20 Must-See WCW Matches
4. Bret Hart Vs. Chris Benoit – Nitro 04/10/99
The untimely death Owen Hart at the Kemper Arena in May of ‘99 was one of the most shocking and saddening instances in the history of the wrestling business; sending shockwaves throughout the industry in the wake of the tragedy.
When WCW returned to the Kemper Arena five months later, Bret Hart himself was in attendance and an active member of the WCW roster. Through Bret's own suggestion, the decision was made to hold a tribute match for Owen that night to honour his memory on the very site he died.
With Bret on one side of the ring, the chosen opponent was Hart Dungeon graduate, Chris Benoit. As a former Stampede Wrestling alum, a fellow Canadian and longtime family friend, he wasn’t just the perfect choice - he was the only choice.
Lasting just under half an hour, the match was an emotionally charged contest, with the spirit of the late Hart brother firmly in mind for both men as well as the fans. Trading holds and counter-holds, the match was a great exhibition of both men’s skills and somewhat of a throwback to the Stampede days in a rare “wrestling” match during an era of car-crash booking and non-finishes.
While the two men had arguably had better matches as far as storytelling and crowd engagement goes, this match was all about the technical wrestling aspect and, from that perspective, the match itself was a fitting tribute to Owen and a great farewell to a much-loved legend of the ring.