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The Hitman was a triple crown winner in WWE, meaning he held the company’s three major championships — the World, Intercontinental, and Tag Team titles. Beyond that, he held the then-WWF’s top prize on five different occasions.
However, as is common knowledge in the wrestling world, Bret’s illustrious career with the Federation came to a bitter end at the 1997 Survivor Series. The Excellence of Execution was leaving his home turf in the so-called North to head down South to Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling. It was a major coup for WCW and its President, Eric Bischoff. However, the Hitman’s career suffered due to WCW’s near-constant mismanagement, before coming to an abrupt end only a few years later.
When interviewed for a special edition of WWE Magazine, focusing on his career, in 2005, Bret Hart had the following to say about that southern promotion:
“It was a company that never had a clue, from the day I walked in to the day I walked out. There was no rhyme or reason to anything anybody was doing… It was everything that could possibly be wrong with a wrestling company, with the exception of one thing: they paid well… WCW, unfortunately, never had any real leadership… I hate to say it, but they didn’t know a good idea from a bad idea, and they had way too many Indians and no chiefs.”
Despite his tumultuous and disappointing run in WCW, there were some shining achievements to be had. In the following pages, we take a look back at some of the Hitman’s greatest moments and some of his worst
.
4. 4-Time United States Champion
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Back in 1998, just some seven months after his debut down South, the Hitman challenged Diamond Dallas Page during the main event of the July 20th Nitro, with the vacant US title on the line. Bret bested DDP, coming away with his first championship in WCW.
Just twenty-one days later, Hart lost the prestigious belt to Lex Luger, only to regain it a few nights after on Thunder. Two months later, the Canadian grappler again faced off with DDP, only this time, Dallas would come out the winner and leave with the belt.
The two competitors would have a rematch just over a month later and would again trade the title between them. Bret Hart had begun his third US Championship reign only four months after initially winning the title.
Shortly after losing the belt to longtime Hart family friend, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, the Hitman took about three months off from WCW, which would be extended another four months due to the sad passing of his brother Owen.
Bret returned September 13, 1999 with the intention of winning the World Heavyweight Championship. During a 32-man tournament to crown a new WCW Champion, Hart faced off with Goldberg in a first round match. Furthermore, the match was also contested for Goldberg’s US title. Bret won the bout and walked away with his fourth United States Championship, before ultimately losing the belt a few weeks later to Scott Hall.
The Excellence of Execution’s four US Title reigns while in WCW was a shining achievement, no doubt. Some ten-and-a-half years later, upon returning to the WWE, Bret defeated the Miz, with the aid of the Hart Dynasty, to once again win the US belt. This fifth win etched Bret’s name into the record books, as he is one of only five men to win the belt five times — the other men to tie for the most reigns are Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Chris Benoit, and Wahoo McDaniel.
3. Owen Hart Tribute Match
May 23, 1999 is a day that will forever live in infamy in the minds of wrestling fans. It was the day that Owen Hart tragically fell from the rafters of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO. Owen nearly instantly succumbed to his injuries from the fall and passed away. The next night, Raw was dedicated to the two-time Slammy Award winner’s memory and was one of the most heartfelt editions of the WWE’s flagship program.
However, one key person missing from that tribute broadcast was Owen’s brother Bret. The Hitman had left the then-World Wrestling Federation a year-and-a-half earlier. But on October 4th of that year, nearly five months later, WCW held Nitro from the Kemper Arena.
Hart, who had only been back for a couple of weeks after a long sabbatical, faced off with Chris Benoit. The match was to be in tribute to Bret’s fallen brother, Owen — who was also a close friend of Benoit’s. Together, the two Canadians put on a classic bout.
Bret stated in a 2005 interview with WWE Magazine that, “It was as important a match as I’ve ever had in my life… We went about 30 minutes, and probably the last 10 minutes, you can see how people were riveted to every move… They were appreciating the match for being a piece of art. That was one of the beautiful things about that match, how the fans clapped at the end of it, and how emotional it was, for Chris and me both. It touched a place in our hearts.”
And the match touched a place in the hearts of the fans too. It was a hard-fought, but respectful and traditional wrestling contest. Bret ultimately came out with the victory, and both competitors embraced in the middle of the ring at the match’s conclusion. Fans cheered both men, and applauded the memory of Owen
2. Conquering Goldberg
Bret Hart was always supremely over in his native Canada. He could do no wrong while there, and the Canadian fans ate up everything the Hitman did. So, on March 29, 1999 while at the newly built Air Canada Centre, Bret walked down to the ring and aired his grievances with WCW.
At the tail end of his tirade, he called out the then-unstoppable Bill Goldberg. Goldberg had only lost once during his career up until that point — in controversial fashion to Kevin Nash. And on top of his impressive winning record, no one was able to overcome his deadly jackhammer or spear. But Bret was about to turn the tides.
Once Bill entered the ring, the Excellence of Execution dared Goldberg to attack. Bret successfully goaded the former Atlanta Falcons football player into charging at him and laying him out with the dreaded spear.
Shockingly, however, both men seemed to be down and out. After a few tense seconds, Bret rolled big Bill over, lay across the behemoth and symbolically counted the three. The Toronto crowd erupted in excitement despite their confusion. Then, Bret stood and removed his Maple Leafs hockey jersey, revealing a steel plate strapped to his abdomen. Just like Clint Eastwood and Marty McFly before him, the Hitman had outsmarted his foe — turning Goldberg’s own powerful move into a devastating defensive attack.
It was not only a stroke of pure genius on the part of Bret Hart, but made for one of the most memorable moments of his short-lived WCW career. The Hitman conquered the unstoppable force that was Goldberg, and he didn’t even have to lift a finger to do it, proving undoubtedly he was not only the best there is, was, and ever will be, but that he was also the most intelligent and cunning superstar of the time.
1. World Heavyweight Champion
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Leading up to that night’s Mayhem PPV, WCW had run a 32-man tournament to determine a new World Champion. Sting had been stripped of the title by J.J. Dillon after a slew of interference-laden matches and controversial title retentions — including Sting attacking a WCW official. To crown a new champ, the tournament was established and began on Nitro some weeks prior. By the time the pay-per-view came around, there were four men left vying for the title.
In Mayhem’s opening bout, Chris Benoit defeated Jeff Jarrett to advance to the finals and main event. Later in the evening, former champion Sting battled Canada’s own Bret Hart. The bout seemed to be an even battle, as both men traded offensive maneuvers. That was until Lex Luger came down to the ring, striking Sting in the leg with a baseball bat. The match was ended, and Bret was declared the winner by disqualification. Neither competitor wanted the match to end in such a controversial manner, and at Bret’s insistence, the match continued. Shortly thereafter, Bret countered Sting’s Scorpion Death Lock into his own version of the submission hold, the Sharpshooter. Sting was forced to tap, and Bret advanced to the finals, where he would meet fellow Canadian, Benoit.
Just like their prior encounters, including the Owen Hart tribute match, fans expected a classic match, and that’s what they got. The Canadian grapplers, and friends, battled back and forth, trading holds and maneuvers. However, in typical WCW fashion the match collapsed into a brawl with interference from Dean Malenko, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Goldberg. After dispatching with the interfering combatants, the match continued as per the referee’s discretion — even though it was not a no disqualification contest.
In the end, Benoit succumbed to Bret’s patented Sharpshooter, after he failed to lock the Hitman in the Crippler Crossface. Bret waved a Canadian flag as he celebrated in the ring with his family. The best there is, was, and ever will be helped to solidify that statement by becoming one of only a handful of men to hold the two top prizes in the wrestling world — the WCW and WWE championships. It was the culmination of so many hardships that he endured during his tenure with WCW.
Bret
Hart was always supremely over in his native Canada. He could do no
wrong while there, and the Canadian fans ate up everything the Hitman
did. So, on March 29, 1999 while at the newly built Air Canada Centre,
Bret walked down to the ring and aired his grievances with WCW.
At the tail end of his tirade, he called out the then-unstoppable Bill Goldberg. Goldberg had only lost once during his career up until that point — in controversial fashion to Kevin Nash. And on top of his impressive winning record, no one was able to overcome his deadly jackhammer or spear. But Bret was about to turn the tides.
Once Bill entered the ring, the Excellence of Execution dared Goldberg to attack. Bret successfully goaded the former Atlanta Falcons football player into charging at him and laying him out with the dreaded spear.
Shockingly, however, both men seemed to be down and out. After a few tense seconds, Bret rolled big Bill over, lay across the behemoth and symbolically counted the three. The Toronto crowd erupted in excitement despite their confusion. Then, Bret stood and removed his Maple Leafs hockey jersey, revealing a steel plate strapped to his abdomen. Just like Clint Eastwood and Marty McFly before him, the Hitman had outsmarted his foe — turning Goldberg’s own powerful move into a devastating defensive attack.
It was not only a stroke of pure genius on the part of Bret Hart, but made for one of the most memorable moments of his short-lived WCW career. The Hitman conquered the unstoppable force that was Goldberg, and he didn’t even have to lift a finger to do it, proving undoubtedly he was not only the best there is, was, and ever will be, but that he was also the most intelligent and cunning superstar of the time.
Read more at http://whatculture.com/wwe/4-best-and-worst-moments-of-bret-harts-wcw-career.php/4#2fuycu2y5UKJs1XK.99
At the tail end of his tirade, he called out the then-unstoppable Bill Goldberg. Goldberg had only lost once during his career up until that point — in controversial fashion to Kevin Nash. And on top of his impressive winning record, no one was able to overcome his deadly jackhammer or spear. But Bret was about to turn the tides.
Once Bill entered the ring, the Excellence of Execution dared Goldberg to attack. Bret successfully goaded the former Atlanta Falcons football player into charging at him and laying him out with the dreaded spear.
Shockingly, however, both men seemed to be down and out. After a few tense seconds, Bret rolled big Bill over, lay across the behemoth and symbolically counted the three. The Toronto crowd erupted in excitement despite their confusion. Then, Bret stood and removed his Maple Leafs hockey jersey, revealing a steel plate strapped to his abdomen. Just like Clint Eastwood and Marty McFly before him, the Hitman had outsmarted his foe — turning Goldberg’s own powerful move into a devastating defensive attack.
It was not only a stroke of pure genius on the part of Bret Hart, but made for one of the most memorable moments of his short-lived WCW career. The Hitman conquered the unstoppable force that was Goldberg, and he didn’t even have to lift a finger to do it, proving undoubtedly he was not only the best there is, was, and ever will be, but that he was also the most intelligent and cunning superstar of the time.
Read more at http://whatculture.com/wwe/4-best-and-worst-moments-of-bret-harts-wcw-career.php/4#2fuycu2y5UKJs1XK.99
2. Conquering Goldberg
Bret Hart was always supremely over in his native Canada. He could do no wrong while there, and the Canadian fans ate up everything the Hitman did. So, on March 29, 1999 while at the newly built Air Canada Centre, Bret walked down to the ring and aired his grievances with WCW.At the tail end of his tirade, he called out the then-unstoppable Bill Goldberg. Goldberg had only lost once during his career up until that point — in controversial fashion to Kevin Nash. And on top of his impressive winning record, no one was able to overcome his deadly jackhammer or spear. But Bret was about to turn the tides.
Once Bill entered the ring, the Excellence of Execution dared Goldberg to attack. Bret successfully goaded the former Atlanta Falcons football player into charging at him and laying him out with the dreaded spear.
Shockingly, however, both men seemed to be down and out. After a few tense seconds, Bret rolled big Bill over, lay across the behemoth and symbolically counted the three. The Toronto crowd erupted in excitement despite their confusion. Then, Bret stood and removed his Maple Leafs hockey jersey, revealing a steel plate strapped to his abdomen. Just like Clint Eastwood and Marty McFly before him, the Hitman had outsmarted his foe — turning Goldberg’s own powerful move into a devastating defensive attack.
It was not only a stroke of pure genius on the part of Bret Hart, but made for one of the most memorable moments of his short-lived WCW career. The Hitman conquered the unstoppable force that was Goldberg, and he didn’t even have to lift a finger to do it, proving undoubtedly he was not only the best there is, was, and ever will be, but that he was also the most intelligent and cunning superstar of the time.
Read more at http://whatculture.com/wwe/4-best-and-worst-moments-of-bret-harts-wcw-career.php/4#2fuycu2y5UKJs1XK.99
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