10 Moments That Caused Huge Rifts Between Wrestlers

7. Shawn Michaels Turns Himself Babyface And Heel

Bret Hart Shawn Michaels
WWE.com

The knotty, tumultuous saga of Bret Hart Vs. Shawn Michaels ultimately transformed the company.

The philosophical battle for the company's soul was won by Michaels, but Steve Austin stomped a mudhole through the ground he broke to win the Monday Night Wars. The deeply personal rivalry started as most do in professional wrestling; beyond the personal contempt one man held for the other, the stripping, the whining, the accusations of adultery, and the hair-pulling, this was a fight for a spot that escalated into a shoot Loser Leaves Town match.

And it all started, most likely, at WrestleMania XI.

Hart worked the worst high-profile match of his career, in a dud opposite Bob Backlund - a sinfully boring I Quit match the record, somehow shows lasted less than 10 minutes. Shawn Michaels in contrast entered an absolutely blow-away awesome individual performance versus Diesel that Hart - perhaps feeling defensive - perceived as a power play brokered to turn babyface and seize the top spot. It was a bad night for a genius like Hart to work an uncharacteristically nothing match.

He wasn't wrong; Michaels turned babyface effective immediately, inciting the animosity that began in earnest ahead of WrestleMania XII.

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!