Shawn Michaels on WWE Return: It’s Not Worth It

Earlier this summer, Shawn Michaels made headlines when he left the door open for one more match in WWE. Things have cooled since, and while Michaels admits it could be fun, he ultimately thinks that there’s not much to gain by an in-ring return.

In an interview with Inside the Ropes, Michaels discussed the realities of what it would take to wrestle as a 53-year old legend.

“The getting ready for [WrestleMania] is 100% work and I don’t know whether I want to put myself or my family through to do it again and steal the show at 53 for God’s sake,” Michaels continued. “Now it’s a whole different ball of wax is someone says, ‘do you wanna go down and work with some other 40 plus-year-old guys or 50 or whatever and mess around and be silly. You know what I mean? That doesn’t seem like work to me,” he said.

When Michaels revealed he’d be interested in working another match he revealed it would need to have limitations—ideally a tag match with little stakes. But those aren’t the situations he’s asked about.

“Something like that I would consider but nobody ever talks about that. It’s always me and somebody half my age.”

Michaels has remained steadfast in why he won’t wrestle a big match. To him, trying to emulate The Showstopper in his prime will only cheapen his image, because now that he’s in his 50’s he simply doesn’t look the same.

“Let’s just say I did it and the match is phenomenal,” HBK explained. “The reality is this hairline is still what it is — like it’s all hot and sweaty — and even if the match is phenomenal and everything else, you’re still gonna bust my chops because I’ve got no way not to expose to you that I’m 53.”

“That’s the thing — and I don’t mean it in a bad way — but you want me to kip up and everything look as if it was 1996, ’97. That’s not gonna happen because father time waits for no man,” he said.

Not only does Michaels fear he won’t be able to give fans what they want, but if he were to wrestle a younger star, he’s not even sure they would benefit.

“There’s a lot of stuff like what do you do and even does the young guy benefit when all is said and done. I don’t know, it just seems like more trouble than it’s worth,” he said.