From 1991 until Bret's retirement, he was always incredibly difficult to beat and lost clean only a handful of times. Orton gets beat regularly, often clean, and against far worse competition than Bret. Bret Hart was a master strategist and outsmarted far tougher opponents than Randy Orton. Orton is simply not good enough to beat Bret in this match.
Okkk one last post because there is a lot I object to here. I don't really give a shit who wins as I prefer Hart, but I'm standing by Orton to go through here.
Of course Bret was difficult to beat - he was the number one face of the federation. Name one top face that ISN'T hard to beat. That'd be shitty booking. Orton has worked heel predominantly and was mostly booked against huge babyfaces such as Cena, Angle, Undertaker, HHH etc. Sure he lost a ton, he's a fucking heel what you expect. He has wins over them all though, some clean.
Far worse competition than Bret makes me laugh a lot. You are incredibly misguided here, I don't think ANYONE could make an argument that the roster Orton is competing in is weaker than the mid 90s.
I've talked a lot about a few things that undermine Bret's perception as the undisputed Ace of the WWF in the mid-90s - mostly that his combined time with the title isn't that much more than Diesel, Yokozuna and Shawn. I've also mentioned he wasn't booked in big matches on PPV as often as Orton has been in a tougher roster. I havn't really mentioned what happens to Hart when he doesn't have the title belt - I've been working my way through WWF from 1985 to 2002 and have got to 1995. It's incredible how underutilised Bret has been this year. Let me elaborate.
Royal Rumble 1995 - has a title match with Diesel. It was dusty as fuck, with Diesel seemingly having the match won clean with the powerbomb before HBK interfered to keep the match going. Hart then gets the Sharpshooter and appears to have it won before Owen breaks THAT up. The match continues, before heels swarm the ring and it's announced as a draw. Slight kayfabe edge to Diesel there as he becomes the top face of the WWF (he's often referred to as "the leader of the new generation" during this time.
What happens then to Bret? Well, he tumbles down the card for 10 months. Works midcard with Backlund at Wrestlemania, then goes into a feud with an old, commentating Jerry Lawler for a few months including wrestling him at In Your House 1 and King of the Ring. At the next In Your House he's in a FUCKING DARK MATCH with Jean-Pierre Lafitte (who is absolutely incredible, check him out. Quebecers 4 lyf). Tell me one time Orton worked a dark match. on PPV. Next up its Summerslam where he gets the debut of Isaac Yankem DDS. In Your House 3 its Jean Pierre Lafitte again, this time it made PPV omg! (insanely great match btw). In your House 4 next,
back to the dark matches in a rematch against Isaac Yankem. Finally at Survivor Series he does something relevant and takes the strap back off Diesel ready to drop it to Shawn in 4 months.
1995 is smack in the middle of Bret Hart's prime, and he spent the entire year feuding with JPL, Isaac Yankem, a 45yo Jerry Lawler and a 45yo Bob Backlund.
It's not a travesty if Bret wins, but people overhype him a lot. He's an incredible professional wrestler so I guess that makes sense, I love him too.
