Tyson Kidd Recalls Interesting Backstage WWE WrestleMania Moment With Shawn Michaels
On today's episode of The Wrestling Inc. Daily, Wrestling Inc. writer Drew Rice sat down with former WWE and World Tag Team Champion Tyson Kidd. Kidd grew up around the wrestling business and has been to numerous WrestleManias throughout his career. Kidd has witnessed many incredible WrestleMania moments, and Rice asked him if any of them stood out.
"I was there live for WrestleMania 12," remembered Kidd. "Owen [Hart] flew me down as a guest of his. So, I was there for Bret [Hart] and Shawn [Michaels'] Iron man match, which blew me away live. I have been at almost every WrestleMania since 24. I was at [WrestleMania] 12, I was at [WrestleMania] 22, and then every one since [WrestleMania] 24. Shawn [Michaels] and the Undertaker, that first one in Houston, I mean I like both, but that first one in Houston was unbelievable."
Despite having been to so many WrestleManias, Kidd admitted that the event is still always exciting. He noted that applied to WrestleMania 36, which was held at the WWE Performance Center with no fans.
"Even last year's WrestleMania was exciting with just how different the world was, and we're going to do the first WrestleMania with no fans," Kidd recalled. "But it was still really exciting! So, it is a funny question because, once January hits we know the Royal Rumble is coming up, but WrestleMania, is a little bit away, but is right around the corner. Man, every single time, it is a beautiful thing. The week before, or the two weeks before [WrestleMania] it gets really, really exciting. It doesn't get old and it doesn't lose that luster."
While discussing WrestleMania, Kidd was asked which personal WrestleMania moments from his career stood out to him. Kidd said that he enjoyed interfering alongside the Hart Dynasty to help Bret Hart defeat Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 26, and that the moment was really special to him. Specifically, the Hart Dynasty hitting their finishing move, The Hart Attack, onto the Chairman and CEO of the WWE to the outside floor.
"I bounced his head like a basketball," smiled Kidd. "Anyone can go back and see I bounced Vince's head like a basketball. That is on tape, and that is on pay-per-view. That is out there for the world, and they can have that one. That was awesome.
"The deal with Bret and Vince was awesome, and very cool thing to be a part of. It becomes one of those [situations] where it is all about timing. If Bret had done that deal ten years earlier or something, then I'm not involved. But ten years later in 2010, and I am involved. So it worked out cool for us, obviously."
This past Sunday, Cesaro challenged Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania Backlash. It was the first time Cesaro received a singles World title match on a pay-per-view. Cesaro was involved in a title match at WrestleMania 31, when he and Kidd defended the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Fatal 4-Way tag team match. Kidd admitted that the match was a very special moment in his career.
"WrestleMania in San Francisco was cool," Kidd admitted. "It was a brand-new building, which was cool. Secondly, to be out there with Cesaro, and do that 4-Way tag, and have the crowd react the way that they did, it was just a lot of fun. It was a great group of dudes. And we had to pull double duty! It was a stadium, so I remember going through the side and running all the way around back to Gorilla [position] and barely making it in time, and then having to go out for the battle royal."
When further reflecting on Kidd's past experiences in the wrestling business, Kidd noted one specific moment with Shawn Michaels that stood out to him.
"I was a kid, about 15 years old, and I remember seeing Shawn Michaels earlier in the day of WrestleMania 12," Kidd recalled. "Diana Hart was asking if [Shawn] was excited for the match. And I remember him saying he was really nervous.
"I'd had my first match the summer before, and I am a 15-year-old kid, and I remember being insanely nervous. I remember sitting there and hearing those words come out of Shawn Michaels' mouth in 1996 and I was like, 'Shawn Michaels is nervous? No way! I thought I was just nervous!' [Michaels] did say to [Diana] later that he was nervous about entertaining the crowd for that amount of time. So, it was kind of an interesting thing to see Shawn Michaels say that."
To keep up to date with Tyson Kidd, you can follow him on Instagram @tjwilson711 or on Twitter @TJWilson. You can find Kidd's full interview via the embedded players below: