7. Bret Hart Wins The WWE Championship In Non-Televised Match (1992)
In the fall of 1992, Bret Hart was one of the best wrestlers on the planet. He was fresh off of a five-star classic with brother-in-law 'British Bulldog' Davey Boy Smith and was among the most popular babyfaces in Vince McMahon's WWE. But his size seemed to limit his upward mobility. He was not the chiseled specimen that many of the top stars in the company had been and that certainly affected how the most powerful man in wrestling saw him. Or did it? On October 12, Hart arrived to Saskatchewan Place in Saskatoon prepared for the night's television tapings. With WWE champion Ric Flair under the weather and preparing to make his exit from the company, McMahon was tasked with selecting The Nature Boy's successor. His options? Proven commodity "Macho Man" Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior or Hart. Determined not to allow his associates to influence him, McMahon chose Hart. Later that night, The Hitman weathered a dislocated finger to trap Flair in the Sharpshooter and win his first WWE Title. The booking decision was entirely unexpected. As great as Hart was, most expected him to stay put in the midcard and become a perennial Intercontinental Champion. His WWE Title win, from out of nowhere on an untelevised card, remains one of the great surprises in WWE history.
Erik Beaston
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Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
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