Black Widow
11-17-2007, 04:55 PM
BY SCOTT FISHMAN
Miami Herald Writer
The date Nov. 9, 1997 will live in pro wrestling infamy as the much discussed and often debated Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series that changed the course of the business forever.
It marked the final appearance of the legendary Bret Hart for World Wrestling Entertainment and made Shawn Michaels 'Canada's public enemy No. 1.' Now, a decade later, Michaels is again in the challenger role at a Survivor Series pay-per-view.
Instead of the Great White North, the event will occur in the tropical setting of the AmericanAirlines Arena Sunday, Nov. 18 in Miami.
''It is 10 years since then, and a lot people from Canada take vacations in Florida,'' said Michaels. ``If some of the same folks show up, they can do what they want to do.
``We are supposed to cater to our fans. So that's OK with me. I just want to put on a good show for them. They have the freedom to react the way they want. That is their right because they're paying for the ticket. I don't take any of it personally.''
Michaels, 42, is a different man compared to the arrogant and somewhat hotheaded superstar from a decade prior. Today, he is grounded, married to the love of his life, Rebecca, the former Nitro Girl Whisper in World Championship Wrestling. The two raise their son, Cameron Kade, 7, and daughter, Cheyenne Michelle, 3, to have strong morals.
Up until this past year and the Royal Rumble, the San Antonio native didn't let his son watch the product.
''Now we TiVo, and he can watch daddy,'' said Michaels. 'He came to his first wrestling match at the last WrestleMania where he sat front row. We took him out during the divas match, but he came back. Now his favorite wrestler is John Cena. After the match, I went over to him, and he asked, if I was OK. Then I said, `Yes,' and he said, `I'm glad, but I wanted John to win.'''
With Cena out of commission with a torn pectoral muscle, Michaels received the phone call for an early return in October after recovering from his own injury, a knee injury.
Since then, he has been on his own, but occasionally, he teams with former Degeneration X partner and friend Triple H. The two did a one-night reunion of the very successful faction on an edition of Monday Night Raw on Nov. 5.
''I enjoy doing it, but I know Hunter wants to move on,'' said Michaels. ``I'm fine with whatever because for me it's always a creative issue -- as long as it's stuff that is amusing and funny. Doing the DX thing, I have to poke fun at my age and things like that because I would insult anybody thinking I'm kind of a hip rebel back when I was 30.
``I think that has come across, but I wouldn't want us to abuse it because I think that would be foolish to do, and I think we need to start to build other folks and stars for tomorrow. The more we go back to the past, the more difficult it is to move forward.''
Some of those potential superstars are his own former students from his wrestling academy in Texas. Along with Paul London, this includes Brian Kendrick and Lance Cade.
''I think they're phenomenal,'' said Michaels. ``I think Kendrick is going to fall into the category I did, which is being small, but that shouldn't hold him back. Lance is big and strong. I see both of them moving up. I think it's decision time for them, as it is for a lot of our guys.
``You can't always get along and be liked and popular to make it in this industry. I think a lot of guys are at that door, when they want to go through it. It's a tough decision to make because no matter what anybody wants to say, people are friends up until one is more successful than the other.
``It causes hurt feelings, animosity and jealousy, but you have to move beyond that stuff to make it in this industry. That is what holds a lot of guys back. They want to keep one foot in the lockerroom and the other foot in success, and that doesn't happen.''
Another young gun on Michaels' radar is the controversial WWE champ Randy Orton. At age 27, Orton has accomplished in five years what many in the profession couldn't do their entire careers. Despite all of Orton's physical gifts and success, the third-generation superstar has been a magnet of scrutiny for his unprofessional behavior outside the ring.
Michaels eyes much of himself in Orton from his early days in his career.
''I'm not sure if that's a good thing,'' said Michaels. ``The last several months he has stepped up and has made some changes that are good. There are some changes that are going to come with maturity and time. I think he has done a good job lately, and that is all we can ask of him.
``We have to allow him to grow, but we still have to hold him accountable for the things he does wrong and see what happens. As for right now and the entire process with me, he has been great.''
HBK -- a three-time WWE champ, a two-time Royal Rumble winner, a one-time world champion and the first Grand Slam champion -- faces his current nemesis Randy Orton for the WWE title in the main event at Survivor Series.
At the Survivor Series, Michaels has been forbidden to use the superkick with the stipulation he would be disqualified and not get a shot at Orton's championship again. On the opposite side, if Orton tries or gets disqualified, he loses the WWE championship.
With the provision removing Michaels' finisher from the match, he has to look for other ways to beat the champ. With the nostalgia of the event etched in the annals of pro wrestling lore, will we see d'j vu, and Michaels go for the sharpshooter?
''That's a good thought,'' said Michaels. ``I can't use the kick because that's the stipulation. So I have to use submission moves. Truth be told, I probably would have thrown that in there, but I don't know if I should or shouldn't. I might get booed out of the building.''
• Check out the Shawn Michaels' Story DVD in stores on Nov. 27, chronicling the legendary performer's 20-year career in WWE.
''The part that I had in the DVD was filling out a list of people I wanted to speak,'' said Michaels. ``The only match I asked them to throw on there was the hour-long match with John Cena. I wanted the Hulk Hogan stuff on there because I think it was a good match, and we did a lot of funny stuff on our way up to it.''
• WWE will be in Fort Myers, Miami, Sunrise and Tampa for some big shows.
WWE will hold a super house show (no TV) with the three brands 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Germain Arena in Fort Myers. Prices $65, $45, $30 and $20. Tickets are on sale. Call 239-334-3309. The WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view will be 7:45 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. This marks the first time in its 21-year history Survivor Series visits South Florida. The event features stars from Raw, SmackDown! and WWE's ECW. Tickets ($25-$300) are on sale via the AAA box office, TicketMaster outlets and online or call 305-358-5885 or 954-523-3309.
WWE Raw will be at the BankAtlantic Center on Monday, Nov. 19 in (South Florida) Sunrise. The return of Y2J, and Triple H and HBK vs. Randy Orton and Umaga. Show starts 8 p.m. with TV live 9 p.m. on the USA Network. Tickets ($20-$60) are on sale. Call 954-835-7000.
WWE SmackDown/WWECW will be 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. SmackDown! will be taped, and WWECW will be live on TV on Sci Fi beginning at 10 p.m. Tickets ($20-$70) are currently on sale. Call 813-287-8844.
• WWE stars Matt and Jeff Hardy will be signing autographs 2-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at Gulf Coast Dodge, 15565 S Tamiami Trial in Fort Myers, Fla.
• Courtesy of Comcast, WWE Diva Maria will be signing autographs and taking photos from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at BrandsMart USA, 4320 NW 167 St., Opa-Locka, Fla.
• WWE Raw ring announcer and pop singer Lilian Garcia will host a CD release party following WWE's Survivor Series pay-per-view on Sunday night, Nov. 18 in Miami.
The party is at the Conga Bar, just south of the AmericanAirlines Arena in the Bayside Marketplace. No cover charge, and it is open to people 18 and older.
Garcia's debut release ¡Quiero Vivir! (Universal Music Latino) features 10 Spanish language tracks and two English. The CD is a culmination of her hard work and musical aspirations.
Tim Mitchell (Shakira) and George Noriega (Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Jon Secada) produced the effort. Secada co-wrote three songs with Garcia and sang on the duet Adonde. Garcia co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs. Visit LilianGarcia.com.
miamiherald.com
Miami Herald Writer
The date Nov. 9, 1997 will live in pro wrestling infamy as the much discussed and often debated Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series that changed the course of the business forever.
It marked the final appearance of the legendary Bret Hart for World Wrestling Entertainment and made Shawn Michaels 'Canada's public enemy No. 1.' Now, a decade later, Michaels is again in the challenger role at a Survivor Series pay-per-view.
Instead of the Great White North, the event will occur in the tropical setting of the AmericanAirlines Arena Sunday, Nov. 18 in Miami.
''It is 10 years since then, and a lot people from Canada take vacations in Florida,'' said Michaels. ``If some of the same folks show up, they can do what they want to do.
``We are supposed to cater to our fans. So that's OK with me. I just want to put on a good show for them. They have the freedom to react the way they want. That is their right because they're paying for the ticket. I don't take any of it personally.''
Michaels, 42, is a different man compared to the arrogant and somewhat hotheaded superstar from a decade prior. Today, he is grounded, married to the love of his life, Rebecca, the former Nitro Girl Whisper in World Championship Wrestling. The two raise their son, Cameron Kade, 7, and daughter, Cheyenne Michelle, 3, to have strong morals.
Up until this past year and the Royal Rumble, the San Antonio native didn't let his son watch the product.
''Now we TiVo, and he can watch daddy,'' said Michaels. 'He came to his first wrestling match at the last WrestleMania where he sat front row. We took him out during the divas match, but he came back. Now his favorite wrestler is John Cena. After the match, I went over to him, and he asked, if I was OK. Then I said, `Yes,' and he said, `I'm glad, but I wanted John to win.'''
With Cena out of commission with a torn pectoral muscle, Michaels received the phone call for an early return in October after recovering from his own injury, a knee injury.
Since then, he has been on his own, but occasionally, he teams with former Degeneration X partner and friend Triple H. The two did a one-night reunion of the very successful faction on an edition of Monday Night Raw on Nov. 5.
''I enjoy doing it, but I know Hunter wants to move on,'' said Michaels. ``I'm fine with whatever because for me it's always a creative issue -- as long as it's stuff that is amusing and funny. Doing the DX thing, I have to poke fun at my age and things like that because I would insult anybody thinking I'm kind of a hip rebel back when I was 30.
``I think that has come across, but I wouldn't want us to abuse it because I think that would be foolish to do, and I think we need to start to build other folks and stars for tomorrow. The more we go back to the past, the more difficult it is to move forward.''
Some of those potential superstars are his own former students from his wrestling academy in Texas. Along with Paul London, this includes Brian Kendrick and Lance Cade.
''I think they're phenomenal,'' said Michaels. ``I think Kendrick is going to fall into the category I did, which is being small, but that shouldn't hold him back. Lance is big and strong. I see both of them moving up. I think it's decision time for them, as it is for a lot of our guys.
``You can't always get along and be liked and popular to make it in this industry. I think a lot of guys are at that door, when they want to go through it. It's a tough decision to make because no matter what anybody wants to say, people are friends up until one is more successful than the other.
``It causes hurt feelings, animosity and jealousy, but you have to move beyond that stuff to make it in this industry. That is what holds a lot of guys back. They want to keep one foot in the lockerroom and the other foot in success, and that doesn't happen.''
Another young gun on Michaels' radar is the controversial WWE champ Randy Orton. At age 27, Orton has accomplished in five years what many in the profession couldn't do their entire careers. Despite all of Orton's physical gifts and success, the third-generation superstar has been a magnet of scrutiny for his unprofessional behavior outside the ring.
Michaels eyes much of himself in Orton from his early days in his career.
''I'm not sure if that's a good thing,'' said Michaels. ``The last several months he has stepped up and has made some changes that are good. There are some changes that are going to come with maturity and time. I think he has done a good job lately, and that is all we can ask of him.
``We have to allow him to grow, but we still have to hold him accountable for the things he does wrong and see what happens. As for right now and the entire process with me, he has been great.''
HBK -- a three-time WWE champ, a two-time Royal Rumble winner, a one-time world champion and the first Grand Slam champion -- faces his current nemesis Randy Orton for the WWE title in the main event at Survivor Series.
At the Survivor Series, Michaels has been forbidden to use the superkick with the stipulation he would be disqualified and not get a shot at Orton's championship again. On the opposite side, if Orton tries or gets disqualified, he loses the WWE championship.
With the provision removing Michaels' finisher from the match, he has to look for other ways to beat the champ. With the nostalgia of the event etched in the annals of pro wrestling lore, will we see d'j vu, and Michaels go for the sharpshooter?
''That's a good thought,'' said Michaels. ``I can't use the kick because that's the stipulation. So I have to use submission moves. Truth be told, I probably would have thrown that in there, but I don't know if I should or shouldn't. I might get booed out of the building.''
• Check out the Shawn Michaels' Story DVD in stores on Nov. 27, chronicling the legendary performer's 20-year career in WWE.
''The part that I had in the DVD was filling out a list of people I wanted to speak,'' said Michaels. ``The only match I asked them to throw on there was the hour-long match with John Cena. I wanted the Hulk Hogan stuff on there because I think it was a good match, and we did a lot of funny stuff on our way up to it.''
• WWE will be in Fort Myers, Miami, Sunrise and Tampa for some big shows.
WWE will hold a super house show (no TV) with the three brands 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Germain Arena in Fort Myers. Prices $65, $45, $30 and $20. Tickets are on sale. Call 239-334-3309. The WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view will be 7:45 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. This marks the first time in its 21-year history Survivor Series visits South Florida. The event features stars from Raw, SmackDown! and WWE's ECW. Tickets ($25-$300) are on sale via the AAA box office, TicketMaster outlets and online or call 305-358-5885 or 954-523-3309.
WWE Raw will be at the BankAtlantic Center on Monday, Nov. 19 in (South Florida) Sunrise. The return of Y2J, and Triple H and HBK vs. Randy Orton and Umaga. Show starts 8 p.m. with TV live 9 p.m. on the USA Network. Tickets ($20-$60) are on sale. Call 954-835-7000.
WWE SmackDown/WWECW will be 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. SmackDown! will be taped, and WWECW will be live on TV on Sci Fi beginning at 10 p.m. Tickets ($20-$70) are currently on sale. Call 813-287-8844.
• WWE stars Matt and Jeff Hardy will be signing autographs 2-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at Gulf Coast Dodge, 15565 S Tamiami Trial in Fort Myers, Fla.
• Courtesy of Comcast, WWE Diva Maria will be signing autographs and taking photos from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at BrandsMart USA, 4320 NW 167 St., Opa-Locka, Fla.
• WWE Raw ring announcer and pop singer Lilian Garcia will host a CD release party following WWE's Survivor Series pay-per-view on Sunday night, Nov. 18 in Miami.
The party is at the Conga Bar, just south of the AmericanAirlines Arena in the Bayside Marketplace. No cover charge, and it is open to people 18 and older.
Garcia's debut release ¡Quiero Vivir! (Universal Music Latino) features 10 Spanish language tracks and two English. The CD is a culmination of her hard work and musical aspirations.
Tim Mitchell (Shakira) and George Noriega (Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Jon Secada) produced the effort. Secada co-wrote three songs with Garcia and sang on the duet Adonde. Garcia co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs. Visit LilianGarcia.com.
miamiherald.com