The ONE WWE Superstar Who Never Lost Clean

Shawn Michaels broke his record of refusing to drop a title via traditional means, at WrestleMania XIV, when the Undertaker threatened to wipe the smile from his face before it suspiciously disappeared.

Steve Austin was allowed to do this - he actually drew money - but he did his most famous clean job to the departing Rock in what was more a gesture of profound mutual respect than a forward-thinking business move - not that you'd ever criticise Austin for how much he grew the business, and how much physical pain he endured to do it. He put the Rock over, who put Brock Lesnar over, who has now put Drew McIntyre over. There is a chain.

Mostly.

Batista did the honours for the Undertaker when he was on top, but by then, the culture had mostly changed. Agency had deteriorated as the power balance swung firmly into the direction of Vince McMahon, then the autocrat of the entire U.S. wrestling business. Self-preservation was out, do what you're f*cking told was in, but McMahon replicated the hulk Hogan push with John Cena, who was protected to an extent so absurd that preadolescent children in Higher Power gowns shook him more than gigantic men capable of pounding his d*ck into the dirt.

But, as his run began to slow, he started to do clean jobs, which are invariably more effective than exercises in withholding carny bullsh*t. Daniel Bryan resonated as a true headlining superstar by defeating Cena clean in the middle at SummerSlam 2013; Kevin Owens remains the most effective NXT-to-main roster call-up by virtue of the brave and audacious decision to have him go over Cena at Elimination Chamber two years later.

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