Joe King
During WWE’s mid-1990s “New Generation” era, few backstage relationships became as notorious—or as talked about—as the real-life romance between Shawn Michaels and Tammy “Sunny” Sytch. Their relationship, often described as volatile, passionate, and destructive, became emblematic of the excess and chaos that defined that period behind the scenes.
At the time, Shawn Michaels was rapidly ascending to superstardom. As a founding member of The Kliq, he wielded immense backstage influence and was positioned as the future face of the company. Sunny, meanwhile, had become WWE’s most popular female performer almost overnight. As the seductive manager of Chris Candido and later associated with multiple acts, she was a ratings draw and one of the most recognizable personalities in the company.
Behind the curtain, Michaels and Sunny became romantically involved while she already in serious relationship as she was engaged to Chris Candido. According to numerous shoot interviews, autobiographies, and firsthand accounts, the affair created enormous tension backstage. Candido was widely seen as humiliated by the situation, yet remained professional to protect his career, a decision that many later felt deeply impacted his confidence and standing in the company.
The Michaels–Sunny relationship coincided with a period when both struggled with substance abuse. Many within WWE have since described the pairing as highly combustible, with drugs, jealousy, and emotional instability feeding into constant conflict. The relationship also contributed to Shawn Michaels’ reputation at the time as difficult, reckless, and untouchable due to his star power.
As WWE shifted toward the Attitude Era, Sunny’s role gradually diminished, while Michaels’ personal issues culminated in his 1998 back injury and subsequent exit from full-time competition. Their relationship eventually ended, but the fallout lingered for years. Chris Candido would later leave WWE, rebuild his career elsewhere, and openly discuss the emotional toll of that period before his untimely death in 2005. In later years, Shawn Michaels publicly acknowledged his behavior during the 1990s, expressing remorse and attributing much of it to addiction and immaturity before his personal and spiritual transformation in the early 2000s. Sunny, meanwhile, continued to speak candidly about the relationship in interviews, often portraying it as intense but ultimately damaging to everyone involved.
Today, the relationship between Shawn Michaels and Sunny is remembered not for anything that happened on screen, but as a cautionary tale of how unchecked power, addiction, and blurred personal boundaries can leave lasting scars. It remains one of the most infamous real-life stories in WWE history—a reminder that the drama behind the curtain was often just as turbulent as anything fans saw in the ring.
Gools
Sunnys account of their “affair” depends on what day it is. In her book, she claims LATE 1996 she & Chris were quietly separated (she was only with him since 17, she was restless, he was focused on wrestling 24/7 and felt they were soul mates) thats when the infamous “diss kiss” segment with HBK happened, so the real kiss after was her sexual awakening that she wanted her schoolgirl crush Shawm Michaels and then he went up to her at gorilla, put his **** up to her and it was ON! BUT she has also said in shoot interviews that her dating/screwing/seeing HBK began with him being beaten in Syracuse October 1995, she & Chris were the only ones to go to ER with him, it began her playing Florance Nightengale to him and 9 months they were not so secretively together but she said 1. chris and her were on a break so that is always her story 2. She freaked out when 8 years older HBK wanted to “marry her & live in his new Texas mansion making babies”
Either way the TIMELINES never added up. And she HAS admitted she and Bret Hart (a major horndog cheater during his WWF years) DID MAKE-OUT in the shared locker room. I think they fooled around but dor the sake of more drama never admitted it letting HBK play the jealous fool with his infamous drunken “Sunny Days” comment (which also Sunny has said on shoot videos she 100% knows Montreal was a shoot long term to keep the rivalry of the 90s WWF going which is why its still discussed today she said Bret knew and Undertaker, HHH and HBK all were in on it keeping KayFabe alive almost 30 years later). Either way, I do not see HBK wanting to marry this skank even if she was smoking hot when he banged her
James
Yeah, I did not believe Shawn when he accused Bret of having “Sunny days.” I think he was deflecting blame to him.
Kyle Prescott
Not a religious man personally but I see the value in it for some. This tale shows a success story in how Shawn might have saved his life by finding it by all appearances. While perhaps finding it might have saved Sunny from prison and an innocent man’s life.