Bret Hart's 5 WWE Championship Reigns Ranked From Worst To Best
The best title reigns there are, the best there were and the best there ever will be.
Bret 'The Hitman' Hart was one of those very few wrestlers who don't need a title to be special. That said, he was also the man WWE knew they could rely on whenever they gave him the top strap.
'The Excellence Of Execution' was the second man, after the unstoppable Hulk Hogan, to win the WWE Championship on five different occasions.
As good as he was, it was inside the squared circle that 'The Hitman' was truly untouchable, having the ability to make himself and everyone around him look like a million bucks.
We'll take you through some of 'The Hitman's best matches and moments as WWE Heavyweight Champion. Matches and moments with the likes of Ric Flair, Davey Boy Smith, Yokozuna, The Undertaker, Owen Hart and, of course, Shawn Michaels that are well worth going back and watching.
With that said, put on your black and pink sunglasses, sit back and enjoy our list as we rank all of Bret 'The Hitman' Hart's five reigns as WWE Champion from worst to best.
5. WWE Championship (4th) 16 February 1997 - 17 February 1997
Make no mistake about it: Bret Hart is one of the best WWE Champions of all time. His reigns are full of legendary moments and, above all, terrific matches with literally everyone. His fourth reign, however, is an exception.
After Shawn Michaels shockingly lost his smile in front of the world in early 1997 and vacated his WWF Title, the belt was put on the line at February's In Your House PPV. A four way elimination bout between the four final participants in that year's controversial Royal Rumble Match - 'The Hitman', Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vader and The Undertaker - would crown the new holder.
In a fun match where eliminations happened by throwing the opponent over the top rope, Bret last eliminated 'The Deadman' thanks to a distraction by Austin, who had just been eliminated. However, the veteran wouldn't celebrate for long, as he dropped his coveted World Wrestling Federation Championship to Sycho Sid on the following night's RAW.
But you know what they say: sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward. And since we ended up with Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, it ended up being worth it in the end!
However, as far as Bret's title reign goes, this one is by far... well, the worst that there is.