WWE in the 1990s: 10 iconic, era-defining photos and the stories behind them

#3 Shawn loses but wins

Perhaps the most iconic Wrestlemania match of the 1990s?

The eighth image of our collection was probably the one you could have bet your house on us including - the iconic shot of Shawn Michaels splashing Razor Ramon from the top of a ten-foot ladder at Wrestlemania X in 1994.

Michaels had legitimately failed a drug test some months earlier and, as the reigning Intercontinental Champion at the time, he had to lose the title. Trying to play up to his cocky, arrogant ways, they cited on screen that the Heartbreak Kid was being stripped of the title and suspended, essentially, for not bothering to defend it often enough.

The result? A vacancy. There was a battle royal on Monday Night Raw as 1993 edged towards its conclusion and, after Rick Martel and Ramon were left standing at the end, they were paired together in a one-on-one match to crown the new champ, a bout that Razor would go on to win.

Soon enough, though, Michaels would be re-instated, and back in action. He cleverly maintained that, as he hadn't actually lost his championship in a legitimate match, he was still the 'true' title holder. He was never officially recognised as such, so the future Hall of Famer would get right under the skin of The Bad Guy, who Shawn claimed to be an imposter champion. The two would trade words and fists, but the end result was the famous Wrestlemania X ladder match in Madison Square Garden.

Razor won it in the end, but few remember that as the take-home moment - for most, the picture above, Michaels soaring through the air, is the fondest memory. It was an unforgettable moment.