WWE Raw, 1997

[Shawn Michaels comes out to the ring]

Shawn Michaels:
Yo, Hit Man! Let's get one thing perfectly straight. You can come out here and say whatever you want about me. Everyone does. And you don't have to explain to me or the World Wrestling Federation that you would never give up the WWF title because no one knows better than me or the WWF that it takes a hand written note from the lord almighty to take that belt from you. But Bret, what you don't understand is just because I come out here and choose to live my life openly and freely instead of putting a facade like you does not make a you a better man Bret. I am well aware of my faults. I can admit them up and down the line. And as far as Steve Austin is concerned, Bret, I was there last night. He didn't give up, alright? Now I'm no fan of Steve Austin but he passed out and even you have to admit somewhere in there, there's gotta be some of the old Hit Man left, even you have to admit that he is one tough S.O.B. Now Bret, I have tried and tried and tried to take the high road and I am in no shape to wrestle and I know, you're tougher than me blahblahblah, whole thing. I admit that, that's fine. I don't have to be number one Bret. I don't obsess like you do. I do it because I like it. You do this because in your mind, marked man, you really think that all of this is yours! Now what you need to understand is that every time they reach into their pocket to watch you, me or anybody else is that they have the right to cheer or boo anybody that they want! Now, hey, you don't have to tell me "They're cheering me now." But they've booed me before. But you didn't see me getting all bent out of shape about it. You wanna know why Bret? It's because in this country, we something that's called the first amendment. And that amendment allows us to live our lives as we sit fit as long as it's causing harm to no one. If that guy there wants to stick a belly button piercing through his navel he can do it whether you like it or not! If that girl over there chooses to go out with someone you don't you approve of, "Tough kitty" said the kittie if she's going to do it! Now I'm going to get on my high and mighty roller coaster Bret. But you my friend, you gotta look at this, I'm in no shape to go. But if you want to go? What the hell? Let's go now.

Vince:
Don't tell me. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Shawn is in no condition to wrestle here.

Lawler:
Then what's he doing out there.

Vince:
Because he's got more guts than brains.

Lawler:
Right.

Shawn Michaels:
Do you know something? We've got a saying in the United States in American and it's called "America, Love it or Leave it!"

Bret Hart:
Shawn Michaels, Boy Toy, I think you should go back to the dressing room, get the hell out of my face.

Shawn Michaels:
You know me Bret, I'm not real good with authority. By the way, how did you know I was in that girly magazine? You couldn't help yourself could you? You had to flip through the pages just a little bit!

[Bret attacks Shawn in the injured knee and puts him in the figure four around the ring post.]