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http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/columnists/detore/s_169964.html

New image would benefit Michaels

By Rennie Detore
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, December 14, 2003 

When Shawn Michaels returned last August at "SummerSlam," the
"Heartbreak Kid" was nowhere to be found.
Michaels showed up for his grudge match with Triple H with his wrists
taped and decked out in blue jeans, work boots and sporting a
samurai-like hairstyle.

No flashy ring attire, no low-cut tops decorated with mirrors or cute
little hearts, just Shawn Michaels is a 38-year-old icon determined to
show that his age and constant back problems wouldn't deter him from
making a legendary comeback. Michaels pinned Triple H in an
improbable, 30-minute match that re-established Michaels as a
superstar who still had enough left to entertain and enthrall a live
audience.

More than 16 months later, Michaels has milled around as a member of
the "Raw" roster with very little direction.

His feud with Ric Flair barely lasted and, lately, he's been relegated
to putting over young talent such as Randy Orton and Batista, whom he
faces tonight at "Armageddon" on pay-per-view.

Recently, however, Michaels made an announcement not even WWE was
prepared for: He's ready to return to a full-time schedule.

Now that Michaels is again prepared to become a major part of WWE's
future plans, he'd be better served to bury the "Heartbreak Kid"
gimmick for good and adopt a look similar to the one he showed at
"SummerSlam" in 2002.

First, let's start with his theme music. 

The "Oh, Shawn" song dates back to Michaels' first run as a singles
star in the early 1990s. The entrance theme doesn't reflect the kind
of personal and professional change that Michaels has experienced
since returning to the company in 2002.

The thought of Michaels being a "boy toy," as the song states, is
rather ridiculous. The song worked 10 years ago when Michaels was a
brash young man who finally discovered his attitude after ditching the
dead weight known as Marty Jannetty and moving past his days as a
"Rocker."

These days, however, Michaels is a family man, married with a young
son. He's given up his "D-Generation X" roots for a quiet path of
faith and hope.

Michaels, at 38, is no longer the heartthrob. Girls don't scream when
he does his little dance, and his days of donning pink-and-red-colored
tights have passed. That said, Michaels still shows signs of the
athleticism that made him a modern-day showstopper in the mid-1990s.

WWE, with Michaels help, must come up with a respectable look for the
former four-time heavyweight champion that respects his past but
acknowledges the present-day superstar who still can be valuable to
the roster at almost 40 years old. New theme music and a contemporary
look will allow him to be taken more seriously now that he's declared
himself a full-timer again.

Michaels also desperately needs a direction. Does he want to be "Raw"
world champion? Does he want to wrestle superstars he's never faced,
such as Goldberg or Brock Lesnar? Are his feuds with Triple H and
Flair over?

Michaels must address those questions first so he can start building
another chapter in his career, instead of reliving old ones.

WWE, rightfully, could be a little hesitant to push Michaels for
several reasons, most notably because of his health. Michaels says his
back isn't a factor anymore but it still remains a constant question
mark.

Michaels initially hurt his back in January 1998 at the "Royal Rumble"
during a casket match with The Undertaker. During the match, Michaels
took a backdrop over the top rope, and his lower back barely bumped
the closed casket lid.

At the time, Michaels didn't even flinch, must less stop the match.
Only later, he revealed, the injury was serious. The day after the
pay-per-view, he couldn't get out of bed. That should reflect how
susceptible Michaels' back could be even with the most rudimentary
fall.

Talk of age and back injuries are moot points, however, if WWE doesn't
rally behind a newly invigorated Michaels, who seems determined to
become a legitimate superstar again.

Without Michaels and the company crafting a new, modern character that
moves past the dated "Heartbreak Kid" gimmick, then his latest
full-time declaration will be seen as nothing more than another
legendary superstar participating in a tiresome rerun.


--- Internet Rex 2.29