10 Wrestlers Who Didn't Care About Kayfabe

7. Shawn Michaels

Joey Janela Kip Sabian
WWE.com

Triple H's D-Generation X cohort Shawn Michaels was also, as we say in this part of the world, a little bastard.

The walls came tumbling down when Brian Pillman used a meta narrative to drive his price up and bring an end to the reign of the '80s muscle men, but Shawn blurred the lines for the less noble pursuit of "being a total c*nt to Bret Hart". Michaels throughout 1997 was a prize prick, but he was bloody funny with it, showing open disdain for his peer and the principles he held so dearly. He was a little bastard in the ring, too, f*cking the European Title in an intentionally fake match with Triple H that acutely exposed the extent to which the pro wrestler cooperates with his dance partner, not combat opponent.

Everybody knew, this didn't kill the business or any boring old sh*te like that, but it was an insult to the colleagues who had to follow. 1997 WWF wasn't PWG. They had to feel like total a**holes, performing their craft after that, but Michaels wouldn't have. He was too damn incredible at it.

Echoes of this wildly exaggerated "This thing you like is fake, you dumb marks" genre were seen in his infamous SummerSlam 2005 performance, in which he gleefully exposed the warts of Hulk Hogan's Superman act by flailing about the place as if trying to convince a toddler they were stronger than daddy.

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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!