mrslackalack
11-04-2005, 10:32 PM
I found this on Amazon that a reader found in a forum its a descripiton of the matches that are on Brets DVD (excluding vs MDM and vs Owen in White Plains as they were not televised) I enjoyed this and I hope you will too.
w/Jim Neidhart vs. The British Bulldogs
Every time these teams wrestled, they blew the roof off the arena. They were quite simply the two greatest tag teams the WWF had ever seen and they stole the show on a regular basis.
vs. Ricky Steamboat - Prime Time Wreslting 07/28/86
This match (taped in Boston on 03/08/86) was 15 minutes of fantastic scientific wrestling that was supposed to set up a match between them for Wrestlemania 2. This was the first time these wrestlers ever met in the ring, and they still reached **** and delivered the WWF Match of the Year.
vs. The Rockers - Saturday Night's Main Event #26
While somewhat hindered by the incredibly lame and illogical finish,(Demolition Inference) this was a fantastic match. The execution was nearly flawless, the reversals were amazing, the psychology was smart, and the action was intense. With another five to ten minutes and a decisive finish, this could have grown into one of the greatest tag matches of all time. Everything in this match looked so smooth without coming across as rehearsed or contrived and the frequent tags on the part of both teams helped build a smart match that was full of action.
vs. Mr. Perfect - Summer Slam '91
This was fantastic and still holds up as one of the greatest matches in the company's history. The execution was very crisp, there were over a dozen false finishes, there were several smooth reversals, and the momentum shifts were downright incredible. These wrestlers were on the same wavelength throughout the entire match but not once did the match seem overly rehearsed. As good as this match was, both men were reportedly upset with its quality. Apparently, this match wasn't nearly as good as their series of house show matches from 1989. That is almost frightening.
vs. Davey Boy Smith - Summer Slam '92
This contained every crucial element necessary for a great match. From a technical standpoint, this match was fantastic with smart psychology, fantastic reversal sequences, a plethora of moves, and dozens of false finishes. The "family feud" added an extra dramatic element as did the environment. The 80,000 screaming fans didn't just pop for the entrances and high spots, but were actually white hot throughout the entire match. It is rare to see a crowd stay that hot for that long. This is, quite obviously, Davey Boy's crowning moment and anyone who has seen this match will understand why Bret Hart was wearing his first WWF Championship within six weeks. This was the first WWF PPV without Hulk Hogan and there was a lot of weight on the shoulders of these two to deliver a solid main event. Needless to say, they more than met all expectations and put on what many consider to be the greatest match in the WWF's history.
vs. Mr. Perfect - King of the Ring '93
The fact that they were both faces created a very different dynamic which accentuated Perfect's will to win at any cost. When Perfect was unable to out-wrestle Bret, he decided to surprise him with a cheap shot. When Bret stayed in control Perfect finally decided to go after his injured hand. This showed a certain level of desperation, but also showed how important winning this match was. The execution was great, the pacing was great, the psychology was great, and the storytelling was great. Mr. Perfect's attempt to take a page out of Bret's playbook by "playing possum" was classic. This is your 1993 WWF Match of the Year.
vs. Owen Hart - Wrestlemania X
Owen finally stepped out of Bret's shadow and earned the victory of his career here. This was the greatest opening match in WrestleMania history and one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches ever. The psychology was fantastic with both wrestlers being extremely focused with their plan of attack and both doing a fantastic job of selling their opponent's offense. The execution, from the mat work at the beginning to the high impact moves in the middle to the pinning combinations at the end, was incredible. The numerous momentum shifts and countless near fall situations raised the excitement factor and kept the fans into the match from bell to bell. Add to this the storyline and character development and you have yourself a contender for Match of the Decade. You simply aren't going to find many WWE matches that are this good.
vs. Hakushi - In Your House
This was a fast paced cruiserweight style match that really shows how flexible Bret was in the ring. Hakushi would have seen a lot more success if more wrestlers were willing to work his style.
vs. Diesel - Survivor Series '95
This wasn't your typical Match of the Year contender, but it was fantastic nonetheless. The pace here is very slow, but is also very deliberate. Bret's first real move (an arm wringer) didn't happen until eight minutes in and the first near fall didn't take place until about ten minutes after that, but the match never seems too repetitive. Diesel almost seemed like a vicious monster from an old horror movie here and his slow pace made him seem very confident of victory. Surprisingly, Diesel did a fantastic job of selling his injury after Bret got on the offensive. Bret trying to keep his distance from Diesel accentuated both Bret's intelligence and the incredible threat that Diesel imposed. The finish is easily one of the most memorable in the company's long history. The table bump that Bret took was unlike what most fans ever seen before and the fans were sure that Bret was finished after it. Bret collapsing while Diesel was trying to Jackknife him only to surprise him with a pinfall was downright shocking. I have seen surprise victories before and since, but none were as well executed or as surprising as this one was. Both men have a match to be proud of in this one.
vs. Davey Boy Smith - In Your House V
Davey was a lot more confident here than he was at Summer Slam '92 and took on a bigger role as he was in control of the offense for the most of the match. The two did an excellent job in playing off of their previous battles, but managed to put on a entirely different match than they had in the past. Bret's blade job was pretty brutal for that era and it was rare to see so much blood in a WWF ring. Although the winner of this match should have been obvious, they were successful in making the fans believe that Bret could not defeat Davey. This did not have the atmosphere or the historical significance that their previous match had, it was still incredible and a very strong contender for Match of the Year.
vs. Steve Austin - Wresltemania 13
One of the most important matches in the history of the business and every wrestling fan should be required to see it. Bret is known for being one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time, but he is also clearly one of the best brawlers of all time. The intensity of this match is impossible to capture with words and it seemed as though Austin and Bret really hated each other. Technically, this match was a masterpiece but, as with most of Bret's matches, where it really excelled was in its storytelling aspects. The psychology in this match was brilliant with Bret relentless in his attack on Austin's leg, and Austin doing a perfect job of selling his injury. The finish was also brilliant and created a situation in which the fans were guaranteed to get behind Austin and make him their new hero. It is downright remarkable how this match managed to turn Austin face and Bret heel without ever being too obvious about it. Steve Austin had many great matches prior to this one, but this is the night that he became a legend. This match paved the way for the Attitude era.
vs. Undertaker - One Night Only '97
This was Bret's last great WWF match and arguably Undertaker's best performance ever. The psychology here was great and I was shocked at how well Undertaker sold his injuries. This match completely blew their previous match from Summer Slam out of the water and, without the story revolving around Shawn Michaels, Bret and Undertaker were given all of the spotlight. This event was a UK-only PPV, but Bret pulled a few strings and had it shown in Canada as well. Sadly, Vince McMahon decided to burry this match. He did this to piss Bret off but was really doing an terrible injustice to the Undertaker as well. This match is undisputed proof that Undertaker does not suck and, with the right opponent, he can achieve greatness.
vs. Chris Benoit - Monday Nitro 10/04/99
These two had a few very solid matches in the past, but they were finally able to achieve greatness with this one. This contained several references to Stampede Wrestling and was a healthy dose of nostalgia for anyone familiar with that promotion. What also made this match great was its learned psychology. Bret and Benoit both went for several moves that had been successful for them in their previous matches only to have them be countered by their wizened opponent.
w/Jim Neidhart vs. The British Bulldogs
Every time these teams wrestled, they blew the roof off the arena. They were quite simply the two greatest tag teams the WWF had ever seen and they stole the show on a regular basis.
vs. Ricky Steamboat - Prime Time Wreslting 07/28/86
This match (taped in Boston on 03/08/86) was 15 minutes of fantastic scientific wrestling that was supposed to set up a match between them for Wrestlemania 2. This was the first time these wrestlers ever met in the ring, and they still reached **** and delivered the WWF Match of the Year.
vs. The Rockers - Saturday Night's Main Event #26
While somewhat hindered by the incredibly lame and illogical finish,(Demolition Inference) this was a fantastic match. The execution was nearly flawless, the reversals were amazing, the psychology was smart, and the action was intense. With another five to ten minutes and a decisive finish, this could have grown into one of the greatest tag matches of all time. Everything in this match looked so smooth without coming across as rehearsed or contrived and the frequent tags on the part of both teams helped build a smart match that was full of action.
vs. Mr. Perfect - Summer Slam '91
This was fantastic and still holds up as one of the greatest matches in the company's history. The execution was very crisp, there were over a dozen false finishes, there were several smooth reversals, and the momentum shifts were downright incredible. These wrestlers were on the same wavelength throughout the entire match but not once did the match seem overly rehearsed. As good as this match was, both men were reportedly upset with its quality. Apparently, this match wasn't nearly as good as their series of house show matches from 1989. That is almost frightening.
vs. Davey Boy Smith - Summer Slam '92
This contained every crucial element necessary for a great match. From a technical standpoint, this match was fantastic with smart psychology, fantastic reversal sequences, a plethora of moves, and dozens of false finishes. The "family feud" added an extra dramatic element as did the environment. The 80,000 screaming fans didn't just pop for the entrances and high spots, but were actually white hot throughout the entire match. It is rare to see a crowd stay that hot for that long. This is, quite obviously, Davey Boy's crowning moment and anyone who has seen this match will understand why Bret Hart was wearing his first WWF Championship within six weeks. This was the first WWF PPV without Hulk Hogan and there was a lot of weight on the shoulders of these two to deliver a solid main event. Needless to say, they more than met all expectations and put on what many consider to be the greatest match in the WWF's history.
vs. Mr. Perfect - King of the Ring '93
The fact that they were both faces created a very different dynamic which accentuated Perfect's will to win at any cost. When Perfect was unable to out-wrestle Bret, he decided to surprise him with a cheap shot. When Bret stayed in control Perfect finally decided to go after his injured hand. This showed a certain level of desperation, but also showed how important winning this match was. The execution was great, the pacing was great, the psychology was great, and the storytelling was great. Mr. Perfect's attempt to take a page out of Bret's playbook by "playing possum" was classic. This is your 1993 WWF Match of the Year.
vs. Owen Hart - Wrestlemania X
Owen finally stepped out of Bret's shadow and earned the victory of his career here. This was the greatest opening match in WrestleMania history and one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches ever. The psychology was fantastic with both wrestlers being extremely focused with their plan of attack and both doing a fantastic job of selling their opponent's offense. The execution, from the mat work at the beginning to the high impact moves in the middle to the pinning combinations at the end, was incredible. The numerous momentum shifts and countless near fall situations raised the excitement factor and kept the fans into the match from bell to bell. Add to this the storyline and character development and you have yourself a contender for Match of the Decade. You simply aren't going to find many WWE matches that are this good.
vs. Hakushi - In Your House
This was a fast paced cruiserweight style match that really shows how flexible Bret was in the ring. Hakushi would have seen a lot more success if more wrestlers were willing to work his style.
vs. Diesel - Survivor Series '95
This wasn't your typical Match of the Year contender, but it was fantastic nonetheless. The pace here is very slow, but is also very deliberate. Bret's first real move (an arm wringer) didn't happen until eight minutes in and the first near fall didn't take place until about ten minutes after that, but the match never seems too repetitive. Diesel almost seemed like a vicious monster from an old horror movie here and his slow pace made him seem very confident of victory. Surprisingly, Diesel did a fantastic job of selling his injury after Bret got on the offensive. Bret trying to keep his distance from Diesel accentuated both Bret's intelligence and the incredible threat that Diesel imposed. The finish is easily one of the most memorable in the company's long history. The table bump that Bret took was unlike what most fans ever seen before and the fans were sure that Bret was finished after it. Bret collapsing while Diesel was trying to Jackknife him only to surprise him with a pinfall was downright shocking. I have seen surprise victories before and since, but none were as well executed or as surprising as this one was. Both men have a match to be proud of in this one.
vs. Davey Boy Smith - In Your House V
Davey was a lot more confident here than he was at Summer Slam '92 and took on a bigger role as he was in control of the offense for the most of the match. The two did an excellent job in playing off of their previous battles, but managed to put on a entirely different match than they had in the past. Bret's blade job was pretty brutal for that era and it was rare to see so much blood in a WWF ring. Although the winner of this match should have been obvious, they were successful in making the fans believe that Bret could not defeat Davey. This did not have the atmosphere or the historical significance that their previous match had, it was still incredible and a very strong contender for Match of the Year.
vs. Steve Austin - Wresltemania 13
One of the most important matches in the history of the business and every wrestling fan should be required to see it. Bret is known for being one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time, but he is also clearly one of the best brawlers of all time. The intensity of this match is impossible to capture with words and it seemed as though Austin and Bret really hated each other. Technically, this match was a masterpiece but, as with most of Bret's matches, where it really excelled was in its storytelling aspects. The psychology in this match was brilliant with Bret relentless in his attack on Austin's leg, and Austin doing a perfect job of selling his injury. The finish was also brilliant and created a situation in which the fans were guaranteed to get behind Austin and make him their new hero. It is downright remarkable how this match managed to turn Austin face and Bret heel without ever being too obvious about it. Steve Austin had many great matches prior to this one, but this is the night that he became a legend. This match paved the way for the Attitude era.
vs. Undertaker - One Night Only '97
This was Bret's last great WWF match and arguably Undertaker's best performance ever. The psychology here was great and I was shocked at how well Undertaker sold his injuries. This match completely blew their previous match from Summer Slam out of the water and, without the story revolving around Shawn Michaels, Bret and Undertaker were given all of the spotlight. This event was a UK-only PPV, but Bret pulled a few strings and had it shown in Canada as well. Sadly, Vince McMahon decided to burry this match. He did this to piss Bret off but was really doing an terrible injustice to the Undertaker as well. This match is undisputed proof that Undertaker does not suck and, with the right opponent, he can achieve greatness.
vs. Chris Benoit - Monday Nitro 10/04/99
These two had a few very solid matches in the past, but they were finally able to achieve greatness with this one. This contained several references to Stampede Wrestling and was a healthy dose of nostalgia for anyone familiar with that promotion. What also made this match great was its learned psychology. Bret and Benoit both went for several moves that had been successful for them in their previous matches only to have them be countered by their wizened opponent.