10 Great Matches That Inadvertently Ruined Wrestling
2. Bret Hart Vs. Shawn Michaels - WWF Survivor Series 1997
This match enjoys the curious distinction of both elevating pro wrestling to its former commercial heights and diminishing its legendary finish to eventually infuriating returns.
The heat McMahon generated through screwing Bret Hart on his way to WCW was so immense that it engulfed him; he had to disappear from screens altogether or embrace it. He chose the latter route, thus positioning himself as the perfect antagonist to wrestling's hottest protagonist. The Austin Vs. McMahon feud was a deliriously entertaining sensation.
Perhaps because of that - or an inability to create a new paradigm in the face of so much TV time to fill - WWE continues to structure shows around authority figures both malevolent and benevolent. Vince didn't just screw Bret Hart that night; he screwed Jack Tunney and the realistic and immersive notion that TV wrestling cards were finalised in advance, which why wouldn't they be?
The Screwjob Finish trope still hasn't died a death, either. The horse hasn't so much been beaten as utterly disemboweled.
Some might balk at the classification of this match, totally overshadowed and defined by the finish, as "great". Those first ten minutes remain absolutely incredible, however; the searing arena-wide brawl, flanked by high-ranking WWF officials in an unprecedented production technique, are as gritty and realistic as any sequence in company history.