10 Twisted Times WWE Rewarded A Wrestler For Being A D*ck

9. Shawn Michaels (1994-1998)

Paige Triple H
WWE.com

When Shawn Michaels was forced to retire in 1998, may suggested it wasn't the coffin lid that clipped his back at the Royal Rumble, but karma.

Notorious amongst colleagues for an attitude that added a toxic ingredient to WWE locker rooms for much of the decade, 'HBK' was dangerous because he was so good. "Follow that, mother f*ckers" wasn't a verbal slap on the a*s to his colleagues but an obnoxious reality check for the various rank-and-files that simply weren't in his league.

As a Vince McMahon favourite even beyond the sway of The Kliq, Michaels often found himself on the right end of the booking in spite of all his wrong-headedness. In 1993, he failed a steroid test that he vehemently denies the legitimacy of to this day, in 1994 he stopped wrestling on television between March and July whilst in 1995 he did the same in April and May before losing yet more time to an infamous Syracuse sh*tkicking in October. It was during this spell he was pushed relentlessly, arguing the toss with his icomparable talent and finesse.

It was at the root of Bret Hart's disdain for him - he acknowledged how good Michaels was, but hated how he abused that privilege.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett