Shawn Michaels is clearing the air on one of WWE’s biggest “what if” matches — and why it never came together with The Rock.
Michaels spoke on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony podcast and addressed long-standing speculation about his relationship with The Rock — and the missed opportunity for a major match between them. He started by pushing back on years of rumors about backstage issues involving himself and Triple H, making it clear those narratives have been exaggerated.
“I will say this—again, I think over the years there’s been a big kerfuffle in the wrestling business about me and Hunter, about me doing something to him and being mean and stuff like that. All of it was blown out of proportion—none of it accurate.”
From there, Michaels shifted the focus to The Rock specifically, explaining that timing played the biggest role in why they never shared the ring in a major match. He pointed out that by the time he returned to WWE in 2002 after his back injury, The Rock was already transitioning heavily into Hollywood.
“The thing is, when he was younger, he was fed a lot. Again, later on—and to this day—we get along and we talk about stuff. That’s what I think everyone would have liked to have seen, but by the time I came back, he was well off into his Hollywood career and stuff like that.”
The Heartbreak Kid wrapped it up by making it clear there’s no bad blood — and even gave The Rock his respect when it comes to picking talent: “Even when it comes to me—I’d pick him.”
The comments offer a much simpler explanation than years of backstage rumors — it wasn’t politics or personal issues that stopped the match from happening, it was timing. By the time Michaels was back in the ring, The Rock was already moving into a different phase of his career.
Do you think Shawn Michaels vs. The Rock would have been one of WWE’s greatest matches if it happened at the right time? Let us know your thoughts.
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