Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages it is your good buddy @KC_CARLYLE. Today we are going to talk about my wrestling roots; how I got into pro wrestling and who did it.
Now let me elaborate a little bit on what I mean when I say, my wrestling roots, and how I got into pro wrestling and who did it. Recently, a very dear friend of mine challenged me to write an article about my favorite wrestler who made me love wrestling, and why he made me love wrestling. Well far be it from me not to accept a friendly challenge. Especially, when it is to write about one of the things that is most near and dear to my heart, professional wrestling.
My Wrestling Roots:
So now that we have all of our formalities out of the way. Let’s get right on down to the meat and potatoes of this article. The wrestler that gets the most credit in my eyes, is “The Heartbreak Kid”, Shawn Michaels.
Now let me set the stage for you. I had been watching wrestling my whole life. That being said, I had no one to watch with. We were also a family who was very active on the weekends. My sister and I both played soccer and were involved in scouting. So with that knowledge, and the knowledge that I was the only person in my family who liked wrestling, you can see how I was not able to watch consistently.
That was until January 1996 when my life would change forever. I was nine years old and was at a friend’s house. Now I know this kid and I had watched wrestling together before. The reason this information is pertinent to our story is that I knew that I was an HBK fan before Royal Rumble 1996.
So now we know that HBK is the man who got me into wrestling. Now let’s start getting into the why. When I saw HBK the first time I knew he was my dude! His entrance music hooked me right from the start. So now I am hearing this great song, waiting with anticipation to see the wrestler attached to this insane hook, a hook that is drawing my nine-year-old brain in like a moth to the flame.
So HBK busts through the curtain! He has this ridiculous smirk on his face and is dressed like something out an 80’s rock video. The crazy sunglasses, chains hanging all over his vest, long dangling earrings, you could tell this guy was where it was at! Then I watch HBK’s match at the 1996 Royal Rumble. His performance was nothing short of legendary! Also being the first man that year to win back to back Royal Rumbles.
HBK Career
Now we get to one of my favorite parts of HBK’s career and that is DX! In August of 1997, we got the birth of one of the most iconic factions in all of professional wrestling. The hijinks and wisecracks, the pranks, and the way they pushed the envelope just sent me over the edge as a fan. At 11 years old I was not a good kid but I was not a bad kid either. I was a “handful” according to my parents, especially when I started crotch chopping everywhere I went and was telling everyone to, “SUCK IT!”
Now not long after Wrestlemania 14, Triple H kicked HBK out of DX. He said HBK dropped the ball in his WWF title match. When in reality it was to fix a back injury suffered against Undertaker in a casket match at Royal Rumble that same year. This would put HBK out of action for around four years. During that time HBK would show up here and there on WWF television in various roles. His best role during this time was when he replaced Sgt. Slaughter as WWF Commissioner.
In June of 2002, HBK would be introduced as the third man of the newly reformed nWo. Oddly enough HBK is the only member of the nWo who never worked for WCW. He would go on to feud with Triple H until 2004.
On June 12, 2006 episode of RAW, DX officially reunited! Now, this is where we got some of the funniest skits between HBK and HHH. When they started messing with Vince McMahon they had me in stitches. The way they messed with everybody was just at another level.
Now I know I have spent a lot of his time in this article gushing about how much I love HBK’s character work and look. That being said, please don’t think I am not going to do some gushing about his in-ring ability. Shawn Michaels has it all. While he is a hair on the smaller side he still has “IT”. He has speed, agility, finesse, in-ring awareness, charisma, strength, and most of all guts! HBK didn’t get his nickname “Mr. Wrestlemania” for nothing. At Wrestlemania 12 at The Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California HBK put on one of the greatest wrestling clinics ever seen in my generation of wrestling. So I felt it only fitting to share the match that truly cemented HBK as “the man” in my eyes. As well as brought pro wrestling into my life for the last twenty-five years.
So in closing, I would like to extend a huge thank you to “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. Not only for all the years of great entertainment and excellent athleticism but for being a part of my life for so many years. If there was no HBK at Royal Rumble 1996, There would be no @KC_CARLYLE writing for Belly Up Sports and you can take that to the bank. So with all that being said, now you know my wrestling roots how I got into pro wrestling and who did it.
As always thank you for reading. Also, make sure you follow us on Twitter @bellyupsports and also be sure to follow me on Twitter @KC_CARLYLE. Also check out other wrestling articles from the site!
