100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)

63. Diesel vs. Bret Hart (Survivor Series 1995)

The Undertaker Shawn Michaels
WWE.com

Kevin Nash has always maintained that he was at his best when he had smaller guys who could "create movement" around him. Knowing his limitations, 'Big Sexy' also realised that workhorses like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels could have a good match with anybody provided that person understood his own strengths. As Diesel, Nash certainly did, and Survivor Series 1995 proved it.

That event was the end point for Diesel's lengthy WWF Title reign, but...what a match to go out on. Bret and Diesel had already produced some worthy showings at King Of The Ring 1994 and Royal Rumble '95, then they took things to that next level at Survivor Series by showing a ticked off 'Big D' who was on the cusp of turning heel for the first time since becoming a federation headliner.

Hart was crafty enough to put over Diesel's threat by resorting to cheaper tactics than usual like biting or sticking the boot in just a little bit harder. Matching that, Nash sometimes hurled the 'Hitman' around like he owed him money. Oh yes, these two had all the chemistry you could want from a main event pairing. They clicked immediately in 1994 and only improved from there.

Of course, it'd be impossible to talk about their penultimate WWF pay-per-view match (Bret and Diesel had one more to come at In Your House the following February before Nash left for WCW) without mentioning the big table bump nobody saw coming. The live crowd in Tampa seriously didn't know what to make of that spot - they were stunned.

This remains arguably Nash's best match ever. HBK might have something to say about that, to be fair.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.