Stevie Richards Says Shawn Michaels Turned Cold After He Thanked Him for Inspiring His Career

Stevie Richards once considered Shawn Michaels his hero—but says everything changed the moment he expressed his gratitude.

On The Stevie Richards Show, the former WWE star opened up about how what started as a supportive relationship with “The Heartbreak Kid” quickly became awkward and uncomfortable after he revealed Michaels was the reason he got into wrestling. Stevie recalled that early on, Michaels was encouraging and helpful backstage, praising his look and giving match feedback.

“Every interaction before that was literally like… this guy’s really encouraging me. He’s coming up to me, talking about working out, cardio, dieting, telling me how lean I look, how good I look. ‘That was a good match.’ ‘Try doing this.’”

The relationship took a turn the moment Stevie opened up to him.

“I said to him, ‘You’re the reason I got into the business. I always wanted to tell you that. Thank you.’ His expression almost instantly changed. He just kind of… looked at me. And then walked away.”

From then on, Stevie said every interaction felt different—uncomfortable, even belittling. He began avoiding Michaels backstage and admitted he tried too hard to win him back over.

“Every interaction after that felt awkward. Condescending. I didn’t want to be around him anymore. And I think the mistake I made was I overcompensated — I tried to get him to like me, which probably made it worse.”

Trying to make sense of it all, Stevie turned to Tommy Dreamer, who offered a behind-the-scenes story of his own that stuck with Richards for years. Dreamer said he was once getting advice from Michaels backstage and questioned how his tone lined up with his religious persona. According to Stevie, Dreamer said:

“I was sitting at catering and Shawn was giving me advice… and I asked him, ‘Aren’t you a Christian?’ And he said, ‘Yeah… but I still got to get mine.’ That explained a lot for me.”

He says he’s not judging Shawn’s faith, just describing the contradiction he personally experienced.

“I fall short every day. I try to be the best man I can. But that moment… it’s still a mystery to me why it flipped like a switch. But I know what I experienced, and I know how it made me feel.”

This was no small moment for Stevie Richards, who emphasized just how much it meant—and how much it hurt when things went south. In the end, Stevie’s story is a reminder that sometimes, meeting your heroes doesn’t always go how you’d hope.

What do you think about Stevie’s experience with Shawn Michaels? Do you think some legends struggle with being idolized by their peers? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.