WrestleMania Rewind #6: Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper at VIII

[Ruthless-RKO]

Click here for rewind #5 Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart at X
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My WrestleMania Rewind #6 is..
Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper from WrestleMania VIII

Match
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The Questions I would like to ask about the match are:

• Was the feud going into the match good?
• Was the match entertaining?
• Was there good story-telling? (Psychology)
• Was there any good spots?
• How was the crowds reaction throughout this match?
• Length of match? (Was it too short? or too long?, could more time have been added to make the match better? etc.)

 

[Foshinzo]

I'm going to take the traditional route here and say that this was a good match, maybe even a really good match. It wasn't either Hart's nor Piper's best match, but it was a solid match that I think even helped a guy like me build more respect for the competitors and the belt they were going for.

I do have to come clean and admit that Piper is my favorite superstar ever, so I'm certain that will skew my opinion to a degree, but this was a good match.

To be more specific, the three things that I really took away from the match when I saw it back in the day were: 1) The psychology was great, with Piper walking the line between being honest or dirty; 2) Piper proved to a lot of people that while he may not have ever been a wrestler of the same caliber as Hart, he was still a great worker and was actually a better wrestler by that point than a lot people were giving him credit for; 3) It was a fun match, and I really enjoyed it.

Again, it wasn't one of the all-time greats, I'm not saying that, but it was a match that still sticks with me. I loved and loved the build-up with Piper torn between his desire to be a champion and his love for the Hart family, what with Piper reminiscing about eating bologna sandwiches at the Hart home when Brett was a kid, but also how Piper even identified that the IC was his first WWF belt and that it meant a lot to him to prove to his critics that he did have it in him to be a champ. It really established Piper as a three-dimensional character, and it gave him depth that he'd never really had before.

Then, when it came down to the wire, Piper had the choice to KO Brett with the bell or to compete honestly, and he chose the latter. I think that that moment did wonders for Piper's career, in the long run because, once again, the character was finally a person, and not just some screaming guy in a kilt who once kicked Cyndi Lauper. Don't get me wrong, Piper was great back in those days and I think he is still the most underrated heel of all-time because of the first two Wrestlemanias. But, when he put the timekeeper's bell down and decided that he would wrestle Brett honestly, for himself, for Brett, and for the integrity of the Intercontinental Championship, he took the final leap into becoming a great all-around character, not just a one-sided heel.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

In reality this was a nothing feud, thrown together more out of Bret's reluctance to work a programme with Jacques Rougeau (due to the infamous Dynamite Kid KO)... He agreed to work with Piper instead... so the feud immediately was slightly tainted and felt forced.

They executed the match and pre match interview pretty well, even though Piper seemed somewhat under the influence in the clearly pre-taped promo, it worked to build some heat... The match actually worked more cos of Piper's skill than Bret's... His psychology carried the whole thing, from the "insulted friend" of the promo to the throwing down of the ring bell... Bret spent most of the match playing heel, and if anything it showed he could have easily done the first title run as one...

Overall this match had a bigger outcome than intended in that it did prove Bret was ready to main event... and just months later was doing so with the big belt... It would have meant more had the two had a rematch when Bret was champion...

 

[bigbootydaddyV]

To be honest I'm not sure what I enjoyed most, the match or Bobby Heenan's commentary. To this day I still remember that line "what the hell use a bell" haha... Heenan and Monsoon helped make this match just as much as the two men in the ring did. You talk about ring psychology and part of that is assisted by good commentary.

I think this match had a good feud going into it. I loved that they gave it a personal touch by having them discuss their personal relationship (to be honest I have no idea if it was true or not but back then I believed it). I remember them trying to one up each other going into the match, again to this day I still remember Bret grabbing Piper's arm and saying what Piper had said to him "would have had you" and Piper saying "no you wouldn't" as he had the belt in his hand... it was awesome and left a lasting impression. I will admit it did seem like a random feud when it first started but they made it work and by time the match happened I was more than ready for it.

The match itself was highly entertaining... one of the two best matches on that card with Macho Flair being the other one. It was also MUCH better than that main event they stuck us with. The end was pretty emotional and I remember me and my friends going nuts when Bret won and screaming at Piper to not use the bell (I was like 10 back then)

The story telling in the match was amazing, especially at the end with Piper walking the edge with cheating. Bret played the helpless opponent perfectly and Piper was just as convincing. It was one of the better endings I had seen in a long while. Back then you didn't see too many matches ending without a finisher and so the ending caught me by surprise but it was still good nonetheless... I appreciate it a little more in hindsight though because back then I remember wondering if that was it and feeling a little unsatisfied I didn't get a finisher.. Bret really was the only one doing stuff like that though.. same with his matches with Davey and Owen.

I think the match was around the right length, perhaps a little long for the time, but hte story telling was so compelling you get lost in the match, particulary towards the end. There were a lot of good spots and I think the crowd was into it, particularly when Bret won.

 

[Rammsteinerteen]

One of the most underrated matches of all time. People don't give this match the credit it deserves. Sure, Ric Flair vs Randy Savage was the match of the night, but people need to realize something. Mid Card matches usually sucked back in the days, actually, most of the time, they were just gimmick wrestlers in the mid card. But Bret Hart and Roddy Piper made a classic. The feud was awesome, and the match was intense. I'll always remember it as Piper's best match ever.

 

[Zigglerfan227]

I personally feel that this match is sometimes overrated. I'm sorry if you do not agree with me but I just feel that they're could have been so much more. I am a fan of Piper and Hart and I know that they were capable of putting on an even better match. It is kind of like Shawn Michael's and Undertaker's match at Wrestlemania 25. It was a great match but it could have been better (Michaels and Taker had a better match at the 26th 'Mania btw). I felt like Piper should have picked up the win against Hart, but maybe that is just me.

Was it long enough? Sure. But the match was kind of boring which made it drag. If it were a better match then the length would have been great.

Was the crowd into it? Sure. I heard alot of crowd reaction.

How good was the fued? Well since I did not even exist when the match took place, I cannot say whether or not the fued was good because I never saw the build up or even the after math. Here is the thing though, I have not read about or heard anything about any other thing between Piper and Hart. This leads me to believe that there was either nothing between them other than this match or if there was anything it was not good enough to make note of.

 

[The Brain]

Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper was an absolutely awesome match. It’s always been a favorite of mine. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this match. I could probably do Monsoon and Heenan’s commentary line for line. The psychology was top notch here. Before I get into the match I want to address something.

In reality this was a nothing feud, thrown together more out of Bret's reluctance to work a programme with Jacques Rougeau (due to the infamous Dynamite Kid KO)... He agreed to work with Piper instead... so the feud immediately was slightly tainted and felt forced.

I have to disagree here. Bret was working with The Mountie late in 1991. He was originally going to defend the title against Mountie at the Royal Rumble. He dropped the IC title to him just two days before the Rumble instead. The story was Bret had a fever and was advised not to wrestle. Bret of course wrestled anyway and lost the title. Mountie attacked Hart after the match until Piper came in for the save. Hart couldn’t compete at the Rumble and Piper took his place winning the IC title. Naturally Bret deserved a rematch for the title but now Piper was champion instead of Mountie. I don’t think it had anything to do with Bret not wanting to work with Mountie. I think Bret vs. Piper was just the bigger and better match for mania. Keep in mind this was Piper’s last match for the WWF as a full time competitor. He had never held a title during his entire career and I always thought he got a brief IC reign at the end of his career as a show of respect before retirement.

As for the mania match, I think it’s one of the best examples of storytelling I’ve ever seen in a match. These two had a friendship going into mania that was becoming more and more tested every week. Piper wanted to take a different approach for this match. He was always a brawler but he wanted to have a wrestling match with Hart. Partially out of respect for Hart and partially to prove he could hang with Hart. The match started out as a nice clean wrestling match with each man showing respect to the other. Piper was doing a good job wrestling but Hart was always one step ahead of him. You could see Piper’s frustration grow as the match went on and everyone wondered if he would be able to keep his composure. There were times when the old Roddy was coming out but he managed to control his temper and stick to wrestling. Finally the frustration overcame Piper and he hit Hart with a cheap sucker punch to take control of the match. The punch actually busted Hart open which really added to the match because blood was extremely rare back then. Piper was in full control when the referee took a fall. Piper grabbed the ring bell and held it over Hart. You could see the thoughts racing through Piper’s mind. Here he had the opportunity to put Hart away with one quick blow. The fans didn’t think Piper would use such measures against a friend. The old Roddy wouldn’t hesitate to take out an enemy but this match was different. If Piper used the bell he would lose the respect of the fans, lose the friendship of Hart, and prove that he couldn’t compete with Hart straight up. Finally Piper decided to toss the bell away and hooked Hart in a sleeper. Hart managed to counter and was able to get a pin on Piper while still in the sleeper hold. For a brief moment there appeared to be a sign of regret in Piper’s eyes. Maybe he should have used the bell. The regret quickly disappeared as he realized his friendship and respect was more important than the title. He helped Hart to his feet and strapped the belt around the waist of the new champion. The two entered the Hoosier Dome as friends but they knew their friendship was about to be tested. They both passed the test and walked out closer than ever.

 

[The Idiot]

I don't know how people can say this match is overrated because you don't see storytelling like this anymore. It was a great back and forth fight with a little bit of everything and a perfect build up. The excellence of execution finishes by countering Pipers sleeper for the pin. Can't think of a better way for Piper to exit and to build Bret's character. The main event scene for Hart was right around the corner.

Out of Bret's 3 most famous IC title matches...I'd rank this second behind his match with the Bulldog at Wembley. His match with Perfect at Summerslam falls closely behind.

Good stuff.