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Post by elliott on Dec 8, 2017 20:10:35 GMT -5
Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Brian Pillman & Jim Nedihart vs Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock & The Road Warriors (WWF Canadian Stampede - 07/06/1997)
Easily one of the most fun matches ever. This would rank really high on a list of favorites. I'd be surprised if this made my final list. There are a ton of New Japan 10 mans & gauntlets, M-Pro & War Games matches that are stronger candidates, but this deserves a nomination. I feel like this kind of gets forgotten even in the legacy of great WWE matches ever. Great work, great story, and maybe the loudest crowd in the history of the promotion.
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Post by Cap on Dec 9, 2017 15:52:30 GMT -5
Second
This probably isn't making my list, but it absolutely is one of the most fun matches ever. That building was face melting hot for this match and you just can't buy that. Austin v Hart is probably my favorite WWE rivalry so anything involved will get consideration from me.
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Post by Grimmas on Jan 2, 2018 19:28:01 GMT -5
The hottest crowd in wrestling history as Bret Hart returns home the conquering hero. The camera shaking is not a Kevin Dunn affect here, it's fucking legit. The ability Bret and Austin have here to control the crowd is mastery. The story telling is great and it’s a perfect send off for the Hart Family in the WWF.
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Post by gordi on Jan 7, 2018 11:37:58 GMT -5
Definitely making my list. I value storytelling, character work, and working the crowd more than most, and this match utterly dominates in all of those categories.
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Post by stunninggrover on Jun 18, 2018 23:42:17 GMT -5
1997-07-06 Bret Hart & Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart & Davey Boy Smith & Brian Pillman vs. Steve Austin & Ken Shamrock & Animal & Hawk & Goldust (WWF Canadian Stampede @ Saddledome in Calgary, AB, Canada)
One of my favorite matches ever. The heat was off the charts. It was such a fun match. I’ve always loved this match since July 1997. This will always be one of my favorite matches ever. I can still remember watching it for the first time in July 1997 and really enjoying it from start to finish. This will be on my top 100 GME list.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Sept 10, 2018 23:21:24 GMT -5
If this was best entrance ever, slam dunk! Always thought this had parts that drag especially once Austin is gone. Great moments but not a classic match.
The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart, Brian Pillman) vs Team USA (Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust, Legion of Doom) - WWF Candian Stampede
Sometimes, pro wrestling is not about wrestling. Wrestling fans would be wise to remember that.
There is no doubt this is a ****** pro wrestling crowd. The Hart Foundation entrance is legendary. The way it crescendos for Bret's entrance is amazing. The beginning portion for Bret vs Austin is molten. I loved how when Austin when offense so loud the boos were. The random "Austin Sucks" chants were amazing. This was a crowd that was not trying to get themselves over. They were adding to the match. I miss crowds like this. Pro wrestlers are right that the fans are the most important element of the show. Call me a old fuddy duddy, but watching this more than I think modern day pro wrestling fans have betrayed the art and the pro wrestlers. Has Owen ever been more over? Holy shit! That enziguiri was amazing. The return from the back to save Bret is legendary. The missile dropkick and kip up. ELECTRIC! This match is completely elevated by this crowd as there are many parts of the match where the action drags.
Ken Shamrock should have never, ever been placed in this match. His inexperience shows many times. Why did he just hold Bret's foot twice? Shamrock should not be selling, should be looking like an ass against Brian Pillman (did I pop for "He's tapping out" of course, but doesnt make it the right move) and the World's Most Dangerous Man needs a low blow to get a tag. Poor use of Shamrock and Shamrock simply was not suited for a raucous Summer popcorn action blockbuster. This is near sacrilege, but Goldust was also mostly useless in this match. I am surprised that more people have not praised the LOD. They were great. Hawk looked awesome. How about that big top rope splash! Doomsday Device on Owen! It was all great shit out of the LOD. I am also surprised we did not get a proper heat segment on Bret and/or Owen. Taking Owen out was money. Bruce throwing the drink at Austin and grabbing his tights while Austin destroyed Owen's knee was a great touch. I think a heat segment on Bret followed by Owen's return would have been huge. I think taking Austin for any period of time was a bad idea. He was a heat magnet without him Team USA was a thrown together motley crew that was not working. The finish run was great. My eyes went huge for Austin grabbing Stu, which I totally forgot happened. All the Hart brothers pouring over the barricade to swarm Austin was great. Unfortunately, in a way this was not a house show because then you could have had Austin tap out to the Sharpshooter, but this being on PPV in the US you needed Austin to look strong in defeat so we get the rollup finish. The post-match is incredible. The Hart Family in the ring, Austin getting carted out in handcuffs flipping off the crowd with his hands cuffed behind his back. Stu & Helen in the ring with grankids. Pro wrestling is not always about pro wrestling. This match shows how much pro wrestling can mean to a family, a people and a country! O CANADA! ****
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Post by KB8 on Mar 17, 2023 17:51:06 GMT -5
I would give this four hundred and fiddy stars. It might be the closest the WWF ever came to peak inter-promotional New Japan v WAR/New Japan v UWF, which is just about the highest praise I could give something. Incredible crowd, molten heat, searing hatred. Early on Bret stomps a mudhole in Austin and the place is going bananas to such a degree that the fucking camera is shaking. That happens about five more times, usually when the Hart Foundation corner someone and just put the boots to them. This was a biblical Austin performance. I mean my god. Even on his way to the ring he's shit-talking everyone, swaggering like a man who knows he's about to bring some ruckus. He and Bret start the match with an amazing exchange, then at literally every point after that he's doing something interesting whether he's actually in the ring or not. The camera would pan to him on the apron and he'd be climbing the turnbuckles giving people the finger, shouting at fans, wrestlers, Helen Hart, everybody. Bruce Hart is front row next to his da and the other dozen Hart offspring and I know very well the look of a person who's had fourteen beers at a sporting event and Bruce was absolutely up to his eyeballs. Austin wraps Owen's leg around the post in front of the Hart family and Bruce throws a pint at him, so later on Austin knocks the shades off his face (wearing sunglasses indoors - another sign of inebriation) and grabs Stu by the collar and while I bet Stu knew it was a work I don't know if Bruce did. The more people got on Austin's case the wilder he acted and it was unbelievable. Pillman was also a fucking lunatic. He'd just run in and claw people's eyes and spit on them and then at some point he decided he was going to terrorise Ken Shamrock. Look, Shamrock wasn't very good. Working shoot style in a Fujiwara promotion is different from working WWF and he was clearly still getting used to this funny world of Sports Entertainment. There were times where he looked a wee bit lost or wasn't sure what to do next, so any time that happened, any time he paused to consider his next move, Pillman would blindside him or tackle him or punch him in the neck. There was one part where he told Anvil to throw Shamrock outside and then Pillman launched him over the announcer's table and I do not think Shamrock was expecting this one bit. When the Americans finally get a hold of him they all get their shots in and Austin swings him around the ring by the back of his trunks, Pillman's naked keister bared to the world. Almost every match up worked to some degree, though some less than others. Everything with Austin and Bret was tremendous, whether it was together or with someone else. Goldust and Bret had a nice exchange and I got a kick out of JR bringing up Dustin being the son of Dusty Rhodes, which couldn't have happened often in the Goldust run before then. Owen and Animal had a nice 45 seconds and Animal's powerslam looked killer. Other times it felt sort of "gettin' our shit in," which isn't inherently a bad thing in a setting like this, but it did feel a bit sloppy, like everyone had ideas that now and then got in the way of each other and it maybe brought things to a brief halt. That said, I'd much rather watch something with some raggedness than something where every moment is mapped out meticulously and you can see them checking off each bullet point as they go. At least the former feels legitimately unpredictable even if it doesn't always work. Also thought they managed to keep things well heated even after Austin left for a spell. Not as heated as when he was there because that would be impossible, but the others managed to carry the load admirably. Austin going tonto in the post-match is one of the finest moments in the history of our great sport. They put him in handcuffs and he's still kicking people and cussing out cops and Bruce Hart stomps him in the head like a craven and I think Austin might've honest to god throttled him if he wasn't in cuffs. The bent over bird-flipping as he's escorted up the ramp is the cherry on the cake.
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