WWE WrestleMania 33: 25 Greatest Moments in WrestleMania History

17. Boyhood Dream Comes True (WrestleMania XII)

In 1996, Shawn Michaels was on one of the biggest upswings of his career to that point. It was a stark contrast to the low points he had hit over the prior year. The former bad boy had turned over a new leaf and become a fan favorite.

The Heartbreak Kid stated that he was trying to fulfill a “boyhood dream” of winning the WWE Championship. At WrestleMania XI the year before, Michaels fell short in his title match against Diesel. Later that year, he was assaulted outside a nightclub, and sustained injuries that forced him to forfeit the Intercontinental Championship. Michaels also contemplated retirement after suffering a concussion from an enzuigiri by Owen Hart.

However, the dream of becoming WWE Champion was too strong to walk away from. Michaels returned to win the 1996 Royal Rumble, and earned the chance to face Bret Hart for the title at WrestleMania XII. The match was to be a 60-minute Iron Man match.

Michaels recruited his old trainer Jose Lothario to prepare for the bout. When it came to WrestleMania time, both competitors were ready. HBK actually used a zip line to glide to the ring for his entrance. The match went scoreless for the full sixty minutes. After a sudden death period started, Michaels scored the victory and his first championship, fulfilling his dream.

In what would go on to be a Hall of Fame career, this was the first real WrestleMania moment for Mr. WrestleMania.