A big part of it was the nature of the era, shock value, unfiltered, non-PC type content was driving the boom period but at the top there were some solid storylines, though it was the exceptional / edgy character work which was pivotal imo it got a bit better I think when Russo left. But I agree with you, what made DX originally so great was Shawn Michaels and maybe he doesn’t get the credit for it, but I will say ‘heel/tweener’ Bret Hart as well. Shawn’s issues on and off the screen from late 96 into 97 provided DX legitimacy, they legitimately use to get in trouble with the network and Shawn being completely unhinged was belivable, the audience obviously still loved him for it because entertaining the fans was his salvation, breaking the fourth wall, shooting on each to actually legitimately fighting one another backstage just elevated the stock of both men and the authenticity of DX as a faction, you add Chyna to the mix as the silent bad @ss and they were really over; and the magazines both Kayfabe and the Observer had a field day with it all, the internet was still sort of new if not up and running? and when it was, the hype was real. Hunter was more of a side chick taking advantage of Michaels as the top star, obviously the link was there from the Kliq and it was a decent breakthrough for him to get himself as close to the top as possible.
But with Michaels and Bret out of the equation, it wasn’t really about shooting on your enemies or going against the leadership, it became a bit of a comedy didn’t it and while it was still popular, I don’t think it quiet reached the heights of the original incarnation of DX which ended poetically with Shawn going for broke with a severely damaged back against Austin - it still impresses Mike Tyson to this day! he talks about it on his pod a lot what a tough SOB Shawn was for what he did that night and you can argue that’s what DX was, pushing the boundaries not just externally but from a mental & physical POV.
If you keep watching H well into 2004, episode by episode, I am sure your hatred will manage to keep mutating until it is etched within your soul.