Which WrestleMania match was better?

[theBusiness]

HBK vs Jericho.....or Bret vs Owen?

Not only two of the greatest Mania matches, but two of the greatest matches of all time. Very difficult decision for me. I'm not asking which match you liked more...I'm asking which match was flat out better.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

That's a tough one to answer, as I haven't seen Bret vs. Owen in over ten years....

My initial reaction is to say Jericho vs Michaels, but that may be because, as mentioned earlier, I haven't seen Bret vs. Owen since it initially aired, and I was about ten years old at the time and really didn't appreciate technical prowess and storytelling the way I do today...

Bret had his strengths and weaknesses, as did Owen, but HBK and Jericho were and are two flawless performers... I have to say Shawn & Jericho take this one.

 

[DeathClutch]

Tough to answer this without delving into the feud/match/aftermath.
Since Bret and Owen are/were my two favorites naturally I'm leaning towards them but Jericho/Shawn was Wrestlemania 19's one match I wanted to see above all the rest (yes even including Rock/Austin III).

Now it's been a while since I've seen the two matches (maybe 4-5+ years) but from what I can recall both had different levels of storylines leading to their respective matches. Jericho/Shawn and Bret/Owen both started at the Survivor Series and lead into Wrestle Mania but Bret/Owen had that personal level to their feud, Shawn/Jericho was about idols so from a storyline prespective I'd go with Bret/Owen.
The fact Owen WON the damn match surprised EVERYONE was the cherry on top.

Shawn/Jericho most knew Shawn would probably pick up the win considering it was his return to WrestleMania but the match really did give Jericho that high level main eventer statis feel that had been snatched away from his leading up and into WM18. So their match did benefit Jericho and gave Shawn one big WM return.

The aftermath, Owen looked credable, getting him the 1994 edition of King of the Ring only added to that and leading into the huge cage match at the 1994 Summer Slam as well was a huge deal, it's only a shame after the match WWE dropped the ball on Owen.

Where-as Jericho/Shawn only served to get Jericho back over after all was said and done and WWE dropped the ball on the rematch saving it for nearly 4 month, considering Jericho went on a 1-2 PPV streak after WM19 and that lone win was HHH picking up the win for his team, really dropped the stock in him personally I'd rather have saw Jericho/Shawn II happen at the Judgment Day 2003 PPV Shawn was off the card and Jericho was in the IC title battle royal, plus the two main events were Brock/Big Show in a stretcher match and Nash/HHH in a standard bout, Shawn/Jericho II would have sold that PPV.

So over all, I'd have to say Owen/Bret got the more out of their match than Jericho/Shawn. Jericho/Shawn felt more like a special attraction match like Hogan/Rock.
Both matches are equal in top quality but over all feud/aftermath I'd go with Bret/Owen.

Shawn/Jericho picked up their feud 5 years later in 2008 with a bunch of special matches and the physicality in them was beyond it, had their 2008 feud happened in 2003 it would have been a no brainer.

 

[TheHorndogSays]

I actually watched the Owen/Bret match a few weeks ago and I must say that against some great matches I've seen recently, it just doesn't add up. I think the "greatest" of that match had to do with "the time"; in other words it was a great match "for the time". The same holds true for savage/steamboat in that the match would honestly be considered average in today's area (sorry for all of you savage/steamboat fans).

With that said I would have to give the nod to Jericho/Michaels because they also told the story IN THE RING which is something that Bret/Owen didn't do.

 

[jrichardson25]

I haven't seen the Bret/Owen match in forever. I think they set the bar for something like HBK/Y2J to happen. Its difficult to compare the two... Wrestlemania XIX was the first Mania I watched live so I'd lean with HBK/Y2J just because I remember that clinic (yeah clinic) so vividly but like I said Bret/Owen set the bar for that to even happen....

 

[JJ15776]

I actually watched the Owen/Bret match a few weeks ago and I must say that against some great matches I've seen recently, it just doesn't add up. I think the "greatest" of that match had to do with "the time"; in other words it was a great match "for the time". The same holds true for savage/steamboat in that the match would honestly be considered average in today's area (sorry for all of you savage/steamboat fans).

With that said I would have to give the nod to Jericho/Michaels because they also told the story IN THE RING which is something that Bret/Owen didn't do.

Bingo. Pre-Attitude Era matches just don't hold up against 2003's standards. I don't think people realize just how much the bar has been raised. I'm not knocking anybody from the late 80's/early 90's - they raised the bar considerably from what we saw in the 70's, who raised the bar from the 50's and 60's, etc. I'm sure if Owen and Bret were 10 years younger and they had their match in 2003 instead of 1994, it would've evolved with the times and been just as good as HBK/Jericho. But just comparing the two matches for what they were, it's not even close. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho wins.

 

[midgensa]

As stated earlier here.

The Bret/Owen match was great because of the story inside and OUTSIDE the ring. It was a great match in the ring as well, don't get me wrong. But, this story was told so well by these performers over a period of time that the match itself seemed better than it actually was. Still a great match. One I watch at least once a year, but in the current era we would expect a little more I think.

The Jericho vs. Michaels match is my personal measuring stick. It is perfect. The only thing missing from it was a great story OUTSIDE the ring (though it was a very well done build up, but not spectacular like the Owen/Bret match, the Cena/Punk match, etc.) But as far as in-ring performances go ... it just does not get better than this match. They absolutely stole the show on a night with a LOADED card.

 

[The Brain]

I actually watched the Owen/Bret match a few weeks ago and I must say that against some great matches I've seen recently, it just doesn't add up. I think the "greatest" of that match had to do with "the time"; in other words it was a great match "for the time". The same holds true for savage/steamboat in that the match would honestly be considered average in today's area (sorry for all of you savage/steamboat fans).

With that said I would have to give the nod to Jericho/Michaels because they also told the story IN THE RING which is something that Bret/Owen didn't do.

Bingo. Pre-Attitude Era matches just don't hold up against 2003's standards. I don't think people realize just how much the bar has been raised. I'm not knocking anybody from the late 80's/early 90's - they raised the bar considerably from what we saw in the 70's, who raised the bar from the 50's and 60's, etc. I'm sure if Owen and Bret were 10 years younger and they had their match in 2003 instead of 1994, it would've evolved with the times and been just as good as HBK/Jericho. But just comparing the two matches for what they were, it's not even close. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho wins.

I can't fully express how much I disagree. Not with your choices, but how you arrived at them. Horndog, how did Bret and Owen fail to deliver a story in the ring? They told a beautiful story. That match was flawless. I suggest you watch it again. JJ, Pre-Attitude era matches don't hold up? Are you joking? There were so many great matches between 1991 and 1997 that were just as good, and mostly better than matches from 2003. I will admit there were a lot of great matches between 2002 and 2005, and HBK vs. Y2J at WM19 was one of the best, but there were more great quality matches in the 90s than the 00s.

As for which of these two matches was better, that is a very tough call for me. Both are among my favorite matches of all time. It's pretty much a coin toss. HBK vs. Y2J does have some advantages. The awesome video package before the match, the long and elaborate entrances, and the enormous venue plant the seed that it was the bigger match regardless of what happened between the ropes. If you take that of the equation and just factor in the bell to bell action I'd give the edge to Bret vs. Owen. I think they had the better storyline too. It really is a tough call though and one I may change my mind on later.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

That's a damn good question but I'm gonna have to go with Bret vs. Owen at Wrestlemania X.

I thought the storyline going into the match was built great with Owen and Bret starting to have tension after Survivor Series 93. A few weeks later Owen starts talking about how frustrated he is living in his brothers shadow and wants to prove that he is his own man. Then they reconciled and went for the tag team titles against the Quebecer's at the Royal Rumble.

They did a very good job in this particular match as although you could understand why Bret didn't make the tag, you could also understand Owen's frustration, especially after Bret went for the Sharpshooter on a bummed knee instead of tagging in his fresh brother. Then the turn happened, but when it happened you could feel Owen's frustration and the whole thing felt very organic and you could put yourself in Owen's shoes and understand why he was so mad.

Then the Wrestlemania match happened and that was a near perfect match bell to bell. It was a great back and forth encounter and they did an amazing job in both the technical wrestling aspect and the storyline aspect, the whole match flowed like a ballet. But the reason why I have to give the match to Owen and Bret was the ending. Even with how great a match it was I don't think a single person alive actually thought Owen would win, but he did. Not only did he win, he won against the face of the company, at their superbowl and he did it CLEAN. That's just something that doesn't happen. I remember watching this live and I had to watch it again just so to be sure Owen actually won that match. I remember going to school the next day telling my friends Owen won and every single one of them thought I was lying to them because they couldn't comprehend the fact that Owen could beat Bret. It also laid the groundwork for a great feud that lasted through most of the year.

I thought the setup and execution of Shawn vs. Jericho was very well done too and in a way it played a similar story but at the same time it was much more predictable than Bret vs. Owen. As great as their WM19 match was, I knew Shawn was going to win. On top of that I was more emotionally invested in the Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart storyline. Lastly I felt their match was just a little bit better in the storytelling and wrestling aspect.

So taking into consideration the story leading to the match, the match itself and the fallout of the match I think Bret vs. Owen leads in all 3 categories therefore I feel its the better match and I think overall it was more memorable than Shawn vs. Jericho.

 

[MMK]

How does anyone compare Shawn/Jericho in 2003 to Hart vs Hart in 94? Bret-Owen is a an all time classic. Now if you wanted to compare Owen vs Bret to Shawn vs Razor which occured later that same night at WMX, then that I could see. But Shawn/Jericho isn't in the same league. It's a classic by PG WWE standards, but it doesn't hold up to the classics of the 80's and 90's.

In 1994 Owen & Bret were both in their prime. The same can't be said for Shawn/Jericho in 2003. Jericho was one of the hottest rising stars in WWF in 99/2000 but by 2003 he was slowing down. Meanwhile Shawn hadn't yet really found his footing in WWE after his comeback in 2002. He was still working out the kinks. Remember those awful brown pants at Survivor Series 2002? Actually, to me, the match Shawn had with Shelton Benjamin on RAW in 2004 was far superior to the one he had with Jericho the year prior.

Bret vs Owen was the last feud of it's kind. By that I mean it was the last major feud of the kayfabe era when Wrestling was still promoting itself as being "Real". Guys lived the gimmick. If people spotted Bret/Owen at the airport they'd be like "I knew you guys didn't really hate each other". Now that would be common knowledge. But back then a lot of people really believed there was a rift in the family. But with the rise of the internet a few years later, and the acknowledgement by Vince in 97 that the rivalries we saw on tv were just "entertainment", the kayfabe era died.

But most importantly, Bret vs Owen is more memorable and more important to the legacy of wrestling if for no other reason than for Owens untimely death just a few short years later. Who could have ever predicted what awaited both brothers just a few years later with Bret leaving the WWF under such controversial circumstances, and Owen dying in the ring on live ppv. Those real life dramas take what was already a classic, flawless technical showdown, and gives it that extra epic feeling.

The Bret/Owen feud launched the career of The Rocket. Without that match, Owen never would have been a legend. Nothing like that was gained from the Jericho/Shawn match. Bret vs Owen is the type of match that is to be locked in a vault and held onto for safe keeping. It's a moment in time that will never happen again. It's the most imporant match of Owens career, and a career highlight for Bret and an importan historic moment for the WWF. A moment that stands the test of time. You can't talk about either Bret or Owens career without mentioning that match. It's a top 10 all time match in WWF. Whereas I dont think Shawn vs Jericho is even on either Shawn or Jericho's top 10 matches, let alone WWF's.

 

[theBusiness]

In 1994 Owen & Bret were both in their prime. The same can't be said for Shawn/Jericho in 2003.

What does that have to do with anything?

Taker and HBK were far from their prime at both of their WrestleMania matches and those are both very arguably 5 star matches. I don't see what age has to do with putting on great performances. Shawn did it all throughout the past decade.

 

[mrfantastic111]

Shawn/Jericho isn't in the same league. It's a classic by PG WWE standards, but it doesn't hold up to the classics of the 80's and 90's.

2003 wasn't the same PG programming as we know it today. HBK/Jericho at WM19 was a great match and a classic no matter what way you want to look at it. If it weren't so great then no one would be comparing it to a late 90's classic in the first place.

Both matches were fantastic, but they were from completely different eras in wrestling. One was WWF, one was WWE - different letter, HUGELY significant contrasts in programming. If you compare Bret/HBK to the other classics of the post-attitude era, and then you have to compare HBK/Y2J to the other classics of their own era. To deem a classic against other classics, you have to look at how significant each match was in their own era, how significant each match is of all time, and then compare both.

Whilst I think that HBK/Y2J was a better wrestling match, I think that it is without a doubt that Bret/Michaels will ALWAYS be the more significant match in not only WWE/F history, but WRESTLING history. Also, Bret/HBK was during an era where wrestling was on the brink of an innovative era, so for it's time HBK/Bret was revolutionary, and showcased the kind of wrestling that inspired the likes of Jericho and others to keep up and raise the bar.

If it weren't for Michaels/Hart, then Y2J/HBK would never have been so excellent, and the wrestling we see today may not have been so innovative. Plus, it was matches like HBK/Hart that inspired guys like Jericho to do the kind of showmanship that they did, so you never know, we might of never seen Jericho reach the heights that he did, had of Michaels and Hart never had their epic rivalry.

You can't really accurately compare matches from different eras though. Showmanship is constantly shifting, so what may have been considered a great match 20 years ago may be considered to be boring today. People always dis Hogan for not being a great wrestler, but when he was in his prime, the art of performing wasn't as innovative as it is today. It's like comparing Citizen Kane to the Lord of the Rings. Both are great movies when compared to the standards and innovations of their respective eras, but you can't ever truly compare them.

 

[The Idiot]

When I judge a match, I look at everything that happens before, during and after. With that said, from top to bottom the Bret/Owen match was better.

For the first time in WWF history you had a real brother vs brother feud. It was perfectly written since the Survivor Series and when Owen's song hit the speakers in Madison Square Garden for the opening match it was awesome!! The greatest opening match in PPV history.

They told a fantastic story in the ring...with Bret portraying the ultimate good guy and Owen being the great heel that he was doing anything he could to gain the advantage. But on the same token...what made it great was Owen could match Bret technical-wise. He was a heel but he didn't have to cheat to get the job done....a clean 1-2-3 to beat his older brother Bret. Jerry Lawler's commentating was gold.

Then you look at everything that happened after with Owens dramatic interview and then Bret going on to win the world title at the end of the night only for his brother to walk out afterwards with a look on his face saying, "You got me again." He beat his older brother earlier in the night and at the end Owen was still in the shadows as Bret was hoisted in the air by his piers in celebratory fashion.

HBK/Jericho was fantastic....but it just didn't tell the story that Bret/Owen did. This is all coming from someone who's favorite wrestler growing up was Shawn Michaels. Has been and always will be. But picking between these two Mania matches, for me, was easy.

 

[TheExceLLenceOfExecution]

bret vs owen... not a big fan of jericho.. it was a good match.. but bret vs owen was one of the first matches i ever saw.. and with 2 brothers, the storyline really grabbed me