10 Worst Excuses Wrestlers Gave For Missing Matches

3. Shawn Michaels ‘Loses His Smile’

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WWE

A special "Thursday Raw Thursday" on 13 February 1997 turned into quite the evening. There, a teary Shawn Michaels revealed that he was in a lot of pain from a nasty knee injury and would have to vacate the WWF Title. Fans cried alongside HBK, but Bret Hart rolled his eyes backstage.

He figured that Shawn just didn't want to return the favour from WrestleMania XII and put him over at 13 the following month. Bruce Prichard claims that Michaels did have legit knee problems, but there was another side to his promo; Shawn said he'd "lost [his] smile" and needed to go regain that too.

One could almost hear a certain 'Hitman' vomiting chunks in the locker room.

In terms of excuses, 'losing your smile' must be right up there with the worst. Michaels vacated the belt, skipped 'Mania, and didn't wrestle again until winning the tag straps with Steve Austin on the 26 May edition of Raw.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.