10 Superstars You Forgot Competed For A World Championship On WWE PPV
5. The Patriot – vs. Bret Hart for the WWF Championship (Ground Zero: In Your House 1997)
Whilst there was nothing particularly bad about this title affair, any readers who can recall it deserves praise, as both this show and The Patriot himself have become footnotes in the annals of early Attitude Era WWF history.
Del Wilkes, the man under the red, white and blue mask, was a prototypical American Hero character, wielding Old Glory everywhere he went. In the twilight of his career after previous stints in the WWF, AJPW and WCW, Wilkes resurfaced in Titan Towers to play the perfect foil for WWF Champion Bret Hart, during The Hitman’s Anti-America/Pro-Canada run with the gold.
Tasked with representing an American fan base who were largely indifferent to him at the time, Wilkes had the crowd firmly on his side, despite the clear predictability of the ensuing PPV title encounter.
Physically incapable of having a bad match with anyone, Hart carried Wilkes to a bout which has more then held up over time, with Bret typically winning with his Sharpshooter. This was a drawn out contest, a story driven good vs. evil battle that was archetypal of the era, complete with run-ins from The British Bulldog and Vader.
We even got a post-match beat down from Hart on his Patriot foe, just to increase the audience heat against him as the infamous Montreal Screwjob drew nearer.