Shawn Michaels currently serves as head of WWE NXT, tutoring young talent who hope to become the next top star in pro wrestling. In a recent video shared on WWE’s YouTube channel, Michaels shared that the one match above all others recruits want to watch is his WrestleMania 25 instant classic against The Undertaker.
“When I first came here to coach, the class wanted to watch it. I think I’ve mentioned to you [The Undertaker] before. At the end of this, I was just quiet and they all looked at me. [I was] trying to explain to them all of the real-life emotion.”
Michaels said that it was after watching the match that the young wrestlers grasped that he and the Phenom think about wrestling psychology “to a different level.” Michaels suggested that appreciating the match as a talent in WWE was a much different experience to when the recruits watched the match as fans.
“I don’t think when they were fans as watching it, they felt like you and I could be that deep.”
The Undertaker would win the match, extending his WrestleMania record to 17-0. That December, Michaels would throw out the challenge for a rematch for WrestleMania 26. Once again, the Phenom got the win, not only going 18-0 at the Showcase of the Immortals, but bringing an end to Michaels’ legendary career.
Now, both men are retired and have respective roles in nurturing the talent of tomorrow. And with decades of matches between the two, the young recruits of WWE are wise to learn from this match and many others.
