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WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is widely regarded as one of the greatest Superstars in WWE history and tops many lists as the greatest of all-time.
Michaels is famous for his innovative and exhilarating in-ring style, coupled with excellence as a character and on the microphone.
However, as famous as Shawn Michaels is for his pro wrestling ability, he is probably equally famous for his off-camera controversies and attitude issues throughout his career.
As we celebrate the birthday of The Heartbreak Kid today, let's take a look at 5 of the most controversial moments from HBK's storied WWE career.
#5 Overselling for Hulk Hogan
In 2005, Shawn Michaels faced Hulk Hogan for the first time in WWE at the big SummerSlam PPV.
The bout was considered controversial as many fans claimed HBK over-sold Hogan's offence as a way of mocking the ageing WWE Hall of Famer.
According to past reports, HBK and Hogan were scheduled to compete in multiple matches following their SummerSlam bout, including a Steel Cage match. However, Hogan reportedly pulled out of subsequent bouts with HBK, before SummerSlam, citing injury. The move to nix further matches on Hogan's part reportedly angered HBK, which led up to their match at SummerSlam.
In the end, HBK wildly sold a lot of Hulk Hogan's offence in the PPV bout, leading fans to believe The Heartbreak Kid was mocking Hogan as a way of retaliating against past creative issues.
Despite the above rumours, however, Shawn Michaels has maintained in interviews after the match that he was not overselling for Hogan, but instead was playing the role that WWE wanted him to play in the bout. HBK added that he has great respect for Hulk Hogan, and he did not intend to mock the Hulkster during their infamous SummerSlam match in 2005.
#4 Was HBK responsible for Vader not reaching his full potential in WWE?
Many fans throughout pro wrestling history feel that the late, great, Big Van Vader never truly reached his full potential in WWE, and if you ask Jim Cornette, it might be Shawn Michaels' fault.
In the above video, Cornette says he thinks Vader was not a flop, but that he never reached his full potential in WWE. Cornette added that Vader was a stiff, hard-hitting talent in the ring and that HBK was someone who was used to talents catering to HBK's style and working very light with him.
Cornette then tells the story of HBK and Vader once facing each other in a match, and Vader was laying into HBK with several stiff shots. After the bout, Cornette says Vader was visibly in tears, and said HBK told Vader during the match that if Vader stiffly pulled his hair again that it would be his last match in WWE and that he would have Vader fired.
#3 HBK infamously posed for Playgirl Magazine
Back in 1996, before it became popular for the women of WWE to pose for Playboy magazine, Shawn Michaels thought it would be a good idea to pose nude for Playgirl magazine.
A now infamous image from the photoshoot includes HBK posing with the WWE Championship covering his private parts, a photo which drew HBK a lot of flack from the boys in the WWE locker room.
The decision to pose for Playgirl was controversial in that it mostly backfired for HBK, and led to a transformation of HBK's character which saw him behave more like a "stripper" in the ring, complete with a new, riskier wardrobe and flashy moves during HBK's ring entrance.
Michaels deciding to pose for the magazine paved the way for his 'sexy boy' gimmick and routine, which followed on the heels of HBK's rise to the top in WWE that came along with a bolder, more controversial backstage version of Shawn Michaels.
#2 HBK was involved in multiple bar incidents
Another example of Shawn Michaels' in-ring attitude carrying over to real-life includes stories being told of bar room incidents that took place years ago involving HBK and other WWE stars.
One such story claims Shawn Michaels and several other WWE stars, including Sean Waltman and Davey Boy Smith, were visiting a bar in Syracuse, NY in 1995, and at one point HBK got involved in a spat with a group of US Marines.
The incident found Michaels on the receiving end of a gruesome beatdown by some of the Marines at the bar, and the controversy spilt into WWE as HBK was scheduled to face Shane Douglas following the incident for the Intercontinental title. However, citing injuries sustained from the bar beatdown, HBK backed out of the match and ended up forfeiting the title to Douglas. Douglas' title reign did not last long, however, as he quickly lost the belt to Razor Ramon, who was a close friend of HBK's.
#1 The Montreal Screwjob
Regarded as the single most controversial moment in pro wrestling history, The Montreal Screwjob featured Vince McMahon, Earl Hebner and Shawn Michaels manipulating Bret Hart out of the WWE Championship at the 1997 Survivor Series PPV.
The controversy has been told through a number of lenses depending on who is telling the story, and in his 2005 autobiography Heartbreak and Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story, Michaels claims the screwjob was Triple H's idea. HBK later wrote, however, "I found myself jostling with Jerry Brisco, who I would find out later was the one who had designed the whole Screwjob for Vince."
Bret Hart asserts in Hitman that "I added, 'I also want you to know that I have no problem dropping the belt to you if that's what Vince wants.' He glared back at me. 'I appreciate that, but I want you to know that I'm not willing to do the same for you.'
Depending on who you want to believe, the blame for the Montreal Screwjob can fall on numerous people, but one thing everyone can agree on is that it's the most controversial moment in Shawn Michaels' WWE career.
What other HBK controversies are you aware of? Let us know in the comment section!
