JBL Outlines Competitive Issues Between Hulk Hogan & Fellow WWE Hall Of Famer

In 2005, Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels took part in a WWE feud that stands out in the minds of fans to this day. Its memorability is due in large part to the apparent tension between the two wrestlers, most evident during their match at WWE SummerSlam 2005, where Michaels infamously oversold all of Hogan's offense. Speaking on "Something to Wrestle," former WWE star JBL shared his perspective on the relationship between Michaels and Hogan, which he witnessed firsthand.

"There [was] a lot of competitiveness between Hogan and Shawn," JBL said. "One's a top guy at one company, one's a top guy at another company, and all of a sudden they meet several years later. You know, things tend to happen, and I think that's what it was."

JBL believes Michaels was unsure if he could have a typically strong match with Hogan at that stage in his career. Instead, "The Heart Break Kid" decided to take their bout in a different direction, which many fans (and evidently wrestlers) still found entertaining.

"I thought it was funny," JBL said of the match. "I thought it was great. I didn't think, 'Oh, why's he doing that?' ... We're sitting there just laughing. Shawn is on a different level at this point, and he was having fun. Maybe there was a little bit of animosity with him and Hogan. I think there probably was."

Michaels wasn't alone, either, as JBL noted that a lot of performers weren't happy after Hogan made his return to WWE. The run didn't last too long, however, and Hogan soon departed again, wrestling his last WWE match at SummerSlam 2006.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Something to Wrestle" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.