WWE: 10 Awesome Shawn Michaels Matches (That Nobody Talks About)

3. Shawn Michaels vs British Bulldog - One Night Only 1997

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e37q6Q7Xrhs This was part of UK PPV One Night Only, which was so far off the hook you wouldn't even be able to throw your coat on it from where the show was stood. You would just have to put the coat down and deal with it later... or other, better hook related sentences. Honestly, I would give my left testicle to see a UK WWE show this good nowadays. Actually maybe not my left one, that's my favourite, but the right one as far as I'm concerned is ticket fodder. In a super classy move Shawn, who at this point was operating at maximum dickhead, had the match decision reversed to win the belt in Bulldog's home country. That's pretty bad, but to be expected from Michaels at this stage in his career. Not to mention this thing didn't even air in the US. Also the European belt was a trophy title and had little value around the waist of anyone other than Bulldog. Alright, that's petulant and childish even by Shawn's '97 standards. Oh, did we mention that Davey Boy had already dedicated his win to his cancer-ridden sister who was sat at ringside? Yeah... As horrible as the circumstances surrounding the match are, the action itself might be the best ever between these two, who had clashed multiple times throughout the decade. Davey Boy gives a powerful performance here and looks every bit the main event caliber power wrestler he was at his peak. Everything he does looks crisp, controlling things with the usual slams and clotheslines, before heating things up with a surfboard and electric chair drop. Michaels, to his credit, makes everything Davey does look fantastic. But things go south as D-Generation X make their way to the ring. Things turn when Rick Rude breaks up an O Conner Roll: the crowd is already hot and things are about to get a whole lot worse. Following a double KO spot, Hunter and co make their way to the ring and from there on out it's all D Generation-X. Bulldog is finally hit with a pedigree outside the ring before being thrown back into the assisted figure four. The crowd is absolutely nuclear at this point. They wouldn't, would they? Bulldog makes the ropes! But Rude nails him and he's blacked out! That's it?! Yes, that is actually it. Shawn continues being an absolute gent by dedicating the match to Diana, as she and Davey's dying sister sit dumbstruck at ringside. The crowd looks like it might actually riot and D-X wisely get the hell out of there. Wow, just wow. An uncomfortable, but fascinating match with some great wrestling to boot.
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