12 Times WWE Brutally CANCELLED World Championship Reigns

The term "walking on eggshells" doesn't even come close to describing Shawn Michaels' behaviour throughout the late nineties. If he didn't like you, then he'd make your life a living hell, and if he did like you, well, the story wasn't much different.

He developed a particular hatred for Vader in 1996. 'The Mastodon' jumped to the WWF from WCW at that January's Royal Rumble, during which he pummeled 'The Heartbreak Kid' in the titular match to add further to Shawn's heroic underdog act. The WWF Championship joined him at WrestleMania 12 and, come SummerSlam, it was Vader who was being positioned as his conqueror.

The rumour is that this encounter was going to be the first of three matches between Vader and Shawn Michaels, the other two following at Survivor Series and the 1997 Royal Rumble - but then Vader forgot to counter a flying Elbow Drop at SummerSlam, which left Shawn irate. He stomped on Vader's face with enough vitriolic force to put a nail in the coffin of any future main event plans Vince McMahon had in mind for the once WCW megastar, and come Survivor Series, his spot had been handed intact to Sycho Sid, who Powerbombed his way to the top.