10 Times WWE Tried To Recapture The Magic (And Failed)
9. Vince McMahon Vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania XXVI)
Well, this one was a struggle. WrestleMania XXVI wasn't exactly a one-match show - and nowhere near the atrocity we would bear witness to the following year - but this match drags down the overall grade by one or two points. It was that bad. The idea to put one man a decade into retirement in the ring against the then-65-year-old McMahon, and then have them wrestle for over ten minutes was a baffling one.
Actually, 'wrestle' is too strong a word. It was a painfully slow encounter featuring a prolonged family beatdown of the boss. Every living Hart got their licks in, and while it was no doubt therapeutic for them, it was a slog of epic proportions for us.
Attempting to capture any of The Hitman's magic from the '90s was foolhardy, to say the least. He went on to win the United States title by submitting The Miz, before ending his in-ring career with four multi-man match victories. One of the greatest ring generals of all time should never have been brought back to active performing, particularly factoring in the stroke he suffered in 2002.