Bret Hart's 10 Best Matches Ever
The highest excellence from "The Excellence of Execution"
When times were tough and days were dark for WWE, there was one man who could be absolutely counted on to deliver inside the ring: Bret "The Hitman" Hart. With his placid demeanor, alternative rocker hair, and pink and black color scheme, Hart's presence on WWE programming throughout the eighties and nineties was a welcome one, especially with the continuing passage of time. As heroes faded, Hart assumed their mantles, shouldering the workload with inspiring performances night in and night out.
Though Hart sometimes gets written off today as bitter and cynical for some of his frank observations, one could say he's only guilty of being brutally honest. As a man who held high standards for his own performances, he seems to expect the same out of today's top wrestlers, and when he feels underwhelmed, he'll say so. This isn't some bingo hall never-was giving his take, either - this is one of the all time greats.
As such, boiling Bret Hart's best matches down to a simple list of ten was in itself far from simple. There will be some obvious picks, some somewhat-forgotten classics that will bring back memories, and of course, omissions that will draw a bit of protest. It's Bret Hart, man - doing a top 126 would take forever.
Here are, in one man's opinion, the ten greatest matches featuring Bret "The Hitman" Hart.
10. Vs. The 123 Kid (Monday Night Raw 7/11/94)
The early days of Monday Night Raw are rife with pay-per-view caliber battles, though they weren't a week-to-week occurrence. Scattered across the 1993 and 1994 calendar are truly enjoyable bouts between the best performers of what was a thinning WWE roster. Perhaps the best of Raw from either year was this face-vs-face battle between the WWE Champion, and a 21-year-old junior-heavyweight underdog.
For 25 minutes, Hart and Kid put together an absolute gem, with the youngster making some fans believe towards the end that he was close to unseating "The Hitman". The dramatic final sequence ended with Hart catching him in the Sharpshooter, bringing to an end what had become a well-executed see-saw battle.
Both men have since expressed their respective pride in the match, among the better self-contained "one-off" bouts in WWE history. As the company's top babyface, Hart understood the value of helping his fellow babyface opponent build sympathy throughout a match, getting even his own fans positively charged about seeing a possible title change.