8 One-Time WWE Champions Who Deserved A Second Reign

4. Shawn Michaels

OK, so Michaels is technically a four-time WWE Champion, having won the WWE Title one in 1996, twice in 1997 and the World Heavyweight Title once in 2002. But it is the 2002-2010 period of his career, the post-back surgery, reborn Christian years, that I am going to focus on. When HBK returned to the ring at SummerSlam 2002, it was almost like he had never left. While there were initially concerns about how well Michaels would hold up, he felt fine the days and weeks after his five-star street fight with Triple H. With Michaels physically able and the fans eager to see more of him, WWE booked him in the World Heavyweight Title Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series. Michaels won the match, sending the MSG crowd into a frenzy. It was an unexpected, feel good moment. Shawn Michaels was WWE Champion again, four years after he'd been forced to retire due to a serious back injury. His moment didn't last for long, however, and he dropped the title back to The Game at Armageddon a month later. The argument has always been that HBK was so good and over on his own, that he didn't really need the title. Plus, he made a great challenger on many occasions (such as his 2007 rivalry with Randy Orton and 2008 conflict with Chris Jericho). Then there was the fact that he only worked a limited schedule, and Vince typically expects the champ to work most/all house shows. Still, considering how much Michaels gave in the ring each and every night, his hard work could and probably should have been rewarded with a more sustained WWE/World Heavyweight Title reign. His 28 days on top don't really seem like enough for this Hall of Famer.