Crowning His Career: Shawn Michaels and Wrestlemania 26

Love him or hate him, Shawn Michaels has achieved almost everything there is to achieve in the squared circle. The first grand slam champion, WWE loyalist since 1988 and accepted by many to be Mr Wrestlemania. And now with two weeks to go before one of the biggest tests of his career, the wrestling world now wonders if that career is in fact coming to an end.

I for one, did not want to see a repeat of their Wrestlemania 25 classic but with the added stipulations of Career vs Streak and No DQ, it potentially adds something unique to this contest. I hope though for the sake of this rivalry that it ends clean but like most in the wrestling world, I fear that Triple H will make an appearance in some form or another.

The success of last year's match, for me at least, was the sheer uncertainty about the result. The Undertaker was never going to lose against Mark Henry, Big Boss Man or Kane second time round but at Wrestlemania 25, the wrestling world simply did not know.

Retirement plans, injuries, run-ins, screw-jobs—every possible scenario was put forward and in the end we had one of the best matches of all time. Pure wrestling at it's absolute finest.

And so despite perhaps the majority opposing its creation, the rematch is on and again scenarios are flying around the blogosphere. Retirement plans, injuries, run-ins, screw jobs—the world is asking the same questions, the uncertainty is once again there. Does the WWE demolish a 17-match Wrestlemania streak or a 22-year career?

What scenario fits what the fans want, what the WWE needs, and still caters for the legacies of both Michaels and the Undertaker? Any dirty finish to the match will be lambasted by the wrestling world and its unlikely the streak would end that way.

Furthermore, any kind of loss for the Undertaker in effect ends his career because without a streak he simply has nothing to prove or defend. And so one scenario that perhaps few have imagined is that Shawn will simply lose again.

Those that remember Shawn's refusal for a rematch with Bret Hart might consider this unlikely but I would argue that it may very well happen. Shawn has already come out this week stating his plans for retirement—it's unsurprising given his ailments and while some may suggest this to be a red herring—I might argue its in fact a double bluff. He is about to retire.

Shawn has always had a flair for the spectacular—his recent Wrestlemania matches have been nothing short of legendary—many after his near career ending injury. The fact that he put over Cena at WM23 and Angle at WM24 is an example of how he has maintained his place in the limelight without becoming predictable.

These losses have been balanced by successes include beating Jericho at WM19, and ending the WWE career of Ric Flair at WM24.

And so it seems that Shawn perhaps more than any other wrestler today is willing to lose at a major event, just so long as he is on the card. If he needs to lose, so be it—but if he loses, he loses well. The epic of 2009 highlights that point very clearly.

And so perhaps with a focus on his legacy in the wrestling world, Shawn Michaels has carefully planned his swansong. Remembered not for titles, streaks, or screwjobs, the legacy of Shawn Michaels will be founded on his legendary matches at Wrestlemania. Win or lose—Michaels always gave it his all.