SummerSlam 2005 was set to feature a dream match on paper: ‘The Immortal’ Hulk Hogan vs. ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels. Yet, instead of becoming a classic, it has been remembered for all the wrong reasons!
Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels square off at SummerSlam 2005. Photo Credit: WWE.
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Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels: Legends and Backstage Politics
Photo Credit: WWE.
If a match is still being talked about years after it took place, it usually means it was an all-time classic. The match featured two of the most successful wrestlers ever to lace up a pair of boots, yet they couldn’t get on the same page. Shawn Michaels was well-known for being tricky to work with in the ’90s and played a considerable part in backstage politics.
Hulk Hogan, too, was no stranger to politicking backstage. However, by 2005, The Heartbreak Kid had turned his life around, adopting a new attitude, finding God, and wasn’t into trying to backstage politic his way to the top any longer.
Hogan and Creative Control
Photo Credit: WWE.
Hulk Hogan, being the star of his magnitude, was able to have creative freedom and book on his own terms. This became a problem in the build-up to the colossal SummerSlam match with Shawn Michaels.
On an episode of Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru, co-host Brian Last gave an amusing impression of how The Heartbreak Kid jokes about trying to book their feud in the days leading up to their first match:
The Heartbreak Kid: "[How about this.] I’ll win the first match, you win the second match, and you win the blow-off."
The Hulkster: "Alright, I like it! But here’s the way I’d do it- How about I win the first match, the second match, and the third match?"
Hogan Changes His Mind
Photo Credit: WWE.
Joking aside, this is essentially how things went. Shawn thought the way to go with this big-time money feud was with three matches, trading wins, with the third being the ultimate decider going to Hogan.
Yet, only one match ever occurred where Hogan won. The following night on Raw, Shawn did a follow-up promo, and that was it.
One Match Only
Photo Credit: WWE.
Hogan didn’t want to go the three-match route. This bugged Shawn, and the result was truly memorable for all the wrong reasons. Michaels infamously "oversold" almost every move throughout the match in a cartoon-like fashion, making a farce out of it and humiliating Hogan in the process.
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Shawn Michaels Opens Up About SummerSlam 2005
Photo Credit: WWE.
During a 2014Â Q&A in Manchester, Shawn addressed the match.
"We were going to do a best of three, and in the last minute, [Hogan] backed out. So that day, and I will admit this- I poked the bear all day. I already knew what I was gonna do — I was gonna go out there and do business, but I was gonna make him earn it, just to be a pain in the butt all day. And that was something I did just for my own enjoyment."
Unprofessional HBK?
Photo Credit: WWE.
Shawn later made clear, "It wasn’t right; it wasn’t professional."
The man who stood across from him in the ring that night, Hulk Hogan, has a different outlook on what took place.
Hulk Hogan Shares His Thoughts
Photo Credit: WWE.
In a 2015 interview, Hulk Hogan had this to say about his match with Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 2005 :
"When we went to the dressing room, Vince came in and said, ‘Okay, I want Hogan to go over.’ No big deal. And those were Vince’s wishes. If he had told me to take the superkick and do the one, two, three, even though everybody says I’ve never done a job.
"If you go back and look at my career, I’ve pretty much lost more matches [in the last 15 years of my career] than I’ve won, trying to get guys over from Triple H to The Undertaker to The Rock, you name it. And I don’t win too many matches, but it’s business. I’m trying to help these guys.
"So you know, when Vince wanted Shawn to do the job, we went out and had the match, and everybody said, ‘Oh, Shawn oversold, and he was making fun of ya!’ If Shawn was really doing that, you’d have to ask him because I’ve seen him go to take the turnbuckle. He jumps on the bottom rope and does the triple flip, which is, you know, okay… whatever. You know, and he’s done it several times, not just with me."
The Immortal One Had More To Say
Photo Credit: WWE.
"But what really [happened]… The reason it didn’t go any longer was because I shut it down. Because the next day, I was expecting to, you know, return the favor and then, ‘Okay, now you beat me and I beat you, let’s build to the third [match] and then go to the cage and keep it going.’
"Because he was such a great worker, I thought we were gonna have a great run, but it could be my fault, or maybe I had my feelings too much involved, but I thought the interview was going to be [acting out a Shawn Michaels promo]: ‘You know what, I gotta give it to Hogan, he was better than me on that one night, but it’ll never happen again.
"You know what, I’m quicker and faster than him, he just had that moment, he had the crowd with him, he had the momentum, but it’ll never happen again. I’m asking you Hulk Hogan [for another match].’"
Hogan Unhappy With Michaels’ Promo
Photo Credit: WWE.
Hogan continued. "I thought this was going to be the business interview, but when he came out, [Shawn said sarcastically], ‘Oooooh, he was too fast, he was too young.’ I went, ‘I’m out.’
"You know, I just told Vince, ‘Your boy… You know- It’s not business.’ So I pulled the plug on that deal. That’s where it ended up, and it wasn’t a creative control thing. I said, ‘I just don’t want to if it’s going to be a clown show now from this point on. I thought this guy really wanted to dig and draw some money."
“He was catlike; he was agile, he was nimble, he had a catch-as-catch-can style that even yours truly, The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, quite honestly couldn’t figure out. I mean, his ring prowess was in so many ways and on so many levels, superior to mine that I simply could not compete.
“When it was over, even I, the evil Shawn Michaels, found myself falling victim like so many before me, to the vicious leg drop. One, two, three."
It’s hard to believe this is why the feud came to an abrupt end because moments after this promo, Chris Masters came down to the ring, starting a new feud with HBK and turning him back to a babyface. It was quite evident that the feud with Hogan had come to an end by then.’
Michaels Forced To Turn Heel
Photo Credit: WWE.
Speaking of Shawn Michaels making the transition back to a babyface, his wish for the match against Hogan was to be a babyface. Michaels wanted a good guy versus good guy match at SummerSlam. Hogan was opposed to this, which also contributed to the tension between the two.
On the DVD "The Shawn Michaels Story: Heartbreak & Triumph," which can be found in the Beyond The Ring section on the WWE Network, Shawn Michaels explains his frustrations.
"In my mind, I presented it to him as just good guy versus good guy and the thing where HBK was just like ‘Man, I gotta know, I gotta know if I can beat the immortal Hulk Hogan.’
“The next week, I was told that Terry [Hulk] would prefer classic heel versus babyface.
“‘Like you’re in ’98.’”
Hogan is All Business?
Photo Credit: WWE.
Shawn responded: “You gotta be kidding me… I’d tear him up, I’d go out there on that mic, and I would tear him to shreds!”
“‘Give us that then; that’s what we want.’
“I was just like, ‘You gotta be kidding me… Are you sure he’s gonna be okay with it?’
“‘Terry’s business.’ [Vince said]
“I asked them beforehand and after, ‘Are you sure he’s okay with it?’
“‘Terry’s business.’
“I saw [Hogan] the next week and asked him, ‘Are you okay with all this?’ And it was the, ‘No problem, brother.’ And I got news for you, if he denies it, I’ll tell it to his face, ‘I asked you before, I asked you after, every time, you know, work with me, brother!’
“I’m like, ‘Wow, some of the most successful people in this business are the most insecure.’"
Ironically spoken.
What Happened After SummerSlam 2005 Between Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels?
Photo Credit: WWE.
The match is historic and will always hold a spot in the archives of never-to-be-forgotten moments in wrestling.
Later down the road, Hulk Hogan had some nice things to say about Shawn Michaels.
"I’ve been around Shawn since then, and there is not that attitude at all. I mean, you know, we’ve talked on the phone, we’ve hung out together, and stuff and that piece of business is behind us, so whatever happened then, that’s done and gone and over with."
Photo Credit: WWE.
Despite the tension and drama, the Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels match at SummerSlam 2005 remains one of the most talked-about moments in wrestling history. While it may not have lived up to its potential in the ring, it certainly left a lot to talk about in the years that followed.
Interestingly, as time passed, both Hogan and Michaels were able to bury the hatchet, with Hogan even reflecting positively on their interactions since that infamous night.
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Braeden Farrell is a senior writer for Pro Wrestling Stories. He is a long-time fan of wrestling based out of Adelaide, Australia. He can be reached on Twitter @braedenfazza.
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