Why The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels is the Best Ever

Michaels’ first big singles match came at Wrestlemania VIII against Tito Santana, with Shawn coming out victorious. The heel turn and new cocky person were exactly what Michaels’ career needed at the time, and Shawn was quickly becoming a star on the rise. He challenged Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship in the first ladder match in WWF history, ultimately losing to “The Hitman,” before finally winning the Intercontinental Championship from The British Bulldog in October of 1992. At Survivor Series 1992, Michaels challenged Bret Hart for the WWF Championship in a Champion vs. Champion match, it was the first time he would get a shot at the prestigious title. Hart would go on to win the match and retain his championship, but Michaels had proven he could hang with the top dogs, and he was still the reigning Intercontinental Champion. Michaels was one of the most influential Intercontinental Champions of all time, he had countless great matches defending his title, but perhaps none more classic than the night he, Razor Ramon, and a 15 foot ladder made wrestling history in Madison Squared Garden. Bret and Shawn had already battled for the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match, but that encounter wasn’t televised and wasn’t on the grand stage of Wrestlemania. Wrestlemania X wasn’t supposed to be about Shawn Michaels, it was supposed to be about Bret Hart winning the WWF Championship from Yokozuna, but it marked the first time that Shawn would steal the show at Wrestlemania. That night Bret competed in two matches, one was a classic with his brother Owen Hart, but all people could seem to talk about was the display of brilliance they had seen during the ladder match. Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon went out there that night and stole the show, they perfectly incorporated the ladder into their match and told a beautifully violent story in the ring, with Razor coming out on top. Ric Flair has been quoted as saying “Shawn Michaels wrestled a ladder” that night, and Pro Wrestling Illustrated awarded the ladder match its “Match of the Year” honors. Despite losing, Michaels rode that momentum and never looked back, he won the 1995 Royal Rumble and main evented Wrestlemania XI, losing to “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel. At Summer Slam 1995 he battled Razor Ramon again in a ladder match, this time coming out victorious, and at the 1996 Royal Rumble he entered number 1 and outlasted 29 other men, eliminating The British Bulldog to once again win the match, earning him the right to face WWF Champion Bret Hart at Wrestlemania XII.