"Michaels’ ego is such that he cannot have a bad match" - Former WWE personality recalls controversial Shawn Michaels match

AEW personality Jim Ross recalled Shawn Michaels' match against Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam 2005.

In the summer of 2005, Michaels did the unthinkable and turned heel for the first time in years. Fans were against Michaels as he mocked Bret Hart in Canada during his feud with The Hulkster. Shawn became one of the biggest heels of the company in a matter of weeks.

Meanwhile, Hulk Hogan made sporadic appearances for the company. However, he was ready to face Michaels at the hottest event of the summer. On a recent episode of Grilling JR, the 70-year-old veteran talked about the Icon vs Legend match at SummerSlam:

“Pleasantly surprised. I thought Shawn took some liberties. I thought Shawn was a little lighthearted and being a wise-ass at times in that situation, but Michaels’ ego is such that he cannot have a bad match that reflects negatively on him and that certainly would have. I thought the match was pretty damn good, quite frankly. Michaels had to gear it back a little back because Michaels’ pace and Hogan’s pace were entirely different." [H/T - 411Mania]

It was interesting to see the clash between the two iconic names of their respective eras.

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Jim Ross on Shawn Michaels' overselling in the SummerSlam match

WWE built the match between Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan as one of the biggest clashes in history. From being on the poster to headlining the show, the two superstars were set to give their best at the hottest show of the summer. However, the match didn't go as expected

Shawn Michaels over-sold Hogan's moves in the ring. Reports suggested that the two were supposed to have a trilogy of matches, but those plans were nixed. It was reported that Hogan didn't want to be the bad guy in their feud. In the same episode, Jim Ross gives his thoughts on Michael's overselling during the match:

“He did it because he could. He was one of those guys that didn’t have a lot of confidence in Vince bringing Hogan back. There were others, but Shawn was one of them at that time. It was unnecessary. It just showed everybody he did it because he could, and he knew Vince wasn’t gonna do anything about it.” [H/T - 411Mania]

Fans were fortunate to see two icons of their time enter the ring and have a match. Regardless of Shawn Michaels' oversellling of moves, the match gained notoriety for its memorable moments. Hogan didn't return to continue his feud and Michaels moved on to face superstars on RAW.