WCW Region, Houston Region, First Round: (3) Bret Hart vs. (30) Daniel Bryan

[AnvilForever]

My reaction after reading this matchup: NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

I really wish this matchup hadn't happened. The Best There Is, Was, And Ever Will Be vs. the hottest wrestler on the planet right now. Personally, I'm surprised that DBD has such a low seeding. I can understand not putting him on the same level as Punk because his rise in appeal has been very recent, but he should have been more around 20 instead of 30 in his seeding. At any rate, Bret Hart and Daniel Bryan put on a MOTY-worthy match, and after 40 minutes, Bret Hart wins by submission.

 

[The Brain]

Bryan wins, and the reason is the placement. ECW region. He has a more aggressive side, would be much more dangerous in a normal ECW rules match. As much as I love Hart, this is the one environment he does not succeed in in my opinion.

I wonder what Steve Austin would have said if you asked him about Bret Hart's aggresive side right after his match with Hart at WrestleMania 13. I suppose he wouldn't have said anything because he was passed out in a pool of his own blood.

Whenever ECW falls under criticism here people are quick to defend by saying ECW was also known for the classic wrestling of Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, etc. I'd say Hart vs. Bryan would probably fall under that category rather than the hardcore bloodbath. Bryan is on a roll right now but he is not at Bret Hart's level. Maybe in a few years he could give Hart a better challenge but for now Hart's experience will be too much for Bryan to overcome.

 

[CrissSpades]

Simple. Bret Hart. Both very good technical wrestlers, and very awesome inside the ring. However, let D-Bryan's career play out 5 maybe 10 more years and see what sort of legacy he's left. Bret Hart is my choice.

 

[stblink]

This would be an amazing technical classic. a back and forth match that keep the fans on the edge of their seats.

As much as I love Daniel, Bret wold find a way to win with the sharpshooter

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Daniel Bryan vs Bret Hart in a standard ECW rules match.

This match, if it could ever happen in real life, would be fucking amazing. 20-30 minutes. Submissions applied. Moves countered. False finishes. The crowd would be on their feet from beginning to end for what could be the greatest underdog upset in the history of the business. But who wins?

Bret Hart has the greater legacy. Bret Hart is the obvious choice. Bret Hart is the guy who helped revolutionized the industry and carried the company on his back post-Hogan and Savage. Bret Hart is the best there was, is, and ever will be. It would be a travesty to see somebody the caliber of Bret "the Hitman" Hart, a former tournament winner, eliminated in the very first round of such a legendary and prestigious contest!

But you know what? Upsets happen. BIG upsets happen in pro wrestling because they are fun, unexpected and give huge pushes to guys who need them. Daniel Bryan has all the skills to stand toe-to-toe with Bret. He has all the moves, submissions, counters and a wicked finisher. The men are parallel on so many levels, but Bret has one thing that I believe would actually be a hindrance in this match: honor. Daniel Bryan would go to places I don't think Hart would just to pick up a victory - he'd spit in his face, kick him in the groin, pull the tights or throw his girlfriend in harms way to pull out the win. Daniel could play the straight-up heel in this match, with the fans all behind their Canadian hero, and do a damn good job too! Bryan's victory would be a dirty one, and it would end with the entire crowd booing and throwing trash at him, I guarantee it. This, in a kayfabe tournament, would be the win Daniel could pick up to launch his career and character to the very top.

Add to that the ECW rules stipulation. Bret Hart did make Steve Austin pass out in a pool of his own blood. He's a legit badass. Check. But Daniel is also quicker and willing to do some high risk maneuvers Hart couldn't, and wouldn't (and shouldn't). With so much on the line, I just think Daniel Bryan has more of a chance of being booked in a situation where he'd do everything it takes to beat Bret Hart, even if it means rolling him up with the tights, grabbing a rope or beating him in the face with a steel chair until he's covered in blood. The Hitman would never go down easy, but I do believe eventually....he would go down. And when he does, and realizes Bryan cheated to beat him, there would be an epic rematch unrelated to the tournament in which Bret could regain his honor with a clean Sharpshooter victory.

Maybe it's a huge stretch, but I'm voting for Daniel Bryan for the huge upset victory. The funny thing is, I'm not even that big of a DBD fan.

 

[The_Sharpshooter]

Definitely one of the more intriguing matches in the 1st round and possibly would be the most entertaining. Both of these men are strong technical wrestlers, but neither are the type to tap out. Only time I ever recall seeing Bryan tap was against Y2J in his debutt. I can't recall a time from the Hitman at all.

This matchup reminds me of Bret vs. 1-2-3 Kid for the WWF belt: it was an intriguing match & made you doubt yourself for half a second, but you knew who was winning this match as soon as you saw it on paper. Hitman's experience in big time matches gives him the extra fuel to prevail with the win.

Finish: After exhausting every tool from their arsenal, Bret sends Bryan to the ropes for a back body drop. Bryan notices & tries a sunset flip. Hart almost gets pulled back, gets his footing right, & pulls Bryan's legs down for the pin. Fan's recognize the irony & give a standing ovation for the smarts of the move and the greatness of the match.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I don't like guys who are in the middle of their careers taking on guys who career is done and dusted because, more often than not, this puts the active wrestler at a severe disadvantage. As such, I generally compare their careers to the point the active guy has reached. With that said, lets look at the two - Daniel Bryan has been in the wrestling biz 13 years and his highest accomplishments to date have been winning the US Belt from the Miz (setting him free to win the WWe Belt) and his recent run with the Big Gold Belt. Bret by this juncture had won the Tag Team Belts twice with the Hart Foundation.

While the Tag Belts were far more prestigious back then and both the US and World belts have been devalued (I'd rate the World belt on the 80s IC level these days), I'm still going to give the Daniel Bryan of now the edge over the Bret Hart of 1990 purely because he has the singles success. HBK's protege to upset his old nemesis.

 

[Tastycles]

I think you have to say that Hart takes this. Bryan is starting to come into his own, and has achieved more in his first two years in WWE than Hart did in his, but the fact remains that he has a longevity of career and sustained success that Danielson just can't compete at present. Give it a few years and things may be different, but for now this is only Hart's.

 

[Pyro180]

I think this one will mostly go to Bret mainly because when you read it, you think "ITS THE FREAKING HIT MAN!", but as a rebel, and also realizing that everyone is Almost always underestimating Daniel Bryan, I feel as the underdog, he should win. (Everyone loves a good underdog story)

 

[Peoples_Champ]

Poor DBD. Maybe next year. Talk about a terrible draw, if DBD didn't get Bret, he could have easily made it to 3rd round or beyond.

Here's hoping WWE keeps pushing DBD. But until we re-evaluate his next year, it's a classic master v. student matchup where the wily ol' veteran pulls out all the stops to show the young buck that he's not at the top of the game just yet.

Bret. Sharpshooter. 37 minutes.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

NO! NO! NO!

Well I like this Bryan. Wrestling prowess and a hel persona to boot, he's a delight to watch and hear. However he is going up against a legitimate legend. And since Bryan has just started being at the top the technically right thing would be to give it to Bret. But personally, I prefer if this was heel pro-Canada, Attitude Era hating Bret. That Bret blows that smiley Bret outta the water.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Wow...just Wow! What another match, a show stealer if I ever saw one.

Bret Hart and Daniel Bryan are so equally matched in style and ablity, but you cannot look past the experience factor of someone like Bret. He has seen it all, done it all, won it and and has a fucking drawer full of T-Shirts he was awarded while doing it again.

He was a pioneer for the smaller heavyweight, and without Bret there is no World Championship around Bryan's waist. Plus, Bret Hart has beaten pretty much everyone there was to beat during his career, many of whom are much bigger stars that Bryan.

There is no way Bret would lose in the 1st round here. Give it 5 years and I may be lightly tempted to change my mind, but not now.

Winner: Bret Hart

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I wish I could vote for Bryan, he's come a long way in a short span of time. He's great inside the ring and, in my view, his promos become more entetaining each week. However, he's in there against truly one of the all time greats in Bret Hart. I hope Bryan reaches a level at some point in his career in which people can look at him and see him holding his own in a fantasy match, or even winning, against Bret Hart but he's not there yet.

He's had a great 4.5 months but that's just not enough to get him over one of the overall best there's ever been. I'd expect this match to be a great back & forth effort, a clinic with lots of great & believable near falls with both wrestlers coming out looking like a million bucks. However, I give the win to Bret Hart with Bryan being locked in the Sharpshooter for maybe the 3rd time in the night, only now he's too weakened to be able to counter it or escape from it.

 

[Whopperle]

Everybody gets how much Bret has achieved on the big stage, but Bryan has achieved as much as Bret in the indies. Seeing as this is an ECW match-up one could really make a case for Bryan here. This match could be compared to classics between Guerrero, Malenko and Benoit in ECW.

However it's still Bret. If Bryan can keep on the course he is right now, he could win this match in another year.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

It's not that Daniel Bryan is someone that Bret Hart would just beat in any environment because Bret is so much better than Bryan in all respects but this is also the ECW region. Hardcore country here. Bret beat Steve Austin in this environment, one of the greatest brawlers of all time. He should have little problem with Bryan here.

 

[Silly Willy Nilly Vanilly in the Milly]

Next to Booker T vs. Christian, my favorite one here.
That being said, my pick is...
The Hitman.
D-Bry is more agile, Hitman is better technically-speaking.
D-Bry just got off a good world title run (within 18 seconds), Hitman has had multiple.
Overall, Daniel Bryan has the potential to win this, but he has SO much more to accomplish.
The YES! man has just begun.
But for now, the Sharpshooter ends it.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Well without the ECW stipulation, I'm more tempted than ever to say Bret Hart. Unfortunately I can't take back my vote, so it really doesn't matter.

Just a quick thing, to stir the pot... Most of Bret Hart's time in WCW was spent picking up wins with help from the nWo or other members of the company. Rarely did Hart win clean, and even more rare, as a face. At one point didn't he count his own victory? That being said, it's not likely in a Bret Hart era WCW that they'd give the win to a guy like Daniel Bryan, over an established star like Hart, Hogan, Goldberg, Sting, etc.