WWE: 10 Wrestlers Who Broke Out As Major Stars At WrestleMania

7. Shawn Michaels

From the moment Shawn Michaels turned heel in late-1991 and adopted the "Heartbreak Kid" moniker shortly thereafter, it was clear that Vince McMahon had big plans for the San Antonio native. He watched as Michaels evolved into one of the best ring workers in the business and had no hesitations about rewarding his hard work with the Intercontinental Championship. Unfortunately, a failed drug test would lead to a suspension for Michaels, killing all of the momentum, he had garnered to that point. When he returned in late-1993, he immediately took exception with the idea that Razor Ramon was recognized as the Intercontinental champion when he, himself, had never actually lost the title. With two Superstars staking claim to the title, it was announced that they would compete in a ladder match in which both Michaels and Ramon's belts would be hung from the ceiling and the winner would be the competitor to retrieve both. The bout would take place on March 20, 1994 at WrestleMania X. Michaels thrilled the Madison Square Garden audience by bumping around the squared circle for Ramon and performing high risk maneuvers. While Ramon was very good, as he typically was, Michaels clearly outperformed him en route to stealing the show and revolutionizing the ladder match. Ramon would win the match when Michaels became trapped in the ropes but, like Randy Savage before him, Michaels gained more in a loss than he would have in a win. He instantly became on of WWE's marquee stars. He and friends Ramon, Diesel and 123 Kid became integral parts of WWE programming and gained tremendous political power behind the scenes. It would be two years before Michaels captured the WWE Championship and became the unrivaled star of the show but that title was merely confirmation of the fact that he became a major star in professional wrestling the instant his match with Ramon concluded at WrestleMania X.