5 WWE Superstars who defeated their wrestling role models

#4. WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels was lucky to cross paths in WWE with his childhood hero, Ric Flair. The Heartbreak Kid and The Nature Boy have also shared the ring many times as both partners and opponents.

Michaels and Flair went head-to-head six times throughout their wrestling careers. The Showstopper came out on top in five of these bouts. His only defeat against his wrestling idol came at Bad Blood in 2003.

The two Hall of Famers last competed against each other in 2008. They squared off in a Career-Threatening Match at WrestleMania. The bout witnessed one of the most memorable moments in WWE history when Michaels uttered the words, "I'm sorry... I love you," before hitting his idol with the Sweet Chin Music to end Flair's WWE career.

In an interview with the Stone Cold Podcast in 2015, Michaels spoke about that emotional moment.

"I told him that I loved him and I can’t say it without getting weepy half the time. You have to understand, the guy who was in the ring with him, I was in there in body but inside it was the 15-year-old kid who watched him every Saturday. It was, 'Thank you for giving me this honour, and I love you for it,'" he said.

In an interview with talkSPORT a few years later, The Nature Boy revealed more details about that historic moment.

"Yes [it’s my favourite WrestleMania moment], by far. And that wasn’t rehearsed, that wasn’t even discussed. That was just raw, pure emotion. He knew that I didn’t want to leave. I think Vince knew that too, but it was time. I wish that I had never wrestled again and that was my last match," he said.

The Heartbreak Kid retired from in-ring competition in 2010. In November 2018, he made a one-off return to the ring as he teamed up with his DX partner Triple H to defeat The Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel. He is currently a coach, producer, and writer in NXT. Meanwhile, WWE recently released Ric Flair from his contract.