Bret Hart vs Owen Hart (WWF - 3/20/1994)

Second

This is obviously a great match and an easy nomination. I am not quite as high on it as some people are. This is technically a joy to watch, but it lacks a certain level of malice and urgency for me. They linker in an emotional space for a long time that just doesn't connect to me, personally. Maybe I need to check it out again. Regardless. It will be strongly considered.

1994-03-20 Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WWF WrestleMania X @ Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY)

One of the greatest matches in WrestleMania and WWF/E history. This was the first Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart match. This brings back great childhood memories. I grew up on 1994 WWF and WrestleMania X was the first Coliseum Home Video I got, so it’s hard to be unbiased for me. I still think it was a great wrestling match that told a great story that was a big part of the main feud of 1994 in WWF

Definite Top 5 match in WWF history which makes it a lock for the list. Brother vs brother a great natural storyline that we don't get to see enough of.

Bret Hart vs Owen Hart - WrestleMania X



Brother versus brother is such a great, natural storyline and this is the best ever execution of this storyline. Owen plays such a great insecure snot riddled with an inferiority complex. Look how he celebrates the break from the collar and elbow tieup or just kipping out of a fresh headscissors. That's premature braggart side. Watch how he takes it when his ego has been bruised how quickly he is jump to the ropes and call for a break or when he feels humiliated for being tossed out by Bret, he comes in and slaps him. Owen is just the consummate insecure brat. On the flip side, Bret is the definition of cool, calm and collected. At the beginning of the match, he makes it a point to safely win the match. Remember wrestling is merely pinning your opponent's shoulders to the mat for three, you don't have actually have to hurt him. So with this in mind, Bret goes for a host of cradles and uses the armbar as a base hold. Barring the arm controls Owen but it does not hurt him. From that base he can work his different varieties of rollups. Even the slap is more of a warning shot, snap out of it shot than trying to hurt his brother.



Now this all changes when Owen gets a spinwheel kick. Unlike his big brother, he is not going to take the advantage lightly and he rams Bret's back into the ring post and beging to work with some really stellar offense. Definitely his best Belly to Belly of all time and a beautiful German Suplex. I thought Bret was chippier than usual in this heat segment throwing in hope spots and making Owen cut him off. This is the missing ingredient in most Bret matches to take him to that ***** promised land. The Tombstone Piledriver spot was out of this world. I had forgotten how great that was and the missed top rope diving headbutt was such an excellent transition spot. The Five Moves of Doom are so great because it allows Bret to extend his comeback and create extra segments. Instead of three segmented match, he can have a five one which allows for variety and more of a roller coaster effect.



Now that Owen has started attacking Bret with suplexes, it showed him that he needed to elevate to his Five Moves of Doom. He is able to hit his Russian Legsweep, Backbreaker and second rope elbow with such beauty. You really feel he has the match on his side when BANG! Enziguiri of Death! Owen wants the Sharpshooter, but ends up on the floor and Bret slingshots himself over, but hurts his knee on the landing. Now here comes the heat, which plays off great from the Quebecers match and the original heel turn where Owen "kicked the leg out from under the leg". Owen decimates the knee in true Hart fashion. Bret does a great job selling. Bret is a very good subtle seller, he may not play to the cheap seats but he does a great job for those in TV Land. Owen was vicious and you feel him become more and more confident with each leg wrench. Yes, he applies the Figure-4 to the wrong leg, but that's a pretty common mistake. Loved the reversal would have loved to see Bret try for the Sharpshooter from that position as a Sharpshooter is just a standing reverse Figure-4, but we did not get that spot. Like Bret's payback spot with his own enziguiri. Love that symmetry. I also really loved how commentary was playing up how this would affect Bret's title match later that very night. It is one thing to lose a match it is a whole another to sustain an injury and so Lawler's point of just giving up was very valid.



Now that Bret's knee has been injured he holds NOTHING back and hits a PILEDRIVER AND A TOPE ROPE SUPERPLEX! See the progression of Bret's offense from cradles & barring the arm to typical pro wrestling moves to DROPPING HIS LITTLE BROTHER ON HIS HEAD! It matches perfectly with Owen's progression. He starts off as a petulant, insecure snot to suplexes and traditional pro wrestling to INJURING HIS OLDER BROTHER!



Owen takes it a step further when his trick knee acts up and rams Bret in his ballsack. There is really no turning back now, you are just a douche. Owen goes for Sharpshooter, but isn't as proficient as Bret and Bret breaks it. He applies his own, but Owen gets the ropes. Bret goes for the Victory Roll to try to get out of here, but Owen kneels down on his shoulders and wins the match!



I love how the match started as a match to see who was the better wrestler progressed into a match of trying to injure your older brother or drop your little brother on his head, but ultimately finished with a wrestling hold reversal. Just beautiful circular symmetry. Owen is very jealous, insecure brother that there ever was and he plays that role to perfection. Bret is the great mature, calm brother whose hand is forced to battle his little brother for self-preservation for his own title shot. Even Bret's face at the loss is perfect. He is like I cant believe that little fucker pinned me, The knee injury to play off the original heel turn was great. Incredible match. I will have to think about but I think this is the greatest WWF match of the 90s (need to watch Austin/Hart again) and it is right there with the Boot Camp match as greatest WWF match of all time. Bret and Owen made the Hart Family proud! *****

One of my earliest favorite matches and the first program I can remember following on tv and actively being invested in the match. I wore out the WM 10 tape and the Bret Hart dvd.

I didn’t vote for this because the idea seemed boring to me.

I just watched it again and I’m not entirely convinced this isn’t the best match in company history.

It’s pitch perfect. It’s obviously segmented the way Bret matches are but this just feels natural.