Why WWE stars Shawn Michaels and The Rock never liked each other

The dream match between The Rock and Shawn Michaels, a coveted showdown for wrestling fans, seemed destined never to materialise. Despite WWE's former CEO, Vince McMahon, having plans for this epic clash, the ice between the two wrestling icons remained unbreakable.

In the attitude era, both The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) and Shawn Michaels enjoyed massive popularity and loyal fan followings. The Rock burst onto the scene in 1996, with Michaels already an established star in the WWF. However, The Rock's charismatic mic skills quickly propelled him to stardom within just three years of his debut.

While The Rock gained immense fan adulation and the company's backing, Michaels, known for his exceptional in-ring abilities, was focused on compelling storylines with various wrestlers but never crossed paths with The Rock.

What sparked the rivalry?

Insiders reveal that The Rock harbored a grudge against Michaels long before they both entered WWE. Allegedly, Michaels disrespected The Rock's maternal grandmother during a show in Hawaii, triggering a heated verbal exchange between the two.

When Dwayne Johnson entered WWE, Michaels held significant backstage influence. Alongside his close ally, Triple H, Michaels didn't warm up to Johnson. Former wrestler Bret Hart recounted in his autobiography how Michaels convinced McMahon not to let The Rock win an Intercontinental Championship match against Hart, attempting to thwart The Rock's rise.

As The Rock's popularity soared in the late 90s, he shared the ring with legends like Hulk Hogan in iconic WrestleMania matches, but never with Michaels.

Michaels' Sweet Chin Music to The Rock

Michaels finally expressed his animosity toward The Rock in a 2000 in-ring segment, delivering a hard Sweet Chin Music to The Rock during a match against Triple H. The backstage tensions escalated when The Rock confronted Michaels, who suggested he quit the industry if he couldn't handle the pain.

Rock retaliated by pinning Michaels and delivering some blows before fellow wrestlers intervened to calm the situation.

The Rock declines a Michaels storyline

In a revealing podcast, former WWE wrestler Chris Jericho disclosed that The Rock once declined a storyline the company desperately wanted him to pursue with Michaels. The Rock made it clear that he had no interest in working with Michaels after his return from a brief retirement.

Life after wrestling

Since both superstars left the wrestling industry, the animosity seems to have subsided. Michaels officially retired, while The Rock became a Hollywood sensation.

During their wrestling careers, they never saw eye-to-eye, maintaining a long-standing feud that remained unyielding.