This is the script for my YouTube video on this topic. You can find the video version here:
On August 21st 2005 WWE presented Summerslam 2005 from Washington DC. This night is maybe most famous for a once in a lifetime dream match that is remembered more for what was taking place behind the scenes. The only ever one on one match between Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan. When this match was originally booked, the hope was that this match would be the first of at least two matches between the two, with each man getting a victory. As a result, the July 4th Raw ended with HBK and Hogan defeating Carlito and Kurt Angle, but post match Shawn would hit Hogan with Sweet Chin Music. Shawn didn't want to turn heel, but did so for the match, knowing he would get his win eventually.
Despite Shawn being hesitant, he went all out in his new role. Two weeks later the July 15th Raw emanated from Montreal, where some little misunderstanding might have happened a few years earlier, and Shawn Michaels might have known something about it. For years after Shawn was still hated in Canada, especially Montreal, so he played up to that. He goaded the crowd about their hero Bret Hart, saying he would never come back, until the Hitman's music played and the crowd went crazy. At the time rumours had been going around of contact between WWE and Hart, and a deal was eventually made in August 2005, however this turned out to be for WWE to produce a DVD compilation with Bret's input.
Because of the rumours, there were fans that believed Bret might actually be in the building, but after a few minutes of Michaels pacing around the ring in fear it became clear that Bret wasn't really there. Michaels' expression turned from shock to amusement. It turned out that he had planned the whole thing to rile up the crowd, who hated him now more than ever. This trick has been done many times before or since, but never with such a riotous crowd reaction. In an ironic turn of events, when Bret eventually did return to WWE in 2010, he called Shawn Michaels out to the ring, and the two made amends.
On The August 1st Raw Shawn turned the heat up even more, this time performing a parody of Hulk Hogans recent interview by Larry King, with an actor playing Larry and Shawn Michaels playing Hogan. Entering the set on a walker, wearing a fake tan, a wig and a bandana, Shawn looked ridiculous, and if you've never seen this segment before I'd advice you to go and watch to believe, link in description brother... The segment was so loved at the time that a unique action figure was produced of Shawn playing Hulk Hogan.
Behind the scenes as the match drew closer, Neither man could agree on who would be winning at Summerslam, or if there would be a follow up. Shawn had pitched that he win the first one and Hogan the second. Hogan refused this, and wanted one match where he would win. In another example of WWE not learning from the mistakes of WCW, Hogan had creative control in his contract, meaning he could refuse anything he didn't like. As a result, Hogan would get his way. Once this became public knowledge there was a portion of the fans sided with Shawn Michaels, given that in an ideal world, the 52 year old with a fake hip and bad knees shouldn't be beating a 40 year old current main event star. In a slightly petty act of revenge, Shawn managed to steal Hogans spotlight in a way only he could, when the bell rang.
Throughout the 21 minute match, Shawn Michaels decided to oversell everything Hogan did. From the
opening minutes, Michaels took a bump seemingly every time they touched. Sometimes even landing outside the ring, and even a few times adding a bizarre flip as he fell. He also seemed to make a point of making his offence as simple as possible, chops and punches mostly, as if to emphasise Hogans lack of movement by comparison. In contrast to Shawn bouncing all over ringside, Hogan first leaves his feet 9 minutes into the match. HBK tries to get more heat by applying a Sharpshooter, which does manage to get the crowd to boo him. After a referee bump, Shawn gets a chair and hits Hulk with a brutal looking shot that I'm not sure Hogan got his hands up for. Michaels hits the elbow, and Sweet Chin Music, and for a brief moment it looks like Shawn might actually win. Hulk doesn't just kick out however, he throws HBK off him, and launches into his trademark comeback sequence. As if it was one last act of defiance, when Hogan hits his big boot off the ropes, Michaels falls down, pops right back up off the mat, and falls again. Thats right, he bumped twice for a kick. Hogan finishes with the Leg Drop of doom, and pins Shawn Michaels. Post match the two shake hands, but Hogans doesn't look happy. I can't decide whether he realises or not yet, but despite Hogan getting the win, all anyone could talk about the next day was Shawn Michaels' performance.
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