6. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels - Survivor Series 1997
The professional rivalry between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, two all-time greats hell bent on becoming the biggest star in the industry at the other's expense, turned uncomfortably personal in 1997. What started as an intentional attempt to blur the lines with worked-shoot comments from the performers devolved into a bitter verbal assault between the two, to the point that feelings really were hurt and egos really were damaged. With Hart opting to jump ship to WCW, the allure of a $9 million contract and an unwillingness by Vince McMahon to honor the contract they had agreed on proving to much to pass up the opportunity. But Hart would not go quietly, nor would he go peacefully. He refused to drop the WWE Championship to Michaels at the 1997 Survivor Series pay-per-view. He would, instead, promise to drop it to anyone from Ken Shamrock to Steve Austin to The Brooklyn Brawler, just not to ol' HBK. Not willing to open himself and his company up to Hart jumping to the competition with the top prize in his company still around his waist, McMahon decided to screw Hart out of the championship gold. Suddenly, a match already rife with emotion was enhanced exponentially by the underhanded maneuverings of a boss desperate to prove he had absolute power in his company. Hart and Michaels laid into each other with stiff shots but in the end, it was a half-assed Sharpshooter by the Heartbreak Kid and McMahon's insistence that the bell be rung despite an obvious lack of submission that ended The Hitman's storied career with the company.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
