Jim Ross reveals details about the incident where Shawn Michaels legitimately hit his opponent at WrestleMania

Shawn Michaels is very different today than he was during the 90s. Shawn Michaels has become one of the most respected veterans of the locker room today but that wasn't always the case. The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels has raked up multiple controversies during his career.

Speaking of one such incident on his podcast Grilling JR, Jim Ross revealed that Shawn Michaels was legitimately hitting Bret Hart during their match at WrestleMania 12. It was Bret Hart's professionalism that didn't allow the situation to escalate as he refrained from breaking kayfabe on-screen.

Jim Ross further added that if Bret Hart wanted he could have beaten up Shawn Michaels in a real fight. Jim Ross gives more details regarding Shawn Michaels unruly behaviour during the match where he even talked rudely to the referee Earl Hebner and told him to get out of 'his ring'.

"No one was happy that Bret was so distressed. Certainly, Shawn saying what he said to Earl Hebner the referee was uncalled for. It was immature. It didn’t show the respect of the guy who just put the title on you. Unnecessary.

It just showed Shawn was a very, again, we said earlier, 30 years old, top of the world, he’s got that attitude, and you can either love and embrace that attitude, that I’m the best ever, and I’m the right guy for this role, I want to bring sizzle which Bret Hart didn’t in Shawn’s view. So it doesn’t shock me to hear this, but it’s still disconcerting, it was very ill timed. And the sensitivities of Bret, Bret took great pride in being the top guy."

Shawn Michaels' legit punches to Bret Hart

Jim Ross also talked about how Shawn Michaels was lucky that Bret Hart didn't respond by hitting him back during their match. Ross believes that Bret Hart showed great character and integrity by maintaining his cool inside the ring.

"Shawn’s lucky that, if he’s throwing those potatoes as Bret wrote in his book, which I have no reason to doubt, he’s just very lucky that Bret didn’t retaliate, because Shawn could not handle Bret in that type of world. It showed great character and integrity by Bret Hart to not lose his cool when he’s getting stiffed."