10 Best Wrestling Matches That Ever Happened In New York City

1. Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart - WWE WrestleMania X

The Rock New York
WWE.com

There are arguably no stories in wrestling as effective as the feud between Bret and Owen Hart, but that's fitting, because there are arguably no matches in the sport's history as good as their first encounter at WrestleMania X.

Owen Hart was considered one of the best workers in the world in the early '80s, but as a smaller star, WWE used him largely as an undercard worker. At the 1993 Survivor Series, a team comprised entirely of Hart brothers (Bret, Keith, Bruce, and Owen) defeated a Shawn Michaels-captained team, but Owen was eliminated in the process. The youngest Hart took umbrage when his brothers celebrated despite his loss, and he took them to task. Eventually, Owen challenged Bret to a match.

Bret refused the challenge and Owen eventually demurred, agreeing to team with Bret to take on The Quebecers at the 1994 Royal Rumble. The Quebecers damaged Bret's leg to the point where the referee stopped the match, giving them the win. That brought a seemingly-sympathetic Owen to check on his brother, and then turn on him, attacking the injured leg.

Bret finally agreed to face his brother, but he was also heading for a title shot at WrestleMania X. It was decided that he'd face Owen in the opener and get his shot in the main event, adding an extra layer of drama to the match. That drama, combined with two masters of the craft putting on a scientific exhibition, made for an easy five-star classic.

Bret used his wrestling acumen to try and win the match, but Owen wasn't afraid to break the rules or get vicious when he needed to. He attacked Bret's leg again, then weakened it with a Figure Four. Bret tried to fight back, but Owen eventually locked his brother in a picture-perfect Sharpshooter. Bret escaped and got one of his own, but he couldn't make Owen tap out.

In the end, Bret got on Owen's shoulders and attempted a victory roll, but Owen had the presence of mind to sit down on his brother and pin him cleanly. Owen became a star immediately, and when Bret won the title later that evening - drawing a stunned and jealous Owen out from the back - it only made the story richer.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013