When Shawn injured his knee in early 1997, it came as a shock to everyone when it was announced that he would have to forfeit his dream, the WWF Championship. Let's relive the moment with this touching interview.
Vince McMahon: And now would you please welcome... the most flamboyant, the most charismatic, WWF Champion perhaps of all time... ladies and gentlemen, here to forfeit the World Wrestling Federation Championship... ladies and gentlemen, the one and only SHAWN MICHAELS!
(Michaels music plays and he enters the ring, very carefully, taking his time. A limp is visible.)
McMahon: This comes obviously as a shock. It's a shock to WWF fans all over the world. Maybe it really shouldn't be, considering what you give. Obviously, Shawn Michaels, what you bring to the World Wrestling Federation has taken its toll on you... specifically your knee. And as you are facing a knee operation, I wonder if you would share, with millions of fans all over the world, what's going through your head.
Shawn Michaels: (Often stuttering as this is a very sad and nervous moment for him) Well, it seems like we've done this before. And this time, unfortunately for me, it's much more serious than last time. I've never had a doctor look at me in the face, and say that I may never be able to wrestle again. And I was... I was told that the other day. Of course, you know I, it's not something that I believe. But the fact is that it's something I have to deal with. Time has, has taken its toll on, on my body.
McMahon: I know you're just as dissapointed... moreso than anyone else, that you're not defending the title against Sycho Sid, or for that matter, whomever would have been stacked against you. And no one has taken on more challengers-- no one in the history, who has won this championship belt, has ever had the schedule, has ever had to endure the kind of schedule that you have so readily taken upon yourself.
Shawn: Well, there's one thing about me, is that I can't do anything halfway, and I, and I come here and I hear the people and they chant Sid's name, they chant Bret's name, or they chant a lot of other peoples' names, and one thing's for sure when you're going to have all of that in the future, and that's what I want for the World Wrestling Federation fans. In spite of what people might think about me, what I've always wanted for all these people is, is to have a good time and enjoy themselves. I've always tried to be the one to provide it, whether it was on the good side or the bad side. But what was always important to me was the performance... was the performance, so that these people... each time they reached in their pocket-- they paid to get a WWF ticket-- they didn't regret it because they knew if they saw my name on the card, they could yell, they could come and they could cheer and they could boo, and they could do whatever they wanted... as long as they had a good time. Over the last couple of months, there has been a lot of talk about people having bad attitudes and a lot revolving around this belt. All I know today is one thing that's not going to revolve around this belt, for a long time, is going to be Shawn Michaels. I don't know where I'm at right now. I have to, I have to have everything checked. I may have... I may be beyond reconstructive surgery... I may or may not be able to fix it. But if I can't come back and perform at the level I performed at... before... I can't... I can't perform. I can't come out here and just go half-ass. I have to come out here and I have to romp and stomp and I have to get tossed around... I have to toss people around and I have to have fun. The schedule over the last year I took on because I didn't feel like I could say no. I wanted to do everything. I wanted to enjoy life as WWF Champion. I wanted to, I wanted to ride in leer jets, in limousines, and I wanted to be on TV shows and I wanted to do autograph sessions and I got to do every bit of that. If nothing else, I have all of that to take with me. Again... and right now, I know we're in the middle of a time where toughness is real big here in the World Wrestling Federation... and unfortunately, all I've got right now for you is a lot of sorrow, a lot of tears, a lot of emotion. I don't have any toughness for anybody, so I guess... here you go, here's your belt. (He give the belt to Gorilla Monsoon, and you can hear some of the fans breaking out into tears and booing.)
Shawn: What I'm going to do is go back home and see what's left for me; whether it will be in this ring, whether it will be out of this ring, I know that over the last several months I've lost a lot of things, and one of them has been my smile. And, and I know it doesn't mean a lot to everybody else, but it means a lot to me. So I have to go back and fix myself... take care of myself, and I have to go back and I have to find my smile because somewher along the line I lost it and I don't care really... I don't care if it's unpopular, and I don't care if people want to make fun of me because I'm an emotional guy. But, um... this is all I've ever wanted to do, and over the last year I got to do it, and whether you like me or not, I just want to tell you that last year was the most wonderful year of my life. (Shawn is now openly weeping, along with the fans) And if I never get to do it again, it'll be okay because I got to live one full year as being the number one guy in this business and it was the greatest, most wonderful year of my life.
Shawn: And I have you to thank, I have everybody here to thank, and it means a lot me, and uh, I'm gonna go home now, okay? (Shawn and Vince hug)
McMahon: Ladies and gentlemen, Shawn Michaels!
(Shawn exits the ring slowly and with a little trouble, and receive roses from several of the fans at ringside)