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

5. WrestleMania 13: HEAT!

Undoubtedly, the turning point between the two icons from which there was no turning back centered around WrestleMania 13, appropriately given the tagline of HEAT! While Vince's true plans are unconfirmed, it is believed that Vince had changed the original plans even before Shawn's injury and subsequent title forfeiture. Bret claims in his book that two weeks prior to the Thursday RAW Thursday episode, Vince told Bret the plans had become "too predictable" and he was changing it. The new plan was for Bret to cost Shawn the title to Sid on Thursday RAW and Shaw would screw Bret at the In Your House Final Four. Bret would then battle and defeat Shawn at WrestleMania in a non-title ladder match in which Shawn's hair would be on the line. Stunned at the cavalier change to non-title, Bret believed this was Vince's cover-up for Shawn either refusing to work with Bret or refusing to put him over. As head-scratch and unbelievable as this may initially sound, it does make sense if Vince was trying to keep the heat from getting too far out of control. In McMahon's mind, he appeases Bret by putting him over Shawn, and acquiesces to Shawn by not letting Bret beat him for the title (or pin/submit him). It is also believed that the title trajectory would have remained the same as what did end up playing out, still going from Sid to The Undertaker. Bret viewed Michaels as extremely unprofessional and now as a phony, unworthy of being the champion for having supposedly faked a knee injury to avoid doing the job. Michaels denied any chicanery, but was back in the ring two months after WrestleMania.