10 Wrestlers Who Were Hated By The Locker Room

4. Shawn Michaels

Shane Rollins 2 Final
WWE

Shawn Michaels didn't see eye-to-eye with the WWF locker room of the mid-to-late 1990s. He saw one eye to the Kliq and another to Shane Douglas or somebody.

A smug egomaniac with unprecedented influence over Vince McMahon, Michaels, much like a serial killer's embryonic animal-killing phase, first directed his sh*thousery to expendable prelim guys and midcard acts. Shane Douglas, Bam Bam Bigelow, Jean-Pierre Lafitte: if someone other than him had the temerity to think something of themselves, they were f*cked. At the slightest hint of ego or under-performance, Michaels pissed, moaned, and maintained his spot. When he developed a taste for blood, Michaels was insatiable. No target was too tough, too big of a star. He b*llocked Vader mid-match and outright told Bret Hart that he'd never do a clean job for him.

The locker room despised his attitude. He wasn't just a toxic, showboating pr*ck: he threatened their livelihoods, much less morale.

Fuelling the resentment towards Michaels all the more is the fact that Michaels was just astonishing at his craft. Pinballing across the ring and drawing heat with his phenomenally loathsome presence, few other heel performers were able to generate as much excitement without betraying their role.

 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

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!