Championship Match (2) Bret Hart vs. (4) Bruno Sammartino

[klunderbunker]

This is a seventh round match in the Championship Region. It will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

In this round, all matches are taking place in one night, meaning all damage from the previous two matches will carry over to this match. This will be determined by the margin of the match and total votes. The wider a margin, the more dominant a victory. The more total votes, the longer a match lasted. I'll keep these updated as the last three rounds go along.

#2. Bret Hart

Round 5 Result: Defeated Chris Jericho 47-20
Round 6 Result: Defeated Brock Lesnar 35-30
Total Score 82-50

Vs.

#4. Bruno Sammartino

Round 5 Result: Defeated Triple H 42-23
Round 6 Result: Defeated Andre the Giant 36-15
Total Score 78-38

​

Polls will be open for seven days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster. Assume that the wrestlers are coming in fresh after their first round match.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Dmbfantomas]

Bret Hart is probably my favorite wrestler ever. I've loved almost every match of his I've ever seen. Bret Hart the tag team specialist ruled, Bret Hart the midcard workhorse ruled, Bret Hart main event babyface was amazing, and heel Bret Hart was the best anti-America heel ever. I love him dearly.

And Bruno is going to win here. And he should.

It'll be competitive, and will end with a hearty handshake. But Bruno wins.

 

[zhaff2004]

Madness how Hart went over Lesnar.

In any case, this match only ends one way, with Bruno's hand raised at the end. Bruno is bigger, stronger, more or less matched for speed and is a very good technical wrestler (obviously not on Bret's level, but not that much below him to give Bret much of an advantage) and he's got a bigger legacy and imapact on the business.

Bruno is also coming into this match a fair bit fresher than Hart, which should count for something. Not to mention, in his day, Bruno would wrestle single matches that would last longer than this entire tournament, so stamina wise, Bruno takes it.

Vote Bruno and witness the most one sided final in WZ tournament history.

 

[nightmare]

This would have been a much more exciting and close match if people didn't vote Hart through. He was the lesser man.


He is once again outmatched here. I trust now folks will vote accordingly. Bruno is far beyond Bret.

 

[stingray11214]

Bret hart had an amazing career. A Triple Crown winner in 2 companies. One of the more popular wrestlers in history. However, "The best there is. The best there was, and the best that ever will be." would have been flattered to make it this far. But, even he would not be that arrogant to be put over The Living Legend.

In the end, John Condon would be doing what he normally would be doing on the third Monday of the month, being the Ring Announcer at Madison Square Garden: "The time of the fall, 22 minutes and 18 seconds. Your Your winner of the match, Brunooooo Sammartino."

 

[sikkbones]

Bruno is going to win. And it has nothing to do with his power or technical skills.

While bruno is fresh from his match with Andre that was likely a babyface match...

Bret has been decimated by bork and has likely only won because bork made a mistake or botched another shooting star press.

Bret survived the match with lesnar, he's not fresh and he's possibly injured.

Bruno doesn't even bother being fair here... He sticks the vanilla miudget in a bear hug and doesn't let go.

I expect a very one sided match.

Bruno wins.

Vote bruno,but thank lesnar for winning it for him.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I thought the gimmick rounds were over and now we end this tournament with an Empty Arena Match. Good Lord this is a boring final. Bruno wants to finish quickly so his soup doesn't get too cold, he wins. The IWC remembers why they really like professional wrestling and not why they pretend to like it. The plan to get Austin and Hogan in to the finals next year is in place. Mom brings down another bag of Cheetos.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

Look what you've all done. Bruno wins because no one even cares anymore.

 

[Dragon Chief]

I'm voting Bret Hart mainly because I prefer him as a wrestler to Bruno and believe he is a superior in-ring technician compared to Bruno.

However, Brock Lesnar is the man who I believe should have won this tournament.

​

Vote: Bret Hart.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

I like them both, both were a crucial cog in the WWE during their primes and both could wrestle for 45+ minutes as needed so for me this boils down to the fact that these last few rounds are a single night tournament and damage does indeed carry over into this match.

All told Bret had a more difficult time facing his 2 opponents than Bruno did his, especially their last match against Brock/Andre respectively. It's really only this reason I will be voting for Bruno to win this match. It seems to me the damage he does have coming in will be slightly less than Hart and that will push him over the finish line.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Guess we're ignoring how Brock Lesnar vs. Bruno Sammartino would have been the cure for insomnia. Nobody cares about any of y'alls Brock/Bruno smash arguments.

I hope we all remember this Final and keep in mind what is objectively better isn't always the more entertaining thing. Goldust vs. Kofi Kingston is leagues above this fight in that regard. Neither man (or Brock) should have really gotten as far as they did in this tournament. Bret Hart is perhaps the most overrated wrestler on the forums. I'm willing to bet good money those that voted Bruno all the way to the Final relied on Wikipedia because most of you have never watched him fight. Brock Lesnar is the most protected wrestler in modern wrestling, and a Mary Sue if you really think about it.

Next time I hope everybody guns for wrestlers who are fun to watch as well as fun to argue for. Objective voting has led to this snore.

Voting Bret because he is somebody I've watched on a consistent basis. I don't care how hurt he is. or how he didn't sell out arenas like Bruno did back when PPV wasn't a thing.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I said it before. Bruno vs Andre was the real final. Whoever won that, was going to win the whole thing. No Lesnar or Hart could win against Andre and Bruno. Lesnar is a poor man's Andre.

Shocking how Lesnar beat Cena and Taker here, because people have seen these matches happen in reality, but Hart won because he's a better technical wrestler. Seems like people can't understand, that Hart would lose to Cena, just like HBK lost to Cena and Hart and Undertaker are evenly matched.

But whatever, Hart vs Bruno would be a great match to watch. However, there's no way Hart beats Bruno. Bruno sits on Mount Rushmore of pro-wrestling. Hart is way below that.

 

[Celtic Tiger]

If this was a final of a tournament it would be booked as a classic... sure hart goes into this more beat down but it would be a great match.... anyone who thinks it's a squash is a fool, cause if this was booked as a final it would be a match to watch...

I am a big Bret fan, and happy to see him make it this far but I think Bruno would win it. But would that be too predictable? Maybe a swerve to end the tournament that will have people talking, "wow Bret Hart went through Brock and Bruno in one night..." this is professional wrestling where anything is possible and I'm not sure which way to vote...head or heart!?

 

[sikkbones]

Its too bad I didn't have this thought in the last round... But the reality is Bret would not have won against lesnar at any point against lesnar..

... Much less sammartino...

Vote: screwjob,

Err I mean, vote: bruno

 

[nightmare]

Question: Does Bret have his trusty chest plate on? I can see him dying if so & then when the courts convict Bruno for murder, Hart wins posthumous.

Winner by death DQ, Bret Hart.

Now lets all go take a nap. This is one sleepy final.

 

[Lowdown]

All I'm seeing is complaints about how boring this match would be. But we all voted for this for better or worse. In any case, this match seems to favor Bruno, but I'm going with Bret. He's been able to withstand larger and stronger foes before, and I can't see him just getting beat down due to his last match with Brock.

 

[nightmare]

Thats the point though, Bret isnt known for withstanding larger foes. He is known for getting beat the first few times before he overcomes the odds in the end. This isnt a tournament of month long feuds, its a one off meeting. History shows Hart is trash at those against bigger opponents. Something Hart fans have ignored previously.

 

[Dmbfantomas]

I would love to watch this match, by the way. Moreso than I would have Brock v Bruno or Brock v Andre. I want Bret to win so badly, too.

 

[Cena Is A Punk Rocker]

Brock and Bruno would have been so much fun. I will vote Bruno only because of my Western PA ties. So be it.

 

[SSJPhenom]

And yet again Brock gets screwed in the end. Almost like there's a conspiracy going on (wink wink nudge nudge).

I said it last round (As did many others) Hart was a poor draw and he sucked against bigger opponents. Often only beating them thanks to wrestling shenanigans. Bruno is probably the greatest kayfabe wrestler of all the times and I don't see any reason why the 'fresher' Bruno would lose to Hart here. Especially given how superior to Hart that he already is.

Vote Bruno.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

You know what fuck it, Bret has come this far for a reason. It's the ultimate underdog story. This is Wrestlemania 30 all over again. It's a waste of a mega match for a promoter to put Bret this far and in the process sacrifice Brock Vs Bruno to no have Bret win it.

It's doesn't make sense for Bret to come this far to fall short. I'm going Bret.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Guess we're ignoring how Brock Lesnar vs. Bruno Sammartino would have been the cure for insomnia. Nobody cares about any of y'alls Brock/Bruno smash arguments.

I hope we all remember this Final and keep in mind what is objectively better isn't always the more entertaining thing. Goldust vs. Kofi Kingston is leagues above this fight in that regard. Neither man (or Brock) should have really gotten as far as they did in this tournament. Bret Hart is perhaps the most overrated wrestler on the forums. I'm willing to bet good money those that voted Bruno all the way to the Final relied on Wikipedia because most of you have never watched him fight. Brock Lesnar is the most protected wrestler in modern wrestling, and a Mary Sue if you really think about it.

Next time I hope everybody guns for wrestlers who are fun to watch as well as fun to argue for. Objective voting has led to this snore.

Voting Bret because he is somebody I've watched on a consistent basis. I don't care how hurt he is. or how he didn't sell out arenas like Bruno did back when PPV wasn't a thing.

Completely agree, Spidey.

I'm voting for Bret as well, because he was more entertaining and had better matches.

 

[Loveless]

Im finding it difficult to pick a logical winner here. Both are "Top of the company" faces, both use submission finishers and neither would ever tap out. I'm leaning Bret to steal a victory, as he so often did, but I'll hear the arguments first.

 

[nightmare]

The argument is Bruno is better than Stu Hart could ever be & nothing he taught Bret is going to matter too much. He is banged up & not to show my age, but if a man cant breathe a man cant fight. All those suplexes and a good old Brock bearhug have left Hart easy pickings for Bruno.


Bigger draw, better wrestler. This should be real easy.

 

[Bernkastel]

I don't understand how this match could be boring; this is the final that we voted for. I am a fan of both Bret and Bruno. But I personally enjoy Bruno's matches a little more. I also feel like Bruno was the better overall performer of the two.


Getting into objectives; money drawn, appeal, longevity, impact on the industry, it's clear that Bruno was far superior to Bret in just about every way. Bruno led one of the WWE's biggest boom periods during a time when the young promotion was trying to establish itself as being autonomous from the NWA. Bruno legitimized the WWE championship. He was integral to the future growth of the promotion. Can anyone say the same for Bret? No. He kept the company afloat during a financial down period, but Bruno did the same thing in the mid 70's. He was brought back a third time to help boost numbers during Hogan's run. Was Bret so important that the WWE just had to bring him back to boost Austin's numbers? No.

In the context of the tournament Bruno has the advantage. He just beat one of the greatest attractions in Andre the Giant in routine fashion, while Bret fought a war against Brock Lesnar. Anyone thinking that Bret isn't hurting and drained going into this match is kidding themselves. Anyone thinking that Bret has somehow more stamina and tenacity than Bruno at this point is also kidding themselves. Bruno is hurting too, but not nearly as much. The man was a machine in his prime. He spent a career besting foes of every kind that were built up to look like his equal: Killer Kowalski, Don Leo Jonathan, Larry Zbyszko, Big Bill Miller, Haystacks Calhoun, Gorilla Monsoon, Dr. Jerry Graham, Cowboy Bill Watts, Waldo Von Erich, George Steele, Stan Hansen, Ken Patera, Billy Graham, and Ivan and Nikita Koloff. Why would Bret be any different? He wouldn't be. Bruno's name is the one on the marquee. Not Bret's.

Think logically about this now: Bret fought a war against wrestling's current biggest star beforehand, and is tired and drained. Bruno has the same resilience and will to win that Bret does. Bruno has super human strength and endurance, and a pain tolerance that was practically inhuman. And to top it off, Bruno is coming into the match even fresher than Hart.

What would any promoter have to gain by having Bret go over a prime Bruno? Other than a bunch of pissed off and disappointed fans, death threats, riots, and a loss of money going forward; nothing.

Do the right thing here. Vote Bruno.