WWE history: 10 greatest heel turns of the 21st Century

#4 Shawn Michaels turns on Hulk Hogan

As SummerSlam 2005 approached, Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan faced off against Carlito and Kurt Angle on an episode of Monday Night Raw. After a hard fought match, the duo stood tall in the ring, celebrating together amidst a sea of cheering fans.

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Out of nowhere, The Heart Break Kid kicked The Immortal Hulk Hogan in the face, knocking him down unconscious. As the fans watched in disgust, Michaels looked at the carnage he had caused and left the ring.

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The last time Shawn was a heel was way back during his first run in WWE. This came as a complete shocker to everyone. Michaels went on to deliver a scathing promo in Canada and was set to face off against Hogan at Summerslam.

Hogan came out on top in their match at SummerSlam, after which Shawn immediately turned babyface again.

The match is notoriously known for HBK's overselling.

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About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Atharva Papnoi