Sensational Sherri became the manager of Shawn Michaels shortly after the 1992 Royal Rumble. Sherri announced that she was "in love" with Michaels and began accompanying him to the ring. She became not only a manager/valet, but also Michaels' �girlfriend.� Or so it appeared. For his part, Michaels sometimes seemed to be unresponsive to Sherri's affections, and many people thought the relationship was "one-way." Sherri obviously loved Shawn, but the feeling didn't always appear to be mutual. Calling himself the "Heartbreak Kid," Shawn made Sherri walk behind him and he openly flirted with other women in the crowd. Sherri also carried a mirror for Michaels so he could look at himself before, during and after matches!
Sherri may have been subservient to Michaels, but she could still be a dangerous presence at ringside for opponents of her "boy toy." On Shawn's orders, Sherri would do anything. Sometimes that meant just standing at ringside, holding a mirror, or tending to her man. Other times it could mean physically attacking an opponent or distracting the referee so Michaels could gain an advantage! Sherri also sang the lyrics to Shawn's entrance music, Sexy Boy. Sherri's screechy rendition of the song was not well received by WWF fans who would cringe at the sound of Sherri's voice.
Sherri and Shawns' first big event together was Wrestlemania VIII where Michaels defeated Tito Santana. Unlike most other times, Sherri did not become illegally involved in the match. Instead, she concentrated on being an "ornament" for Michaels. She kissed him and displayed her "assets," and helped him celebrate the win by posing at his feet after the victory.
Sherri's adoration of Michaels gave fans another reason to dislike her. Now, she not only interfered in matches and broke rules for her man, but she was obviously love struck. This caused her to act very submissively toward Michaels, quickly agreeing to anything he asked, desperately hoping to please him. She became very obsessed with her clothing and makeup as well. In fact, she was so preoccupied with her appearance that she gave beauty tips on a WWF home video! In short, Sherri was acting like a bimbo- something that angered many female WWF fans who regarded her with disdain. Even Bobby Heenan, a strong supporter of Shawn Michaels, accidentally referred to her as a bimbo at Wrestlemania VIII! Michaels did not seem to have a problem treating Sherri like a possession and ordering her around. Shawn's treatment of his subservient sidekick also raised questions about his attitude toward women in general. WWF Magazine ran an article questioning whether or not "Shawn Michaels hates women!" Still, Sherri stood behind her man, unconcerned for the way the world saw her.
Seeing a woman whose head could be turned so easily by an arrogant, self-absorbed superstar, perhaps it was inevitable that one day another man would try to lure Sherri away from Shawn Michaels. That man happened to be Rick Martel, a WWF superstar with a similar personality to Michaels. Like Michaels, he was arrogant. In fact, he called himself "The Model" and tried to market a cologne called "Arrogance." He was definitely a man someone like Sensational Sherri would be attracted to.
Martel began to catch Sherri's eye. This in turned sparked the anger of Shawn Michaels. Michaels seemed to be upset not because of jealousy, but rather because he did not want Martel to try to take someone he considered his "property." Sherri became a possession the two men began fighting over, and she loved it! This feud reached a climax at Summerslam 92 where Sherri became the prize in a match between Michaels and Martel. The match ended in a draw (and a surprise humiliation for Sherri!) so Sherri remained with Shawn.
Besides being "in love" with Michaels, Sherri still harboured a deep hatred for a woman from her past, Miss Elizabeth. Sherri and Elizabeth clashed when WWF Champion Randy Savage defended his title against Shawn Michaels. Once again, Elizabeth got the best of the confrontation with Sherri. This is the last time the two women would ever battle each other.
Sherri's blind devotion to Michaels eventually came to an end. In late 1992, Michaels' former tag team partner, Marty Janetty, returned to the WWF. Michaels had stabbed Janetty in the back, attacking him when he wasn't looking and seriously injuring him. Janetty had been out for months and returned looking for payback. When Janetty grabbed Michaels' mirror and swung it at him, Shawn cowardly threw Sherri in between himself and Janetty. The mirror was shattered over Sensational Sherri's head and Shawn Michaels ran from the ring!
Sherri was sidelined for weeks with the resulting injury but returned to ringside a changed woman. She no longer was interested in being a doormat for Shawn Michaels. Her outfits became less trashy and more sophisticated. She seemed to regain her self-respect. She also had revenge against Shawn Michaels clearly in her sights at the 1993 Royal Rumble where Janetty and Michaels squared off in a one-on-one match. Sherri tried to help Janetty but her plan backfired and Michaels escaped with a victory.
Sherri's last major confrontation with Shawn was at Wrestlemania IX when she again managed his opponent. This time it was a Native-American wrestler named Tatanka. Although Tatanka won the match, Sherri was attacked and badly beaten by Michaels' manager, Luna. This marked the end of Sherri's relationship with Shawn. Luna and Sherri feuded briefly, with Luna getting the best of Sherri on most occasions. Luna�s success against Sherri soon drove her out of the WWF. In 1993, Sensational Sherri left the World Wrestling Federation. |
