Who REALLY Carried WWE Every Year (1985-2026)
34. 1993 (Bret Hart)
Vince really wanted to push Lex Luger to the moon as a replacement for Hogan, but Bret was the main man again come 1993. His blend of workhorse matches and connection to an emerging younger audience clicked, and yet the higher-ups never seemed fully invested in pushing him as the top WWF star until they had no other choice.
Inevitably, Lex flopped in his 'Hogan 2.0' role. At the same time, Hart was rocking the house by working hot matches like his title defence vs. Razor Ramon at the Royal Rumble, and he even pulled something worthwhile by wrestling around Yokozuna's limitations at WrestleMania IX. Of course, that's when Hulk reappeared to scoop the glory for himself, but that didn't last long.
After losing the belt and dropping down a notch, Bret roared back at King Of The Ring. His 3 matches on the pay-per-vew became stuff of legend, and it was obvious to anyone with 2 working eyes that Hart was carrying the product in-ring. Others like Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon and The Steiner Brothers added quality, but the 'Hitman' was king.
Literally.
His twin segment bouts with Doink The Clown then Jerry Lawler at SummerSlam, and with his bros vs. HBK and some knights at Survivor Series never fell beneath good. Further, Bret decided to show McMahon what was he missing out on atop the card rather than bitch and moan about it. That wouldn't have done him much good anyway. Show his talent was the way forward.
By redoubling his efforts, Bret also helped one of his brothers ascend up the ladder.