Shawn Michaels retires from in-ring, to have double knee replacement

Shawn Michaels, the WWE Hall of Famer known as the Heartbreak Kid, said he is definitively finished with in-ring competition and will undergo double knee replacement surgery next month, comments he made during a recent appearance on the Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Ochocinco. Michaels, 60, told hosts he has "no chance" of returning to wrestling and described his current work developing talent for WWE NXT as a satisfying alternative to performing and touring.

"Not a chance," Michaels said when asked about an in-ring return. "I'm so blessed and so unfortunate to have done what I've done. I'm so overjoyed to be doing what I do now and helping the future of WWE." He added that he does not miss the physical grind or the travel, and that coaching gives him a similar charge when a young performer finally "gets it."

Michaels, who holds the title Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative and oversees NXT, revealed he is scheduled for replacement of both knees "probably in a month." He also noted a history of major orthopedic procedures, saying his back has been fused and one shoulder replaced. He framed the operations as an expected cost of his career, saying he...