Claim: Shawn Michaels is a professional wrestler.

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom -LRB- born July 22 , 1965 -RRB- , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels , is an American actor , professional wrestling personality , television presenter and retired professional wrestler . He is currently signed to WWE , as an ambassador and trainer , since December 2010 . Michaels wrestled consistently for WWE , formerly the World Wrestling Federation -LRB- WWF -RRB- , from 1988 until his first retirement in 1998 . He held non-wrestling roles from 1998 to 2000 and resumed wrestling in 2002 until retiring ceremoniously in 2010 .   In the WWF/E , Michaels headlined major pay-per-view events between 1989 and 2010 , closing the company 's flagship annual event , WrestleMania , five times . He was the co-founder and original leader of the successful stable , D-Generation X . He also wrestled in the American Wrestling Association -LRB- AWA -RRB- , where he founded The Midnight Rockers with Marty Jannetty in 1985 . After winning the AWA Tag Team Championship twice , the team continued to the WWF as The Rockers , and had a high-profile breakup in January 1992 . Within the year , Michaels would twice challenge for the WWF Championship and win his first WWF Intercontinental Championship , heralding his arrival as one of the industry 's premier singles stars . He would go on to be widely regarded as its finest performer in the 1990s and 2000s , winning the Pro Wrestling Illustrated `` Match of the Year '' reader vote a record eleven times . Michaels was voted the greatest professional wrestler of all time in a 2011 poll of the WWE roster .   Michaels is a four-time world champion , having held the WWF Championship three times and WWE 's World Heavyweight Championship once . He is also a two-time Royal Rumble winner , the first WWF Grand Slam Champion and the fourth WWF Triple Crown Champion , as well as a 2011 WWE Hall of Fame inductee .