I am talking with Shawn Michaels—a.k.a.The Heartbreak Kid, reigning champion of the World Wrestling Federation—and I’ve lost my train of thought. The conversation has turned to matters of sex, and he’s describing something he truly enjoys: “I’ve always been told that I was a really good kisser; that I have really soft lips—and that’s great because I could spend a whole night just kissing,” he’s saying in a voice that strokes the libido like a sweet “Good morning, darlin’,” after a long, hard night of love.
Suddenly my mind is filled with an image from the day before: Shawn and I are talking, his blue-green eyes locked with mine. We’re seated mere inches apart on a weight bench in the WWF’s state-of-the- art gym located in their Connecticut headquarters. His blond lion’s mane, slick with perspiration, coils down his back, while beads of sweat navigate through the maze of golden-bronzed curls that adorn his near perfect chest and abs. The effect is breathtaking—and he doesn’t even seem to know it. He’s the fantasy object of a million women, and I could just reach out and touch him. Believe me, the thought did cross my mind….
When he’s doing his thing in the ring, Shawn may be all macho swagger, but one-on-one, he’s a whole different—and wonderful—animal. This 31-year-old, 6’1″, 227-pound native of San Antonio, Texas is part of a new era of wrestling superstars who are trying to reinvent themselves—and their sport—with a sexier, smarter, more upscale image. And it’s working!
PLAYGIRL: Are you comfortable showing off your body?
(Laughs) Strangely enough, I am.
Are you happy with it?
I am, but I’m always trying to do better. Maybe it’s vanity, or ego.
Tell us about The Heartbreak Kid.
Well, I think he’s an arrogant, cocky, self-assured young man, but at the same time, everyone knows that he’s just a guy living out something that’s really a blast to him— his dream from the time he was very, very young. Getting to go out and show off in front of lots and lots of people, doing something that he was lucky enough to be blessed with being pretty good at. Very good at.
Women love him. How do you react to all that adulation?
I don’t know…. If so many women loved me, I wouldn’t be single and searching all the time.
Single and searching…our favorite words! What are you searching for?
Mrs. Right, I think.
You said you’re the first unmarried WWF champion?
Yes, I believe I am. I enjoy being single right now because there are a lot of demands on my time. I spend a great deal of my life on the road—and I enjoy every minute of it. Being the World Wrestling Federation Champion, traveling around the world and performing for lots and lots of people is everything I ever wanted. But someday, I would like to be married, have kids and have somewhat of a normal life. I don’t know how normal I can be, but maybe I can get pretty close.
How far down the road is this normal life?
Realistically, four or five years. I’ve always said that as far as wrestling was concerned, I was going to get out of the ring full-time by the age of 35.
Were you the proverbial “98-pound weakling” in high school? How did you end up doing this?
No, I wasn’t. I certainly wasn’t the biggest guy, but I was the biggest on our football team. I saw wrestling for the first time when I was 12 years old—the first time I got to stay up late—and it hit me just like that. I knew right away. From that point on, wrestling never drifted from my thoughts. I continued to play football until I graduated, but it was always in the back of my mind that I was going to be WWF Champion—champion of the entire world.
Does the idea of somebody biting at your heels, the next WWF Champion wanna be, ever worry you?
You know what? I don’t think so. I’m just confident in my ability. I don’t sweat anybody. Nobody can wrestle longer than I can, nobody can make people yell louder than me for more. And if they can, I just work harder….
Does that translate into the bedroom as well?
Yeah! (laughs) I’m an athlete, for God’s sake.
Many of your fans are female. What’s the most outrageous thing one has ever done to catch your eye?
That would be lifting up her shirt and exposing herself to myself— and the rest of the people in the building. It was a long time ago.
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