15 Stages Of Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart's Infamous Heat

The story of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels is a fascinating tale that, because of the gritty nature and its presentation for all the world to see, will be relived, remembered and retold for as long as professional wrestling exists. The following is a detailed account of the genesis of the problems that arose between the men, the escalation that allowed the feud to continue, and the eventual culmination of a bitter dispute between two of the biggest stars in sports-entertainment history. This is the story of Bret Hart versus Shawn Michaels - The Hitman versus The Heartbreak Kid.

15. The Earlier Years

Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart's careers took very similar paths. Before they etched their names into WWE history as the two greatest wrestlers of all-time, Bret and Shawn were each a member of highly popular fan-favorite tag teams: The Hart Foundation and The Rockers, respectively. Coincidentally, the height of each team's success took place around the same time. The Rockers actually took the titles off the Hart Foundation during a match that was scheduled to air the day after the 1990 Survivor Series on The Main Event. During the match, however, the top rope broke and the contest devolved into something that was considered not fit for television (according to Vince McMahon) and so that title change never officially took place. Just as they were hit their peaks in the tag team division at the same time, their ascent as individual superstars also seemed to take place simultaneously. They even began their first on-screen feud with each other in the Spring of 1992 and shared their first WWF Championship PPV main event together, headlining the 1992 Survivor Series with Shawn as the heel and Bret as the babyface. Despite their close proximity to each other, Michaels and Hart did not harbor any ill-will towards the other at this time and even considered themselves friends. Most likely this was because both men were happy with their new position on the card yet were still young enough to not feel completely secure in their "spot" within the company. Having just lost his two biggest stars of the past decade in Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, Vince McMahon was trying his hardest to transition his company into the next generation and find a suitable replacement as the flagship performer and he chose Bret. Though the Hitman was anointed the WWF Champion and Shawn the Intercontinental Champion, both men were still relatively new to the scene in terms of their singles careers and positioning. The wrong attitude or slightest misstep could have derailed them.