3 Wrestlers Shawn Michaels is Good Friends With and 2 He Probably Doesn't Like

Shawn Michaels real life friends and enemies.
Shawn Michaels real life friends and enemies.

Shawn Michaels was simply known as The Greatest of All Time, not just by the fans but even by his fellow wrestlers. He was one of the best in-ring performers ever, having a classic match nearly every time he stepped into that ring.

His last match occurred in 2010 against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26, where he finally retired from in-ring competition, this was heartbreak for most of the wrestling fans. But he returned for one more match when he teamed with Triple H to defeat The Undertaker and Kane at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia last year.

How much ever Michaels was good inside the ring, the same couldn't be said about him outside of the ring. As during the 1990s when he was slowly rising with his fame and talent he actually became a backstage politician hurting various wrestlers' careers in the company.

This initiated a lot of hatred for Michaels by some wrestlers, but still, there are many wrestlers who are also friends with the Heartbreak Kid. So here are three superstars who are good friends of Michaels and two who probably aren't...


#5 Good Friends with: Ric Flair

Shawn Michaels with Ric Flair.
Shawn Michaels with Ric Flair.

Shawn Michaels has always said Ric Flair has influenced him a lot to become a wrestler. Both of these stars returned to WWE at the same time between 2001-2002. Michaels returned from his career-ending back injury, Flair returned from WCW.

After returning to WWE, Flair aligned himself with Evolution which had three members; Randy Orton, Batista and Triple H. Even though the group achieved a lot of success, it didn't do any favors for Flair. But it was Michaels who brought the best of The Nature Boy.

They worked against each other on many times which really produced great matches after all both were two of the greatest wrestlers in WWE history. It was Michaels who ended Flair's career at WrestleMania 24, just before hitting the final sweet chin music on Flair, Michaels was heard saying “I’m sorry, I love you” which proved how close friends both were in real-life.

#4 Probably Doesn't Like: Hulk Hogan

Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan face-off.
Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan face-off.

It seems nobody really liked the Hulk Hogan, you can add Shawn Michaels in the list too. Both of these stars never liked each other. It's true that both of them were huge stars during their respective time in the company, but when Hogan left Michaels took over.

Until Hogan decided to come back in one of his many returns to WWE. It was still never believed that both of them will ever have a match against each other until they were booked for a match at SummerSlam 2006.

The buildup to the match was really heated, looking like they really hated each other. Hogan defeated Michaels at the event and then refused to lose a rematch the next month. During their match, Michaels sold Hogan's signature moves comically.

Throughout the years, Hogan talked about Michaels in various interviews, for how he made a mockery of the legend in their match. Even though they talk to each other whenever they meet, but there is still a belief that both men hate each other in real life.

#3 Good Friends With: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

Shawn Michaels hanging out with
Shawn Michaels hanging out with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

Another great friend of Shawn Michaels is "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin initially never liked Michaels when The Kliq took over the company. As noted, during the 1990s, Michaels had a lot of egos which made many people hate him.

He even refused to lose his WWE Championship against Austin at WrestleMania 14. But, The Undertaker made sure everything happened according to the plans and Austin became WWE Champion by defeating the Heartbreak Kid.

Still, Austin and Michaels have been good friends for about fourteen years. Austin has always praised Michaels career in his podcast and even called him the greatest in-ring performer. Michaels too has appreciated what Austin has achieved in his career.

Michaels even selected Austin to write one of the two forewords for his Wrestling for My Life book. This means that both superstars create an exceptional bond with each other, and will always remain friends in real-life.

#2 Probably Doesn't Like: The Rock

Shawn Michaels and The Rock backstage.
Shawn Michaels and The Rock backstage.

It's shocking to know that The Rock and Shawn Michaels never had a one-on-one match. After all, both of them were two of the most charismatic superstars in the history of WWE. Fans had always been clamouring for a match between the duo but it never happened.

There was a reason for it, The Rock was the one who actually refused to work with Michaels in some of the WrestleMania events due to past incidents. As we know in the 1990s, Michaels had received a lot of popularity, due to which he became a backstage politician.

He tried to obstruct The Rock's push into the main event scene, just to keep himself on the top spot of the company. He also disrespected The Rock's grandmother backstage when she came for a visit. This really made The Rock angry and he holds his grudges for years.

Until The Rock's popularity had risen in WWE, and then he went on to become one of the greatest of all time. The Rock still avoids speaking about these incidents in interviews. But surely there is some heat between both the stars.

#1 Good Friends With: Triple H

Shawn Michaels and Triple H hugging after his farewell.
Shawn Michaels and Triple H hugging after his farewell.

Shawn Michaels best friend in WWE that ever was and ever will be is Triple H, both of these stars have been together for years. They have always had each other's backs no matter what the situation was, and it all started when D-Generation X was formed.

During the 1990s, when everyone was hating Michaels for his ego, Triple H was standing behind him and gave him huge support. Michaels has since returned his favors, by making his product NXT, a huge third brand of WWE.

As we know Triple H created NXT, Michaels has been training many new performers in the Performance Center so that they have a successful career in NXT. Triple H has also helped Michaels by appearing in his hunting show.

Both of them contribute to each other's success, this is what friendship goals are. To this day, the bond between both the stars has never lost. In the future, Triple H and Michaels will be an example of one of the greatest friendships in wrestling history.

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