10 Beautiful Moments Of Respect In Wrestling

9. Bret And Shawn's (Real) Reconciliation

End of an Era WrestleMania XXVII The Undertaker Triple H Shawn Michaels
WWE Network

Look at that blessedimage.jpeg.

It stands in genuinely stirring contrast to Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart's canon reconciliation on the January 4, 2010 Monday Night RAW. It was a charged, powerful moment, but there's a tentativeness written all over Bret, a certain stoic, fixed quality to the way he pats Michaels on the back. They don't melt into an embrace. It feels like it's something he has to do, not something he wants to do. It's not so much a gesture of respect as a gesture towards a real reconciliation.

Months later, immediately following WrestleMania XXVI, the above picture captures that respect, and it's little wonder it took time to thaw. Hart and Michaels loathed one another. Perversely entertaining on television - "Who's that? Some midcarder?!" - it was less entertaining for Hart, who received Shawn's psyche-pecking bullsh*t as an affront to his professionalism. Michaels explicitly told him that he didn't respect him enough to do the job for him - this, after Hart suggested he would, theoretically. Physical fights; accusations of adultery; constant political brinksmanship: all of this dissipated in that moment, and now, Hart never flexes over Michaels as he does certain other, 4/10 peers.

He recognises Shawn's brilliance as one of the greatest ever.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!