10 Ridiculous Ways WWE Champions Lost Their Titles

9. Shawn Michaels Lays Down For Triple H

Sable Debra
WWE.com

What a couple of elite tier d*ckheads Shawn Michaels and Triple H really were by the end of 1997.

Endless fawning D-Generation X documentaries would have it that this sort of patter was vital to the initial success of the group, but the nugget of truth in that still doesn't really justify the flaming hot sh*ts they dropped on everybody around them at the time. And it's worth remembering that when Steptoe & Son themselves are trying to play nice guy coaches on NXT, too.

Just months earlier, Shawn Michaels had fiddled The British Bulldog out of a home country win he'd already dedicated to his dying sister by suggesting there was money in the rematch the following April. It's amazing Vince McMahon bought the sh*t he was selling yet again, because 'HBK' himself clearly didn't.

Within weeks of securing the token European Championship, he had his eyes fixed on the top prize. When he had that, the token title was just extra hand luggage. Passing it over to his DX partner was a cute way to beat the system, but more than oceans separated the start and end of this troubled and tumultuous reign.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett