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WWE Confidential by cfgb

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Music is played that sounds about as sleazy as Gene Okerlund.

THIS WEEK: Shawn Michaels reveals all, and Trish Stratus takes us home.

Indeed, Gene Okerlund is "back here where I belong", on the recycled Excess set. This is a whole new concept in Sportz Entertainment, as it'll take us behind the scenes like never before. "We will be serious, probing, humerous, always entertaining, and at times controversial." Tonight, we kick things off with Shawn Michaels.

At a time when big men ruled the ring, Shawn Michaels broke the rules and proved there WAS a place for small men. However, Shawn Michaels was his own worst enemy. He was rebellious and out of control. Controversy followed Shawn wherever he went, which makes it no surprise he was involved in the most controversial match of all time. For the first time in 5 years, Shawn Michaels breaks his silence and tells us his role on that night, and why we haven't seen him in over 4 years in the ring.

Here's a video package, with Sexy Boy of course backing it.

Shawn says he was given a gift, but he didn't respect it so it was cut short. When you take things for granted, there is a price to pay.

Vince McMahon claims Shawn would say things and do things that would drive him up the wall, and just when you think you're gonna ring his neck - for whatever reason he always backed off.

Shawn had the spotlight on him all the time, and he was The Guy. The 90's was his. If he had a PPV match, the fans knew he'd try to outdo himself month in and month out. It's an intoxicating high - and it can control your life. What was exciting was the idea he was knocking down walls. He was a pioneer, and he took wrestling to a level it's never seen.

When he got on the plane, he wasn't as obnoxious as the Heartbreak Kid on camera, but he was still Shawn Michaels, and not Shawn Hickenbottom. It's very easy not to turn off the camera and become your character.

Gerald Brisco suggests Shawn's legacy is a guy who was very talented, but someone who was REAL hard to conduct business with.

He was living the life Ric Flair describes. He was the most immature 30 year old you can find. The business made him bigger than he ever could be - but if people were buying it he'd go with it.

STILL TO COME: Michaels discusses Bret Hart's final match.

Gene's done it, you've done it, I've done it...dreaming of being a WWE Superstar. Some fans take it too far though.

It's a Shattered Dreams Production - and I shudder to think what's coming. Sure enough, some fan does a Goldust impression, and does a pretty decent job.

Okerlund believes Jim Carey is gonna be working next week.

Gene says RVD is the Picasso of wrestling, because he takes things to another level when it comes to his tights.

Rob Van Dam talked to Giant Baba in Japan, and Baba suggested he change his dull look. RVD met a man named Joe Holland who does airbrush for a living. Joe wasn't sure he could do wrestling tights, but since RVD was such a nice guy he figured he'd give it a shot. The first outfit he did was a silhouette of RVD doing a flying kick. RVD usually lets Joe do his own thing, since Joe knows that RVD likes dragons and stuff. Sometimes he'll give him a phrase like Mr. Monday Night or Mr. Pay-Per-View and Joe goes along with it. He puts a ton of work into the stuff. He knows he doesn't have to do things like put detail into dragon's scales, but he can't help himself. When RVD gets an outfit he loves, he'd tell Joe "Joe, this is one bad blankin' outfit. Thank you so much, this just totally kicks blank blank." Joe did a metallic outfit for him that he loved, and had some awesome matches in it. Joe's favorite was one he did around Halloween that featured lots of bloody bones and shark's teeth around the ying yang. The other wrestlers love the outfits. He tries to stand out with his wrestling, and the outfits are a huge part of it.

UP NEXT: Trish Status shows off her bed.

Okerlund has a question. "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go home with Trish Status?" Well tonight's our lucky night.

We start off in Trish's kitchen. She's on the road a lot, and doesn't get a chance to cook a lot. She uses her George Foreman grill a lot - throw it in, and it's good to go. She uses the black granite. On the table, fake fruit because she's away so much and can't use real fruit. Her living room is a moody purple. Her couch is a bunch of chairs which turn into lazy boys - or pull down from the back for a place to put the drinks and snacks. Okay, THAT is impressive! I so need one of those! She has a ton of wrestling videos - and keeps her classic favorites. (Including Rocky.) Toronto Maple Leaf players stand over her TV, including Mats Sundin and Curtis Joseph. Her office is a glass desk, and she has a laptop. Over on a shelf, she has a picture of her sister and nephews. All the WWE novels sit on the shelf, including Chyna. The Women's Belt is on the shelf next to it. Up the stairs we go, and into Guest Room #1. She once stayed in a hotel that made her feel really comfortable - and it was the color. The color is a calming and soothing color. So she used it on that room. The next guest room is the jungle room, due to the animal statues that are around and about. In the bathroom, her nephews love the noises that come from the animals. Into Trish's bedroom - she has an art piece over her bed that she designed herself and had someone make. The bathroom is more black granite with a GIANT shower. She keeps a little relax area, with two couches, a fire place, and another huge TV if she wants to watch movies or whatever. Now we have a whole room which is a closet. Shoes, clothes, and Barbies. She collects 'em. To the gym - she displays all her fitness covers that she knows of. In every town she goes to, she collects a shot glass. And there's the bar - tons and tons of booze. We move over to a gameroom, with foosball, hockey, darts, and more. The movie room has hundreds of movies, all in alphabetical order of course, and movie toys. Playstation 2, Nintendo, all that good stuff is there. She has a pool table, and a chair that has a cue and drink holder. Her media work room has all her magazines, and wrestling figure collection. You think we're done? She has a hot tub. She even has extra robes for guests if you want to join her in the tub.

Uhhh, how much money does this woman make exactly???

UP NEXT: Shawn Michaels reveals whether or not he knew the outcome to Survivor Series 1997.

WWE REWIND: Shawn Michaels wins the World Title at Wrestlemania XII.

Gene gives us a little history about the Survivor Series. WCW and WWF were locked in a battle for the ratings. WCW had taken the lead and it appeared WWF was as good as dead. Vince McMahon had decided he could no longer afford to keep Bret Hart on his roster, and chose to let him go to WCW. Bret reluctantly agreed. The Survivor Series came around - and it was to be Bret's last match. The problem was "Bret was still the champion, and he wasn't about to relinquish the title to anyone under any circumstances." Err, I guess that's ONE side of the story.

Gerald Brisco says there was tension in the air that night.

Bret didn't show up until very late says Shawn. The minute he came in, everyone was behind closed doors. Here's shots from Wrestling With Shadows - and the taped conversation with Vince McMahon, where Bret wants to leave with his head up and give up the belt in Ottawa in the next night.

Vince was troubled all day, and there was a certain angst to hurting someone.

Michaels says it wasn't between him and Bret - it was between Bret and Vince. Bret had decided to leave, but Shawn was the guy who had the trouble with Bret, and that made a REAL volatile situation.

Shawn cares only about the match at the PPV. On this night, it wasn't about the match. Shawn doesn't even think the match was any good.

Brisco says they were all around the Gorilla position, with Owen Hart, Pat Patterson, and the Bulldog. Nobody except Brisco knew what was going to happen in the ring.

So the infamous moment is replayed - the Sharpshooter is applied to Bret Hart, Earl Hebner rings the bell, and Bret is screwed.

From November 1997 - the Bret Screwed Bret interview.

Brisco says Vince took his seat at ringside - and ordered the bell to be rung.

Earl knew what was going to happen 10 minutes before the match was to go on. He flew through the ring, and ran down the ramp, into a car, and left.

Vince knows Bret was hurt, and he felt a responsibility to Bret to hang around. Bret knew what had happened and spit on Vince.

Shawn knows Vince made the right decision. Until you've run a million dollar company, you cannot get in the debate. Shawn knew he wasn't going to be anything but the bad guy here. Whether he knew or not is irrelevant.

On the way out, Brisco told Shawn to stay close and do NOT stop to say anything to anyone. It took a lot of courage to do what Shawn Michaels did that night.

It was silence in the back. Nobody believed it. And then the dressing room...

From Wrestling With Shadows: "Shawn, you weren't in on that?"

Shawn admits it finally - he knew. He found out because he was told.

Vince says it was REALLY gutsy for Shawn to do it. He could have been compromising Shawn's values - but didn't.

Shawn says he was asked to do something, and he did it. He's not sorry.

Brisco went to Shawn's room the night before, and went over the finish with him - then made sure he knew some protection holds incase Bret snapped and tried to hurt him. Bret was too concerned with Vince though.

An hour after the event, Vince says Bret wanted to see him and beat the shit out of him. He did go to the locker room and allowed Bret to get the free shot in. As Vince went to take his blow, Brisco stepped on Vince's ankle and broke his ankle. Bret nailed him in the temple, and he went down. He felt sorrow that Bret would hit him - and knows he's paid his debt to Bret.

The scene outside was a mob scene. Shawn was taken to the hotel, and sat there with Hunter and Chyna. It was surreal - because it's something to talk about it, but it's another to do it.

On that night, Brisco knows Shawn became a real man, stood up and showed a lot of courage.

UP NEXT: Lita recovers from surgery.

Lita broke her neck while performing a Litacanrana. The girl fell as she was swinging, and it snapped. She still did 5 more days of filming after the injury. When it happened, it compressed her disc and ruptured a joint on the back. Lita sat in the hospital and got upset being asked to stay there. She had Steve Austin on the phone and was starting to cry, and he told her "just talk to me like we're 2 people". It was what she needed at that time. He recommended that she come with Debra and himself to his doctor. The doctor shows pictures of her spine - and tells her he can take care of her. Lots of surgery follows, I fast forward. Her mother shows up to show support. Matt and Lita look forward to her being able to move around someday when they have kids, so they're optimistic.

Gene reports the surgery was a success, and we'll see Lita back in a year or so. A few days after surgery, she was running up and down stairs.

UP NEXT: Ivory talks about a new set.

Gene's favorite art is nude females - but sometimes it's a work in progress. Ivory knows what he's talking about.

MOUTHING OFF: "Now breast implants, that's a touchy, uhh excuse me, touchy topic. Because it's really a personal topic. There are so many answers, there's no right or wrong. I think breast implants are so accessible now to anyone who thinks they want them that ummm, they outta go out and do it. I think women who go out and get implants that are bigger than the size of their head is pretty ridiculous. Because I'm a woman, and sometimes those girls, their boobs are all I notice about them. And quite frankly, I think every woman has more to offer than just a bust line. If you are gonna have them, or if a woman desires to have a fuller chest, maybe to fill out her clothes, look better in an evening gown without a push up bra stuff like that. Anyway, I think that they should put them on to kinda balance out their bodies and not to just become the focus point of their body. Because everyone that you meet is gonna know you a lot better by looking right here in your eyes, not right here at your headlights. So that's kinda where I stand on implants. I know I've enjoyed having a larger bust line so I can fill out clothes and feel feminine, and still have rock hard biceps. It's a real personal thing, and I think everyone should think long and hard about doing it before they do it. But most likely, you will enjoy your new set."

Gene completes the segment beautifully! "And be sure you share 'em with someone you love."

That's it for WWE Confidential. Next week, we continue the interview with Shawn Michaels.

NEXT WEEK: Shawn claims the Heartbreak Kid is dead. Vince wants Shawn to return for a farewell match, but would LOVE to have him back on a regular basis.

Okay - I don't know about you, but that interview looked REALLY worked. I mean to the point where I'm tempted to believe Shawn's coming back as McMahon's handpicked guy to win the belt. It just seemed they were drilling home how great a guy Shawn was for being part of the screwjob way too hard - and taking far too many cheap shots at Bret for their own good.

And people wonder why Bret can't let it go.

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