JeroenLeijten
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- Feb 28, 2011
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I'm compiling a DVD with consideration to the casual fan. We're talking the megastars here, not the great workers. I've compiled this list taking into consideration factors like titles, platform, and match quality (clean endings with well-wrestled matches where possible). Some, like his matches with The Rock and Hulk Hogan were one-offs; the Hogan match ended as a farce, but must be included as it was his only televised meeting with arguably the biggest name in the history of the sport.
While it's probably unanimous among wrestling purists that Hart's Iron Man Match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 12 was the most entertaining encounter they had, I won't be including it here for the purpose of disc space. The remaining options are their WWF Intercontinental Championship ladder match in the summer of 1992, and their two other WWF Championship encounters: Survivor Series 1992, and Survivor Series 1997. The ladder match wasn't televised, and didn't have a big match feel, but was highly entertaining. Survivor Series 1997 had neither good wrestling or a clean finish. Survivor Series 1992, the option I'm going with, saw two superb athletes putting on a clinic for nearly thirty minutes in a champion vs champion match. The last time we'd seen such a thing was at Wrestlemania 6 with Hogan and Warrior. While that match was a bigger draw, Hart and Michaels blew them away in terms of action. Ultimately, I feel that this would be the most entertaining and palatable for the casual fan, having lots of great moves, and having that big match feel, being a pay-per-view main event for the WWF Championship.
Some may feel that Hart's first WWF title win against Flair in 1992 was more notable than the WCW Souled Out '98 match I've included; I feel that the Souled Out match was far more tense, as both men were now on an even footing and had some great segments leading in where both claimed to be the best in the business, which were alluded to during the match. Their WWF Championship match wasn't televised, while the Souled Out encounter was the semi-main event of a pay-per-view when WCW was the #1 professional wrestling company in the world, and the business in general was on fire. As well as being a more tense affair, I felt it was the better-wrestled match.
Sure, some guys hadn't quite hit their peak yet, like The Rock and Triple H, but both were megastars in the making. I've included Bret's March 4, 1996 match against Triple H: some may feel that their October 6, 1997 match on Raw is more relevant (Trips was a bigger deal by then), but that match was pretty much a stinker, marred by endless outside factors and with no clean finish. Their March 1996 encounter was just fifteen minutes of solid wrestling, and, although Triple H lost, I feel it done more for his credibility than their October 1997 encounter.
Anyway, here goes. I've placed the matches in chronological order. See what you think and give your thoughts. Comments will be greatly appreciated:
1. Roddy Piper - WWF Wrestlemania, April 5, 1992 (WWF Intercontinental Championship)
2. Shawn Michaels - WWF Survivor Series, November 25, 1992 (WWF Championship)
3. Triple H - WWF Raw, March 4, 1996
4. Steve Austin - WWF Wrestlemania, March 23, 1997
5. The Rock - WWF Raw, March 31, 1997 (WWF Intercontinental Championship)
6. The Undertaker - WWF SummerSlam, August 3, 1997 (WWF Championship)
7. Ric Flair - WCW Souled Out, January 24, 1998
8. Randy Savage - WCW Slamboree, May 17, 1998
9. Hulk Hogan - WCW Nitro, September 28, 1998
10. Sting - WCW Mayhem, November 21, 1999 (penultimate match in WCW Championship tournament)
11. Goldberg - WCW Starrcade, December 19, 1999 (WCW Championship)
While it's probably unanimous among wrestling purists that Hart's Iron Man Match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 12 was the most entertaining encounter they had, I won't be including it here for the purpose of disc space. The remaining options are their WWF Intercontinental Championship ladder match in the summer of 1992, and their two other WWF Championship encounters: Survivor Series 1992, and Survivor Series 1997. The ladder match wasn't televised, and didn't have a big match feel, but was highly entertaining. Survivor Series 1997 had neither good wrestling or a clean finish. Survivor Series 1992, the option I'm going with, saw two superb athletes putting on a clinic for nearly thirty minutes in a champion vs champion match. The last time we'd seen such a thing was at Wrestlemania 6 with Hogan and Warrior. While that match was a bigger draw, Hart and Michaels blew them away in terms of action. Ultimately, I feel that this would be the most entertaining and palatable for the casual fan, having lots of great moves, and having that big match feel, being a pay-per-view main event for the WWF Championship.
Some may feel that Hart's first WWF title win against Flair in 1992 was more notable than the WCW Souled Out '98 match I've included; I feel that the Souled Out match was far more tense, as both men were now on an even footing and had some great segments leading in where both claimed to be the best in the business, which were alluded to during the match. Their WWF Championship match wasn't televised, while the Souled Out encounter was the semi-main event of a pay-per-view when WCW was the #1 professional wrestling company in the world, and the business in general was on fire. As well as being a more tense affair, I felt it was the better-wrestled match.
Sure, some guys hadn't quite hit their peak yet, like The Rock and Triple H, but both were megastars in the making. I've included Bret's March 4, 1996 match against Triple H: some may feel that their October 6, 1997 match on Raw is more relevant (Trips was a bigger deal by then), but that match was pretty much a stinker, marred by endless outside factors and with no clean finish. Their March 1996 encounter was just fifteen minutes of solid wrestling, and, although Triple H lost, I feel it done more for his credibility than their October 1997 encounter.
Anyway, here goes. I've placed the matches in chronological order. See what you think and give your thoughts. Comments will be greatly appreciated:
1. Roddy Piper - WWF Wrestlemania, April 5, 1992 (WWF Intercontinental Championship)
2. Shawn Michaels - WWF Survivor Series, November 25, 1992 (WWF Championship)
3. Triple H - WWF Raw, March 4, 1996
4. Steve Austin - WWF Wrestlemania, March 23, 1997
5. The Rock - WWF Raw, March 31, 1997 (WWF Intercontinental Championship)
6. The Undertaker - WWF SummerSlam, August 3, 1997 (WWF Championship)
7. Ric Flair - WCW Souled Out, January 24, 1998
8. Randy Savage - WCW Slamboree, May 17, 1998
9. Hulk Hogan - WCW Nitro, September 28, 1998
10. Sting - WCW Mayhem, November 21, 1999 (penultimate match in WCW Championship tournament)
11. Goldberg - WCW Starrcade, December 19, 1999 (WCW Championship)