WCW mattered to Shawn Michaels because it took two of his closest friends, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, out of his daily life—and because their move placed them at the center of WWE’s fiercest rival. Michaels also recalled that WCW opportunities came up while his WWE contract situation was uncertain. He ultimately re-signed with WWE, but the move of Hall and Nash made the rivalry personal as well as professional.
Hall and Nash were close friends, not just rivals
Michaels’ clearest explanation was personal. He, Hall and Nash had spent years traveling together, and their departure meant losing the everyday company of people he considered his closest circle. In WWE’s 2014 roundtable about The Kliq, Michaels summed up the feeling: “It just sucked. It’s like your best friend moving away when you’re little.”
Their bond had a history inside wrestling, too. Michaels recalled helping bring Nash to WWE after seeing him in WCW as Vinnie Vegas and suggesting him for a bodyguard role. Hall, for his part, described feeling a sense of betrayal because Michaels had helped advance his career, while also explaining that family and WCW’s offer shaped his decision. The departure therefore carried different emotions for the friends involved, not simply the excitement of changing companies.
The Curtain Call made the goodbye visible
On May 19, 1996, Michaels, Hall, Nash and Triple H embraced in the ring at Madison Square Garden after a cage match, despite their on-screen rivalries. The moment became known as the Curtain Call. WWE’s roundtable describes Hall and Nash as leaving for WCW the following day; Michaels recalled the embrace as a goodbye among friends after years on the road.
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It is best understood as a public farewell, not the cause of Hall and Nash’s departure or proof of a secret plan. The participants’ accounts show that fans, management and wrestlers could interpret the scene and its consequences differently.
Michaels considered WCW, but stayed with WWE
WCW was not merely a place his friends went. In a later WWE interview, Michaels recalled talks and opportunities involving WCW while he was still under WWE contract. He said there were periods when his contract was nearing its end and a new agreement had not yet been discussed. He also recalled Jim Ross visiting him in Texas to talk about a possible WWE role.
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Michaels says he re-signed with WWE without a definite plan for what his role would be. That account supports saying WCW was discussed as a possibility, but it does not establish that he received a formal WCW contract offer, was free to leave WWE, or was prevented from joining WCW. He remained with WWE rather than making the move his friends had made.
Their move changed the stakes in WWE’s rivalry with WCW
Hall and Nash arrived in WCW in 1996 and became central to its competition with WWE. WCW’s fictional invasion angle played on the real rivalry between the companies; in July, Hulk Hogan joined Hall and Nash at Bash at the Beach, launching the New World Order storyline. Michaels’ friends were now part of a rival promotion’s defining story while he remained a prominent WWE performer.
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WWE’s retrospective history says Monday Nitro beat Raw in ratings for 84 consecutive weeks, from May 1996 to March 1998. That is WWE’s stated historical figure; the page does not provide the underlying ratings data or methodology. It gives a sense of the period’s competitive pressure, but it does not show that Michaels personally caused WCW’s success.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why WCW was important to Michaels
- Personally: Hall and Nash’s move ended a familiar daily routine with two close friends.
- Professionally: WCW was discussed as a possible destination during uncertain moments in Michaels’ WWE contract, though he chose to re-sign.
- Historically: His friends became major figures in the rival promotion during a period when WCW challenged WWE’s television dominance.
Michaels later reflected on the broader effect of Hall and Nash’s move: “What these guys did — whether Vince wants to admit it or not — opened the doors.” The significance, in his account, was not only where they went but how their departures affected friendships and helped mark a changing wrestling business.
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Sources
- WWE, “The Kliq remember The Curtain Call,” April 8, 2014 — participant recollections of the event, the friendships and Hall and Nash’s departure.
- WWE, “Shawn Michaels on the lost years of his career,” February 4, 2015 — Michaels’ recollections of his contract situation and WCW discussions.
- WWE, “The History of WCW” — retrospective timeline and the company’s stated ratings figure.
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