10 Excellent Reasons Why Bret "Hitman" Hart Is The Greatest Wrestler Of All-Time
8. Innovation
Bret Hart was an innovator.
The aforementioned Ladder Match was introduced to the national wrestling audience when Bret brought the idea over from Stampede Wrestling. Although Vince McMahon allowed Shawn Michaels to be credited with inventing the match based on his WrestleMania X contest against Razor Ramon, it was Bret that brought the idea to the grand stage of WWE when the company were sceptical that such a concept could work.
Hart's innovation didn't stop at match types, however.
Bret used numerous moves and finishes that had never been seen before. The reversal of the sunset-flip left fans breathless at SummerSlam '92, his main event with Owen two years later allowed for a highly entertaining cage match that didn't require blood, the figure-four around the ringpost was a groundbreaking sight in 1997, and the conclusion of that year's SummerSlam was one of the greatest finishes WWE ever produced.
Bret was also the first main event superstar under Vince McMahon to not have all his WWF Championship matches end the same way.
Unlike Hogan's boot to the face and leg drop, Savage's Flying Elbow and Ultimate Warrior's Gorilla Press Slam and running splash, Bret had no problem ending matches with his patented Sharpshooter, but he also used small packages, La Majestral cradles and by reversing sleeper holds into pins.
When it came to innovation and creation, Bret had vision like no other.