Bret 'Hitman' Hart's 10 Best Matches

A lot of attention has been paid to the Hitman over the last.  All of this is well deserved as too many younger fans do not remember when he was the main attraction for the WWE.  His 5 WWE Championship reigns were a record at the time when holding the belt meant being champ for longer than a month.  Bret has widely been regarded as one of if not the greatest technical wrestler of all time.  He rarely had a bad match and when he was paired with another good wrestler his matches were great.  He even had the ability to carry bad wrestlers so well during a match that the fans would think both put on a great performance.  This countdown is of his 10 greatest matches based on performance, atmosphere, and overall importance.  Let's get started....

#10. 1994 Royal Rumbel Match

This match is on here for its unusual ending. Lex Luger entered the Rumble at number 23 followed by Bret at 27. The match came down to these two and they eliminated each other. After referee's could not determine which man's feet hit the floor first both men were named co-winners and would each go on to face Yokozuna for the WWF Championship at Wrestlemania X.

#9. Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect, King of the Ring 1993

This was the semi-final match in the first ever King Of The Ring Tournament.  This match was a great technical back and forth match. Hart and Perfect had many very good matches together but this match catapulted Bret to the Finals of the King of the Ring. The match had a great ending with Perfect faking an injury to try and get a quick pin on Bret only for it to be reversed and Hart to get the roll-up for the win. 

#8. Bret Vs. Owen Hart, WWF Championship, Summerslam 1994

This match was the absolute best cage match ever to that point, and still the best match ever in the old big blue cage.  This was a rematch from their Wrestlemania X match which saw Owen win. That match was before Bret would win the WWF Title from Yokozuna that same night. This match was Owen getting his first WWF Title shot and making the most of it. It was an exciting back and forth match with several near escapes. It really showed that Owen was capable of putting on a show in his own right but ended with Bret retaining his belt.

#7. Bret vs Chris Benoit, WCW Monday Nitro 10/4/99

This match took place to honor Bret's late brother Owen. At the time there was no better person in WCW to have a match to honor Owen with than fellow Canadian Chris Benoit. This match was an emotionally charged match that delivered on every level. Action, ring psychology, emotional near finishes. The match was at its height when Benoit reversed a sharpshooter and locked in the crossface and Bret barely made it to the ropes. Bret would gain the upper-hand and lock in a sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. After the match a great show of respect took place for each other and for the late great Owen Hart.

#6. Bret vs Shawn Michaels, WWF Championship, Survivor Series 1997

This match needs little or no explanation. Bret last match in the WWF would be the most controversial match of all time. It led to a 13 year absence from the WWF for Bret. Bret entered the match as the champion but refused to drop the belt to Michaels in his home country of Canada where Bret was still the company's biggest face and draw. Vince, not going to allow Bret to walk out of the company on his terms, conspired with Michaels and referee Earl Hebner on how the match would end. While Bret thought he would retain with a Sharpshooter and drop the belt the next night on his way out to WCW, the ending was set to happen a little differently. When Michaels locked in the sharpshooter the ref called for the bell before Bret could reverse the move awarding Shawn the win and the belt. A spit to the Vinnie Mac's face, a ringside rampage and a locker room knock-out later and this match would go down in infamy.

#5. Bret vs Rowdy Roddy Piper, I.C. Title Match, Wrestlemania VIII

This was Bret's first big singles match on the biggest stage of them all. After being in several prior Manias as a Tag Team the Hart Foundation, Bret was ready to challenge the Hotrod to regain the I.C. Belt. They put on a very good match where Bret cut himself open and Bled for most of the match. At the time "juicing" was illegal but Bret did such a good job disguising it that it was never a problem.  The match ended with Bret in Piper's sleeper hold only to flip off the top turnbuckle over Piper with the hold still en-tact and pin Piper for the pin. Bret would use the same finish to beat Stone Cold Steve Austin at the 1996 Survivor Series to escape the Million Dollar Dream.

#4. Bret vs Shawn Michaels, WWF Championship, Wrestlemania XII

This match is a classic. Bret and Shawn had many great matches against each other as they were the two best workers in wrestling in the 90's. This ranks as their top match and number four on this list because it was the main event at Wrestlemania. It was the first 60 minute Iron Man match. It was Shawn's first WWF championship win. It was an official handing over the reins of the company from on great star to Mr. Wrestlemania. Add to all that the fact that these two hated each other by this point. After 60 minutes of great technical wrestling neither man had a finish. So sudden death overtime kicked in and soon after Michaels connected with Sweet Chin Music for the win.

#3. Bret vs Owen Hart, Wrestlemania X

This was Bret's first match at Wrestlemania X. He would beat Yokozuna for the WWF Title later in the night. This match is overshadowed by that and the great ladder match for the I.C. Title between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels that also took placed.  But this match is arguably Owen Hart greatest match and his greatest win ever. After an excellent technical match where the crowd was behind Bret and assumed he would win, Owen Hart stuffed a "victory roll" to pin Bret down for the win.

#2. Bret vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, I Quit Match, Wrestlemania 13

Before Shawn Michaels was Mr. Wrestlemania and the Undertaker got so much attention for his streak, Bret Hart was Wrestlemania's consistent top performer. He always had a good match at the event. This one would be no different. With Stone Cold, who is very underrated for all of his in ring ability, Bret was able to put on a match for the ages. Two things stand out about this match. It is the most famous blood match ever. As Bret locks in the sharpshooter and Austin refuses to quit, bloods keeps pumping out of Stone Cold's skull. The second thins that stands out is the rare double switch that took places. Entering the match Bret was a face and Austin a heel, and even though Bret won, it was Austin's refusing to tap and Bret's refusing to let go that turned Austin into the WWF's biggest superstar and Bret into it's biggest heel.

#1. Bret vs the British Bulldog, I.C. Title, Summerslam 1992

This is without a doubt the greatest I.C. Title Match ever not involving a ladder. It is Davey Boy Smith's greatest match ever and the highlight of his career. The atmosphere of this match, taking place in the Bulldog's home turf of England, was out of this world. The crowd loved both men. Bulldog rarely had a 5 star match, but when he did, it usually involved Bret.  These two went at it at the great Summerslam in history in the best main event ever for the PPV. After a back and forth match with close pins and emotional moments, the British Bulldog stuffed a Hitman pin attempt and countered with a pin of his own to win the title. The show of respect and emotion after the match was the highlight of one career, and helped project the others onto the WWF Championship title stage.