Every Major Shawn Michaels Feud Of His WWE Comeback, Ranked
Shawn Michaels' wrestling career was Hall of Fame-worthy if he hung up his wrestling boots for good at WrestleMania 14 as a Grand Slam Champion. However, the Heartbreak Kid recovered from his severe back injury, and his comeback to an in-ring competitor was a testament to his greatness as it felt like Michaels was never away from the squared circle.
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The Heartbreak Kid's wrestling career from 2002-10, and out of retirement for one match in 2018 was arguably better than the first stint of his WWE career. Michaels regularly competed against the very best in the business, and some of the feuds that he participated in were outstanding, and these feuds most likely would not have happened if Michaels didn't return to the ring in 2002.
17 John Bradshaw Layfield
Towards the end of 2008, Shawn Michaels had some financial issues, and he had to become JBL's servant. Michaels had to listen to JBL's orders, and he lost a number one contender's match for the World Heavyweight Championship with JBL going on to face Cena at the 2009 Royal Rumble for the Big Gold Belt.
This wasn't the best of feuds in Michaels' legendary career, but he was freed from JBL by defeating him at No Way Out 2009 in an All or Nothing match.
16 The Brothers Of Destruction
Shawn Michaels ended his eight-year stint in retirement in 2018 by competing in a tag team match alongside Triple H against the Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel. DX reunited, but this match against The Undertaker and Kane happened 10 years too late.
Michaels got paid a handsome amount of money for his appearance in Saudi Arabia, but the bout was catastrophic. There were several botches, and Triple H picked up an injury, but DX stood tall with a win.
15 Jeri-Show
DX hadn't won Tag Team Championship gold together, but they were looking to change that at TLC 2009. DX challenged Jeri-Show for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in a TLC match.
This was a decent feud between four former World Champions, and they had a competitive TLC match. Nevertheless, DX captured the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship, which turned out to be the final championship in Michaels' career. They had a rematch but Jeri-Show failed to recapture the titles.
14 Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon eliminated Shawn Michaels from the 2006 Royal Rumble match, and Shane O'Mac was naturally involved in his father's feud with the Heartbreak Kid. Michaels and Shane had a match at Saturday Night's Main Event with Shane winning.
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Michaels and Triple H reunited DX, and they had some battles with the McMahons with victories at SummerSlam 2006 and in a three-on-two handicap Hell in a Cell match against the McMahons and Big Show at Unforgiven 2006.
13 Batista
Shawn Michaels and Batista initially feuded in 2003 when Batista cost Michaels the chance to secure Team Austin the victory over Team Bischoff at Survivor Series. They had a match at Armageddon 2003 with Michaels defeating Batista.
Five years later, Michaels and Batista were both faces, and they feuded in 2008 as the Animal was not happy with Michaels sending Ric Flair into retirement at WrestleMania 24. Nevertheless, Chris Jericho was the special guest referee for their match at Backlash, and Michaels saw off the Animal. They had a rematch at One Night Stand with Batista getting his revenge in a Stretcher match.
12 Hulk Hogan
The rivalry between Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan began when the Heartbreak Kid betrayed Hogan after their tag team match in the summer of 2005. This set up their blockbuster match at SummerSlamwith HBK once again a heel.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the best of matches between the two legends, and Michaels oversold Hogan's offense. The Hulkster won the match, and that was the end of the feud with the pair not having another one-on-one match.
11 Mr. McMahon
Shawn Michaels' feud with Mr. McMahon started at the end of 2005 with McMahon displeased with Michaels for telling him to move on from the Montreal Screwjob. Nonetheless, McMahon would make Michaels' left hell, and they clashed in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22 with Michaels seeing off the Chairman of the Board.
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Michaels' rivalry with McMahon was entertaining, and fans enjoyed seeing McMahon get his comeuppance from HBK and Triple H when DX reunited to take on the McMahons, and the Spirit Squad with success.
10 Edge
Edge was seething with Shawn Michaels for getting voted in to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at Taboo Tuesday 2004. Michaels and Edge had a brief feud, and Edge defeated Michaels at the 2005 Royal Rumble.
They had a Street Fight a month later with Michaels getting the better of Edge. The pair had good in-ring chemistry together, and Edge benefited from feuding with Michaels in the long run.
9 Legacy
DX reunited once again in 2009, and they had a rivalry with Legacy's Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Legacy should have won the feud, but it failed to materialize. DX and Legacy split victories with DX triumphant at SummerSlam, and Legacy the victors in a submissions tag team match at Breaking Point.
Hell in a Cell marked the end of the rivalry, and they headlined the card over the two World Championship matches. DX prevailed, but it was good exposure for Rhodes and DiBiase to mix it up with Michaels and Triple H.
8 Rated-RKO
Shawn Michaels and Triple H clashed with former World Champions Rated-RKO in late 2006, and it was a brilliant rivalry, but sadly it finished prematurely because of the Game's injury. Nonetheless, Rated-RKO defeated DX at Cyber Sunday 2006 all thanks to poor officiating from Eric Bischoff.
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DX humiliated Rated-RKO at Survivor Series 2006 by clean sweeping their team with ease. At New Year's Revolution 2007, Triple H tore his quadriceps in the World Tag Team Championship between the two teams, and the rivalry was finished with no clear-cut winner.
7 John Cena
Shawn Michaels and John Cena were the reigning World Tag Team Champions, and they collided over the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 23. This was a huge test for Cena, and he defeated Mr. WrestleMania to retain his title.
They had a rematch a few weeks later on an episode of Raw in London, England, and they tore the house down in one of the greatest matches in the history of Raw with Michaels victorious. Furthermore, Cena cemented his spot as the undisputed face of the company after his bouts with HBK.
6 Kurt Angle
Fans were in store for a treat when Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle began feuding in early 2005. Despite being on separate brands, their rivalry began at the 2005 Royal Rumble when Angle assaulted Michaels after he was dumped over the top rope by him in the Royal Rumble match.
Michaels and Angle stole the show at WrestleMania 21 in a high-level wrestling match with Angle sealing the deal with his Angle Lock. However, Angle moved to Raw in the 2005 draft lottery, and Michaels got the win over him in another fascinating contest at Vengeance.
5 Ric Flair
Everyone remembers Shawn Michaels for sending Ric Flair into retirement at WrestleMania 24 in an emotional match. However, their initial feud began in 2003 when the Nature Boy was a member of Evolution, which led to the pair having a match at Bad Blood.
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Flair defeated Michaels which was one of Flair's biggest wins since his return to WWE in late 2001. Nevertheless, Michaels got the laugh last at WrestleMania 24, he sent Flair into retirement, although he'd briefly come out of retirement for more matches in TNA.
4 Randy Orton
Shawn Michaels feuded with Evolution for the majority of 2003, and he also engaged in an outstanding rivalry with Randy Orton. At Unforgiven, it was the "Legend vs. the Legend Killer", and Orton scored a huge win over Orton despite outside interference from Naitch who handed Orton some brass knuckles.
Orton saw off Michaels at the ending of fantastic traditional Survivor Series elimination matches in both 2003 and 2005. They reignited their feud over the WWE Championship in 2007, and Orton culminated their rivalry with a victory to remain as WWE Champion at Survivor Series.
3 The Undertaker
Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker originally feuded in the Attitude Era in the late 90s, but they became rivals once again over a decade later. Michaels and Undertaker stole the show in one of the greatest matches in the history of WrestleMania at WrestleMania 25 which Undertaker won.
The stakes were higher in their WrestleMania 26 encounter with Undertaker's streak on the line and Michaels' career at stake. HBK failed to win the 2010 Royal Rumble match, and he cost Undertaker the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match to force the issue with Undertaker. They had another vintage WrestleMania match with the Deadman sending Michaels into retirement.
2 Chris Jericho
Shawn Michaels entered the 2003 Royal Rumble match as the number one entrant, but he failed to win the match from the unenviable position for the second time because of Chris Jericho. Jericho and Michaels fought at WrestleMania 19 with Michaels seeing off Jericho in his first WrestleMania outing in five years.
Michaels and Jericho feuded once again in 2008, and Y2J turned heel by smashing Michaels head-first into the Jeritron. They had the feud of the year, and Jericho accidentally punched Michaels' wife Rebecca in the face at SummerSlam which added extra spice to their feud. Their must-see rivalry ended with Jericho retaining the World Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match at No Mercy.
1 Triple H
Shawn Michaels' first major rival in his WWE comeback in 2002 was his former best friend Triple H. The Game and Michaels were going to reunite DX but Triple H betrayed him and turned heel. Michaels and Triple H clashed at SummerSlam in an Unsanctioned match with Michaels seeing off Triple H. However, the Game viciously assaulted Michaels after the match by hitting him in the back with a sledgehammer.
Michaels and Triple H feuded on and off for the next couple of years, and they had some fantastic matches. Michaels won his final World Championship in the Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series 2002 at Triple H's expense. The rivals clashed in Last Man Standing and Hell in a Cell matches with Triple H winning their Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood 2004. Michaels had several chances to win a fifth World Championship, but it never came to fruition.
