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GUEST EDITORIAL
By Marty Sheehan of Wilmington, Del.
PWTorch.com reader
Guest Editorial: By: Darren Brazil

On March 30, 2003, I experienced my first WrestleMania in person at Seattle's Safeco Field. It was a star-studded card and an event that ranks among the top five WrestleMania's of all time on many fans' lists.

Part of the event's acclaim is thanks to the WrestleMania return of Shawn Michaels, and I have always felt so honored to have personally witnessed such an amazing match between him and Jericho.

But it didn't hit me until 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 28, 2010, when I walked through the doors of University of Phoenix Stadium, that I would be personally witnessing the final wrestling match of the same man - one of the industry's greatest - as he came full circle on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

Michaels' retirement was crafted so well and so subtly that when the time came, I gladly tipped my cap and applauded the man who went from being simply "one of the greatest" to being THE greatest in-ring performer of all time. But here we are, 24 hours later, and as the emotion and the beauty of the moment has faded, confusion and dislike has brewed in the minds of many and caused the same concern to arise: "Why did Shawn Michaels call it quits so unceremoniously?"

Last night's retirement of Shawn Michaels was in the works for a quite awhile, as no major career decision is ever made on a whim; in fact, I even assume that the seed for retirement was planted exactly one year ago, back to the moment when Shawn walked back through the curtain after his epic match with the Undertaker at WrestleMania 25.

Watching behind the scenes footage and reading interviews about his thoughts and how "at peace" he felt after that match, Michaels probably wished he could've retired that evening. Instead, he took a well-deserved post-WrestleMania hiatus - a time when his decision to retire was most likely ultimately decided - and then returned in a role with DX that would provide him with (a) a final and fun run with his long-time friend, Triple H, and (b) some busy work to keep his inevitable retirement under the radar until the Royal Rumble approached and it was time to kick-start his curtain call.

Shawn didn't want the spotlight and he didn't want his retirement to overshadow last night's match - his last gift to the fans. This selfless approach to retirement is something that the notorious Shawn Michaels of old would have never considered.

When returning to in-ring action in 2002, WWE fans were reintroduced to not only a changed, more mature Shawn Michaels, but a man who had found God and now lives by a whole new set of standards, priorities, and morals. Due to this, the past eight years have been like an entirely different career than the one Michaels had before he was forced to retire due to his back injury in 1998 - and in my opinion his second run was his better body of work.

While the Heartbreak Kid used to be about his self-glorifying ways just as much as he was about his in-ring work, the last eight years has showcased a humble Michaels who has allowed the success he has been blessed with to trickle down from his top priority in life: God.

The result - in terms of his career - has been a consistent string of hits in both matches and feuds starting with Triple H and going through Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Ric Flair, and ultimately ending with The Undertaker; and the way in which Michaels chose to end his career coincides hand-in-hand with Christian beliefs that made him a better man and better performer.

I was convinced walking in to WrestleMania this past Sunday that Taker's streak was not as important as HBK's career, so there was no way the Deadman was going to go over, but I was so blinded by the promotional aspect of the match that I didn't recognize what the match meant to Shawn until I got there.

As a Christian, Shawn devotes his life to submitting himself to a higher cause. This is difficult for any man to accomplish - religious or not - and Shawn wanted that to be showcased in his final feud. His "obsession" of tarnishing Taker's undefeated WrestleMania streak was Michaels' way of encouraging us to forego our selfish and often materialistic goals in favor of having faith and hope.

Much in the same way Michael Hickenbottom the Christian uses his life to serve God and build the church through living in a Christ-like manner, Shawn Michaels the wrestler used his career and legacy to lift up the wrestling industry and humbly submit to a field of work that he stopped trying to be on top of and instead found peace in being a sturdy brick in its foundation.

Last night, Shawn Michaels stripped himself bare of any self-centeredness - from his standard entrance to the ring to a pyro-less walk back up the ramp - all of which allowed every fan to not be distracted from the beautiful performance that he and The Undertaker put on. Shawn simply said, "This is all I can offer," and he humbly gave us his best work, and for that wrestling fans will always honor him.

"Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor."
-Proverbs 18:12

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