It’s nearly impossible to mention Shawn Michaels without mentioning Bret “The Hitman” Hart and vice versa. Rivals in and out of the ring, the two WWE legends will forever be linked, not only for their great matches but also for one of the most talked-about moments in professional wrestling history. The rivalry between Michaels and Hart is seen by most as one of the best of all time, perhaps due to the fact that everything looked so real given the actual animosity between the two.

While the two have reconciled in the years since the Montreal Screwjob, the rivalry between the two will always be there, as will the argument about which was the better in-ring performer. So we thought we’d add one more log on the fire and see which WWE legend has more money.

Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart were first tag-team rivals

Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart began their rivalry in the tag team division. Hart was paired with his real-life brother-in-law, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, in The Hart Foundation while Michaels was part of The Rockers with Marty Jannetty.

The Hart Foundation was well-established when The Rockers debuted in 1988 but Michaels and Jannetty quickly made a name for themselves and were wildly over with the fans. The teams finally clashed the following year and the four men put on some amazing matches over the next few years. The Rockers actually defeated The Hart Foundation for the tag titles at one point but the show never aired and the title win was essentially erased from WWE history.

Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels both broke out on their own as singles stars in the early ’90s and engaged in an on-again, off-again rivalry for the better part of five years.

Both became huge singles stars

Following their rivalry for the tag titles, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels once again battled for gold as singles, first for the Intercontinental Championship and then the WWE Championship. Both held the IC title on their way to the top of the roster and first battled for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series in 1992, a phenomenal match that often gets overlooked when the rivalry is discussed.

The match that gets much more attention was their amazing Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12, which many see as one of the greatest matches in WWE history. For more than an hour, Hart and Michaels battled back and forth with Michaels coming out on top to win his first WWE Championship. The two were set for a rematch the following year at WrestleMania 13 but Michaels dropped the title due to an injury in the infamous “I lost my smile” promo, which Hart never bought as he felt that Shawn simply didn’t want to drop the belt back to him.

The two had gotten along for years but the animosity between the two built and built and eventually boiled over, which later led to the most controversial match in WWE history.

The Montreal Screwjob

In the years following their Iron Man Match, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart continued to cross paths in storylines and in real life. During a promo, Michaels accused Hart of having an affair with WWE Diva Sunny, which actually caused real marriage problems for “The Hitman.” The two had an actual fight in the locker room at one point but nothing can compare to what happened in Montreal at Survivor Series in 1997.

For those who somehow don’t know the story, here’s the quick version. Bret Hart, who had once again become WWE Champion, ironically thanks to Shawn Michaels, had signed with WCW and was set to leave WWE. Vince McMahon wanted him to drop the belt to Michaels at Survivor Series in Canada, which Hart refused to do. It was then agreed that Hart would lose via disqualification and then just surrender the title the following night. But that’s not what happened.

During the match, with Vince at ringside, Michaels locked Hart in his own Sharpshooter finisher. Referee Earl Hebner then called for the bell, even though Hart hadn’t given up. It had all been a setup to get the title off of Hart and Michaels lied for years that he knew nothing about it. Hart knocked out Vince in the backstage area following the incident and vowed to never forgive Shawn Michaels for the role he played in the incident, a vow he kept for more than a dozen years.

Finally, on an episode of Monday Night RAW in January 2010, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels shook hands and buried the hatchet, a reunion that Hart later confirmed was very real. The two even starred in a commercial to promote a WWE video game and have appeared at numerous events with one another.

Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart: Who has the higher net worth?

So now we get to the money part of things. Who has the higher net worth? Well, as it’s always been with these two, things are pretty close. According to TheRichest.com, Shawn Michaels has a net worth of $17 million while Bret Hart comes in at $14 million.

That’s one more victory for “The Heartbreak Kid.”