WWE News: Reason Why Shawn Michaels And The Rock Didn’t Like Each Other Revealed
During the latest episode of Something to Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard revealed why The Rock and Shawn Michaels used to dislike each other. As quoted by WrestlingNews.co, their personalities weren’t compatible and it resorted in them clashing backstage.
The WWE executive director revealed that Michaels didn’t see the appeal of The Rock as a performer and that the feeling was mutual.
“They didn’t like each other. It was because of ego, especially back then. They were completely different people. I don’t think that Shawn saw a whole lot in Rock at the time. Rock didn’t really like Shawn so it was oil and water at the time. They did not mesh.”
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Michaels and Triple H allegedly bullied The Rock during his early years in the company. According to Bret Hart, they tried to get the superstar to quit the business by constantly picking on him.
Hart also recalled how The Rock was singled out by Michaels because he performed a dropkick. Michaels believed that it was his move, and he didn’t approve of the young performer also using it, even though several others incorporated it into their arsenal at the time.
As noted by talkSPORT, the issues between both wrestlers stemmed back years before they even worked together. “The Heartbreak Kid” was reportedly rude to The Rock when he was a teenager.
The report also stated that Michaels said derogatory things about “The Great One’s” grandmother when they first met, which only added to the hostility between the pair.
Chris Jericho backed up the claims afterward, revealing that he heard stories about The Rock and Michaels’ rivalry. The veteran said that’s why they never worked a program with each other, despite being two of the biggest stars in WWE’s history.
The superstars appear to have squashed their beef these days, but a match between the legends seems unlikely. They’re both retired from in-ring competition for the most part, though they have wrestled other opponents since moving onto other ventures.
In the episode, Prichard also recalled how The Rock responded to Owen Hart’s infamous fall that led to his passing. According to the podcast host, the superstar scared the ambulance drivers into taking Owen to the hospital before they carried out their regular protocol.
Prichard also noted how everyone in the company was upset by the incident, adding that it was especially hard on The Rock.
