10 Times WWE Stupidly Tried To Plug Gaps

7. Shawn Michaels

Brock Lesnar Triple H 2002
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...and only at his latest rock bottom, did Vince McMahon accept he might need something entirely different to take his business back to the top.

"Shawn Michaels: WWE Champion", was finally a brave step forward from the Hulk Hogan template, or at least one Vince McMahon was actually prepared to get behind. Bret Hart was loved - deeply loved - by the tiny and loyal audience that remained attached to McMahon's product post-Hogan, but he wasn't a domestic draw despite every debatable set of figures his fans fought over. Subsequently, he wasn't Vince's guy.

But he had eyes for The 'Heartbreak Kid'.

As good as (and eventually, better than) Bret Hart as the 1990s progressed, Michaels appeared as dynamic at the box office as he was between the ropes. Gradual gains in early-1996 on pay-per-view and at house shows implied that the planned WrestleMania XII anointment was exactly what the audience were ready for. It transpired that the man they really wanted had already wrestled by the time Hart and 'HBK' made it to the ring.

Shawn's matches that year were sensational, but WWE's numbers dipped again as a heel Hulk Hogan-led WCW ran rampant. Stone Cold Steve Austin's stuttering rise was the answer hiding in plain sight, whilst an unravelling Michaels buckled under the pressure of the spot.

Contributor
Contributor

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