Brian Kendrick Calls WWE Legend The 'Perfect Template' For American Pro Wrestling

With nearly 25 years under his belt in the industry, former WWE and independent wrestling star Brian Kendrick has spent time around a lot of talented performers up close. Kendrick made his professional wrestling debut in 1999 with a match against Bryan Danielson, for example, and both men were trained by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. During a recent interview on the VOC Nation Wrestling Network, Kendrick was asked about training at Michaels' school, and the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion had some glowing words to say about the veteran.

"He's the best," Kendrick said. "As far as the American style of modern pro wrestling, I think he's the perfect template. So it was amazing. On top of that, I was a fan of his work. Not just an admirer of what he does, but I enjoyed it, too. So yeah, if I could've picked anybody to train under, it would have been Shawn Michaels, and I was lucky enough for that to happen."

Kendrick's tutelage under Michaels played a role in some of his early Ring of Honor storylines, along with several other wrestlers who trained at the school. In those days, Kendrick was known as Spanky, and it wouldn't be long before he joined Michaels in WWE. It would be a relatively short two-year stint with the company. However, it led to his memorable partnership with Paul London, and Kendrick would return for several more successful runs with the company over the years.

As for Michaels, there's little doubt that he's one of the most influential professional wrestlers of his generation, with countless modern performers counting him among their biggest inspirations. Michaels achieved incredible success as an in-ring performer with WWE before retiring in 2010. At the end of his career, Michaels was a four-time world champion, and WWE's first-ever Grand Slam Champion.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the VOC Nation Wrestling Network with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.