10 Most Berserk WWE Matches Ever
5. The Hart Foundation Vs. Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock & LOD - IYH: Canadian Stampede
This match loses none of its frantic power, even twenty years and so much in-ring progression later.
There’s just so much to love about it. The WWF engineered a Bizarro Land response, purposefully, for the only time in its history. The intense pace was elevated by the novelty, immense for 1997, of a portion of the fanbase actively raging against the top babyface stars with genuine fervour. The crowd reaction was off the charts - almost fittingly, the hard camera literally shook as Bret Hart laced Steve Austin in the head with stomps in the corner.
The actual narrative was dominated by Owen Hart’s heroic return to the fray - but the real story centred around Steve Austin in a performance almost as crucial as WrestleMania 13 as a gauge of his searing main event potential. He absolutely revelled in flipping off the Canadian crowd and chinning every Hart member in sight, those in the ring and those at ringside. It was as rich in storytelling as it was frenetic in pace; Bret gave Austin his turnabout-is-fair-play comeuppance by decimating Austin’s leg with a fire extinguisher which, under the circumstances, was a deeply ironic choice of weapon.
“You gotta be here to feel this!” Jim Ross claimed. Even a legend gets it wrong, occasionally.