SUMMARY
- Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is a 4-time WWE Champion.
- Despite a successful career, The Heartbreak went through a lot due his addiction problems.
“The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels is without any doubt an iconic personality from the pro wrestling industry. The WWE veteran has had a legendary career in the Stamford-based promotion and now serves as a key figure in the organization’s development territory, NXT.
Due to the kind of impact Shawn has made on the industry, fans from across the world admire him a lot. In fact, they frequently try to find out more and more about his personal life. Among all the different aspects of his life, one thing that has always been a topic of discussion is his religion. So, without any delay, let’s check out everything about it.
Born as Michael Shawn Hickenbottom, on July 22, 1965, the American pro wrestler hailed from Chandler, Arizona, in the U.S. The 6-foot-1 belonged to a military family, and he spent most of his time growing up in San Antonio, Texas. During his days as a youngster, he was raised Catholic, but on a personal note, Michaels was never serious about God.
Over the years, his love for pro wrestling only got higher, and he eventually started working as a professional in the industry. After making his debut in 1984, The Heartbreak Kid eventually joined WWE. In what was going as an epic journey for Hickenbottom, he enjoyed a lot of success throughout the 1990’s, but his life took some unexpected turns because his substance abuse started to take a toll on his body as well as his mental health.
Shawn Michaels suffered a lot due to his addiction problems
Even though the exact details aren’t known, Shawn developed a pattern of “heavy” substance abuse in the late 1980s. He started doing such things due to some of his close friends, but over the years he got heavily addicted to them. Eventually, this addiction problem started creating problems for his professional career, and Michaels started facing difficulties in performing in the ring.
In fact, the 3-time WWE Champion even contemplated suicide at one stage of his life. Alongside it, The Heartbreak Kid also faced problems due to his injuries, as he announced his initial retirement from in-ring action in 1998. It was another thing that happened due to his body not being able to handle things well due to the control his addiction had taken.
Shawn Michaels’ wife helped him become a born-again Christian
After everything that The Heartbreak Kid was going through, one person who stood by his side was his second wife, Rebecca Curci Hickenbottom. The 50-year-old came into Shawn’s life at a time when the WWE star was probably at his lowest and eventually helped him recover from his addiction problems.
The power couple got married in 1999 and have two children together: a son named Cameron Kade and a daughter named Cheyenne. Moreover, Curci helped Michaels on his journey to becoming a born-again Christian. That’s why their love story is a journey of personal growth and spiritual awakening.
The veteran pro wrestler mentioned briefly how faith saved him from his demons in his book called Wrestling for My Life: The Legend, the Reality, and the Faith of a WWE Superstar. In fact, the 58-year-old shared how his wife played a major role in helping him to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ. Due to the positive influence all this had on Michaels, he abandoned his drink-and-drug lifestyle.
These changes also helped him get back to in-ring action, and he even started making a praying gesture on his knees during ring entrances. After his return, Shawn again reached the peak of his popularity and enjoyed a lot of success in WWE. The Heartbreak Kid eventually retired in 2010. Despite this, Michaels currently works as an on-screen figure for the promotion’s yellow brand.
