Shawn Michaels’ top five greatest WWE matches

Shawn Michaels is a recipient of several Match of the Year Awards!

Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Michaels has been in WWE since 1988 and has been an asset to the company since then. Michaels is a fourteen-time champion in the company including four World Championship wins.

He is the first-ever Grand Slam Champion of the company and carries a great legacy in the business. Michaels retired in 2010 and until then he delivered some of the best matches for the company. Here we take a look at the top five best matches of the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels in WWE.

5. 60-minutes Iron Man-Sudden Death Rules Match (WrestleMania 12)

At WrestleMania 12, Bret Hart defended his WWF Championship against Shawn Michaels in a 60-minute Iron Man Match. The match showcased one of the longest WrestleMania main events. Both took each other to the limit and the entire sixty minutes went without a fall. 

As Bret Hart walked away with the title, the WWF President Gorilla Monsoon asked the referee to continue the match under ‘sudden death’ rules, until there was a winner. Hart was dominating the later part, but Michaels with a Sweet Chin Music defeated Hart to become the new WWF Champion.

4. Shawn Michaels vs John Cena (Raw 2007)

On the April 23, 2007, episode of Monday Night Raw, Shawn Michaels faced John Cena in a WrestleMania 23 rematch, but in a non-title match in the United Kingdom. It was a WrestleMania-worthy match, where Michaels outraged his revenge on Cena and Cena didn’t want to give up. 

The match showcased several near falls and close calls, however, both their egos don’t want to be on the losing side. In the final moments, Cena locks Michaels with a STF, but Michaels breaks it to deliver a Sweet Chin Music, but Cena kicks out the fall. Cena tried for an FU, but Michaels delivered another Sweet Chin Music to win the match.

3. Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair (WrestleMania 24)

At WrestleMania 24, Ric Flair was forced to defend his in-ring wrestling career on the line against Shawn Michaels in a singles match, based on the orders of Vince McMahon. Both Michaels and Flair started the match exchanging chips, but it all heated up, when Michaels slapped Flair to make him bleed from the mouth. Flair pulled his dirty play out, by poking Michaels’ eye.

During the final moments, Michels delivered a Sweet Chin Music and with a worried face saying “I’m sorry, I love you” and delivered another Sweet Chin Music and pinned Ric Flair for the win. With this Flair’s 35-year-long wrestling career came to an end.

2. Streak vs Career (WrestleMania 26)

At WrestleMania 26, The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels main evented the show risking their streak and career on the line. The match was billed as “The Streak vs Career”, where if Undertaker lost, his WrestleMania streak would end, however, if  Michaels lost, his career would be over.

This was one of the biggest matches in both Taker and Michael’s career and a lot of stakes were on the line under the no disqualification rules. The match went toe to toe, as both were so close and Michaels gave everything to end Taker’s streak. He took The Phenom to the limit with many near falls. Both ran out of gas and got exhausted, however were focused on not giving up. 

During the final moments of the match, Undertaker asked Michaels to stay down, but Michaels taunted Taker’s cut-throat and slapped him. Taker delivered a jumping Tombstone Piledriver and ended Michaels’s career with a streak of 18-0. The match received a match of the year, and it became the highest-rated match of the year.

1. Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 25)

At WrestleMania 25, Shawn Michaels faced The Undertaker in a singles match, with his sights on ending Taker’s streak. Michaels played the mind games right from the beginning, with the entrance light contrasting with Taker’s dark gimmick. Both Michaels and Taker took the match to a whole new level, where Taker’s limit was tested and Michaels’ never-giving attitude played out.

Both the men gave their sweat, blood and flesh, showcasing extreme moves and nearly took each other’s breath. In the final moments of the match, Michaels while attempting for a moonsault, Taker caught him in mid-air and delivered Tombstone piledriver for the win to extend his streak to 17-0. The match overshadowed all other matches in the match card and even the main event. For this, it received the Match of the Year award and became one of the highest-rated matches of the year.

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