maybe stating tbe obvious: Bret Hart is underated!

[gbacon85]

My favourite ever, and always has been. I mean 97 Bret is just the epitome of why I liked wrestling. That year is an absolute journey for him and his character. He was THE reason to watch Raw every Monday, and everything he was involved in that year was gold. Despite Owen's acting, when he stops the fight between Davey and Owen and cuts that promo...I still get goosebumps..."Owen...I love ya"

 

The way he is now, is sort of how I feel about Robert De Niro, one of my other idols. Can I forgive him for making Rocky & Bullwinkle because he was Travis Bickle? Well yeah, I can.

 

Saying that, it was a little bit sad when I saw him at Rev Pro.

My favourite ever, and always has been. I mean 97 Bret is just the epitome of why I liked wrestling. That year is an absolute journey for him and his character. He was THE reason to watch Raw every Monday, and everything he was involved in that year was gold. Despite Owen's acting, when he stops the fight between Davey and Owen and cuts that promo...I still get goosebumps..."Owen...I love ya"

 

The way he is now, is sort of how I feel about Robert De Niro, one of my other idols. Can I forgive him for making Rocky & Bullwinkle because he was Travis Bickle? Well yeah, I can.

 

Saying that, it was a little bit sad when I saw him at Rev Pro.

[lambyUK]

Forgetting about the stuff that's gone on in his personal life, he's the greatest of all time for me. I don't think anyone compares to him from the perspective of when you watched his matches, you really could believe they were real. His crispness of his moves and the way he told a story and sold for his opponent really haven't been topped by anyone in my opinion to this day.

 

And for those slamming his promos just need to watch this promo from Raw just at the beginning of his run. I remember as a 15 year old thinking I was watching something real.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxCDDlSw9-A

[WWFChilli]

That was Brets greatest appeal to me. He wasn't a superhuman cartoon in the Hogan/Warrior. He came across like the dedicated athlete. A human, a normal, if gifted guy. The kinda guy that if you tried hard enough you could be like. His human athlete aspect sold him. That and his incredible ability to make pink look boss.

[Linus]

Watch any Mid-South from the mid '80s and it's better than WWF at that point. Watch any Memphis from the late '80s and it's better than WWF at that point. Watch Smoky Mountain from '93 and it's better than WWF at that point. Shit, even Power-Pro was better than Raw in '99 (I may be alone in this). You think southern wrasslin' died? Watch NXT: total southern booking from Dusty, with an Armstrong as a road agent.

 

Edit: I hate Bret.

[PowerButchi]

Power Pro was great. Michael Hayes was great fun and I really dig Derrick King.

[LEGIT]

Was never a fan. I think the only time I was ever emotionally invested in one of his matches was when he beat Mr Perfect at King of the Ring by being a cheating bastard. And I was into the build up to the iron man match, but the bout itself put me to sleep.

Dude, that's harsh. I watched a lot of 93-95 wrestling recently and Bret saved nearly every PPV. All three of his matches at the King of the Ring you mentioned were very good. As other people mentioned, there's the Austin and Bulldog matches as well.

 

To me, in terms of emotional investment, he's the best ever. But that's partly because I was young during his run and have watched him while growing up. I wouldn't call him under-rated- yes some people may under-rate him but the same can be said for anyone. He's generally considered a legend, and rightly so IMO. Most people say '97 Bret was the best, which might be true. I personally prefer '93.

[King Pitcos]

Dude, that's harsh. I watched a lot of 93-95 wrestling recently and Bret saved nearly every PPV. All three of his matches at the King of the Ring you mentioned were very good. As other people mentioned, there's the Austin and Bulldog matches as well.

 

I watched a lot of 93-95 wrestling at the time, and I just wasn't into the Hitman. I tend to think it was because Bret was such a drop in star quality from Hogan, but then I liked a lot of the other babyfaces at the time so it couldn't have been that. I was a much bigger fan of Macho Man, Crush, Mr Perfect, Razor, Luger, 123 Kid, Diesel, Bulldog, even Barry Horowitz for a few months there. The only matches of Bret's that I ever really got into were ones where I was a big fan of his opponent.

[Carbomb]

Was gonna say, Pitcos - I thought I might have read you recently sharing my love for the Bret/Piper match from WM8. Going from what you've said above, it makes sense - I loved Piper back then too, he was incredibly likable. Oddly, even though I was a massive fan of Bret at the time, I really did want Piper to win it.

[Vice]

You can add me to the 'Bret is the best ever' camp. Outside of his most cited classics, I'd highly recommend:

 

The Million Dollar Team vs. The Dream Team (Survivor Series 1990) - Towards the end, it's like Bret is wrestling for his life.

vs. Piper (Wrestlemania 8) - An extraordinary match for its feel, drama, efficiency and effectiveness. As another poster on here once said, it's like a movie within a match.

vs. Diesel (King of the Ring 1994) - A barnbuster.

vs. Jean-Pierre Lafitte (In Your House) - A real marvel of a match that really exceeded my expectations.

vs. Austin (Survivor Series 1996) - An epic.

The Royal Rumble Match 1997 - Bret going bezerk at the end is awesome because it's understandable, an important piece of his character progression and done with such conviction.

 

Other gems:

 

vs. Razor Ramon (Royal Rumble 1993) - I'll nitpick that the final move in this match takes just a tad too long to set up, but, other than, it's a solid, hard-fought battle.

vs. Bob Backlund (Survivor Series 1994) - I just love the climax of this match for all the sympathy it elicits. 

vs. Jean-Pierre Lafitte (Raw, 1995) - A cracking, hard-hitting match.

vs. Sting (Halloween Havoc 1998) - This feud is booked all wrong. The commentators make reference to 'The Sharpshooter vs. The Scorpion Deathlock' and the ability of these two to put on a clinic, but it was never about either, bizarrely. Still, heel Bret Hart is a lot of fun to watch in this match.

vs. DDP (Nitro, October 1998) - A solid match. Look out for that superplex.

[IronSheik]

This type of shite is where Bret lets himself down...

"they stole MY idea" goo goo ga ga

 

"it wasn't a great match it was a great idea" mummy they stole my idea...

BRET HART: LADDER MATCHES AND RAZOR RAMON'S DEBUT: https://youtu.be/Vy7QfhIqtCQ

[WyattSheepMask]

Didn't he throw a massive wobbly about not being voted the top Canadian athlete (or it may have been specifically wrestler) at some awards do a few years back.

 

He was a great talent, that's plain for any wrestling fan to see. I did think he came across as massively bitter when I read his book, and if you were to take him at his word his opponents had their greatest against him and him only. You can make some cases for that no question, others not so much

[The Gaffer]

Bret is someone I've softened on massively over time. I wouldn't go so far as to say he was misunderstood or anything like that but I think he is one of the more obvious examples of what can happen when you get too close to the product and go beyond the kayfabe of one of your favorites. Bret Hart the wholesome hero was a wrestling character.Yes it was made incredibly believable in the mid nineties because he genuinely seemed like a top guy but isn't genuinely seeming like something part of the act? Heroes disappoint and few people in the business have probably earned their misery through repeat tragedy more. 

 

So I've stopped caring about how shrilly and adulterated his book is. The New Generation era has been one of my favorite places to go over the past year on the Network because in a bizarre way it's aged much better than the Attitude Era stuff and has a much more eyes wide open feel to it. Even in it's worst moments everything is usually bite size and light hearted. And Bret just became a sort of revelation to me again in that sort of way where if you're wet for him you get it, if you're not you wont. Shawn's done more but Bret just has a grounded crispness to absolutely every aspect of his work that's fucking unbelievable.

 

Consistency and crispness should be footnotes in someones list of attributes. The obvious ground the house is then built on - not the house itself. But with Bret it is the house. And it's so over. You have guys down through the years doing everything from Gold Standard to Best In The World but the Excellence Of Execution is the best example of something that's as light on the props as possible. The whole act is that "I'm this unbelievable wrestler. I'll give you a fair shot".

[PowerButchi]

You know who the best wrestler of the New Generation is?

 

Sean fucking Waltman. Both Hart and Michaels are way behind.

[Loligan]

Sean Waltman could never quite make me believe he could beat the much bigger foes in the way bret did. Maybe because he seldom beat anyone. But the believability factor goes to bret and shawn first before the 123 kid gets a look in.

[patiirc]

Bit late to all of this, but I never really got Bret during the midst of his singles run. I loved his tag work with Hart Foundation, Match at Summerslam vs Mr Perfect was excellent and so on, but I just couldn't click with him for whatever reason. 

Loved him to bits in tags, loved his early single forays, just dont get the whole singles run? Is there a must watch period? I've seen most of the things listed so far and have even done the Raw's of 1996/7 up until the Screw Job, just not feeling the Bret love, sorry.