10 Most Shocking Wrestling Betrayals

9. Gold Is Thicker Than Blood

kevin owens chris jericho
WWE.com

At the Royal Rumble 1994, Owen Hart kicked Bret Hart's leg out of his leg to kick off a rivalry that felt more real than anything the WWF had ever produced.

It generated so much drama because the conflict was complex. You could understand both sides. Owen lived in the shadow of his older brother, and Bret was always a little too quick to remind Owen that he was the superior of the two. Bret had an excuse for losing their WWF Tag Team Title match against the Quebecers - his left knee had been illegally injured - but that he tried to win the match all by himself infuriated Owen. He felt Bret didn't trust him; Bret felt the need to overcompensate for his tactical failings in it. It was agonising.

Owen, in retaliation, floored Bret by striking him in his bum knee. As an aside, Bret's selling was key to the success of the angle. It looked as though it dangling off the bone.

Owen's post-match promo contained within it a legendary flub - "And that's why I kicked your leg out of your leg!" - but it was totally permissible. He was wracked with fury stemming from months of onscreen (and years of alluded-to offscreen) turmoil.

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!