In professional wrestling, certain maneuvers will always be associated with certain wrestlers.
This is arguably most true for Shawn Michaels. The WWE Hall of Famer has multiple iconic moves and gestures, like his finisher Sweet Chin Music or the memorable “Suck it!” DX crotch chop he created alongside Triple H.
Sometimes these moves are so iconic that they creep into the modern lexicon. And this past Thursday, Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft seemed inspired by the Heartbreak Kid.
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After being tackled in the Packers’ Thursday Night Football match up against the Detroit Lions, Kraft performed a kip-up, meaning he kicked from his back to land straight onto his feet.
While many athletes and wrestlers have executed this flashy move, it’s most associated with Mr. WrestleMania, who has been doing the move for decades.
Naturally, multiple sports personalities have connected the two. This includes Barstool Sports, who said, “Tucker Kraft turned into Shawn Michaels after this hit.”
Eventually, word got to Michaels and he gave his opinion on Kraft’s execution: “10 💔 out of a possible 10 💔.”
Unfortunately, this flashy move wasn’t enough for the Packers to defeat their NFC North rivals, losing to the Lions 34-31.
That being said, Kraft had an HBK-worthy performance, recording Green Bay’s only receiving touchdown while also making three catches for 41 yards.
Kraft has been a near-constant presence for the Packers, leading the team with seven touchdown catches through 14 weeks.
Meanwhile, Michaels has officially retired from in-ring action, instead taking on multiple backstage roles. He is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and also oversees all creative aspects of WWE’s developmental brand, NXT.
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Michaels is one of the most innovative, respected, and beloved professional wrestlers of all time. He was one of the first participants in multiple iconic gimmick matches, including Hell in a Cell, Ladder Match, Iron Man match, and Elimination Chamber.
Through his 26-year-long in-ring career, Michaels has won multiple titles, including the WWE Championship (three times), the World Heavyweight Championship, the Intercontinental Championship (three times), and six tag team championships.
Michaels is also one of four wrestlers who won two Royal Rumble matches in a row. The other three WWE Superstars are Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Cody Rhodes.
Michaels has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice, once as an individual in 2011 and again as a member of D-Generation X in 2019.
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