10 Times The Undertaker Has Done What's Best For Business
7. Losing To Bret Hart At SummerSlam (1997)
1997 was the most interesting - and often controversial - year of Bret Hart's entire WWF run. At WrestleMania 13, he had effectively turned heel during a match against Steve Austin. A subsequent run as a villain proved fruitful, with Hart still being babyface in his native Canada.
By the time SummerSlam rolled around in early-August, fans in the United States bitterly despised the 'Hitman'. The Undertaker was his opponent on the show, and was at the time the reigning WWF Heavyweight Champion. As the pay-per-view went off the air, Hart held that belt aloft.
Shawn Michaels played the part of Special Guest Referee, and he would have a key role in Hart's victory. Losing the WWF Title to the red hot Bret Hart was the best thing for business at that time. Later, it'd only open up another can of worms, but it's notable that 'Taker was willing to play second fiddle to the ongoing power struggle between Hart and Michaels which would peak at Survivor Series.