When Drunk Shawn Michaels Lost a Parking Lot Brawl Against a Marine Outside Nightclub

WWE’s Shawn Michaels once lost a fistfight in the parking lot of a nightclub against a Marine over making advances to the soldier’s girlfriend.

By Rishabh Singh

Published on Aug 16, 2024 | 10:11 PM IST | 150.9K

Shawn Michaels in a media event. Image Credits: Getty Images

In the 1990s, Shawn Michaels was perceived as one of WWE’s exceptionally talented and standout stars. However, behind the scenes, when left to his own devices, Michaels struggles in real life due to his addictions and wayward behavior. The Heartbreak Kid once found himself on the receiving end of a beatdown at a bar because of his attitude problems.

Although Shawn Michaels is one of the most revered names in pro wrestling today, he battled demons in his personal life. The year 1994 saw Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman join hands and form one of WWE’s most famous stables, The Kliq. It should be noted that The Kliq was based on the real-life camaraderie between its members.

Oftentimes, the Kliq members acted as guards for Michaels whenever he got into trouble outside the squared circle. But in the autumn of 1995, some of the Kliq members were on a European tour, while Michaels and Sean Waltman worked the house show circuits in the US.

Ahead of WWE’s In Your House 4: Great White North PPV, Sean Michaels, Sean Waltman, and Davey Boy Smith decided to go to a bar on the night of October 13th in Syracuse. In his drunken stupor, Michaels started pursuing a girl on the dance floor, only to find out later that she was dating a Marine who was also present in the bar.

Despite being warned by the soldier, whose name was Douglas Griffith, Shawn Michaels didn’t let up and, allegedly, continued to make advances. As the situation showed signs of leading to violence, a bouncer intervened and instructed his sister to escort the wrestlers back to their hotel.

At this point, Michaels had overindulged to the point that he was semi-conscious. Little did he know, Griffith and his buddies bided their time to launch an assault on HBK in the parking lot.

As the wrestlers prepared to go back, Griffith and his posse engaged with Michaels, Smith, and Waltman. While Smith attempted to land a blow, Michaels followed suit and threw a weak punch of his own. But Griffith gained control of the fight, allegedly ramming Michales’ head onto a car door. This was followed by a series of kicks and a few punches to the face.

During the brawl, the Marine tore Michaels’ eyelid and gave him two black eyes and minor lacerations on the face.

Subsequently, HBK was hospitalized. When the WWE authorities caught wind of the incident, Michaels faced the repercussions, as Vince McMahon hated his wrestlers for being seen as weak if they lost to civilians in a fight. But, it's widely known that McMahon considered Michaels as one of his top stars. McMahon's admiration for Michaels was so known that some even thought they were lovers.

Jim Ross stated on his podcast, Grilling JR: “The philosophy of a pro wrestler losing to a civilian in a fistfight is unacceptable.”

Years later, Shawn Michaels commented on his fistfight from that night and revealed he had no memory of what had happened due to being wasted.

Also Read: When CM Punk Received More Cheers Than Triple H and Shawn Michaels At WWE Survivor Series

Nonetheless, WWE capitalized on Shawn Michaels’ battle scars and used them to their advantage in a storyline by turning him into a babyface. Michaels would go on and win the WWE Royal Rumble match the following year. Ultimately, Shawn Michaels won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XII.

The incident, strangely enough, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Shawn Michaels, as his career took off after it.