Speaking of pressure, such crushing weight of expectation is something the iconic Shawn Michaels concedes he found difficult to live up to upon becoming WWF Heavyweight Champion in 1996. Self-doubt can be a terrible thing, if people let it grip a firm hold of their lives, and that kind of stress led HBK to feeling he wasn't good enough to hold the title he'd always dreamed of hoisting aloft. Much has been written about Shawn's admissions that he was troublesome in the mid-90's, and more than a little difficult to handle. Incredibly, Michaels has even recanted stories about how he feels he would have had his brains beaten in, had it not been for some of his larger friends, such as Kevin Nash. Fans must have been mind-blown after reading the great Shawn Michaels say he was scared in his book, 'Heartbreak & Triumph', worried and nervous after defeating Bret Hart at Wrestlemania XII to win the WWF Title. The richest prize in the industry comes with a lot of pressure, and that wasn't something Michaels dealt with well, which may explain (but not excuse) some of his character flaws.
