28 Days of 'Mania: Why Shawn Michaels Has to Have 1 Last Match

 

Disclaimer: This will be an ongoing series for the next 28 days leading up to the biggest event in sports entertainment, WrestleMania 28. The idea behind the piece is to build more momentum for the event and give you, the Bleacher Report fan, a chance to read, comment and weigh in with opinions about the WWE, the business and the event. It is my hope this becomes something positive and we all enjoy the ride for the next four weeks to Miami and the biggest event of the wrestling year. Enjoy.

He is still the best there is at what he does. The talk, the walk, the chemistry and the performance. From Ric Flair to The Undertaker. From Marty Jannetty to Brett Hart. And then, there is everyone in between. No one does a pay-per-view event like Shawn Michaels.

This week will be 19 days until WrestleMania and we are still talking the hell out of last week's announcement about Mr. WrestleMania being the special guest referee for Hell in a Cell. I've got chills from it. It's as big as LeBron and D-Wade. It's as magical as Stockton to Malone. It's as fluid as a Marino to Duper pass.

I think you get the idea. And honestly, this could have taken a life of its own "without" Shawn Michaels. But admittedly, it wouldn't be as much fun. It wouldn't be as dramatic. The bar has been raised and the combatants have been pushed just a little more.

There are other reasons why I think Shawn Michaels "needs" one last match. And those reasons aren't his or HHH's. They belong to the "Dead Man." We will get into them in a moment.

For everything Michaels is, he is not the type who "needs" wrestling. It would appear wrestling needs him. The WWE is in a state of transition of sorts with injuries, backstage bickering (Miz and Alberto Del Rio) and changing of the guard in terms of trying new angles. But when it comes to pay-per-view events, Michaels' knowledge is crucial for success and most welcome in the company's finest hour.

Michaels may not "need" the last match, but he might "want" the match. And his presence gives the WWE a chance to exhale a bit, stepping away from those injuries and backbiting that has really made the "on-screen" drama look nothing like the reality of drama with the company.

Now, we get back to The Undertaker. My thoughts on this match and the addition of Michaels to the situation is simple; we haven't seen the Dead Man in the ring and we certainly don't know how he will move around the ring. Michaels adds depth and charisma. HHH provides angst.

And in the end, that provides ratings.

Sometimes, want and need are just as important as eating and breathing in the world of professional wrestling.