When: Saturday, August 31st, 2013

Where: Louis Spilman Auditorium, Waynesboro High School, 1200 W. Main Street, Waynesboro, VA 22980

The MRA Hunting facebook page posted an photo of Shawn Michaels at the NRA Convention with the air rifle by Gamo Outdoor.

MRA Hunting posted:

MRA Showstopper air rifle by @gamooutdoors

You can check the photo in the gallery.

At Survivor Series 1997, speculation ran rampant that WWE Champion Bret Hart was preparing to head to Atlanta and join WCW. The sold-out Molson Centre in Montreal was electric as Hart battled Shawn Michaels in what was potentially the final chapter of their bitter rivalry. The course of the battle played out no differently than the struggles between the legendary Superstars in the past. The WWE Universe was on the edge of their seats, wondering, “If Hart wins, does he join WCW as WWE Champion?”

Of course, Mr. McMahon ensured that the WWE Championship did not make it to Atlanta. In an attempt to gain a psychological advantage against the “Hit Man,” HBK locked Hart in his trademark Sharpshooter. As The Excellence of Execution attempted to reverse the hold, Mr. McMahon ordered the referee to call for the bell. Although Hart never submitted, Michaels was awarded the WWE Title in a moment that will forever be known as The Montreal Screwjob.

#41 Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker: Royal Rumble 1998 (Jan. 18, 1998)

A pivotal chapter in the storied rivalry between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker took place at Royal Rumble 1998. More than a decade before their epic WrestleMania clashes, HBK and The Deadman kept the WWE Universe on the edge of their seats with a Casket Match that changed WWE history.

In the heat of the riveting struggle for HBK’s WWE Title, Michaels suffered an injury that would eventually force him into retirement for four years. As The Showstopper was tossed over the top rope, he landed awkwardly on the edge of the casket and broke his back. He continued to fight, showing the spirit of a champion, but could not seal The Deadman in the casket.

Ultimately, Kane interfered in the contest and chokeslammed his brother into the coffin. After D-Generation X closed the casket to secure HBK’s victory, The Big Red Monster locked The Phenom inside and set the coffin ablaze.

#16 Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind: In Your House (Sept. 22, 1996)

No one really thought Mankind was going to wrestle the WWE Title away from Shawn Michaels at In Your House 10: Mind Games. At least, that was the case until the bell rang and the two Superstars started banging around the ringside area in a fight that would have horrified the bulk of those in attendance had it not been taking place in Philadelphia — the home of Extreme Championship Wrestling, the Broad Street Bullies and that guy who gave the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” an airplane spin.

Still, broken tables be damned. This match was about so much more than wooden shrapnel. WWE fans walked out of Philly’s CoreStates Center realizing that: a.) Shawn Michaels was tougher than they had given him credit for; and b.) Mankind was a legitimate title contender. Two Superstars redefined by a single match. And they say this isn’t ballet.

#9 John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania 23 (April 1, 2007)

Shawn Michaels warned WWE Champion John Cena he would take him to the “top of the mountain” in what was HBK’s first WrestleMania WWE Title bout since WrestleMania XIV.

Undeterred by the veteran’s words, Cena overpowered his tag partner until HBK reversed an Attitude Adjustment into a DDT to gain control. After each Superstar reversed the others’ signature moves — Cena blocking a crossbody and Sweet Chin Music and Michaels evading the AA and STF — the two were so exhausted they leaned on one another to stand for the referee’s 10-count.

With a burst of energy, Cena grabbed Michaels into the AA, but HBK slithered from position. Cena quickly snagged his leg, though, forcing The Showstopper into the fateful STF for the most grueling victory of his young career.

#5 1992 Royal Rumble Match (Jan. 19, 1992)

#1 Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania XII (March 31, 1996)

At WrestleMania XII, WWE Champion Bret “Hit Man” Hart and Shawn Michaels squared off in an unprecedented 60-Minute Iron Man Match. With both legendary Superstars in the prime of their careers, there was no telling who would emerge victorious. But the WWE Universe could not have imagined that the competitors would go the entire bout without either scoring a pinfall or submission.

When the time limit expired without a winner, an overtime period was ordered to definitively determine the champion. Continuing the back-and-forth struggle into the extra time allotted for the match, Michaels managed to hit Sweet Chin Music to score the victory and realize his boyhood dream of becoming WWE Champion. Certainly one of the greatest WrestleMania matches ever, the grueling contest proved why Hart and HBK were the best of their generation and captured the importance of the WWE Title.

The extremely heated, personal rivalry between Bret “Hit Man” Hart and Shawn Michaels went beyond a struggle for the WWE Championship. After HBK defeated Hart in a WWE Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII for the WWE Title, the WWE Universe begged for a rematch. They wouldn’t get one for another year and a half, though, at Survivor Series 1997 in Hart’s home country of Canada. The world got a memorable bout, but for completely different reasons.

With his WWE contract expiring shortly after Survivor Series, Hart holding onto the WWE Title could have put the championship’s future in question. So when HBK, hoping to add a little insult to his potential victory, locked Hart in his own Sharpshooter late in the contest, no one expected Mr. McMahon to come out to ringside and ring the bell, awarding Michaels the title.

The events of that fateful night led to what seemed to be an irreparably broken relationship between Hart and WWE. The “Hit Man” wouldn’t be seen in a WWE ring again until January 2010.

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels left hearts and bodies — including his own — broken in his wake over a near unmatched career that stretched through several ups and downs, comebacks and retirements until his final bout at WrestleMania XXVI. Although The Showstopper stops by sporadically these days, in another life we’d see him in the hunt for the WWE Championship more often than not. And if he were to win this WWE Title … well, what could be more fitting for The Heartbreak Kid than a mock-up of shattered core that bears his name? Oh, Shawn…

How has your week been?

“We’ve had a phenomenal time, we’ve been out here all week. We are like kids in a candy store (in the driver’s meeting). We are sitting there pointing out all the drivers. We are in hog heaven right there sitting in the driver’s meeting getting to see all the drivers. Obviously we are a big NASCAR family. I’m the fan here this week.”

What was it like going out on the track?

“I got out (Friday), the whole family and I got out in the car. I went around once at the regular 45 mph and the next time (Brett Bodine) said you can go ahead and open it up if you want. I got up to about 100 mph when it was my wife, but sounded like my mother saying ‘Michael Shawn.’ I got a stern reprimand from the back seat but the kids were having a good time.”

How did your 13-year-old son, Cameron, do in the legends races?

“He did good, we got a couple third place trophies. I think he finished third overall in points. For a kid who’s only been in a car about 10 times, he’s doing really well. He’s taking to it well. He’s getting to know the cars and getting more confidence on the track. He’s out there competing with guys who have been racing for five years and he’s holding his own.”

How did you get to become the pace car driver this week?

“(Track President) Eddie Gossage has been a very good buddy to me. Truthfully, I called him up and I begged him. I begged him to let me do something. We are NRA life members and we are huge fans of NASCAR. We just wanted to do something to contribute. This sport has been such a wonderful family thing for us. We offered and he was nice enough to let me drive the pace car. I’m honored. My son was very happy with my WWE career, but driving the pace car has put me above anything I ever did in his eyes.”

Your three main interests are wrestling, NASCAR and hunting. How are the fans at each event?

“There’s huge crossover between the three. WWE, NASCAR and the outdoor world are all sort of intertwined. They are all passions of mine. Thankfully I don’t have to step out of myself and do anything. That’s one of the things I’ve been enjoying out of retirement is that I don’t have to pretend to do anything, I’m enjoying every aspect of it.”

Have you always been a NASCAR fan?

“I watched it here and there in the late ’90s. I got more into it, unfortunately, near Dale Eanrhardt’s death in 2001. THe first time I got to share it with my son we came out here in 2006, sat in Dale Earnhart Jr.’s pit. He fell in love with it, the entire family fell in love with it and we’ve been coming out here ever since.

Does that make Dale Earnhardt. Jr. your favorite driver?

“He kind of is but we are pretty much Hendrick Motorsports across the board, then Carl Edwards is who we love and Tony Stewart. My wife is a Kyle Busch fan because the guy is just so darn good.”

* Friday, May 24th at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, UT
* Saturday, May 25th at Enmax Centrium in Red Deer, AB
* Sunday, May 26th at ENMAX Centre in Lethbridge, AB

• Shawn’s Twitter
• Speed Freaks’s Twitter
• NRA 500 photos

Michaels, also known for his “Heartbreak Kid” nickname and his signature “Sweet Chin Music” finishing move, will be just the third celebrity to actually be driving the pace car — joining actor Vince Vaughn (2007) and former Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson (2010).

Michaels is a three-time WWE champion who was inducted into the organization’s hall of fame in 2011 after an illustrious 26-year career.

Shawn: Big News for me!! Via @NASCAR : @WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels To Drive Official Pace Car, Lead The Field To Green Flag For NRA 500 !!

WWE Digitals – Screen Captures

Triple H def. Brock Lesnar (No Holds Barred Match; If Lesnar won, Triple H would have had to retire)

Triple H had backup in the form of his best friend, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, though. Lesnar was smart to keep one eye on HBK, but when he took his focus off The Game to stalk Michaels, The Anomaly paid dearly, as Triple H caught him with a vicious steel chair shot.

Lesnar eventually took Michaels out of the equation, first with an elbow from the apron, then with an F-5 when HBK attempted  Sweet Chin Music. That temporary distraction gave Triple H an opening, allowing him to hit a Pedigree for a two-count. The Game grabbed his trusted sledgehammer, but Lesnar ducked The Cerebral Assassin’s swing, taking the WWE COO down to the mat with an F-5. Both Lesnar and Heyman were shocked when Triple H kicked out.

The WWE Universe was shocked by The Game’s next move, as he snared Lesnar’s arm in the Kimura Lock. Heyman tried to save his client with the chair, but Michaels took the slimy manager out of action with Sweet Chin Music.