Bret Hart vs Doink the Clown + Jerry Lawler (WWF - 8/30/93)

Yeah, absolutely great overall package. It fittingly feels very Memphis, like the sort of thing that would've done well on the 80s set in the same vein as Lawler/Flair, Lawler/Mantel, Lawler/Dundee from the studio, etc. Lawler is amazing with his promo about how he got injured. Says a little blue-haired lady who should've had her license revoked fifty years ago pulled out in front of him and caused a ten car pile up. Heenan: "It must've been Helen Hart." Lawler just rips the Hart family apart and the brings out his court jester as a replacement. Doink throws a pale of confetti over a few fans then launches a bucket of water on Owen and Bruce and I wonder if anybody actually told Bruce this was for happening because he goes total badgershit. Maybe he saw his moment in the sun and went all in on it. Bret/Doink is pretty decent as a match and it gets a million bonus points for the use of the STUMP PULLER, BROTHERS AND SISTERS. Lawler either absolutely leathered Bret with the crutch or Bret sold it great (like he got his eardrum punctured) and that leads into the even better - yet all too brief - Lawler v Bret match. Bret showing the FIRE ruled and he sure made the most of that revenge crutch shot. His brawling was actually really strong but this was about Lawler being an unbelievable shithead. He uses the broken crutch as a weapon for a bit and people just hate him to death. Heenan is amazing on commentary again. He tries to put this across as Lawler, far from 100% as he's recovering from an eighteen care pile up and rescuing a bus load of children earlier in the day, having to fight the odds against Bret and his wrinkly parents and the "forty other Hart brothers and sisters probably skulking about in the crowd." Bret pulling the strap down as he makes his comeback is probably the greatest subtle little moment he's ever been responsible for and I don't think I've ever appreciated him as a wrestler more than I do right now. Lawler also ripping the strap down with a scowl on his face only to get completely mollywhopped straight after was great too. This ain't Memphis and there'll be no big comeback here. The way he raised his hand in victory as he was being stretchered out at the end was so awesome. Probably one of the best angle/match mash-ups the company's ever done

Bret v Lawler should’ve been more than it was. Matt Bourne Doink was an all time great character. I really wish we got to see him in the late 90s.