10 Classic WWE Matches (That Nobody Remembers As Classics)
2. Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin - Survivor Series 1996
Oft-overlooked, which is somewhat understandable given its more famous sibling, this match may not be quite as iconic - but it remains a total masterpiece.
The pre-match hype was famous for the all time classic Austin line “If you put an ‘S’ in front of Hitman, you have my exact opinion of Bret Hart’. This intensity was matched between the ropes, but crucially, this was built towards steadily; Hart, master narrative craftsman, knew that escalation was the key to maximum emotional resonance. Hart, having been goaded and thrown around the outside and onto the ring ropes mercilessly by a possessed Austin, responded in kind by launching himself over the barricade towards ‘Stone Cold’ in the match’s turning point and its hottest sequence outside of the finish.
In that moment, a match became a fight. Wrestling was never a collection of spots to Bret Hart. Here, at his storytelling best, he was able to evolve his persona over the course of a single match. Much like his eventual heel turn, he was reluctant to stray from himself. This match lent that turn immense weight. He just wanted to be Bret Hart in a world that increasingly had no place for Bret Hart.
The finish itself, which saw Hart reverse Austin’s soon-to-be-retired Million Dollar Dream submission hold, may have contributed to the evolution of Austin’s ‘Stone Cold’ persona. Their next singles match did so unequivocally.