The Worst Wrestler In WWE History

Tom Magee Bret Hart
WWE

In a word, No.

He was made, but only in the sense that Bret Hart's one-man show was so impressive that he'd constructed what appeared to be a coliseum and obscured the foundations made of sand.

The irony of a match developing such a reputation that it warranted some of the most intense fan scrutiny this side AEW Dynamite's ratings was that people were viewing it not in the originally intended context, but the one within which it had been reframed. Had 1986 fan eyes seen this, they'd have seen the bodybuilder-looking hunk show a heel 'Hitman' that he had more than just a wide frame about him, and Hart'd be wise to scout his opponent more thoroughly next time. But it wasn't just 22 years of kayfabe being shattered that highlighted Tom Magee's obvious inadequacies. It was everybody being encouraged to marvel at Bret's extra effort in hiding them.

When viewed through that lens, the flaws of pro wrestling are laid bare alongside the true genius of its best practitioners. Bret takes a light-switch back bump off a sweeping kick that wouldn't have uprooted a daisy from wet grass. Magee spent so long holding Hart's boot beforehand that Gorilla Monsoon had to talk about his sculpted back with no action to call. The aforementioned arm drags and backflips appeared to get the train back on the tracks, but very quickly it became apparent just how much Hart was fighting to keep it from derailing completely.

A one-footed dropkick requires Bret kicking off at ringside with more anger than he showed after the Montreal Screwjob. There's a rare-for-the-time mid-match replay of Magee's theatrics thrown in because Bret's having to stall more to sell his power.

Speaking of selling, it's a good job Tom didn't have to do too much of that.

CONT'D...

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett