Shawn Michaels is renowned for putting on technical masterclasses, but there are some instances, where the two-time WWE Hall of Famer failed to have a good match and put on a disappointing match for his standards.
Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. The Heartbreak Kid excelled as a babyface, and as a heel. Michaels' wrestling career spanned close to three decades, and he faced off with some all-time greats throughout his illustrious career. Michaels only won a World Championship four times in his WWE career, but if truth be told, he didn't need a World Championship to get over.
The all-time greats are not exempt from having a poor match from time to time. An injury or a lack of motivation can be factors as to why Michaels has an off night. HBK is a big match player, but unfortunately, there have been several instances where the Showstopper was not firing on all cylinders.
10 Shawn Michaels Vs. Steve Austin - WrestleMania 14
Shawn Michaels headlined WrestleMania for the second time in three years at WrestleMania 14. The Heartbreak Kid defended the WWE Championship against fellow Texan, Steve Austin. Unfortunately, Michaels was not operating at his best because he had a career-threatening back injury to contend with.
Michaels was in an insurmountable amount of pain, and he winced every time he did something that did further damage to his back. There's no doubt that the match would have been closer to the quality of their King of the Ring meeting the year prior had Michaels had no injury to contend with. Nevertheless, Michaels did the job and Austin captured his first WWE Championship.
9 Shawn Michaels Vs. Sycho Sid - Royal Rumble 1997
Sycho Sid ended Shawn Michaels' eight-month WWE Championship reign at Survivor Series 1996. However, the Heartbreak Kid was looking to reclaim the WWE Title from Sid in front of his hometown fans at the 1997 Royal Rumble at the Alamodome. The atmosphere was electric, but Michaels wasn't his normal self as he was functioning with a bout of the flu.
Michaels didn't want to let his hometown fans down, and he ensured that he would still compete. The match was poor, but the fans in the Alamodome didn't care one bit as Sweet Chin Music was enough for Michaels to become a two-time WWE Champion.
8 Shawn Michaels And "God" Vs. The McMahons - Backlash 2006
Backlash 2006 featured Shawn Michaels and "God" colliding with the McMahons in a No Holds Barred match. The match was a handicap match, and Michaels did have the upper hand on the McMahons in the early stages of the encounter.
As usual, Mr. McMahon and his son Shane had to get the last laugh. The Spirit Squad interfered, and they gave the McMahons a helping hand. Moreover, HBK tried his best but the numbers game proved to be too much with the McMahons earning a victory over Michaels.
7 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 2003
Shawn Michaels entered the 2003 Royal Rumble match with aspirations of headlining WrestleMania once again. It was Michaels' first Rumble match outing since he won the Rumble seven years prior. Nevertheless, Michaels attempted to win the Rumble from the number one spot just like he did in 1995.
Unfortunately, it's not a night that Michaels will want to remember. Chris Jericho entered second. He snuck up behind Michaels and brutalized him. He eliminated HBK from the Royal Rumble match, but it set up their exceptional WrestleMania 19 match with Michaels barely lasting five minutes in the Rumble.
6 Shawn Michaels Vs. Mr. Perfect - SummerSlam 1993
Shawn Michaels defending the Intercontinental Championship against Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam 1993 was a dream match. Perfect is widely received as the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time, and Perfect was hoping to make it a hat-trick of Intercontinental Championship reigns at the event, where his two Intercontinental Title runs ended.
Michaels and Perfect seemed tailor-made for each other, and this should have been an instant classic. Perfect's injuries mounted up, and Michaels had Diesel do his dirty work for him on the outside. It's a shame that Perfect wasn't at his best, but Michaels retained his Intercontinental Title by count-out.
5 Shawn Michaels Vs. Triple H - Armageddon 2002
For the first time in four years, Shawn Michaels was defending a World Championship on a pay-per-view. The Heartbreak Kid collided with Triple H in the Three Stages of Hell match with Michaels' World Heavyweight Championship up for grabs at Armageddon 2002. On paper, it sounds like a barn-burner of a championship match, but sadly, it failed to live up to expectations.
Triple H and Michaels are capable of putting on much better, and despite the violence, the match was average. The Game won the street fight, and Michaels ensured that the match would go to a final leg with HBK winning the steel cage portion of the bout. Ultimately, Triple H regained the World Heavyweight Title by prevailing in the ladder match.
4 Shawn Michaels Vs. Hulk Hogan - SummerSlam 2005
One of the biggest main events in the history of SummerSlam featured Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan going toe-to-toe at SummerSlam 2005. HBK turned heel for this match, and the Hulkster boasted an unblemished record at SummerSlam. It wasn't the worst showdown in the world, but the match is fondly remembered for Michaels' overselling.
HBK exaggerated every time Hogan got offense, and it was hilarious to watch. Michaels did some have offense, but he failed in his bid to beat Hogan in a disappointing outing from the four-time WWE World Champion.
3 Shawn Michaels Vs. Ken Shamrock - D-Generation X: In Your House, 1997
The fallout of the Montreal Screwjob saw Shawn Michaels defend the WWE Championship against Ken Shamrock at D-Generation X: In Your House. HBK was at the top of his game in 1997, and he was the reigning WWE and European Champion. Shamrock was a fierce competitor, and he had a huge chance of ending Michaels' WWE Title reign.
Michaels didn't seem too bothered in this encounter, and Triple H and Chyna went to town on Shamrock when the referee was distracted. Shamrock should have looked stronger here, but he looked weak. Michaels kept the WWE Championship in his possession with a disqualification loss.
2 Shawn Michaels Vs. Crush - King Of The Ring 1993
1993 wasn't a great year for WWE pay-per-views but the 1993 iteration of King of the Ring was the best event of the year. Unfortunately, Shawn Michaels' Intercontinental Championship title defense against Crush was incredibly lackluster. Michaels' bodyguard Diesel was in his corner for the match.
Michaels was capable of producing much better, and Crush wasn't on HBK's level. However, Doink the Clown interfered, and he distracted Crush. HBK went on to retain the Intercontinental Championship with Sweet Chin Music in a forgettable contest.
1 D-Generation X Vs. Brothers Of Destruction - Crown Jewel 2018
There was huge excitement surrounding Shawn Michaels' in-ring return after he spent eight years in retirement, but he was better off staying in retirement as his comeback match at Crown Jewel 2018 was dreadful. Michaels reunited DX with Triple H, and they collided with The Undertaker and Kane.
All four men were past their prime, and it was a domino effect of error after error. Michaels' nose was busted wide open, and Kane was unmasked several times. Triple H tore his quadriceps, and The Undertaker was far from 100%. Michaels nailed Kane with Sweet Chin Music, and Triple H finished off the job with his patented Pedigree.