Though one of the participants has admitted he doesn't care much for it, the WrestleMania 14 main event between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels continues to be looked at as a defining moment in WWE history. For one, Austin defeated Michaels to capture his first WWE Championship, kicking off a run that saw Austin become the biggest star in wrestling. At the same time, it was also a swan song of sorts for Michaels, who subsequently took a four year hiatus due to a severe back injury he suffered wrestling The Undertaker months earlier at the Royal Rumble.
It was an injury so severe that some wondered if the match could take place. And according to Bruce Prichard, it almost didn't. On "Something to Wrestle," Prichard confirmed that WWE almost got to the point where Michaels had to be pulled out of the match, but went ahead with it after Michaels was given clearance from several doctors. Given the state of Michaels' injury and the changes in protecting the health of wrestlers over the years, however, Prichard is skeptical Michaels would've been cleared to wrestle in 2026.
"I think with the parameters that we have today with our medical, I don't know if that would be the same today, by any stretch of the imagination," Prichard said. "And [he] probably would've been from the moment that he was injured that he would've been shut down...it's a different world. So no, I don't know if we would've gotten that match at WrestleMania."
Prichard did leave some wiggle room, noting that Cody Rhodes did briefly work with a torn pectoral muscle back in 2022. However, he ultimately reached the same conclusion regarding Michaels given his injury was spinal and could've possibly gotten worse, while Rhodes' injury was muscular and couldn't have been aggravated any further.
If you use any quotes in this article, please credit "Something To Wrestle" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
