18 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Shawn Michaels
8. He Refused To Lose The WWE Championship To Vader
Vader came into WWE as a monster heel in early 1996, eliminating several men in the Royal Rumble before being knocked out of the ring by Shawn Michaels. A furious Vader attacked Michaels and other wrestlers, indicating that their business was unfinished.
Both of their stars rose over the next several months. Michaels won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XII, while Vader continued to wreak havoc throughout the company. A title match between the two was made for SummerSlam.
The match was good, with Vader initially winning by countout. The bout was restarted, and Vader won again, this time by disqualification. After one final restart, Michaels pinned Vader to retain the championship.
Reportedly, the finish to the match was changed - it was Vader who was supposed to pick up the pinfall and claim the WWE Championship. Michaels refused to do the job, though, throwing a hissy fit that forced the company to change plans and put him over.
Vader never won the WWE Championship, and he slid down the card during his remaining two years in the company.