When wrestling fans talk about the all-time greats, Shawn Michaels frequently comes to mind. The four-time WWE World Champion has carved out an outstanding career with some memorable moments. Michaels often delivers instant classics, and he is known as Mr. WrestleMania. Still, earlier Michaels became a certified main eventer, he was a member of The Rockers. Michaels and Marty Jannetty captivated audiences with their aerial moves and fast-paced mode of wrestling.The early stages of Michaels' WWE career saw him feud with some legendary tag teams. He transitioned into a heel, and he centrolineal with the Sensational Sherri. Of course, Michaels' rivals in the latter stages of his career were more than noteworthy. However, his early rivalries shaped upward his future with groundbreaking results.

10 Tito Santana

Shawn Michaels v Tito Santana WrestleMania 8 Cropped

I of Shawn Michaels' first major matches equally a heel came at WrestleMania viii. The Heartbreak Kid strutted downward the aisle with the Sensational Sherri by his side. Michaels went toe-to-toe with Tito Santana. Their paths crossed in the 1992 Imperial Rumble match for the vacant WWE Championship, where both men eliminated each other simultaneously.

Michaels and Santana had an average WrestleMania outing in HBK's first singles match on The Grandest Stage of Them All. It was a cursory feud with the Showstopper prevailing to kickstart his singles campaign at WrestleMania.

9 The Twin Towers

The Rockers v The Twin Towers WrestleMania 5 Cropped

The Rockers engaged in a rivalry with The Twin Towers and the two teams squared off at WrestleMania five. The Twin Towers had the size and strength advantage going into this friction match. This was Michaels' maiden appearance at WrestleMania.

This wasn't a great tag team match by whatsoever stretch of the imagination. According to Michaels, he was hungover in his first WrestleMania match which isn't a good wait. Nevertheless, The Rockers ended upward on the losing side of things with The Twin Towers earning the win.

8 Rick Martel

Shawn Michaels v Rick Martel SummerSlam 1992 Cropped

It's extremely rare for ii heels to go toe-to-toe in marquee matches. However, at SummerSlam 1992, Shawn Michaels wrestled Rick Martel. Martel caught The Sensational Sherri'south attention which irked Michaels. There was some other caveat as neither man was allowed to hitting the other in the face.

The match wasn't an instant classic but it was a watchable contest. Michaels and Martel battled back and along with both trying to print Sherri. Ultimately, in that location was no definitive winner as they took their fight to the outside. The contest was ruled as a double count-out with neither man interested in finding their way back to the ring.

7 The Fabulous Rougeaus

The Rockers & Tito Santana v The Fabulous Rougeaus & Rick Martel SummerSlam 1989 Cropped

The Rockers kickstarted a feud with The Fabled Rougeaus in 1989. The Rougeaus were under the tutelage of Jimmy Hart. Michaels was a victim of a savage assault by The Rougeaus. They used the Oral fissure of the Due south's megaphone to injure Michaels' pharynx.

They battled in a series of non-televised Iron Man matches. Notwithstanding, the two teams battled at SummerSlam 1989 in a half-dozen-man tag team match. The Rockers partnered with Tito Santana, and The Rougeaus had Rick Martel by their side. The Fabulous Rougeaus got the last laugh with Marty Jannetty taking the autumn.

6 The Powers Of Pain

The Powers of Pain Cropped

Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty continued to become household names in the tag team sectionalization, and they feuded with The Powers of Hurting. Their 2 teams clashed in a serial of matches on business firm shows for a couple of months betwixt December 1989-February 1990.

The two teams were evenly matched, and they traded victories in their feud. Michaels works well with larger guys, and going head-to-caput with the Powers of Pain showed how tough he was.

5 Ability & Glory

Rockers v Power & Glory

The Rockers continued their versatility by having marquee matches on the biggest stages against powerful tandems. The Rockers were in the midst of a feud with Power and Glory. At SummerSlam 1990, the duos locked horns in a 1-sided thing.

Michaels sold a leg injury throughout the contest equally Hercules assaulted him with a chair shot to the leg. Michaels tried his very best to help Marty Jannetty, but his efforts were futile. Power and Celebrity eased their way to victory with Michaels failing to recover. The two teams would cross paths once more at Survivor Serial 1990. All the same, The Rockers were victims of a clean sweep. They were on Jake Roberts' team but The Visionaries including Power and Celebrity got the better of The Rockers once again.

4 The Orient Express

Rockers v Oriental Express Royal Rumble 1991 Cropped

The rivalry featuring The Rockers and The Orient Limited is one of the most underrated feuds betwixt tag teams. At WrestleMania half-dozen, Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato represented The Orient Limited with Mr. Fuji accompanying them to the ring.

The Rockers failed to choice up the win as they were counted out. However, this feud lasted on and off for one year. They revisited their feud in one of the best tag team matches in WWE history at the 1991 Royal Rumble. Sato departed WWE and Kato under the mask stepped in for this friction match. After contesting for about xx minutes, The Rockers were victorious in an outstanding opener.

3 The Brain Busters

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I of The Rockers' sternest rivals was The Encephalon Busters. Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson were a remarkable tag team in their relatively curt run in WWE. The Rockers and The Brain Busters competed in a ten-on-x emptying tag squad match at Survivor Series 1988. Their feud intensified with the two teams declining to be separated as they got disqualified.

Their serial of matches were brilliant with The Brain Busters having the size and strength reward. Even so, The Rockers held their own with their speed. For the second year in succession, The Rockers and Anderson clashed at Southurvivor Series 1989. Blanchard failed a drug test which resulted in him missing the match. Anderson got the last laugh as he eliminated Michaels, although the Heenan Family unit were on the losing side.

2 The Hart Foundation

The Rockers v The Hart Foundation Cropped

Long before Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart had a legendary rivalry in singles competition, they were at loggerheads over the WWE Tag Team Championship. The Rockers and The Hart Foundation had a high-contour WWE Tag Team Championship match in October 1990.

The Rockers are one of the greatest tag teams that never clinched the WWE Tag Team Championship. The bottom rope broke in their two-out-of-three falls match which is why the championship change never stood. Still, their matches together were always exciting affairs with both teams evenly matched.

1 Marty Jannetty

Shawn Michaels v Marty Jannetty Cropped

Shawn Michaels betraying Marty Jannetty on Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake'due south Barbershop on January 12, 1992, was an iconic moment. The Rockers were no more with Michaels turning heel. This led to HBK'south meteoric ascension to superstardom, and The Sensational Sherri joined the ride.

Michaels super kicking Jannetty, and throwing him through the glass window is legendary. However, their feud resumed a year later with Michaels as the reigning Intercontinental Champion. They had a solid match at the 1993 Purple Rumble with HBK retaining the title. They traded the gold in the summer of 1993 with Michaels coming out on pinnacle in their rivalry.

NEXT: 8 Shawn Michaels Storylines That Failed But Should've Worked