Shawn Michaels Claims Famous Match Deserves More Credit

Shawn Michaels is proud of his work at SummerSlam 1995.

At WrestleMania X, Shawn Michaels met Razor Ramon — Scott Hall, in the first Ladder Match shown on WWE television. Although Michaels took on Bret Hart in a Ladder Match in 1992, the bout was never aired on television.

The WrestleMania match is often hailed as one of the best matches ever at the spectacular, and one of the greatest Ladder Matches ever. Michaels and Hall wowed the Madison Square Garden crowd with several sequences that would pave the way for many Ladder Matches in the future.

When all was said and done, it was Hall who claimed the victory and walked away with the Intercontinental Title, but the rivalry between the pair was far from over.

Shawn Michaels Proud Of Famous Sequel

At SummerSlam 1995, Michaels and Hall met in another Ladder Match that was somewhat restricted by WWE’s desire to be “family friendly.” Despite this, in a new interview with Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated, Michaels said he felt the match was “epic” and deserved more recognition.

“The whole story going into it was different and very challenging. I will say this–Scott and I did everything we could to make it epic. I think it was.

Sequels are always tough, but this is one I think that doesn’t quite get the recognition it deserves. There’s a simple reason for why: it’s number two. Number one is always first. That’s when the moment shifts. There’s only one first time.

I’m still proud of it, but it’s not as special because it’s not the first.”

In another part of Sports Illustrated’s “SummerSlam Series,” Bret Hart recalled wanting a Ladder Match with his brother Owen in 1994. However, they ended up having a Cage Match as WWE didn’t want to do another Ladder Match so close to the clash between Michaels and Hall months earlier.