Ahmed Johnson recently recalled how Shawn Michaels used to hold other WWE Superstars back if he viewed them as a threat to his main-event spot.
While Michaels was one of WWE’s star attractions in the 1990s, he also had a reputation as someone who was difficult to deal with. Johnson worked for WWE between 1995 and 1998, during which time he won the Intercontinental Championship but never challenged for the WWE Championship.
Speaking to Monte and The Pharaoh on the LI#1 Pro Wrestling Broadcast, Johnson accused Michaels of using backstage politics to protect his own position.
“Trust me, if Shawn seen anybody trying to go up the ladder, he was gonna hold them back. So yeah, he had his hand on me for a while trying to hold me down. That’s a good question [why he didn’t kick Shawn Michaels’ a**]. I mean, at the beginning I didn’t understand it, but later on I got to see what The Kliq was all about. It was all about President Shawn running the nation,” Johnson said.
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Michaels’ backstage WWE group, The Kliq, also consisted of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, and Triple H. Johnson said Hall was one of the few WWE Superstars who made him feel welcome in the locker room.
Ahmed Johnson did not complain to Vince McMahon about Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels had a close relationship with Vince McMahon during his run as a WWE main-eventer in the 1990s.
Ahmed Johnson added that he did not see any reason to complain to the WWE Chairman about Michaels’ backstage behavior.
“No, I just let it play out, because I feel as though if you go too far with it, I’m gonna have to do what I have to do. But he didn’t go too far with me with it,” Johnson said.
Johnson and Michaels joined forces in three tag team matches on WWE television in 1995 and 1996. The two men never faced each other in a one-on-one match.
Please credit LI#1 Pro Wrestling Broadcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.