10 Legit Wrestling Injuries That Were Made Into A Storyline
2. Shawn Michaels Collapses On Raw
Shawn Michaels' reputation as being hard to deal with in the mid '90s is well documented. His allegiance with Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Triple H and Sean Waltman made him a polarising figure in the locker room and the political stroke of the The Kliq was a well-known issue backstage.
HBK's perceived bad attitude also bled into his personal life. Unfortunately for Michaels, this led to an violent incident in 1995, whereby he was legitimately assaulted in a Syracuse nightclub. The results saw 'The Heartbreak Kid' relinquish the Intercontinental Championship to Dean Douglas at In Your House 4.
Despite appearing on house shows, Michaels wouldn't return to action on TV until the Survivor Series and had his first single match back with Owen Hart the following night on Raw. In a follow up to the title forfeit, Michaels and McMahon played up to the head injuries sustained in the Syracuse fight when Michaels collapsed in the ring shortly after taking an enzuigiri from Owen.
Very few knew about the whole angle which made it shockingly realistic, particularly for the time period. Michaels was written off TV in the wake of the collapse, allowing him to make his triumphant return at the 1996 Royal Rumble, which he would win for the second year in a row.