Bret Hart Vs. Shawn Michaels Complete History | Wrestling Timelines
February 13, 1997 - A Smile Lost
Shawn vacates the WWF title live on Raw, citing a knee injury and a “lost smile”. Viewed through a more modern and sympathetic lens, Shawn was addled and profoundly depressed. This doesn’t scan in 1997. The boys think he’s a crybaby who doesn’t want to drop the belt the right way.
Bret is adamant that the knee injury is a total fabrication, having worked with Shawn three days prior with no issues. Dirtsheet reporting indicates that, while the injury is real, the severity is something that wrestlers work through constantly. Again: in 2025, Shawn is probably awarded with warranted sympathy. In 1997, his previous conduct has done him no favours whatsoever.
Bret proves his value by putting Austin over, at WrestleMania 13, in possibly the best WWF match ever; Shawn doesn’t even go away for that long.
March 24, 1997 - Excellence Of Escalation
The slow-burn to the next match begins. Bret turns his back on the crowd, but only those based in the United States, as the WWF embarks on an experimental storyline. Vince hasn’t yet articulated that the audience is tired of “good guys versus bad guys”, but Bret’s new arc slowly pulls at the idea. Bret is a babyface in Canada and the rest of the world.
Shawn interrupts the promo. Suddenly, the cheesy babyface of 1996 feels far more realistic - possibly because he’s dancing around the idea that wrestling isn’t real, or because he believes every word he’s saying. “In your mind, ‘Markman’, you really think that all of this is yours”.
The thing is, though, is that it is all Bret’s. That’s what Vince promised him when he signed the 20-year deal. There were to be no more Diesels in his way: until Vince later pitches a heel turn with a stronger list of upcoming babyface rivals, Bret is sworn to be the top guy.
Shawn wonders aloud how Bret knows Shawn posed for Playgirl magazine. Shawn accuses Bret of enjoying the read a little too much - not the last use of tasteless homophobia in this programme - before Bret snaps, and wraps Shawn’s leg around the ring post with the figure-four.
This is all a lot hotter than the build to WrestleMania XII.