10. The Beginning
Shawn Michaels was an upper mid carder who longed for the limelight of the main event. He was desperate to break into the role of champion, and it wasn't just the spotlight Michaels was hungry for money too. Kevin 'Diesel' Nash was a wrestler who HBK had helped to get into the WWF. With his height advantage and giant look, Nash was being fast tracked to WWF main events, he would end up becoming a year long WWF champion. Michaels used his influence as the friend who got Nash the gig to work with 'Big Daddy Cool' in forming a power base. The two men were in a position in which they could now directly talk to Vince McMahon, and subtly direct the WWF owner to their own ideals. Nash was the champion, but he was more of a proxy for Michaels. It was HBK who was more keenly talking to McMahon about creative direction. With Shawn's natural charm, Vince by all accounts was bowled over. The fact was as well, Nash and HBK were genuinely coming up with some fantastic concepts for McMahon to consider. Vince appreciated it. The problem was that Shawn and Nash didn't simply help Vince out with creative, they also advised him on talent and in some cases gave scathing verdicts on their peers. As other wrestlers became more aware of this new relationship between wrestler and promoter, the bitterness and resentment kicked in. The locker room felt betrayed. Wrestlers started getting suspicious that Nash and Michaels were undermining other talents. The foundations of The Kliq had been born. Close friends of Nash and Michaels were brought on board to solidify the circle of power. Scott Hall and Sean Waltman were added, a pair of troublemakers who Michaels enjoyed drinking with. Hall and Waltman had a range of creative ideas in their own right, and to the group's credit they were genuinely helpful in refreshing the WWF. Triple H was added to the group, essentially because he didn't drink he could babysit the drunken Michaels and carry his bags. Shawn liked Hunter's enthusiastic and willing nature to learn, Helmsley would end up being the ultimate student of Michaels' political manipulations.