6. Bret Hart Was Ricky Steamboat's Original Opponent For WrestleMania 2
Less than a year into his run with fellow midcard heel Jim Neidhart as The Hart Foundation, Hart was notified in February 1986 that at the second WrestleMania, he would be receiving a match with the dynamic Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Understandably, Hart viewed this as the big break he'd been looking for, and a chance to prove himself as Steamboat's equal. Several weeks later at the Boston Garden, Hart found out that the match was scrapped: Hercules Hernandez would get Steamboat instead, and Hart would be in the WWF vs. NFL battle royal. Disappointed, Hart would work with Steamboat that night in Boston in what was now a throwaway match. They would string together an incredible bout with Steamboat eking out the win. The match appears on Hart's 2005 DVD anthology.
Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.
