How Can I Watch It: Smack em Whack em (VHS), German Fan Favourites (VHS), Bret Hart: His Greatest Hits (VHS), WWEs Top 50 Superstars of All Time (DVD) Despite their professional disdain for one another, Bret Hart and Ric Flair were able to put their differences aside when doing battle inside of the squared circle. They assembled a trio of excellent wrestling matches opposite one another, all of which are fairly unheralded. The most important was the second in their series, held during the middle of a WWF Superstars taping in Canada on October 12, 1992. It is a date etched in the memory of most hardcore Bret Hart fans, as it was the day he was crowned WWF Champion for the first time. With Vince McMahon needing to downsize his WWF Champion from monsters of the past such as Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior due to the Feds sniffing around his company and looking for evidence of steroids, he felt the ever-dependable and always-popular Hart would make a fitting substitute for his testosterone fuelled champions of yore. That he chose to have the title change occur in a non-televised match that was only available to viewers via the medium of video tape was a head-scratcher though. When fans finally got hold of the footage via classic Coliseum release Smack em Whack em they were given a treat; 27 glorious minutes of a captivating contest fought in front of a crowd practically begging for their national hero to prevail. When Hart does just that, the initial split-second reaction is one of shock. Nobody can believe what they have seen. Then the surprise turns into a wave of emotional outpouring, with many fans crying tears of joy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k44A2oDGO4A In many ways the rarity of the bout added to its mystique, and back in those days (before the joy of the internet) you knew you were in the presence of a true wrestling fan if you were having a conversation with someone who had seen it. Its a must-see wrestling clinic. I f you want to see more of the same, check out their clash from WCWs 1998 pay-per-view Souled Out, Harts first match in WCW following the infamous Montreal Screwjob. If you want more still, dust off VHS tape Invasion 92 (or The Dungeon Collection DVD) for another great contest from November 1991.
The author of the highly acclaimed 'Titan' book series, James Dixon has been involved in the wrestling business for 25 years as a fan, wrestler, promoter, agent, and writer. James spent several years wrestling on the British independent circuit, but now prefers to write about the bumps and bruises rather than take any of them. His past in-ring experience does however give a uniquely more "insider" perspective on things, though he readily admits to still being a "mark" at heart.
James is the Chief Editor and writer at historyofwrestling.co.uk and is responsible for the best-selling titles Titan Sinking, Titan Shattered, and Titan Screwed, as well as the Complete WWF Video Guide series, and the Raw Files series.
