Shawn Michaels is one of the most brashy wrestlers of all time. He had a separate fan following for his carefree attitude. Despite his personality, he is also arguably one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time.
The Showstopper while born in Arizona, is billed from San Antonio, Texas. He first stepped foot inside the squared circle in 1984. Since then, he continued to entertain the masses with his in-ring skills for nearly three decades.
Let’s take a look at some of Shawn Michaels’ greatest rivalries throughout his career.
The infamous Montreal Screwjob
One of the most iconic rivalries in the history of professional wrestling is the one between The Heartbreak Kid and Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart. Their rivalry dates back to 1989. The feud began in the form of a tag team rivalry between The Hart Foundation and The Rockers.
The three times the two teams faced each other it either ended in a time-limit draw or a double disqualification. Even when both Hart and Michaels faced each other in one-on-one action the result was a double disqualification.
Finally, in their fourth tag team match against each other, The Hart Foundation picked up the win. Following this, The Hitman continued to defeat The Heartbreak Kid in one-on-one matches. Michales’ first win against Hart came in the form of a disqualification.
Michaels captured the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Hart in a 60-minute Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12.
The two then wrestled each other after nearly a year and a half at the 1997 Survivor Series PLE. This was the last time they faced each other. It was also Bret Hart’s last night in WWE. Vince McMahon screwed Hart. Michaels locked in the Sharpshooter and swiftly McMahon called for the bell thus awarding the world title to the Heartbreak Kid. This was later known as the Montreal Screwjob, still a talking point today.
The Rise of The Heartbreak Kid
Some rivalries do not need a year-long feud to make an impact, a few matches will do. The bout between Shawn Michaels and the late Razor Ramon is one such instance. The two did not have too many singles matches but rather only a handful.
The match that got the wrestling world buzzing was their match at WrestleMania X. This was the second-ever ladder match in the history of the company. The match was for the Intercontinental Championship. Michaels came up short as Ramon managed to capture the title and picked up the win.
In their second bout, Michaels managed to pick up the win via pinfall. The two battled it out for a third time at SummerSlam 1995. They created history once again by competing in the third ladder match in the history of the company. After a tough fight, Michaels managed to grab the Intercontinental Title and finally dethroned Razor Ramon.
Entering a Rattlesnake pit
Similar to his rivalry against the late Razor Ramon, Michaels and Austin also only battled each other a few times. Most of the time the matches ended in a disqualification. With no proper conclusion to their one-on-one matches, the two settled their scores at WrestleMania 14.
The other highlight of the match was that the match had a special enforcer in the name of ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. The legendary boxer was initially in cahoots with Shawn Michaels. But towards the end of the match, Tyson turned on Mr. WrestleMania and helped Steve Austin pick up the win.
The Heartbreak Kid vs. The Highlight Reel
The Showstopper and Chris Jericho first crossed paths in the 2002 Survivor Series PLE. They took part in the first-ever Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Michaels managed to pick up the win and captured gold once again.
The following year, the two had their first-ever singles match at WrestleMania XIX. Once again Jericho was unable to defeat Michaels. The Ocho’s first win against The Heartbreak Kid came at the same year’s Backlash PLE. It was a six-person tag team match. He teamed with Ric Flair and Triple H to take on Michaels and his team of Booker T and Kevin Nash. Jericho even managed to pick up a singles win later on.
The two stars rekindled their feud a few years later. Both wrestlers exchanged victories against each other. With that being said, the majority of wins certainly were grabbed by Shawn Michaels.
The Icon battles The Phenom
The final few matches of the Showstopper’s career were against The Undertaker. The two wrestling legends initially faced each other in one-on-one competition at the 17th edition of In Your House. As the match ended in a no contest the following month the two wrestled inside The Hell in a Cell. The Heartbreak Kid managed to pick up the win. He also defeated The Phenom in a Casket Match.
The rivalry between the two flared up once again nearly a decade later in 2009. Michaels challenged The Deadman to a match at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. He wanted to be the one to end the streak of The Undertaker. But despite all his efforts he was unable to do so and suffered his first singles defeat against Taker.
The following year, after pleading with Undertaker for a rematch, he finally got it after he put his career on the line. After both stars wrestled each other for over 20 minutes, The Deadman once again picked up the win and kept his WrestleMania streak alive. This was Shawn Michaels’ final singles match.
After nearly eight years away from in-ring action, Michaels returned to the squared circle. He teamed up with his best friend Triple H to take on the Brothers of Destruction at the 2018 edition of WWE Crown Jewel. The Showstopper managed to get his revenge by finally defeating The Deadman in tag team action.
