WRESTLING NEWS
The Story Behind Shawn Michaels' Playgirl Photoshoot
By PHIL HALL
Recalling in bemusement of his iconic photoshoot, Shawn Michaels shared in his 2005 autobiography, "Some genius in the company thought that having me pose for Playgirl would be good publicity for the company." He wrote, "Since I wasn't going to pose naked, I agreed to do it. I thought, 'Well, it's a magazine that women read, so why not?'"
Playgirl gave Michaels cover status, teasing, "Shawn Michaels: This Heartbreak Kid is Single, Sexy & Ready to Get Wet with You," while he was flexing his bicep and holding a towel around his waist. The magazine also included an interview about his career, but for the photographs, Michaels avoided being completely exposed by strategically posing with his WWF belt for both front and rear shots.
After the magazine was released, Michaels discovered something about Playgirl during an autograph session. Michaels said, "it was about a 60-40 mix of guys and girls, which was normal for one of my autograph sessions. The only thing was […] there were a lot of bald guys wearing leather," admitting he was unaware that gay men would also have an interest in the magazine.