Michael Sidgwick's 10 Favourite Wrestling Matches

10. Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart - WrestleMania X

If Marty Jannetty was my favourite wrestler, Hulk Hogan was a close second.

Seemingly invincible, Hogan was the perfect hero for young children because, with his formulaic matches, he made sense of a confusing and testing world. You could rely on Hogan. He never let you down. When I tired of the formula, Bret Hart, with his incredibly realistic, layered and bespoke performances, was there to ensure that I didn't grow out of wrestling altogether.

The first WWF Bret Vs. Owen match wrote itself; with an inherent and relatable tension, the tale of familial separation was unlike anything the WWF had ever presented. I didn't have a younger brother, so I couldn't directly sympathise - but Owen's performance was so pitch perfect that it made me glad I didn't.

It was a masterclass of pacing. Bret, as the elder brother, was understandably reluctant to wrestle anything beyond a technical exhibition opposite the younger brother he still loved. And, at first, that's what it was - until Owen, with a series of transgressions, cajoled the intensity out of him.

If, as an adult, I appreciate the peerless mode and structure of storytelling, as a kid, the outcome of this match - Owen's win - was an emotional gut-punch. In many - if not all - ways, it is the distillation of the wrestling art.