20 Most Iconic WWE Wrestlers Of All Time

9. Shawn Michaels

Whereas Bret Hart was the man tasked with leading the WWF's "New Generation", it was Shawn Michaels who would eventually end up running with the ball and sowing the seeds for what would become the Attitude Era. Now whilst fans have both loved and hated the Heartbreak Kid, his name regularly comes up when his peers are asked who the very best wrestler they stepped in the ring with is. Michaels was one of those rare talents who was phenomenal in the ring but who was also oozing with charisma and personality, becoming a true larger-than-life superstar of the business. What made Shawn iconic is his whole package and for the influence he has had on future generations, with him inspiring the likes of Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan to chase their wrestling dreams. Equally impressive is how Michaels essentially had a second WWE career after returning from a career-ending injury to arguably put on even better matches than before. Mr. WrestleMania, The Showstopper, Sexy Boy, Heartbreak Kid, The Main Event. Whatever you know Shawn Michaels as, he is one of the most iconic performers to ever grace the wresting business.
Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.