Shawn Michaels

I haven't read Michaels's first book, so maybe there was material in there that would have helped flesh out this skinny born-again narrative, but there wasn't enough meat here.

I don't mind reading about someone's religious experience at all, but in many sections Michaels has little to offer beyond "I prayed about it then did the right thing." Anytime he does a before-after comparison about the WWF/WWE is effective, though. I also liked reading about the change in locker room culture that show more happened while he was away and the newfound brotherhood that he supported after his comeback. However, when his contrast to these positive experiences is "I used to chase women and abuse every drug in the book," that feels like vague lip-service that doesn't do his recovery justice. Tell us how you plummet before you take us to the summit! Then there's his anecdote about how a friend showed him internet porn one time and his wife took their child and left for the night in the hope that he would follow her and promise to turn his life around (she had to come back herself the next day, but it's okay he prayed about it then did the right thing). Also, a religious friend challenged his compromise to say the word "damn" during a performance. I wouldn't mind matters of porn addiction and lowest-common-denominator entertainment being brought up as challenging issues, but... the resolutions to these threads are so tame and paper-thin that they barely function as social anecdotes, let alone cautionary tales.

Well, I suppose there is the cautionary tale of using one's religion to justify a slight cash-in of a memoir. show less

Shawn Michaels' wrestling story has been told in both book and DVD forms. This is the story of his spiritual journey, with wrestling playing more of a background role.

Wrestling fans will learn about:
- his mindset approaching his (second) retirement at Wrestlemania 26--and how he forced Vince McMahon's hand
- what he really thought about working with Jose Lothario
- how he ultimately made peace with Bret Hart years after the "Montreal Screwjob"

But it really is more about his faith, including:
- show more the rock bottom moment with his son that lead him back to religion
- how he reconciled his career (with its unsavory elements and underlying deception) with his faith
- what he still "wrestles" with when it comes to being a Christian

The book helps humanize Michaels, who is humbled by a bad business venture and is candid about his mistakes. It should also silence any doubters about whether his born-again status is just another persona. The book provides a first-person account into the mind of someone seeking salvation, and it should prove instructive for anyone facing a similar journey--whether they are on the verge of bottoming out or on the path to enlightenment. Wrestling fans will gain a new appreciation for "The Heartbreak Kid"--and perhaps a new perspective on life.

[I received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my own.] show less

I am a closet wrestling fan - not the modern day stuff, but the old-school, Saturday afternoon TBS stuff. I grew up on Southeast Championship Wrestling cheering for the likes of Bullet Bob Armstrong and Austin Idol. Those were the days.

I was drawn in recently to the clearance rack at a local bookstore by Wrestling for My Life, an autobiography by The Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michaels. As a Christian, I was intrigued by the turnaround from a rock and roll lifestyle to a devout Christian life show more that Shawn Michaels professes. But, I must admit, I had some misgivings coming into the book. First, I was never really a Shawn Michaels fan. I thought that he and Marty Jennety (sp?) ripped off the Rock and Roll Express, one of my favorite tag teams. Later on, Michaels became a central figure in the DeGeneration X angle on WWF. That angle was vulgar, profane, and stomach-turning. Second, I'm not a great fan of the church where Michaels attends. I'm thankful that he found Christ - and I have no reason to doubt his testimony - but I wish he attended a church that was more faithful to the Gospel. Furthermore, I was disappointed to find out that this book focused very little on Michael's wrestling career. He had previously written a book to cover that. This book mainly focuses on the way his faith had changed his life.

Having said all of that, I was pleasantly surprised by the Wrestling for My Life. I was cohesively written and organized around some important and salient principles for Believers. Michaels emphasizes things like accountability, spiritual disciplines, mentoring, serving, and forgiveness. I only wish he had said more. About a lot of things...

The one thing Wrestling with My Life needs is clarity. There is lack of clarity about the nature of repentance. There is a lack of clarity about many of the things which Michaels addresses. In fairness, he isn't writing for a theological audience. But that is what makes his lack of clarity even more concerning. People who need to truly understand grace, forgiveness, faith, and repentance are reading this book. I am thankful that Michaels didn't pull any of his punches. He refuses to back down from his faith. I only wish he had swung harder, going deeper with clearer definitions for the unchurched. Still, at the end of it all, I am thankful that God saved Michaels and the life of faith he now leads. To God be the glory! show less

I felt this audiobook was okay. I learned some interesting things, like DX came into existence because Vince knew HHH didn't drink and thought that would help Shawn. Also I didn't realize that HBK was old enough to have been in World Class Wrestling. I hadn't realized this was a Christian book when I picked it up. I should have but the Zondervan label was covered by the library barcode. That's okay I'm a Christian and I appreciate it. Near the beginning I almost through it out as it seemed show more like Evangelical anti-Catholic trash. But I such with it telling myself that it wasn't supposed to be anti-Catholic and I should take it as a perspective on how to behave as a Catholic to help avoid others getting such negative opinions. Later, however, when I looked up Cornerstone Church that he attends online, I learned his Pastor very much is an anti-Catholic Evangelical.

I would have preferred if it was read by the author. That's airways better and the guy here was so poor he misprouncrd several famous names, like John Cena, and Ted DiBiasse. Lastly, they were inconsistent as always referring to it as WWE as they do on TV and referring to it as the WWF when referring to the earlier years, like most fans do. show less