"He was so bad" – WWE legend blasts Shawn Michaels' in-ring ability in the 1980s

Shawn Michaels is considered by many to be among the greatest wrestlers of all time. However, not everyone is complimentary about the two-time WWE Hall of Famer's in-ring style. One of Michaels' first opponents, Jake Roberts, recently recalled his own experience of working with the legendary superstar in the 1980s.

Roberts defeated the current NXT head of creative in two Mid-South Wrestling singles matches in early 1985. The two later crossed paths in WWE, but they never faced each other in a meaningful storyline.

On his Snake Pit podcast, Roberts told a story about Michaels failing to understand simple instructions during one of their matches:

"He was so bad. I didn't see him ever doing anything [in the future]. He was horrible. I got him in the ring, I grabbed his arm, I wrenched it a couple of times, and I give him the iggy, which is, you know, you squeeze the wrist, and that's telling him to reverse it, right? But all he did was go, 'Ohhh [screams].'" [0:07 – 0:37]

Michaels made his wrestling debut in October 1984, roughly three months before his first match against Roberts. At the time, the latter was an established name with a decade's experience as a wrestler.

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Was Shawn Michaels a successful WWE Champion?

During Jake Roberts' prime, the WWE Championship picture was dominated by imposing wrestlers such as Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, and The Ultimate Warrior. In the 1990s, WWE's youth movement allowed smaller wrestlers like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels to move into the main event scene.

In 2020, Roberts claimed on the FlipDaScript podcast that Hart and Michaels failed as WWE Champions:

"You check the books, man, check the books. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were the worst champions of all. They did not put money in the bank."

Roberts never held a title during his time in WWE. The 67-year-old believes he should have won the WWE Championship at one stage from Hulk Hogan.

What are your thoughts on Shawn Michaels as a wrestler? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Please credit The Snake Pit and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use the first set of quotes from this article.