7 Wrestlers Shawn Michaels Refused To Lose Against
4. Stone Cold Steve Austin
There is a certain amount of mythology that surrounds the main event of WrestleMania XIV. From the outside it looks simple as can be; the fastest rising star in wrestling beats the champion, who himself needs to take time off to deal with serious injuries and personal problems. Two plus two equals four, right?
Well this was 1998 and professional wrestling has never been the land of mathematical logic, so obviously things weren't quite so simple going into the biggest show of the year. Shawn Michaels was the WWF Champion and Austin was the rising star, but it seemed as though HBK wasn't quite ready to drop the title to the Texas Rattlesnake.
The story isn't exactly gospel, but supposedly The Undertaker was making sure that anyone within earshot knew that if Michaels didn't do what was right, he'd have a 'long' night. I assume by 'long' he meant 'horrifically painful', and the image of Taker taping his fists in the Gorilla Position is a beautiful one.
Michaels tells the story a little differently. In an interview with Sports Illustrated last year Michaels stated that he was always going to drop the belt to Austin, but he wanted to 'make everybody sweat it and think that I wasn't going to'. Shawn Michaels in the 1990s was the least professional figurehead of a company possible.
The right thing happened however, and the Austin Era began. I guess the threat of the Deadman and Mike Tyson being nearby helped Michaels' change his mind.