Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest wrestlers to lace up a pair of boots. Michaels' wrestling career can be split into two parts with both portions of his career Hall of Fame worthy. Michaels became the first Grand Slam Champion in WWE history in September 1997, and months later, his life changed as he sustained a near career-ending back injury in his WWE Championship casket match with The Undertaker.
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Four years later, Michaels returned to action in 2002 and he looked back to his best. Unquestionably, Michaels is one of the most influential wrestlers and he has feuded with some of the all-time greats. Whilst, HBK has faced off with several legends, Michaels has some successful alliances where he has clinched Tag Team Championship gold.
10 Biggest Ally: Steve Austin
Shawn Michaels lost his smile and controversially relinquished the WWE Championship in February 1997. However, Michaels returned to action three months later, and he teamed up with fellow Texan, Steve Austin challenging The British Bulldog and Owen Hart for the WWE World Tag Team Championship.
Michaels and Austin defeated Bulldog and Hart for the titles, but their partnership was short-lived. They relinquished the titles with Michaels and Austin going toe-to-toe at King of the Ring in a fantastic match. Michaels and Austin battled over the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 14 with Austin seeing off HBK to become WWE Champion for the first time in his career.
9 Biggest Enemy: Razor Ramon
The rivalry between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon was one of the best feuds in the New Generation Era. They revolutionized the ladder match and brought prestige to the Intercontinental Championship. HBK and the Bad Guy had a five-star instant classic at WrestleMania 10 with Ramon stunning Michaels to become the Undisputed Intercontinental Champion.
Michaels and Ramon engaged in another ladder match at SummerSlam 1995 with Michaels entering as the defending Intercontinental Champion. It was another brilliant match with Michaels getting his revenge to see off Ramon to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
8 Biggest Ally: John Cena
Unfortunately, Triple H tore his quadriceps at New Year's Revolution 2007, and Shawn Michaels was feuding with Rated-RKO. Michaels and WWE Champion John Cena squared off with Rated-RKO for the World Tag Team Championship, and they dethroned Rated-RKO for the titles.
Michaels and Cena became rivals as HBK challenged Cena for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 23. They had a pitstop at No Way Out 2007 as they saw off SmackDown's World Heavyweight Champion Batista and The Undertaker in a tag team match. Michaels and Cena dropped the titles on the Raw after WrestleMania 23 in a tag team Battle Royal, but they had two fantastic matches at WrestleMania and on Raw to boot.
7 Biggest Enemy: Chris Jericho
Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho's feud began in early 2003 after Jericho brutalized and eliminated Michaels from the Royal Rumble match. They locked horns at WrestleMania 19, and they stole the show in a great wrestling match with Michaels triumphant in his first WrestleMania outing in five years.
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Five years later in 2008, Michaels and Jericho rekindled old hostilities with Y2J turning heel by smashing Michaels' head in the Jeritron 5000 on an episode of his Highlight Reel. Their rivalry was arguably the rivalry of 2008 and things got heated when Jericho struck Michaels' wife Rebecca's face with a punch to her mouth which swollen up instantly. Both registered wins over the other, and Jericho got the last laugh as he retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match at No Mercy.
6 Biggest Ally: Marty Jannetty
Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were originally known as the Midnight Rockers, and then they were simply known as the Rockers. They are arguably the greatest tag team in WWE history to never clinch the WWE World Tag Team Championship which is absurd.
Michaels and Jannetty were a flashy tag team and they captivated the audience with their style of wrestling. The Rockers split in early 1992 when Michaels smashed Jannetty's head through a mirror on Brutus Beefcake's Barber Shop. Michaels was destined for superstardom as a major singles star and Jannetty struggled on his own although he managed to beat Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship in May 1993 which he dropped back to HBK a month later.
5 Biggest Enemy: The Undertaker
Two of the all-time greats in Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker finally had a rivalry in 1997, seven years after Undertaker's WWE debut. Michaels turned heel after he inadvertently cost Undertaker the WWE Championship at SummerSlam at the expense of his rival Bret Hart.
This led to Michaels and Undertaker squaring off in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood: In Your House with the victor going on to face the Hitman for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series. This was an epic five-star match with Michaels victorious, but their casket match for the WWE Championship saw Michaels sustain a career-threatening back injury. Thankfully, Michaels and Undertaker got a chance to lock horns again albeit a decade later with Michaels and Undertaker tearing the house down in back-to-back classics at WrestleMania 25 and WrestleMania 26 with the Deadman victorious and ending Michaels' WWE career in the process.
4 Biggest Ally: Diesel
In 1993, Shawn Michaels introduced Diesel as his bodyguard and the rest is history as they say. Michaels and Diesel went on to become two-time WWE World Tag Team Champions, and they were known as the Two Dudes with Attitudes.
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Michaels and Diesel were two of the biggest stars in the New Generation Era, and when they won their second WWE World Tag Team Championship, they were double champions with Michaels as the Intercontinental Champion and Diesel as the reigning WWE Champion.
3 Biggest Enemy: Triple H
Shawn Michaels made his triumphant return at SummerSlam 2002 when he battled his former best friend Triple H in his first match in four years. They knocked it out of the park in an Unsanctioned match, and their feud went on and off for two years. Michaels and the Game were perfect rivals for each other and most of their matches involved the World Heavyweight Championship.
In the inaugural Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series 2002, Michaels outlasted Triple H to clinch an unexpected fourth and final WWE World Championship. Moreover, their Last Man Standing and Hell in a Cell matches were superb with Triple H seeing off his rival at Bad Blood 2004.
2 Biggest Ally: Triple H
Whilst, Triple H may have been one of Shawn Michaels' biggest rivals, he is undeniably his biggest ally. In late 1997, Michaels and Triple H formed D-Generation X. Their chemistry as allies was natural and their antics were funny to watch with Michaels as a double champion by holding the WWE and European Championships.
Michaels and Triple H reunited in 2006 and for another run in 2009 before Michaels retired. They finally clinched Tag Team Championship gold together at TLC by defeating Jeri-Show in a TLC match, and they teamed up once again at Crown Jewel 2018 when Michaels came out of retirement to help Triple H beat Undertaker and Kane in an underwhelming tag team bout.
1 Biggest Enemy: Bret Hart
The rivalry between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart is one of the greatest feuds in WWE history. They had no love lost for each other and their feud was personal and legitimate. Arguably, they were the two biggest names in the New Generation Era which caused tension.
Michaels defeated Bret at WrestleMania 12 in a 60-minute Iron Man match to become WWE Champion for the first time in his career. However, a year later, both men were heels and they locked horns in a fascinating WWE Championship match at Survivor Series 1997. Michaels cinched in the Sharpshooter, and he saw off Bret to win his third WWE Championship in the infamous Montreal Screwjob which saw Bret leave WWE and not return for 12 years.
