10 Genius Hints WWE Dropped About Future Feuds
6. Bret Hart Resents Shawn Michaels' Attitude
Before WrestleMania XII, the WWF spent ample time presenting Bret Hart as a grizzled old veteran who couldn't match Shawn Michaels' youthful exuberance. After HBK nabbed the win (and Bret's title) at 'Mania, Hart gradually started to become more and more bitter towards an emerging generation.
His feud with Steve Austin was perfect, and so was booking that saw the 'Hitman' raining punches down on a helpless Shawn following his loss to Sycho Sid at In Your House 12. At that point, it looked like Hart vs. Michaels II was on the cards for 'Mania 13 - it would've been had Shawn not "lost his smile".
Not to worry though, because Hart's hockey-style beatdown on Michaels wasn't wasted.
They'd start feuding again in 1997. By that point, Bret had turned heel and was frustrated by how much the audience cheered for Shawn's sophomoric behaviour. The WWF must've known that they could link back to late-1996 even after changing course for WrestleMania 13.