9 Things We Learned From WWE's Holy Grail: Bret Hart Vs. Tom Magee
Does the most famous lost match in company history match the hype?
When something is missing for 33 years, you start to think maybe, just maybe, no matter how many times you scrummage behind the sofa, it might just be lost forever.
That was the case for those fans of wrestling folklore for the past three decades hoping beyond all reasonable hope that footage of Bret Hart's infamous 1986 match with Tom Magee, a carry-job of such magnitude that Vince McMahon was apparently sold on the latter as his next big star, would one day magically show up.
It wouldn't. It was gone, binned in a vault clear-out, tape perished over time, and doomed to exist only within the fading memories of those present and the imaginations of those who wished they were.
And then it turned up.
For no good reason, Bret Hart's archivist Mary Kate Anthony suddenly realised, from her time converting his career to a sturdier digital format, that she had in her hands wrestling's cup of the carpenter. After the tease, she agonisingly went radio silent on the matter. Was that, frustratingly, that?
Nope. She had a brilliant reason: WWE were preparing a documentary and feature showing of this most mythical of matches. After Raw last night, we finally got to see it. Did we learn anything new on this story - and did it live up to its reputation? Could it?
Let's find out.
9. There's Commentary!
It's sort of peculiar, given the unearthed footage begins in medias res, but what had also been assumed to be a taped 'trial' match is actually overlaid with commentary. The voices calling the action weren't a bottom-rung C-team comprising Bruce Prichard and The Duke of Dorchester, but the premier broadcast duo of Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan.
The Brain and the Brawn obviously weren't gabbing for the good of the health, and presumably WWE planned to air the contest at some point - especially as the commentary would have been added during a post-production process. Tellingly, there were clearly instructions to put over Magee big; Gorilla promises a big future for MegaMan, whilst Heenan casually drops a comparison to Paul Orndorff - then enjoying a huge main event programme opposite the man Magee might replace.