The 1996 Survivor Series took place in New York City. When Sid came down the aisle people went crazy. Shawn got a pretty good welcome also but not as loud as in the past. Sid became the "champion" that night by hitting Jose in the chest with a tv camera. Shawn was being concerned about Jose and cared more about him then retaining the WWF championship belt. Sid also hit Shawn across the back with the camera while he was trying to help out a man who he thought of like a father. Sid then took Shawn into the ring after he had been hit with the camera and gave Shawn the powerbomb and pinning him for the win.
Shawn wasn't on the card to wrestle but since he would meet the winner at the 1997 Royal Rumble Shawn came to ringside to do commentary. But during Superstars Shawn made it very clear he was fed up with Bret Hart and he had had it with Bret making fun of him so he didn't care who he faced even though earlier he made the statement he wanted Sid for what he did to Jose. Bret told Dok to tell Shawn if he interferes Shawn will have hell to pay. Shawn came out during a interview Dok was having with Bret Hart and told him not to send any messengers if he had something to say he can say to his face. Bret didn't have to much to say back to Shawn. Then when Sid had a interview Shawn jumped Sid and Bret came out and Sid and Bret both started to beat on Shawn. When Bret turned his back Sid hit him from behind. During the Sid/Bret match Shawn stayed seated until Bret came over where Shawn was sitting to take his chair. Shawn said if you want it take it. Sid came down and put his hands on Shawn's face and shoved him. That made Shawn upset so he stepped up on the apron and Bret ran into him and knocked HBK off and he hit his head on a chair. Bret was focused on Shawn instead of the match and Sid powerbombed him. Shawn would face Sid at the 1997 Royal Rumble. The following night on RAW Bret blamed Shawn for his loss.
San Antonio, Shawn's hometown is where the 1997 Royal Rumble took place. When Shawn walked down to ringside the people of San Antonio went crazy. This would be the last time Jose would be in Shawn's corner. Shawn was looking to seek revenge on Sid for what Sid did to Jose at the Survivor Series. Shawn who was sick with the flu, wrestled his best that night eventually taking the tv camera and hitting Sid with it. Shawn nailed Sid with the sweet chin music and won the WWF championship belt in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas.
In Lowell, Mass., Shawn gave up the WWF Championship belt. Giving back the title he had dreamt of holding since he was a boy. Shawn needed the time off to rehab his injured knee. Shawn's speech was heartwrenching. The tears rolled down his face as he forfeited the title, handing it back to Vince with a hug and going around ringside, hugging his fans for what was the last time for a very long time. Shawn did not wrestle for quite some time after that announcement, only doing interviews and occasionally raising some hell with the Hart Foundation.
Shawn won 2 awards that night. He won Best Finishing Move and Match of the Year. He couldn't resist telling Bret, "I won that match" and, "I beat you with that move." At Wrestlemania 13, Shawn did commentary during the Sid/Undertaker match.
Shawn's first match back was a tag match with Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Owen Hart and the Bulldog. Shawn and Steve were reluctant to tag with each other to say the least. But none the less they defeated the tag team champs when Shawn Michaels gave sweet chin music to the Bulldog allowing Steve Austin to pin him. After the match the rest of the Hart Foundation with the exception of Bret came down and attacked Shawn. Steve decided to go jump Bret instead of help his tag partner. Shawn later yelled at Steve to get his act together and help him out. These two were a cool tag team, but short lived.
It was suppose to be Shawn vs. Bret but Bret's knee was still injured so Brian Pillman backed out of his match with Austin so Shawn and Austin could settle their differences. Shawn and Steve beat the hell out of each other and they both hit their finishing moves but the ref was knock out. When the ref came to, Austin gave the him the Stone Cold Stunner and the another ref came out and Shawn nailed him with chin music. The result was a double dq. Shawn and Steve fought with one another for a while longer, then left the ring side by side because neither wanted to turn their back on each other.
Shawn was the special guest ref in the main event. The Undertaker vs. Bret Hart. In his interview during the free for all Shawn stated "I stand for truth, justice, and the HBK way!" Shawn was a fair ref. He called everything right down the middle. Bret Hart spit in Shawn's face and Shawn grabbed a chair and went to hit Bret over the head but Bret ducked and Shawn hit the Undertaker instead. Shawn was forced to count 1-2-3. Bret Hart was the new champion. Shawn did hesitate for a second but then he remembered his career was on the line.
Shawn had a interview the next night on RAW and was not given the respect he deserved by the fans or anyone else in the building. Shawn lost is temper and told the fans to go to hell. He also found out he would be facing the Undertaker at the next pay per view.
Shawn once again was not given his proper respect. The fans were chanted things and Shawn again had a few words for the fans. Shawn came out to the ring to face mankind and kick his butt. Shawn won his first match back since June at the king of the Ring. He mentioned his insurance policy. Who was it? Rick Rude? Or Hunter and Chyna? Both made a appearance on Raw during Shawn's match.
Shawn was to team up with Hunter Hearst Helmsley to face the Undertaker and Mankind. Shawn came out and slapped five with the fans and then started to dance with Chyna (she stood there but you could see her smile a bit) Shawn and Hunter worked wonderful as a team. They made great tags. At the end of the match Shawn hit the Undertaker over the head with a chair twice. Cutting the Undertakers head open. Hunter, Shawn and Chyna all left the ring together when the Undertaker sat up. DeGeneration X was born.
Shawn faced the Undertaker at IYH. In interviews the Undertaker said that Shawn had signed his own death warent. Shawn said if he was going down he was taking everyone with him because he was going down in a "blaze of glory". I feel the refs really got the punishment Shawn and the Undertaker just didn't care so when a ref got in the way down he went. There was no winner although the Undertakers music was played. This matched didn't settle anything between Shawn and the Undertaker. So at Bad Blood Shawn and the Undertaker will meet in a cage with a top so no one can get in or out.
Shawn beat the Bulldog at One Night Only, in England, to become the New European Champion and the only man in WWF history to hold all the belts. Many British fans were not happy with Shawn coming in and beating the hometown boy, the British Bulldog.
Bad Blood...That certainly was true. Shawn and the Undertaker met in a cage with a top. Hunter, Chyna,and Rick Rude went to the ring with Shawn. When the cage lowered they had to leave ringside. The Undertaker ran Shawn face first into the cage several times. Causing Shawn's head to be cut open. His blood was everywhere. Shawn got a lot of punishment that night he fell on to a table but he was the winner. Kane made his first appearance. He was in red and he pulled the cage door of the hinges and tombstoned the Undertaker. Shawn slowly crawled to the Undertaker and got the 1-2-3. Hunter and Chyna came to the ring and helped Shawn back to the locker room. At the Survivor Series Shawn will face Bret Hart for the WWF title.
Shawn had DX ( Hunter, Chyna, and Rick Rude) stay in the back and came to ringside alone. The match didn't begin for a while because Shawn and Bret were fighting outside the ring. That made it even more obvious this was going to be a fight and not a wrestling match. The two men battled back and forth. When Shawn got the upper hand he put Bret in his own move the sharpshooter. Bret gave up and Shawn became the new and 3rd time WWF Champion.
After the defeat of Bret Hart, and Shawn holding the title, Bret has since left the WWF and gone to the WCW. The Hart Foundation appears to be no more because of the fact Owen disappeared for a while after Bret's loss, Davey Boy Smith is out with a knee injury and Jim Neidhart appears to be the only one left.
Shawn had issued a challenge to Bret Hart. A challenge to come and talk things out like a man. A challenge that appeared to be accepted by Bret when Shawn stood there and introduced Bret. There was a pause and a stirring of the backstage curtians, then out came a midget dressed as Bret Hart and Shawn pinned him, re-enacting the sharpshooter that drove Bret whining and crying from the WWF. Shawn asked this "Bret", who is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. "Bret" answered, "Shawn Michaels". You got that right baby.
For instance, showing total disrespect to everything and everyone in the WWF, telling Sgt. Slaughter to "suck it", and offering Jim the Anvil a shot at becoming part of DX. As soon as Jim accepted, they beat the hell out of him. He didn't have what it takes to be a member of DX.
DX sat playing strip poker at ringside, drinking Jack Daniels and smoking cigars. Shawn was losing badly apparently, because wound up sitting there in his Calvin Klien boxers. Then out of nowhere Owen Hart appeared attacking Shawn and then DX attacked Owen.
Shawn had not defended his European title as per the rules of the WWF. (Not that Shawn has ever been real good with authority.) So Sgt. Slaughter decided to force Shawn into a match to defend the title. A match against no other than Hunter himself. The two clearly were not happy. Shawn called a meeting before the match took place. Shawn and Hunter began to fight, then Hunter knocked Shawn down. Shawn lay there in the center of the ring while Hunter bounced off the ropes in an exaggerated fashion. Finally after a long while, Hunter pins Shawn for the championship title. Shawn allows himself to be pinned and when the match was over, Shawn and DX had the last laugh on Sgt. Slaughter.
