Long read
[Part 1]()
[Part 2]()
March 31, 2001
Shawn Michaels made his first backstage
appearance at a WWF event in a long time at
Raw on Monday and managed to get under the
skin of a number of people in a short span of
time. He conducted himself in such a way that it
was clear many of his past problems are as
prominent today as in the past. He is scheduled to
headline the Apr. 30 Judgment Day PPV based
on an angle at or right after WrestleMania. His
conduct at Raw may jeopardize those plans. He
wasn’t scheduled to be on Raw; his attendance at
Raw backstage was meant to be a chance for him
to reorient himself to the locker room and prepare
for his on-air role beginning next week. The
WWF extended Michaels’s contract in
anticipation of him working at WrestleMania.
Michaels vetoed that plan, saying he wouldn’t be
ready to return at WM, and the WWF extended
his contract anyway. In retrospect, especially with
the acquisition of WCW, there was no urgency in
extending his contract.
April 7, 2001
Shawn Michaels walked out of the
Smackdown tapings last week after a dispute
with management. As reported last week, WWF
management wasn’t pleased with Michaels’s
conduct at Raw the night before. When they
talked to him about his situation the next day, a
confrontation resulted and Michaels left early.
Michaels had been scheduled to return to TV this
week either at WrestleMania or Raw or
Smackdown to be part of an angle that would lead
to his in-ring return at the Apr. 29 Backlash PPV
(perhaps teaming with Triple H against
Undertaker & Kane), but those plans appear to be
erased as a result of the happenings last week
April 14, 2001
All plans for use of Shawn Michaels have
been cancelled indefinitely due to his conduct
his first two days back on the road. Two weeks
ago Michaels showed up at Raw and immediately
made it apparent to everyone through his
appearance and conduct that his problems of the
past were also problems of the present. Among
other more serious problems, he also managed to
upset a number of people with what were
described as “unnecessary digs” and “smart ass”
comments. “He was being a dikk to everyone,”
says one WWF wrestler. “It’s that simple.” The
next day he took a nap shortly after arriving at the
arena for Smackdown, sleeping with his cap
coveirng his face. When he woke up, he met with
Vince McMahon and Jim Ross. During that
meeting he was asked to leave. Michaels did leave
without creating a big scene. He appeared to be
surprised by management’s request and took a
“sorry you feel that way” approach to the
situation. Sources say now Michaels will in
essence be given a choice—shape up in terms of
his attitude and get help for his other problems or
he won’t be back. In other words, it would likely
be at least another month or so before
management would even considering bringing
Michaels back.
Wrestlers also say there is a lot of tension
between Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Sources
say Michaels blames Triple H for WWF officials
asking him to leave the Mar. 27 Smackdown
tapings. Michaels is accusing Triple H of
bad–mouthing him to management following the
previous night’s Raw taping. Triple H is denying
the allegations, but is also said to be disappointed
that Michaels showed up in no condition to work.
Michaels complained about Triple H “not sticking
up for him.” He tried to get Hunter to go to Vince
and straighten things out—in other words, use his
clout to get management to overlook his
problems. Triple H said he would go with
Michaels to meet with Vince, but Michaels told
Hunter that only he (Hunter) could get Vince to
see his way
shyt coulda been Great instead of 
Hbk had a billy bowl cut
