10 WWE Main Event Feuds That Didn't End At WrestleMania

6. Bret Hart Vs Shawn Michaels

Rsz Batista Triple H
WWE.com

Though the two wouldn't meet for another 18 months on pay-per-view, the heated distaste between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels following their WrestleMania 12 Iron Man match would manifest in backstage fights, on-screen arguments and a permanent cloud of unease from the moment 'The Hitman' made his return in October 1996.

First pencilled in for a WrestleMania 13 rematch, the bout was binned when Michaels took time off with a knee injury he disclosed during his controversial 'losing his smile' promo. By June he was back and ready for a scuffle at King of the Ring, but Bret's own recovery from lingering injuries had been somewhat delayed, scuppering the contest again.

It was probably for the best that neither went ahead, in hindsight.

Bret was incensed at Shawn's (allegedly questionable) decision to walk away shortly before WrestleMania, and livid beyond reproach when 'HBK' alluded to an extra-marital affair between Hart and Sunny during a promo to sell the King of the Ring encounter.

After their legitimate fight backstage before a July Raw taping, the two continued to spit bile on the microphone against one another, but were left off of pay-per-view plans until November's industry-altering Survivor Series clash in Montreal.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett