10 FIERCEST Online Wrestling Rivalries

6. Bret Hart Vs. Eric Bischoff

The Uncles
WWE.com

If you're Bret Hart, you're obviously going to loathe Eric Bischoff.

For Eric Bischoff debuted Bret Hart, the hottest and most controversial figure in pro wrestling, as a referee at Starrcade '97. Bret Hart was also the best wrestler on the planet. This was a catastrophe.

Hart didn't have much luck in 1997 and beyond. He made his WCW debut on the night the company first lunged head-first into oblivion. Hart intersected the rise of the WWF and the fall of WCW, and he never forgave Eric Bischoff of his negligence. Bret has referred to Eric Bischoff as "the stupidest guy" he "ever met"; Bischoff, in response, has rumbled himself with the classic "Never fancied her anyway..." line of defence. He claims he didn't even ask Bret out in 1996, which contradicts Bret's book, the Observer, and, of course, Bischoff's own words.

Bischoff has also claimed, on 83 Weeks, that Hart brought "nothing creatively" to his WCW run. Bret Hart's later years are defined by the sadly none-too-real notion that he cared far too much, which highlights the true winner of this feud. Lies only work when they are remotely plausible. To say Bret Hart didn't care is like saying a well-meaning Vince McMahon conceived of the Muhammad Hassan character because he couldn't understand the prejudice faced by Arab-Americans...

...which Bruce Prichard reckons he said in a creative meeting, Jesus wept.

Who Would Win: Bret. Without question. He'd stretch him half to death, but it would be futile, for Bisch would just claim years later that it didn't hurt that much, and the cosmic dance would go on, and on.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!