Shawn Michaels keeps going viral, and he has no idea how it keeps happening.
In an interview with Big Gold Belt Media, the 60-year-old WWE Hall of Famer reflected on his recent pop culture crossovers, from Deontay Wilder recreating his iconic WrestleMania 24 farewell to Ric Flair mid-boxing match, to his Sexyy Red collaboration on NXT. His take on all of it? He's the last person who should be cool.
I'm almost 61 now and I'm the uncoolest guy in the entire world. Trust me, my family can tell you I'm so not [cool]," Michaels said, laughing.
'Something Romantic About Wrestling'
Rather than taking credit for the moments, Michaels expressed genuine surprise that his career continues to resonate across different audiences and sports.
I feel very blessed and fortunate in that respect," he said of the Wilder moment.
He compared the emotional pull of wrestling to the way baseball is romanticized in film.
There are sometimes I've felt like, am I the only one that feels this way about this stuff? It's always like in Bull Durham, there's something romantic about baseball, and I feel like in our world there's often times something romantic about WWE and wrestling. Thankfully I'm not the only one that feels like that.
Walking Through Open Doors
Michaels said the key to these crossover moments is that he never chases them. The Sexyy Red appearance and similar viral moments happened because he stayed open rather than trying to manufacture something.
One of the things I've learned in my life is if I try to push for too many things to make them happen, I end up screwing them up," he said. "I kind of just do my best to walk through the doors that are open and not try to kick open the ones that don't appear to be.
Despite the pop culture attention, Michaels said his priority hasn't shifted.
Right now it's just focusing on NXT, continuing to build stars for Raw and SmackDown and for the future of WWE, allowing those good things to happen as they happen, taking advantage of them when they're there, and enjoying them when they're there.
Michaels' Peacock documentary, "The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels," premieres Monday, April 13.
The quotes in this article have been lightly edited for clarity.
