M.O.T.Y? - Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith 1992

[IrishCanadian25]

Summerslam 1992. With The Ultimate Warrior vs Randy Savage as the WWF Title match and the so-called "Main Event" of the evening, Vince and the booking crew had the foresight to put the Bret Hart / British Bulldog match on last, partly because it would allow the Wembly Stadium attendees to go home extremely satisfied.

Nobody knew we'd get this classic:

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1992 saw some extremely good matches, and while some consider this to be the match of the years, and other say the best match of all time, other even say this isn't even the best match these two men had. Where do you stand?

Some of the matches this is up against: Brian Pillman vs Jushin Liger, Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat, and of course:

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So, what was 1992's Match of the Year?

 

[atm1982]

Personally i loved the Steamboat v Rude match and i have always felt Rude was underrated as a wrestler and one of the greatest heels ever.

However you have hit the nail on the head...Hart v Bulldog was the best match. I have a feeling McMahon knew this would be a classic. No offence to Warrior but he was always carried by who he was wrestling...even Hogan managed it. The match with Savage had limited potential. It was more the fact that two of the biggest names in the business at the time where fighting each other and that was the appeal. It would be a bad match to finish on. So for me....Hart v Bulldog was match of the year.

 

[Skillz]

Definite MOTY. This was the first time WWE had showcased its main event on a big PPV as a pure technical style wrestling match. Hart and Bulldog tore the house down that night in Wembley Stadium and provided a strong basis for popular technical mat based wrestling for years to come. The atmosphere was great and the match was fantastic. When Bulldog won, it was probably the best moment in SummerSlam history.

Their rematch in 1995 at IYH5 was even better IMO. It didn't have the same atmosphere as SummerSlam, but it told such a great story, playing off of their classic match in 1992. This one should have been MOTY in 1995, instead of the completely forgettable HBK/Diesel match from WM11.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

It's possibly one of the best matches of the year. But overall I thought it was a slow year anyway. It get's it just over the Flair/Savage match at Mania for me. Although I don't think it's the classic that people say it is.

Smith gassed after about 5 minutes into that match. Maybe it was wrestling in front of such a large crowd, a home country one at that, but he looked terrible for most of it. It's a testiment to how great Hart is that he carried it off. Their 1995 match is superior in my opinion.

Royal Rumble needs a mention. But I don't think a match involving 30 wrestlers should ever be in the running for MOTY, even if Flair carried it from start to finish.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Jake, thank you for making mention of Savage / Flair at Wrestlemania 8. I try to carry that match on these boards enough because of how complete it was - PWI didn't even have that classic in the Top 4.

Royal Rumble is an interesting dynamic. 30 guys in the match means 30 guys can screw it up. It bears mentioning that the only other Royal Rumble in any year's top 4 list was 1990's - 3rd runner up. So much happened in the 1992 Royal Rumble. Hogan vs Justice was created. Flair was established as a world-wide star, not just an NWA / WCW loyalist.

I don't think 1992 was an "off year" so much as it was a transition year. Hogan appeared to be on the way out, and new stars were on the way up. There was a clearly strong main event level (Hogan, Savage, Justice, Flair, Warrior) and a clearly defined mid-card (Hart, Smith, Piper, Mountie (!?), Michaels, Santana) and by the end of 1992 Hogan was gone, Hart was the champ, Flair was gone, Ramon had arrived, Savage was gone, and the age of Michaels was being teased. Transition year if one ever existed.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

So much happened in the 1992 Royal Rumble. Hogan vs Justice was created.

I'd have to disagree. I personally don't think it set up anything. The Sid/Hogan match was in the making as far back as Summer Slam 1991. He was ref in the handicap main event. Obviously I didn't realize at the time, but I think that was already set as a Mania match.

The Flair/Savage match wasn't really established at the Rumble either. They didn't really do much together in it. I might be wrong but all the build was around Liz post Rumble.

With Savage I was expecting him to face Taker or Jake Roberts.

It was a great Rumble, but as for anything happening the only surprise is probably Sid not winning.

Although I'm saying this 16 years after I first watched it, and guessing how I though that years Mania was originaly supposed to pan out.

 

[The Dungeon]

I'd have to disagree. I personally don't think it set up anything. The Sid/Hogan match was in the making as far back as Summer Slam 1991. He was ref in the handicap main event. Obviously I didn't realize at the time, but I think that was already set as a Mania match.

No..Hogan/Flar was supposed to be it...but it was either a) Vince aborted it because it was drawing poorly at house shows or b) Hulk wanted to leave, as he did! Or it could be both who knows.

The Flair/Savage match wasn't really established at the Rumble either. They didn't really do much together in it. I might be wrong but all the build was around Liz post Rumble.

Yup..you're right about that....the match was actually announced before the angle even started!

With Savage I was expecting him to face Taker or Jake Roberts.

The way things played out on TV, I think the initial plan was Savage/Roberts.

I gotta go with Bret & Davey...it had everything...great build...great story...drama, action, kept you on the edge of your seat! Everything a great match should be.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

This is quite possibly one of the only times I'll agree that no match will top the picked MOTY. Bret Hart and the British Bulldog had such a great chemistry together, and with the stadium and the fans, it took wrestling to a whole other level. I know I'll take a lot of crap for this, but this is the type of reaction you'd get from a Hogan/Andre Mania 3 type setting. This match truly showcased how great each guy was, especially when competing against the other.

Furthermore, it said a tremendous amount when they headlined the show, OVER the W.W.F. Championship match on the card that night. Now then..

While I doubt anything from the 1992 year can top Bret Hart v. British Bulldog, from Wimbley, I'm about to break down some matches that should at least be considered the very best for runners-up.

1. Royal Rumble Match: Ric Flair: I don't care what you say, when a man enters #3 from this time-era, you aren't expecting him to last very long at all. Add that on top of the tremendous amount of talent that was also involved in this match-up, and Ric Flair doesn't even break the top 5. (I don't think) So for Flair to enter 3rd overall, which is roughly 2nd to some, speaks volumes on how great he is as a performer.

This was quite possibly the greatest Royal Rumble match of all time, for how it played out. And it deserves to be very close to being a MOTY choice.

2. Wrestlemania VIII: W.W.F. Championship: Ric Flair v. Randy Savage: The match that a lot of people often forget about, but a truly great classic with a beautiful backstory. Flair, Savage, and Ms. Elizabeth. The W.W.F. Championship almost played a backseat to the heated storyline that created this feud.

This match is underrated bar-none and deserves to be mentioned as one of the greats of its time, because not only the element of the match, but the chemistry both men played within it.

3. Wrestlemania VIII: Intercontinental Championship: Rowdy Roddy Piper v. Bret Hart: As I write this, I truly feel that Mania 8 is the most over looked Mania in the history of the Pay Per View. Bret Hart v. Roddy Piper was one of the first matches that truly put Hart on the map as a next generation star that was going to hit it big. I loved the finish of this match, as it was the perfect and roughly only counter to Piper's sleeper hold. Beautiful ending.

4. Summerslam: W.W.F. Championship: Randy Savage v. Ultimate Warrior: Not nearly as great as their Mania 7 classic, but when I remember this match the one thing that comes to my mind is.. HOLY SHIT, will it ever end. In the span of matches that never seem to end, this has to be one of them. I don't know if thats a good thing or a bad thing, but I just can't get that out of my head.

The one thing I will say, is in the career of the Ultimate Warrior, there were only a select few that could carry him to a great match. Randy Savage, is one of them. And this match is a top match from 1992, ironically that was over-shadowed by the Intercontinental Championship that not only Main Evented the same p.p.v., but was MOTY.

5. Saturday Night's Main Event: Intercontinental Championship: British Bulldog v. Shawn Michaels: Just like the Bret Hart/Roddy Piper match was a coming of age type setting for Hart.. the British Bulldog/Shawn Michaels match was a coming of age for H.B.K.

This match often gets lost in the shuffle of career classics by Shawn Michaels, as once he got started popping out great matches he didn't stop. However this will forever be his first Intercontinental Championship, and a fairly great match to watch and hold in MOTY light.

6. W.W.F. Championship: Bret Hart v. Ric Flair: I'll be honest in saying I don't believe I've had the pleasure of watching this match. So with that, I can't say the match itself was a MOTY. (until I see it, I can't say one way or another) But I'm putting it into this catagory because it was Bret Hart's first World Championship, and it was the passing of the torch to the 'next generation' of Superstars.

That in itself NEEDS to be seen as a MOTY type quality. Its a history making match, and because of that, it deserves a spot on the top matches from 1992.

7. Survivor Series: W.W.F. Championship: Bret Hart v. Shawn Michaels: When you think of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series, their 1992 classic isn't what comes to mind. Infact, a lot of people might be dumb-founded to know they even fought before Wrestlemania XII.

However, they did, they had quite the mid-card feud, and this was the W.W.F.'s first chance to showcase its crop of next generation talent, in the Main Event of the Survivor Series. The p.p.v. as a whole (to me) bombed, because it was the first Survivor Series p.p.v. that didn't showcase any elimination matches. (to my knowledge) But the one bright star from that night, was its Championship match between H.B.K. and the Hitman.

Note-Worthy Mentions: (It needs to be said that I didn't see hardly any W.C.W. matches from the 1992 year, however I've heard the following were very good) Cactus Jack v. Sting from Beach Blast, Sting v. Jake Roberts from Halloween Havoc, Ricky Steamboat v. Rick Rude (any), Randy Savage & Mr. Perfect v. Ric Flair & Razor Ramon from Survivor Series.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I never really got what was so particularly special about this match. I may have to go back and watch again. Was it good?? Yes. Better than FLair Vs Savage?? No. Not in my opinion. Better than Piper Vs Hart?? Once again, no, not in my opinion. What havent I, or IC25 not said about Savage Vs FLair. Great fued, amazing build, plapable hatred, excellent commentary, and a fine match. Piper Vs Hart had great technical wrestling, brawling, and great phsycology. Hart Vs SMith was good, but had a fairly predictable ending. And Davey was gassed, and botching throughout the whole thing.

 

[shoe1985]

I would say it was the match of the year then. I don't remember too many matches from that year, but do remember that one. It is amazing how Davey Boy never could grow more and capture the world title, stupid drugs. He could have been a huge star, but too many problems.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'm going to go with one that even Will missed. Wrestlewar 1992- Sting's Squadron vs. the Dangerous Alliance. If you like gimmick matches, this is the match for you. It is by far and away the best War Games match ever, as instead of the face team being the clear winners, everyone on the heel team matched up perfectly. It was the major feud the entire year, and this was the blow off match for the whole thing. Well worth the wait and it had so many smaller feuds break off from it. Granted I was a huge Sting fan so I have more than a little bias, but I'll take this over anything except maybe the Rumble.

 

[midgensa]

I personally did not think this should be match of the year then (when I was only 14) and don't now. I thought it was a great match ... and watching it again ... it definitely was VERY GOOD, but there was a lot to be desired from Smith in this match.
I think I side with most on here. Flair vs. Savage should have been match of the year. Great build, solid match, two exceptional showmen.
The Rumble could have made a run at the title this year as well as Flair was so huge on that night.