Today in Pro Wrestling History:Â On May 19th, 1996 in Madison Square Garden, New York, The KLIQ, a backstage group of wrestlers consisting of Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Triple H (Hunter Hearst Helmsley), and Sean Waltman (X-Pac), performed an unscripted, kayfabe-breaking farewell at the end of a house show.
Today in Pro Wrestling History: (May 19): The Kliq Makes A Curtain Call

As history played out, Hall and Nash would change wrestling forever when they formed the nWo with Hulk Hogan, while Michaels and Helmsley would help to resurrect the then-WWF as D-Generation X.
On this particular night, after the main event featuring Shawn Michaels and Diesel, Triple H and Razor Ramon entered the ring.
The four men embraced and bid their farewells in front of a live audience, breaking character and acknowledging their real-life friendships.

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