10 Precise Moments Wrestling Fans Rejected Internet Darlings

2. Shawn Michaels - August 10, 2019

Bray Wyatt Spooky Lil Kid
WWE.com

The Bret Hart Vs. Shawn Michaels rivalry will never die, even if Bret himself seems to prefer burying Goldberg and Triple H these days.

The tribute spots folded into various CM Punk and FTR matches have brought into further focus a rejection, amongst hardcore fans, of Shawn's more excessive impulses. Shawn was almost universally beloved when he was active, even amongst those who didn't quite receive him as a great guy. His hair-tugging, I'm-sorry-I-love-you melodrama added an emotional layer to his work elevated by his immaculate veteran selling, but this worked only on earned occasions.

Retiring a hero and mounting the ultimate challenge of breaking the Undertaker's WrestleMania streak justified his histrionic performance style, but it grew rather grating when he projected it onto his NXT "kids" - or tenured world-class wrestlers, more accurately - when he took on a producer role.

NXT fell out of fashion in 2019, not helped by the cooler, less scripted upstart AEW, and Shawn was a not inconsiderable part of its decline.

NXT developed an indulgent, corny quality and Shawn's influence was felt in the big match parody that was Adam Cole Vs. Johnny Gargano III at TakeOver: Toronto (2019), which was just the interminable Badd Blood 2004 match with Triple H, with added thigh slaps and a sad element of forced cosplay.

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!