On July 4, 1939, baseball legend Lou Gherig stood in the middle of Yankee Stadium and gave a retirement speech that will live in the annuls of America’s favorite pastime forever. Humbled, he said, “Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.” While I was not born yet and not really that much of a baseball fan to this day – I know that there are, were and always will be baseball fans out there that watch that famous speech with tears rolling down their face to this day…

…I know this – because on March 29th – I watched WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels give his and I did exactly that.

On Sunday, March 28, Shawn Michaels was defeated by the Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 in a match that pitted the Undertaker’s 17-0 undefeated WrestleMania streak against Shawn’s career. After one of the most amazing matches in WWE history – Shawn Michaels lost – and had to retire from a profession he has excelled at since the age of 19.

With tears in his eyes, Shawn thanked his peers, the people behind the scenes at the WWE – and the fans. During the speech, fans chanted things like, “Please don’t go,” “One more match,” and “Thank you Shawn.” As the cameras panned the crowd – there were fans that were crying as much as I was. But in the end, he told his three daughters the words that made me go from tearing up to losing it – “Daddy’s coming home.”

From the very first moment I saw him step into the squared circle, Shawn Michaels has been a consummate entertainer and simply one of the best in the history of the wrestling business. His charisma, microphone skills – and ability to both take and give “bumps” was one that would rival almost all of his peers. If you asked almost any wrestler who they felt was the greatest performer in “the business” – their answer would be Shawn. Many of the most amazing and memorable matches in wrestling’s illustrious history had Shawn Michaels in them – and I can guarantee you that at next year’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony which takes place on the eve of WrestleMania 27 on April 2, 2011 – Shawn will take his rightful place as the Lou Gherig of professional wrestling.

I had the honor of interviewing Shawn Michaels twice in my life, and I can tell you that he was very gracious, funny and professional. He answered any question and did whatever I asked on camera for the fans of my show. But my favorite memory of him was when I was backstage at the 1996 Hall of Fame ceremony and was talking with Vince McMahon. Suddenly, someone came through the backstage door, put his arm around me and said that he could not believe how great the fan’s reaction was to the night’s events…

…that man was Shawn Michaels.

So as Shawn Michaels tips his hat to the wrestling business and its fans – I thank him for entertaining me, working with me, giving me amazing memories – and for being “The Showstopper.” While he may be gone for good from the industry – his legacy will live on forever – and that makes him a true champion.

In addition to being a solo wrestler, he was a member of Degeneration X, and they had a very famous slogan. So Shawn Michaels, in honor of all you did for the fans of wrestling – I got two words for ya…

…thank you.