Shawn Michaels Reveals How He Created the Famous Ending to the WrestleMania XXIV Ric Flair Match

In his classic match with Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV, Shawn Michaels uttered a simple phrase before hitting Sweet Chin Music and ending “The Nature Boy’s” career.

“I’m sorry, I love you,” Michaels said as Flair pleaded with him to give his best shot. He then nailed the 16-time world champion across the chin with a superkick.

That sequence has gone down as one of the most memorable moments in the history of WrestleMania and the careers of both men. And in a new interview with Comicbook.com on Tuesday promoting The Marine 6, Michaels finally explained how he created the final sequence of that match.

“So that was… I guess you can technically call it scripted,” Michaels said when asked if his line was planned ahead of time. “But it was scripted by me.”

“It’s something like every WrestleMania I’ve had, I’m either laying around or something comes to me. In this particular instance I woke up at two o’clock in the morning and all of a sudden all this stuff came to me. And so I just started writing it down and then I came to the end and that what’s came down on the piece of paper.”

Michaels admitted he was emotional when he reached that final line, and quickly questioned whether or not it would work.

“I’m blubbering there at my kitchen room table in the middle of the night about that, and I’m wondering like ‘Oh my goodness. This is a pro wrestling match, is that going to translate?’”

Days later Michaels presented the idea to both Flair and producer Michael Hayes, who both loved it.

“They’re both like, ‘Oh man, that’s it, that’s it,’” Michaels recalled. “So thankfully it worked.”

The former WWF Champion said he felt the reason the moment resonated with people in the crowd and watching at home was because it called out to the childhood fandom in every wrestling fan.

“That was a very big moment, in that that’s when it really hits you that it doesn’t matter what you all look like out there, there’s a 12-year-old wrestling fan in each and every one of us,” Michaels said. “I don’t care what you look like or what you’re chanting or what you’re screaming or what sign you’re holding, (or you’re) Mr. Rebel trying to be Mr. ‘I’m not affected by this.’ You’re there because there’s a 12-year-old wrestling fan in you. Which is okay, because there’s one in me too. And that’s what you’ve got to work on trying to appeal to.

“I think that was a big learning experience for everybody, understanding that you can go that deep in emotion, even in a wrestling ring,” he added.

The WWE Hall of Famer returned to the ring for the first time since 2010 at the Crown Jewel event in early November, where he teamed with Triple H to defeat The Undertaker and Kane in a tag team match.

Michaels latest film, The Marine 6: Close Quarters, featuring The Miz and Becky Lynch, is available now in stores on Blu-ray disc and DVD and on digital download.