Shawn Michaels: My Journey

With Wrestlemania approaching in a few weeks (which is in doubt due to a growing global epidemic as of this writing) it is time to dig deep into the wrestling backlog box and pull out a WWE DVD that has been sitting there since 2009 in the form of Shawn Michaels: My Journey (trailer). I have no idea why I neglected this collection for so long since I have always been a Shawn Michaels fan, but can assure I am a fool for waiting this long to view it after wrapping up this three-disc set.

Shawn’s previous DVD set, Heartbreak & Triumph, saw Michaels get the standard feature-length documentary in addition to an array of matches spanning his career. They switch things up in My Journey. It is another collection of matches previously unreleased on video, and Shawn does three-to-five minute one-on-one interview spots with Michael Cole setting up each match or where he was at with his character at that point in his career. There are 20 matches spanning from 1985 through 2008, with Shawn providing some insight with Cole before each one. Some highlights are partying hard with the Nasty Boys from their AWA days, winning over respect from Greg Valentine, The British Bulldogs and Demolition after having good outings with them in the ring, the highs and lows of his first WWF Title reign, making sure to step up against Kurt Angle and being a straight shooter about being portrayed as a villain in his infamous rivalry against Hulk Hogan. These are not 10 second soundbites, but evocative memories from Shawn’s career in an intimate studio set that make these interview segments pop more than the average interview snippet from a documentary.

Shawn also joins Michael Cole to provide alternative commentary for three of the matches in the collection. One is for a house show match against Bret Hart in 1992 early in Shawn’s single run where he reflects on having nothing but respect for Hart at that point in his career and wanting to rise to his level. Shawn also eerily foreshadows how he has Bret’s number and is ready to reconcile with Bret, which he would legitimately do in the ring a few months later in 2010 in one of my favorite in-ring segments ever. Another commentary session is for his match against Ric Flair at Bad Blood 2003 when Flair was at the tail end of still being able to go and the two have a technical classic, and it was fun hearing Shawn on commentary recall Flair being anxious for his first ever table spot in that match. Michaels’ final commentary offering is for his match with Triple H in the 2005 installment of Tribute to the Troops where Shawn fondly shares several stories about encounters with the military from those shows.

The 20 matches are almost all winners and offer a diverse mix of styles as Shawn evolved his wrestling over the decades. There are four tag team bouts from Shawn’s Rockers days with a 1989 match against the Brainbusters standing out the most. There are several matches from RAW in the mid-90s where Shawn gets memorable matches from Psycho Sid, British Bulldog and 1-2-3 Kid. I loved they got Shawn’s monstrously heel promo against Hulk Hogan in Montreal where the crowd dumps all over him. The last disc has several epics from Shawn’s last run in WWE like the five star classic against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21 which unbelievably holds up as good now as it did 15 years ago, an awesome unsanctioned match against Jericho at Unforgiven 2008 putting an exclamation point in their red hot rivalry and saw both men step up to deliver one of the best grudge match brawls that I can recount. The DVD concludes with what Michael Cole hypes up as the best ever WrestleMania match when Shawn squared off against Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. I would give the ever-so-slight nod to his Angle match as Shawn’s better WM match, but this easily has better highs with some legendary near falls that were glorious to relive.

In the final sit-down interview segment with Cole after the Undertaker match, Shawn hints that he is ready to retire, and is just waiting on the right moment. He would only wait a few months after Shawn Michaels: My Journey released and would have his final full time match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 in 2010. This is a fantastic set from beginning to end. The interview format conducted for this set made them appeal in a special candor and the match selection is excellent for nearly the entire 20 matches.

Past Wrestling Blogs

Best of WCW Clash of Champions
Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 2
Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 3
Biggest Knuckleheads
Bobby The Brain Heenan
Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes Yes Yes
DDP: Positively Living
Dusty Rhodes WWE Network Specials
ECW Unreleased: Vol 1
ECW Unreleased: Vol 2
ECW Unreleased: Vol 3
Eric Bishoff: Wrestlings Most Controversial Figure
Fight Owens Fight: The Kevin Owens Story
For All Mankind
Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection
Hulk Hogans Unreleased Collectors Series
Impact Wresting Presents: Best of Hulk Hogan
Its Good to Be the King: The Jerry Lawler Story
The Kliq Rules
Ladies and Gentlemen My Name is Paul Heyman
Legends of Mid South Wrestling
Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story
Memphis Heat
NXT: From Secret to Sensation
NXT Greatest Matches Vol 1
OMG Vol 2: Top 50 Incidents in WCW History
OMG Vol 3: Top 50 Incidents in ECW History
Owen: Hart of Gold
RoH Supercard of Honor 2010-Present
ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery
Scott Hall: Living on a Razors Edge
Sting: Into the Light
Straight Outta Dudley-ville: Legacy of the Dudley Boyz
Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Anthology
Superstar Collection: Zach Ryder
Then Now Forever – The Evolution of WWEs Womens Division
TLC 2017
TNA Lockdown 2005-2016
Top 50 Superstars of All Time
Tough Enough: Million Dollar Season
True Giants
Ultimate Fan Pack: Roman Reigns
Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe
War Games: WCWs Most Notorious Matches
Warrior Week on WWE Network
Wrestlemania 3: Championship Edition
Wrestlemania 28-Present
The Wrestler (2008)
Wrestling Road Diaries Too
Wrestling Road Diaries Three: Funny Equals Money
Wrestlings Greatest Factions
WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2015
WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2015
WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2016
WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2016
WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2017