-DQ match
  • 10/19 Taboo Tuesday - lost to World Champion Triple H

2005

  • 4/3 WrestleMania 21 - lost to Kurt Angle
  • 5/1 Backlash - Hulk Hogan & Shawn Michaels beat Muhammad Hassan & Daivari
  • 6/26 Vengeance - beat Kurt Angle
  • 8/21 SummerSlam - lost to Hulk Hogan
  • 9/18 Unforgiven - beat Chris Masters
  • 11/1 Taboo Tuesday - WWE Champion John Cena beat Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle
  • 11/27 Survivor Series 2005 - Team SmackDown (Batista, Randy Orton, JBL, Rey Mysterio Jr, & Lashley) beat Team RAW (Shawn Michaels, Kane, The Big Show, Carlito, & Chris Masters)

2006

  • 1/8 New Year's Revolution - Elimination Chamber for WWE Title: John Cena beat Shawn Michaels, Kane, Carlito, Kurt Angle, and Chris Masters
  • 3/18 SNME - lost to Shane McMahon in a street fight
  • 4/2 WrestleMania 22 - beat Vince McMahon in a no holds barred match
  • 4/30 Backlash - No Holds Barred Match: Vince & Shane McMahon beat Shawn Michaels
  • 6/25 Vengeance - Handicap Match: D-X (Shawn Michaels & Triple H) beat The Spirit Squad (Kenny/Mikey/Johnny/Nicky/Mitch)
  • 7/15 SNME - Elimination Match: D-Generation X beat The Spirit Squad
  • 8/20 SummerSlam - D-X beat Vince & Shane McMahon
  • 9/17 Unforgiven - Hell in a Cell: Shawn Michaels and Triple H beat Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and the Big Show
  • 11/5 Cyber Sunday - Randy Orton & Edge beat D-Generation X in a match with Eric Bischoff serving as the special guest referee
  • 11/26 Survivor Series - Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and CM Punk beat Randy Orton, Edge, Gregory Helms, Johnny Nitro, and Mike Knox

2007

  • 1/7 New Year's Revolution - D-X fought World Tag Team Champions Edge & Randy Orton to a No Contest
  • 1/28 Royal Rumble - was the final competitor eliminated by the Undertaker
  • 1/29 RAW - w/John Cena won the World Tag Team Championship from Edge & Randy Orton
  • 2/18 No Way Out - w/John Cena beat the Undertaker & Batista
  • 4/1 WrestleMania 23 - lost to WWE Champion John Cena
  • 4/2 RAW - w/John Cena lost the tag team titles to the Hardys in a 10-Team Battle Royal
  • 4/29 Backlash - WWE Champion John Cena beat Shawn Michaels, Edge, and Randy Orton
  • 5/20 Judgment Day - lost to Randy Orton
  • 10/28 Cyber Sunday - beat WWE Champion Randy Orton by DQ
  • 11/18 Survivor Series - lost to WWE Champion Randy Orton
  • 12/16 Armageddon - beat Ken Kennedy

2008

  • 2/17 No Way Out - Elimination Chamber: Triple H beat Shawn Michaels, Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, JBL, and Umaga
  • 3/30 WrestleMania XXIV - beat Ric Flair
  • 4/27 Backlash - beat Batista
  • 5/18 Judgment Day - beat Chris Jericho
  • 6/1 One Night Stand - lost a Stretcher Match to Batista
  • 7/20 Great American Bash - lost to Chris Jericho
  • 9/7 Unforgiven - beat Chris Jericho in an Unsanctioned Match
  • 10/5 No Mercy - lost a Ladder Match to World Champion Chris Jericho
  • 11/23 Survivor Series - Shawn Michaels, Cryme Tyme, Rey Mysterio, & The Great Khali beat JBL, MVP, Kane, The Miz, & John Morrison

2009

  • 2/15 No Way Out - beat JBL in an All or Nothing Match
  • 4/5 25the Anniversary of WrestleMania - lost to The Undertaker
  • 8/23 SummerSlam - w/Triple H beat Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase
  • 9/13 Breaking Point - w/Triple H lost to Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase in a Submissions Count Anywhere Match
  • 10/4 Hell in a Cell - w/Triple H beat Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase in a Hell in a Cell Match
  • 10/25 Bragging Rights - Team SmackDown (Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, Finlay, R-Truth, David Hart Smith, & Tyson Kidd) beat Team RAW (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Big Show, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, & Mark Henry)
  • 11/22 Survivor Series - WWE Champion John Cena beat Triple H & Shawn Michaels
  • 12/13 TLC - w/Triple H won the Unified Tag Team Championship from Big Show and Chris Jericho in a TLC Match

2010

  • 2/8 RAW - Big Show & Miz beat Champions DX and CM Punk & Luke Gallows in a Triple Threat Elimination Match to win the Unified Tag Team Championship
  • 3/38 WrestleMania XXVI - forced to retire after losing to the Undertaker in a match that could only be won by pin fall or submission

Sources used include: Pro Wrestling Illustrated Almanac, WWE.com, and Onlineworldofwrestling.com