10 Outstanding Wrestling Matches That Ended Without Finishers

8. Bret Hart Vs British Bulldog (WWE In Your House 5)

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Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith had two separate and entirely different epics over three years in the mid-1990s, though neither ended with either the Sharpshooter or Running Powerslam.

At Wembley Stadium, 'The Hitman' lost upwards. British Bulldog's Intercontinental Championship win freed up 'The Excellence Of Execution' to win the company's top prize a few months later as the planned top star in a post-Hulk Hogan future. It foreshadowed significant change for the entire organisation, but not all of it was good.

The industry couldn't have looked more different by the time the two locked up again. Gone were the record-setting crowds, but those that stuck around saw an in-ring product far richer for Hart's stewardship. In a bloody sequel that outmatched the original, the pair allowed for heated violence in a way the all-babyface battle couldn't. Though Bulldog screaming for mercy wouldn't have felt out of place at the conclusion, a magistral cradle on the exhausted challenger was as technically proficient as it was tactically astute.

The pinning combination wasn't about testing the Challenger's muscular strength, but his technical resolve. After 21 gruelling minutes, he had none left to offer.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett