10 Wrestling Feuds That Borrowed From Unlikely Inspirations
6. Jeff Hardy Vs Sheamus (Shawn Michaels Vs Vince McMahon)
Taking from the worst bit of an otherwise enjoyable 'Show Of Shows' programme in 2006, Jeff Hardy and Sheamus' p*ss-soaked segment on SmackDown was almost word-for-word in its recreation of a scene between Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon ahead of WrestleMania XXII. Yet, compared to the iffy original, it's somehow easier to rationalise how the modern variant came to be.
For better and definitely worse, 'The Celtic Warrior' got on Hardy's case for his past misdemeanours, resulting in the absurd in-ring drug test segment that divided the audience and only really served to irritate network paymasters Fox. It was only slightly less daft than the attempt to frame 'The Charismatic Enigma' for drunken manslaughter behind the wheel weeks earlier.
Like Michaels and McMahon, an absolute banger of a No Holds Barred match followed. All well and good, but the next step after that was sadly destined to age this horribly - Hardy's issues ever since have highlighted how this shouldn't have been trivialised in the first place.