5 betrayals that led to great feuds in WWE

#4 Triple turns on Shawn Michaels - WWE 2002

Triple H turns on Shawn Michaels (2002) pic.twitter.com/TpdwkOkhAo

— AuxGod (@AuxGod_) April 28, 2021

Triple H and Shawn Michaels were the founding fathers of one of the most memorable stables in WWE history, D-Generation X. However, they were best friends way before the formation of that infamous group. The two men were closer than some brothers.

That is what made it a complete shock when The Game turned on Michaels following the seemingly long-awaited reunion of DX in 2002. HBK had just returned to the company and had convinced Triple H to come to Monday Night RAW. The Cerebral Assassin took things one step further when he brutally attacked Michaels in a parking lot, bloodying his former friend.

#TheGame. #HBK. Non-sanctioned.@TripleH @ShawnMichaels #SummerSlam 2002 ▶️ https://t.co/syboB0re59 pic.twitter.com/aNxtoVUYwW

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) August 10, 2020

This set the stage for Summerslam 2002 where Shawn Michaels made his in-ring return to the company in a win over Triple H in a fantastic non-sanctioned match. The latter attacked Michaels following the match with a sledgehammer, which led to him being stretchered out of the building. However, this wasn't the last that we saw of The Heartbreak Kid.

He returned once again to WWE at Survivor Series 2002, defeating Triple H and four other men to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the first Elimination Chamber Match. Hunter beat Michaels the following month to win back the gold, but things only escalated from there.

The two men would go back and forth in grueling battles for the next two years. They had a Last Man Standing Match, a No Disqualification Match, and battled in a triple threat at WrestleMania 20. Their feud culminated in a Hell In A Cell Match at Bad Blood 2004 with Triple H picking up the win. A betrayal led to years of drama in WWE for the two best friends before they were eventually reunited.