Shawn Michaels Back Hardware Removed; Knee Replacements Ahead

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has undergone back surgery to remove hardware implanted after his infamous 1998 casket match, a procedure that provided him with immediate relief, according to close friend and fellow Hall of Famer Kevin Nash. In a recent episode of the Kliq This podcast, Nash said Michaels had the hardware taken out because the rods in his spine had twisted over time. Nash added that Michaels woke up from the operation showing less pain, but he also cautioned that the health challenges ahead will include major work on the lower half of his body, including both knees being replaced and possibly other hip-related issues.

The update radioed by Nash comes as Michaels, now WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, continues to balance a high-profile role in WWE with the physical toll of a career spent in the ring. Nash explained that the back hardware dates back to 1998, when Michaels sustained a severe back injury during the casket match with The Undertaker at Royal Rumble. That injury forced Michaels into retirement for several years and became one of the defining moments of his early career. While Michaels would return in 2002 and endure a...