10 Fascinating Facts That WWE Fans Always Get Wrong
6. Shawn Michaels Did Lose Championships Clean
It’s become a bit of a running joke among wrestling fans that Shawn Michaels never lost a title cleanly—he either vacated it, got “injured,” or lost in some convoluted, overbooked fashion. And while there’s some truth to that reputation, it’s not the whole story.
Yes, Michaels did vacate a few belts—most infamously the Intercontinental title in 1993 and the WWE Championship in 1997. And sure, there were some eyebrow-raising moments (looking at you, “lost my smile” promo). But to say he never put anyone over cleanly is just plain wrong.
Shawn lost the WWE Championship cleanly to Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV, a pivotal moment that helped launch the Attitude Era. He was also part of the WrestleMania XX main event, where Chris Benoit won the World Heavyweight Championship by making Triple H submit — a match in which Michaels played a crucial role and helped elevate the moment, even in defeat.
So, while HBK may have had his diva moments, when it came to championship matches, he wasn’t above doing business the right way. The myth that he never lost a title clean? Consider it superkicked into oblivion.