Chicago Sun-Times: Michaels faces different road back

HBK Shawn Michaels will make his WWE return this week following a long stay on the injured list, but he will find himself a lot further down the list of WWE title contenders than he was when he left.

When we last saw Michaels in action, he was right in the mix with Chris Benoit and HHH for the top spot, and in fact seemed to have HHH's number on many occasions only to be foiled by Benoit. There is no questioning HBK's ring ability -- and given his track record, it would be silly not to recognize that at any moment, he could dethrone the current champ. But unlike when he left, there now is a large group pushing to be the World Champ.

Of course, HHH and Benoit are still in the fray, but we now have to add Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Edge and Batista to the list of No. 1 contenders. Michaels will get some rust off Jan. 3 when he is the guest referee in the "Monday Night Raw" main event. He will oversee the HHH vs. Benoit match that night, which raises the question: Is HBK concocting a plan to find his way into the Elimination Chamber match at the Jan. 9 "New Year's Revolution"? Michaels is not coming back to be a mid-card wrestler.

AROUND THE RING: The "No Way Out" PPV on Feb. 20 will feature JBL defending the "SmackDown" title vs. The Big Show in a barbed-wire steel-cage match. I hear the WWE is very happy with Bradshaw and has no plans to remove the title from his waist. ... Superstar Billy Graham will make a guest appearance at the Feb. 25 "Raw" show at Madison Square Garden. Also on the show will be a Ric Flair-Shawn Michaels bout that could be a warmup for a "WrestleMania 21" match.