Wrestling for My Life: The Legend, the Reality, and the Faith of a WWE Superstar

by Shawn Michaels

  MENTORS SEEK TO SERVE

  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

  Mentors played vital roles in the beginnings of both my wrestling career and my Christian walk. When I had become experienced in both, I took advantage of opportunities to share what I had learned so that others could reap the same benefits I did.

  Of course, my list of wrestling mentors begins with Jose, who trained me and set me on the path to realizing my dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Jose, in his old-school style, didn’t waste a lot of time. He thought the best way to teach me was to put me in a ring and have me wrestle, which I did against a guy named Ken Johnson. I learned under Jose by doing.

  Jose was an early believer in my abilities. Although Jose was in his late forties, he still was wrestling a little, and he let me drive him to and from matches in Houston so he could introduce me to some of the guys in Mid-South Wrestling. Jose wasn’t a big talker, but he didn’t mind letting people know that he was training me and that I would one day be a champion.

  Jose gave me my ring name, convinced me to learn the backflip, helped me choose what I would wear in the ring, and then used his connection with Bill Watts to land me a spot in Mid-South.

  Then, once I joined Mid-South, Ricky Morton, Robert Gibson, and Terry Taylor became mentors. In addition to letting me ride with them to matches so they could spend time teaching me about the sport, they also watched my matches and offered feedback. Having their instruction was huge, and I applied the input they gave me. They were willing to take time to answer questions or share their observations of my matches.

  They would emphasize the importance of a good guy, especially, showing emotion and fire when making a comeback in a match. That was an important lesson, because early on, when nobody was cheering for me and I could hear a pin drop during my matches, I had to learn through the experienced wrestlers’ advice to carry myself as if I was turning in the greatest match ever and was thrilled to be there. That was not easy. The tendency for young wrestlers is to wait to respond to the fans’ reactions. But the unknown wrestler has to be able to display that emotion first, even when the fans don’t know who he is or don’t care about his match.

  At the beginning of my career, it was cool to see how each town, each opponent, and each match were noticeably different. I would wrestle a guy one night and get advice from him, and then the next night we would wrestle in a different town and he would point out something else to me. Through my mentors I began to realize that every step in the process offered an opportunity to improve and build on.

  After I had been in wrestling for a few years, I took on a mentoring role too. It would sound noble and applause-worthy to say that I chose to mentor because I viewed it as a way to give back to my sport. But honestly, I mentored because that was a natural part of the wrestling culture. I wanted to give back to my sport, sure, but I didn’t have to choose to do so. I had been mentored coming up in the business, and becoming a mentor just seemed like the natural thing to do. I loved wrestling and wanted it to continue to prosper, so I did exactly as had been done for me and shared with the younger wrestlers what I had learned, both from others and through my own experiences.

  That being said, I was a much better mentor after my first retirement. My presentation, to use Jim Ross’s word, frequently lacked tact in my first stint, and I alienated much of the locker room. With the turnover that took place during my absence, I returned to an interesting mix of younger wrestlers. Some knew about my career, knew about my top matches, and, unfortunately, knew of my reputation. Others didn’t really know who I was. I liked becoming familiar with both groups.

  I could discern which ones were most interested in learning everything they could about our sport. I could tell them, when the sport got hard and they battled frustration, that it was perfectly natural in our sport. It was enjoyable answering their questions, especially the ones about the business. And then there were times when I interjected my unsolicited advice when I saw guys doing things that were going to hurt their chances of becoming successful.

  The young guys used to make me laugh because when some of them would get into the ring with me, I could see this “You’re Shawn Michaels!” look in their eyes, and I would have to yell at them during the match, “Hit me!”

  One trait I admired about the new generation of wrestlers was that they didn’t seem to completely identify themselves with the sport the way my generation did. They had identities outside of wrestling. Another way of putting it is that they had a life. Some of the older guys were bothered by that, because they thought the young guys appeared as though they didn’t care as much as we had at their age. There were peers who thought the young guys were lazy and didn’t love wrestling. My observation was that either things didn’t bother them as much as us or they possessed a better ability to roll with whatever happened to them. The young guys weren’t as controlled by the sport as we had been. They had hobbies and interests outside of the wrestling, and I thought that was beneficial for their careers and lives.

  Wrestlers haven’t been dropping over dead on a regular basis as they did during my wrestling days. I knew too many wrestlers who had died from drugs. There were others who died in unfortunate mishaps and from natural health reasons. I don’t want to lump all the wrestlers who died during my era into one group who died from making bad choices, but the partying lifestyle, of which I was a full participant, cut short lives. That lifestyle doesn’t seem to be as prevalent among today’s wrestlers.

  I don’t hear as much as I used to about wrestlers getting involved in bar fights and getting arrested. I’m not as in the loop as I used to be, but those types of issues don’t seem to come up as often now. Plus, WWE has done a good job of taking steps to protect the wrestlers, especially with regard to head injuries, by keeping trainers on hand and taking advantage of technological advances in medicine. The wrestlers and wrestling are healthier today for all of the above reasons.

  I encouraged the younger guys to develop a balance between wrestling and their outside lives. The powers that be expected wrestlers to focus on their careers 24/7. For those who were young and single and intent on working their way up the ladder, I advised them to devote more time to the sport. But at the same time, I told them never to let anyone make them feel bad about having hobbies and activities outside of wrestling. I wanted them to know that it’s smart to take three days completely off. Instead of watching films of matches or working out in a ring when they’re supposed to be off, I encouraged them to go to the beach with their wives or girlfriends, or go fishing. I had learned there’s an upside to maintaining a balance, and the way I maintained that balance was to work hard on WWE time and then go home and enjoy my family on my time.

  That was advice I had not been given by anyone inside the business. As a result, I made things twice as difficult on myself as they needed to be. It’s a hard enough job anyway. Wrestling was my life and the focus of everything I did. Nobody complained about the lifestyle back then, even though it came with a tough grind, because we were doing what we wanted to do.

  The bottom line on what I shared with the new guys when I returned was that it is okay to have a life. I knew those who had a life outside of wrestling faced ridicule and pressure to be like the others in the way wrestling had always been, but I didn’t want them to forget that it is good to have a little normalcy in their lives.

  I was blessed to have strong spiritual mentors around me back home and when I returned to wrestling.

  Two Christian wrestlers, Ted DiBiase and Tully Blanchard, my boyhood idol from San Antonio, both made themselves available to me when I rejoined WWE.

  I was wrong about this, but I felt certain that no one outside of wrestling would be able to relate to the severity of my sins. I would hear people at church talk about how bad their lifestyles were before they became Christians and my reaction would be, Oh, please! You guys don’t know the half of it. Surely nobody had lived a lifestyle cl
ose to mine.

  Wrong! I eventually heard some of their stories and was surprised how I could look at people in their current state and have no idea of the way they had previously lived.

  It took me a while to learn that, but fortunately I had Ted and Tully to turn to with my questions. They gave me sort of a Christianity for Dummies-styled education. They both helped me view things from a Christian perspective and also gave me tips on how to put my Christianity into practice, especially in the wrestling environment. It was Tully who gave me the great advice to start reading the Bible in the Gospels and read them repeatedly to familiarize myself with the story and life of Jesus.

  I never hesitated to reach out to Ted and Tully, and I can’t remember either of them ever not taking time to help me. They were only a phone call away.

  Fortunately, I also had two people locally who were always available to me, Keith and Priscilla Parker. Keith was the Cornerstone staff member who had invited me to his Bible study the day I walked unannounced into the church office.

  Keith and Priscilla were exactly the kind of folks to which every new Christian should have access. They had more to do with my Christian walk getting off to a good, solid start than anyone else. It pains me to hear of someone who gets saved and then has no one there to help him. Discipleship — teaching and showing others, especially newer believers, how to live the Christian life — should never be overlooked by those of us who have been Christians for a while. Without it, new Christians are left out there alone and without direction, whereas it is through discipleship that Christians mature and make an impact on the people around them. That is what makes churches healthy and growing.

  Keith and Priscilla talked to me about setting aside quiet time alone for prayer and studying the Bible. Keith, especially, had a way of giving me simple, direct, concise directions. I was an athlete, and I was accustomed to following directions. Give me a game plan, and I’ll execute it. That’s what Keith did for me.

  The Parkers quickly became really good friends whom I (and Rebecca) could ask anything at any time. Keith and Priscilla earned my trust, and that was important. They were not influenced in the least by my status as a wrestler. They cared about Shawn Hickenbottom, not Shawn Michaels.

  One unfortunate price of my celebrity is that I always feel I’ll need to gauge people’s sincerity: Are they more into the wrestler or into the person I am when I’m out of character? I’ve met people who no doubt were wonderful and genuine, but when they would start asking more about wrestling than my personal life, I felt I needed to draw a line that kept our relationship from growing too close.

  My mom used to tell me that as long as I had five people in my life whom I could call on whenever I needed them, I would be in good shape. When you’re a public figure, the number of people who could take on that role of confidant dwindles significantly. That’s tough, because from a faith standpoint you need people around you with whom you can confidently get into some pretty deep and vulnerable areas.

  Providing fellowship is an important function of the church, but I’m the type of person who doesn’t need more than a few people in my innermost circle. Keith and Priscilla were in that circle because they were trustworthy. I could reveal to them my deepest secrets. I could tell them I needed prayer for a specific need, share the details with them, and not have to worry that my need would make the rounds at church. That’s something that can be a problem in churches. There have been people who asked if there was anything I wanted them to pray for, and because I couldn’t trust them, I answered, “Nope,” even if I did have a need. That’s not only true for someone who is a recognized figure, such as I’ve been; it’s also true for other people in churches.

  We need to be able to express the areas in which we need help and ask our brothers and sisters to do as the Bible instructs and bear those burdens with us by lifting us up in prayer. And then stop right there and not let it become fodder for rumors and gossip. The church needs to be the first place people — believers and non-believers — can safely go with their needs, not the last.

  Although the Parkers moved back to Alabama two or three years after I became a Christian, we have continued to stay in close contact. I don’t know how I would have made it through my early days as a Christian without the Parkers, and I have leaned on them throughout the process of trying to sell that empty building. I’m confident God could have provided other people to fulfill the role the Parkers have played in my life, but I surely am glad He sent Keith and Priscilla to mentor me.

  Philip Fortenberry’s bio on the Cornerstone website describes him as “Pastor, Counselor, Teacher, Minister, Public Speaker, Author, Survivalist, Outdoor Adventurer and Former Green Beret.” That’s a long list, but there is one important word missing: Friend.

  Philip was the one who brought me into a role as spiritual mentor that became an incredibly rewarding experience for me.

  Before I decided to go back to wrestling, I had contemplated finding a job with a church to be involved with a ministry that helped young boys. I had watched a story on the news that included alarming statistics about boys from single-parent homes. And then, of course, there were all those books I had read, including Dr. Dobson’s, that emphasized how much boys miss out on when they’re not around godly men.

  I started keeping notes for how I could be a positive influence for boys missing that man in their lives. That is where my dream of owning a ranch began. If Rebecca and I could move to a ranch, I decided, I would be able to host those boys for little excursions on which I could take them hunting and fishing and teach them how to field dress a deer and how to cook in the outdoors — while talking to them about God.

  Not too long after I started compiling ideas, I met a man in his mid-twenties at church and shared with him what I was thinking. He liked the ideas, and we started talking about putting together something small on our own.

  Pastor Hagee and his son, Matt, who was on the pastoral staff, heard about our plans and decided to build a ministry at the church built around outdoors and single-parent boys. Philip was the guy they brought in to start the ministry.

  It was about that time that I made the decision to go back to WWE. Still, Philip allowed me to help be a part of launching the ministry, and I took part in a hiking trip in Colorado that turned out well. One night we were all sitting around a campfire, and Philip gave his testimony. Then I gave mine. Philip’s story was closer to what the boys were living through, because he had grown up without a father around. Of course, my story proved that you can have a dad around and still screw up your life.

  Despite the differences in Philip’s and my backgrounds, seeing a former Green Beret and a professional wrestler open up like we did made it easier for the boys to share their stories with one another. That was the beginning of the healing process for a lot of those boys.

  Over time, Philip began to see that it wasn’t enough to reach out to the boys. Their mothers also needed to be equipped to raise the boys as single parents. That led to some changes in that ministry at the church, and one day Philip came to me and said he no longer could lead the Thursday night Bible study for the boys. He said the boys wanted to keep the Bible study going and asked if I would take over.

  I jumped on that opportunity. It fit nicely into my schedule, because I could lead the boys on Thursday nights and then fly out on Fridays to be with WWE.

  The appeal of keeping the Bible study going for the boys was obvious. For me personally it also met a need, because I was concerned that with my return to wrestling I could get out of touch with my desire to be of service.

  When God puts something on my heart, I have to do it. Since I had heard those statistics on the news, God had been laying that type of ministry on my heart, and I couldn’t rest until I saw it come to life.

  We kept that group of boys together all the way through their high school graduations and into college for a few. I still hear from some of the boys from time to time. Not too long ago, one texted to ask, “If you scr
ew up, do you mess up God’s will or is that a part of God’s will?”

  Another recently texted to say that his grandmother, who was Catholic, was in the hospital and he wanted to visit her and pray with her. But he said he didn’t know any Catholic prayers. I texted back that his going to see her and pray with her as he knew how would mean the world to her. Then I told him that if he wasn’t sure where his grandmother stood with Jesus, he should ask her. If she said she hadn’t accepted Christ as her Savior, then he could have that conversation with her.

  It’s really cool that after all those years, after we had all gone our separate ways, the guys can text me to ask questions that are important to them — much like my mentors have done for me.

  I took over the group for the boys’ sake, but when you allow God to use you in an area He places in your heart, when you intentionally seek to serve others, you can’t help but be encouraged and strengthened in your faith too.

  CHAPTER 13

  FREEDOM IN FORGIVENESS

  “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

  Forgiveness is one of the main themes of the Bible, and without it I would not be where I am today. Forgiveness also is at the heart of the wrestling story with which I am most associated. The two are connected.

  The Montreal Screwjob remains the biggest controversy in the history of wrestling. If a bigger one comes along, I’ll feel sorry for the guys involved. It’s no fun being the bad guy in a story like that.

  Bret Hart and I had been pretty good friends in my early days in WWE. We were the smaller guys, but felt like we were the future of the company. We foresaw a day when WWE would focus more on wrestling ability instead of just being big. So that was something we had bonded over.

  But for more than twelve years after the match in Montreal, the relationship between Bret and me was nonexistent. Bret left WWE for WCW, and we didn’t talk to each other during that time period. We didn’t exchange a text or an email.