10 WWE Champions Who Didn't Draw
3. Shawn Michaels
History has been very kind to Shawn Michaels. While nobody can deny "The Heartbreak Kid's" talent or his place as one of the most remarkable athletes in wrestling history, stories of his success as WWE Champion are just that. With Michaels on top, WWE first truly fell behind WCW in the Monday Night Wars.
HBK first captured the title from Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII, which was the third-lowest-bought 'Mania in history. Shortly after Michaels won the belt, Nitro's 83-week-long winning streak began, and PPVs that "The Heartbreak Kid" headlined were routinely outdrawn by WCW shows. SummerSlam 1996, where Michaels defended the title against Vader, was actually down nearly 25% from the Diesel-Mabel show the year before.
While many (correctly) point out that the company was in worse financial shape from 1992 to 1994 - when Bret Hart was on top - Hart was a better draw globally than Michaels ever was. His popularity in Canada, the Middle East, and Asia helped WWE expand as a worldwide entity. Michaels, meanwhile, ended up costing the promotion a lot of money.