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51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bret Hart dvd is a 5 star dvd, September 26, 2006
This review is from: WWE - Bret "Hitman" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be (DVD)
80-76%-perfect
75-71%-awsome
70-66%-good
65-61%-poor
60-56%-awful
1. THE HART FOUNDATION vs THE BRITISH BULLDOGS (July-13, 1985): Emanating from Madison Square Garden, this isn't what you would call a classic bout between these 2 great teams, but it is a nice little preview of what they are capable of. The dynamic between the 4 men is perfect, with the Bulldogs struggling to contain the constant double-team maneuvers of their opponents, as well as the strength of The Anvil. DaveyBoy Smith plays the face in peril for most of the match, while the Harts (including Jimmy on the outside with his megaphone) do everything to keep Smith in the ring. I've seen better hot tags to Dynamite (where were the suplexes?), while the action here wasn't as crisp as these guys would usually be. Still a great match, despite the disappointing draw result being called as the MSG curfew came up at the 13 minute mark. These guys easily had an extra 20 minutes in them, if not a lot more. WInners No contest. Match Rating 7.5/10.
2. THE HART FOUNDATION vs THE KILLER BEES (February-17, 1986-Initially, the structure of this match is actually quite a bit different to most Hart Foundation bouts, as The Killer Bees target & isolate Neidhart for the first 4 minutes. There's some very good tag-team action here & it gets the crowd very much involved. Soon though, the Harts get on top & take control of Brunzell for what seems like an eternity. It's a little too long for my liking & there are a few too many restholds. Although, it doesn't seem to bore the live crowd in attendance, as they frantically anticipate the hot tag to Blair. It eventually comes & it's an understatement to say that the action picks up from there. Blair does everything but get the 3 count as the entertainment picks up tremendously. It was worth the wait & I have to conclude that this was a very good match at the end of the day. This was despite the disappointing time limit draw result, even though I had the duration as 19 minutes (not 20. Winners it is a draw. Match Rating 8/10.
3. BRET HART vs RICKY `THE DRAGON' STEAMBOAT (March-8, 1986): Emanating from Boston Garden, this is an early singles match for the Hitman which took place just prior to WrestleMania 2. In true heel form, Bret attacks Steamboat as the bell rings & gets the early advantage. But it doesn't last too long, as the tremendously over Dragon takes control rather quickly. Ricky actually is the one to slow the pace down as he targets the left arm of Bret. But here & there, especially when or the other is running the ropes, these 2 show the flashes of brilliance (& crispness) that we know they are capable of. As the match settles in, there is some nice back & forth action, with Hart probably having the better of the offense (to the surprise of the fans). A referee bump towards the end leads to a short closing sequence where Steamboat reverses a pinning attempt & gets the victory at the 15 minute mark. The potential was there to see here as Bret showed great ability to wrestle a 15 minute match all by his lonesome against an over face. Isolated though, you know these 2 could do a lot better as the pace was initially a little too methodical & the bout didn't play up to Steamboat's strengths sufficiently. Winner RICKY `THE DRAGON' STEAMBOAT. Match Rating 8.5/10.
4. BRET HART vs `THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN' TED DIBIASE (March-8, 1989- Emanating from Odessa-Texas, this match took place after Bret had turned face & started wearing the pink & black. It should also be noted that there is no commentary during this bout. Bret gets the explosive start & attacks Dibiase as the bell rings, almost sneaking the victory once or twice. Quite entertaining to begin with as the Hitman seemingly has an answer for everything the Million Dollar Man throws at him. But a missed charge by Hart results in him getting winded & Dibiase taking control for minutes on end with his interesting mix of strength & technical wrestling that became his trademark in the late 80's & early 90's (although I personally preferred the slimmer & more athletic Dibiase of the early 80's from what I have seen). Back & forth from that point onwards, with each man attempting to outdo the other while attempting numerous pinfalls. Despite Dibiase apparently being blown out (his heavy breathing is evident), these 2 somehow stretch the match out to a 16 minute duration, with Bret's superior athleticism helping the match quality out the longer it progresses. This bout that ends in a double countout, is well put together, if not anything super special. Winner double count out. MAtch Rating 8/10.
5. THE HART FOUNDATION vs THE ROCKERS (April-28, 1990-From an episode of `Saturday Nights Main Event', this is a non-stop back & forth entertaining match that simply never lets up from the opening bell. It proves the adaptability of The Hart Foundation & the potential of The Rockers. These 4 guys just go at it at a blistering pace. Hart & Michaels get a good deal of the action which obviously helps, but even Jannetty & Neidhart keep the action moving along at a great pace. Terrific stuff & not completely ruined by the Double DQ result at only the 9 minute mark, when Demolition run in & turn it into a 3 team brawl. WInner double dq. match RAting 8.5/10.
6. THE HART FOUNDATION vs THE NASTY BOYS (WrestleMania 7. March-24, 1991): The Hart Foundation came into this bout as the tag champs & without the management of Jimmy Hart, who had since moved over to manage Knobbs & Saggs (or Saggy Knob as I used to call them). I must admit that I was never a fan of The Nasty Boys. In fact, they pretty much constantly bored me. Just to prove it, they make Neidhart look like a quick technician here! Thankfully, this is quite well booked in that it uses Bret a lot & he pretty much carries the bout. Of course, he (& we) have to put up with the boring Nasty Boys offense in the meantime & that brings the match down a peg or 5! The hot tag is eventually made to Neidhart who cleans house. But in a flurry of activity, the Nastys use Jimmy's megaphone & escape with the title win after 12 minutes. Not great, but could have been so much worse. Well booked & sufficiently entertaining. Winners and new wwe tag team champs THE NASTY BOYS. match Rating 7.5/10.
7. BRET HART vs `MR PERFECT' CURT HENNIG (SummerSlam. August-26, 1991): Great start to this match for Perfect's InterContinental Title, with some crisp & entertaining sequences of one-upmanship. Bret's mentioning of Hennig's back injury & those first few moments show what might have been if Hennig had stayed injury-free (both then & in later years)... Especially when Bret was on the top of his game as WWE Champion. That's not to say that they didn't deliver here, as they well & truly did. Just (pardon the pun) perfectly put together, as these 2 guys showed that you could have a great 15+ minute technical match. Great storytelling throughout as both men tried to outdo each other, leading to many exciting nearfalls & some great unpredictability. Bret kicked out of the PerfectPlex (which was surprising at the time) & went to work on Hennig. But to go with the flow of the entire bout, Perfect fought hard & kicked out of many 2 counts. The SharpShooter eventually got the job done though (if a little too quickly & anti-climactically) to win the InterContinental Title at the 18 minute mark. Great stuff from these 2 terrific wrestlers, although I'm certain that if timing & injury permitted, they could do even better. Winner and new wwe itc champ bret hart. Match Rating 9/10.
8. BRET HART vs `THE BRITISH BULLDOG' DAVEY BOY SMITH (SummerSlam. August-29, 1992 From the SummerSlam that was held in England, this is my favorite match ever. It was very disappointing to see that DaveyBoy Smith's hugely atmospheric ring entrance in front of his home crowd has been edited out of this DVD! Bret enters this main-event match as the InterContinental Champion. The British crowd are rather amazing, and make me wonder why we haven't seen another ppv outside of North America since. Just the perfect mix of everything, these 2 put together an excellent combination of technical, power & psychological wrestling. This is arguably the bout that elevated Hart to main-event status & gave DaveyBoy Smith a significant push. 26 minutes in length & the final 7 or so is better than anything you will ever see. I think Bobby `The Brain' Heenan best summed this up on commentary when he stated "Is there anything they haven't done?" Winner Bret Hart. Match Rating 10/10.
9. BRET HART vs BAM BAM BIGELOW (April-24, 1993 This match is from a live event held in Barcelona-Spain & comes complete with Spanish commentary (I like the sound of the word "Phenomo" & the way they roll their "r's"). Bam Bam's priceless mix of strength & athleticism usually works very well with smaller wrestlers, but I'm not 100% certain that technical wrestling is his forte. For the first 8-10 minutes of this bout, he practically dominates & targets Bret's back. But it's way too methodically paced & only works in batches. A missed headbutt from the top rope gives Bret the chance to quicken the pace, while Bam Bam continues to work on the back. The bout is much more successful at this stage, but ends too quickly at just the 12 minute mark with the Hitman nicely rolling Bam Bam up with a victory roll from a headscissors position for the win. Winner bret Hart/ Match Rating 7.5/10.
10. BRET HART vs `MR PERFECT' CURT HENNIG (King Of The Ring. June-13, 1993): This was the semi-final match of the annual tournament & the 2nd of 3 bouts that Bret wrestled on the night. The first couple of minutes of this match is almost identical to their SummerSlam '91 bout, and that's not necessarily a bad thing! This isn't entirely a duplicate of the match from approximately 2 years earlier though, as...
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewing some of the matches, November 4, 2005
This review is from: WWE - Bret "Hitman" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be (DVD)
I got this from a forum that I used to post at; I no longer post there. Took me a little while to find this, but it's a well written account of some of Bret's matches that will be on the DVD.
Enjoy.
w/Jim Neidhart vs. The British Bulldogs
Every time these teams wrestled, they blew the roof off the arena. They were quite simply the two greatest tag teams the WWF had ever seen and they stole the show on a regular basis.
vs. Ricky Steamboat - Prime Time Wreslting 07/28/86
This match (taped in Boston on 03/08/86) was 15 minutes of fantastic scientific wrestling that was supposed to set up a match between them for Wrestlemania 2. This was the first time these wrestlers ever met in the ring, and they still reached **** and delivered the WWF Match of the Year.
vs. The Rockers - Saturday Night's Main Event #26
While somewhat hindered by the incredibly lame and illogical finish, this was a fantastic match. The execution was nearly flawless, the reversals were amazing, the psychology was smart, and the action was intense. With another five to ten minutes and a decisive finish, this could have grown into one of the greatest tag matches of all time. Everything in this match looked so smooth without coming across as rehearsed or contrived and the frequent tags on the part of both teams helped build a smart match that was full of action.
vs. Mr. Perfect - Summer Slam '91
This was fantastic and still holds up as one of the greatest matches in the company's history. The execution was very crisp, there were over a dozen false finishes, there were several smooth reversals, and the momentum shifts were downright incredible. These wrestlers were on the same wavelength throughout the entire match but not once did the match seem overly rehearsed. As good as this match was, both men were reportedly upset with its quality. Apparently, this match wasn't nearly as good as their series of house show matches from 1989. That is almost frightening.
vs. Davey Boy Smith - Summer Slam '92
This contained every crucial element necessary for a great match. From a technical standpoint, this match was fantastic with smart psychology, fantastic reversal sequences, a plethora of moves, and dozens of false finishes. The "family feud" added an extra dramatic element as did the environment. The 80,000 screaming fans didn't just pop for the entrances and high spots, but were actually white hot throughout the entire match. It is rare to see a crowd stay that hot for that long. This is, quite obviously, Davey Boy's crowning moment and anyone who has seen this match will understand why Bret Hart was wearing his first WWF Championship within six weeks. This was the first WWF PPV without Hulk Hogan and there was a lot of weight on the shoulders of these two to deliver a solid main event. Needless to say, they more than met all expectations and put on what many consider to be the greatest match in the WWF's history.
vs. Mr. Perfect - King of the Ring '93
The fact that they were both faces created a very different dynamic which accentuated Perfect's will to win at any cost. When Perfect was unable to out-wrestle Bret, he decided to surprise him with a cheap shot. When Bret stayed in control Perfect finally decided to go after his injured hand. This showed a certain level of desperation, but also showed how important winning this match was. The execution was great, the pacing was great, the psychology was great, and the storytelling was great. Mr. Perfect's attempt to take a page out of Bret's playbook by "playing possum" was classic. This is your 1993 WWF Match of the Year.
vs. Owen Hart - Wrestlemania X
Owen finally stepped out of Bret's shadow and earned the victory of his career here. This was the greatest opening match in WrestleMania history and one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches ever. The psychology was fantastic with both wrestlers being extremely focused with their plan of attack and both doing a fantastic job of selling their opponent's offense. The execution, from the mat work at the beginning to the high impact moves in the middle to the pinning combinations at the end, was incredible. The numerous momentum shifts and countless near fall situations raised the excitement factor and kept the fans into the match from bell to bell. Add to this the storyline and character development and you have yourself a contender for Match of the Decade. You simply aren't going to find many WWE matches that are this good.
vs. Hakushi - In Your House
This was a fast paced cruiserweight style match that really shows how flexible Bret was in the ring. Hakushi would have seen a lot more success if more wrestlers were willing to work his style.
vs. Diesel - Survivor Series '95
This wasn't your typical Match of the Year contender, but it was fantastic nonetheless. The pace here is very slow, but is also very deliberate. Bret's first real move (an arm wringer) didn't happen until eight minutes in and the first near fall didn't take place until about ten minutes after that, but the match never seems too repetitive. Diesel almost seemed like a vicious monster from an old horror movie here and his slow pace made him seem very confident of victory. Surprisingly, Diesel did a fantastic job of selling his injury after Bret got on the offensive. Bret trying to keep his distance from Diesel accentuated both Bret's intelligence and the incredible threat that Diesel imposed. The finish is easily one of the most memorable in the company's long history. The table bump that Bret took was unlike what most fans ever seen before and the fans were sure that Bret was finished after it. Bret collapsing while Diesel was trying to Jackknife him only to surprise him with a pinfall was downright shocking. I have seen surprise victories before and since, but none were as well executed or as surprising as this one was. Both men have a match to be proud of in this one.
vs. Davey Boy Smith - In Your House V
Davey was a lot more confident here than he was at Summer Slam '92 and took on a bigger role as he was in control of the offense for the most of the match. The two did an excellent job in playing off of their previous battles, but managed to put on a entirely different match than they had in the past. Bret's blade job was pretty brutal for that era and it was rare to see so much blood in a WWF ring. Although the winner of this match should have been obvious, they were successful in making the fans believe that Bret could not defeat Davey. This did not have the atmosphere or the historical significance that their previous match had, it was still incredible and a very strong contender for Match of the Year.
vs. Steve Austin - Wresltemania 13
One of the most important matches in the history of the business and every wrestling fan should be required to see it. Bret is known for being one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time, but he is also clearly one of the best brawlers of all time. The intensity of this match is impossible to capture with words and it seemed as though Austin and Bret really hated each other. Technically, this match was a masterpiece but, as with most of Bret's matches, where it really excelled was in its storytelling aspects. The psychology in this match was brilliant with Bret relentless in his attack on Austin's leg, and Austin doing a perfect job of selling his injury. The finish was also brilliant and created a situation in which the fans were guaranteed to get behind Austin and make him their new hero. It is downright remarkable how this match managed to turn Austin face and Bret heel without ever being too obvious about it. Steve Austin had many great matches prior to this one, but this is the night that he became a legend. This match paved the way for the Attitude era.
vs. Undertaker - One Night Only '97
This was Bret's last great WWF match and arguably Undertaker's best performance ever. The psychology here was great and I was shocked at how well Undertaker sold his injuries. This match completely blew their previous match from Summer Slam out of the water and, without the story revolving around Shawn Michaels, Bret and Undertaker were given all of the spotlight. This event was a UK-only PPV, but Bret pulled a few strings and had it shown in Canada as well. Sadly, Vince McMahon decided to burry this match. He did this to piss Bret off but was really doing an terrible injustice to the Undertaker as well. This match is undisputed proof that Undertaker does not suck and, with the right opponent, he can achieve greatness.
vs. Chris Benoit - Monday Nitro 10/04/99
These two had a few very solid matches in the past, but they were finally able to achieve greatness with this one. This contained several references to Stampede Wrestling and was a healthy dose of nostalgia for anyone familiar with that promotion. What also made this match great was its learned psychology. Bret and Benoit both went for several moves that had been successful for them in their previous matches only to have them be countered by their wizened opponent.
I'd better stop there. Simply put, Bret was the most dependable wrestler in the WWF's history and could always be counted on to deliver in the ring regardless of whom he was facing. He was completely flexible in the ring and always willing to build the match around the style of his opponent to accentuate their strengths. He could wrestle or could brawl, he was successful as a heel and a face, he could work tag matches or gimmick matches, and was able to play both the underdog or the experienced veteran. His execution was flawless, he had little wasted movement in the ring, his false finishes and momentum shifts were always well timed, and he was the greatest storyteller I have ever seen.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The EXCELLENCE of Execution!!!, February 3, 2006
This review is from: WWE - Bret "Hitman" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be (DVD)
"The Hitman" Bret Hart is one of the greatest performers of all time, alongside Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair as the top three. As you will see in this AWESOME 3 DVD set, Bret Hart stood for everything that is (or was) right about the wrestling business. Bret never did anything demeaning, as he always done whatever was asked of him. I will review the matches, but as it relates to the story on Disc 1, it is tremendous. Bret (and others) get to tell their side of the story, and it's very easy to relate to Bret as he tells his side. As far as the matches go, here's my review:
Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs (Madison Square Garden, 07/13/85) ***1/2 (Awesome chemistry when these two teams face each other.)
Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees (Madison Square Garden, 02/17/86) ***1/2 (Another very good tag team match on this DVD.)
Bret Hart vs. Ricky Streamboat (Boston Garden, 03/08/86) ****1/2 (Most people might not have seen this match, but with these two legendary performers, they didn't disappoint.)
Bret Hart vs. Ted DiBiase (Odessa, TX, 03/08/89)**** (Again, another match that most people might not have seen. An excellent match between these two, even if the commentary is semi-non existant.)
Hart Foundation vs. Rockers (Saturday Night's Main Event, 04/28/90)*** (Wow, this match could've been a CLASSIC if given more time.)
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Hart Foundation vs. Nasty Boys (Wrestlemania VII, 03/24/91)***1/2 (Bret and the Anvil lost the tag titles in this match, setting up the long awaited Bret singles push.)
WWE Intercontinental Match
Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect (SummerSlam, 08/26/91)****1/4 (The CLASSIC match where Bret finally wins his first singles title.)
WWE Intercontinental Match
Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog (SummerSlam, 08/29/92)***** (Arguably Bret's best match ever. Required viewing for this one.)
Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (Barcelona, Spain, 04/24/93)*** Good match, but hard to view, figuratively, since it is with Spanish commentary.)
King of the Ring Semi-Final Match
Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect (King of the Ring, 06/13/93)****1/4 (Another classic match between these two.)
Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Wrestlemania X, 03/20/94)***** (The first match in the classic rivalry between these two brothers. More required viewing.)
WWE Championship Match
Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (White Plains, NY, 09/29/94)****-***** (I'm debating the rating for this one, but it is another awesome match and the final one between the brothers.)
Bret Hart vs Hakushi (In Your House, 05/14/95)***1/2 (A very good match for these two @ the first In Your House PPV.)
WWE Championship Match
Bret Hart vs. Diesel (Survivor Series, 11/19/95) ****1/4 (The table spot makes it debut in this match, as Bret regains the title for the third time, also giving Diesel his second best match ever.)
WWE Championship Match
Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog (In Your House, 12/17/95)**** (Not better than their Summerslam 92 match, but still an excellent match nonetheless.)
Submission Match
Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (Wrestlemania 13, 03/23/97)***** (One of my favorite matches of all time, more required viewing.)
WWE Championship Match
Bret Hart vs. Undertaker (One Night Only, 09/20/97)****1/2 (Another match where most people might not have seen it, An awesome match that is one of the Undertaker's best.)
Owen Hart Tribute Match
Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (WCW Nitro, 10/04/99)***** (Bret and Benoit had a CLASSIC match in the wreckage known @ the time as WCW. The LAST true great match in that company's history.)
Easter Eggs
Easter Egg: Stampede Wrestling interview
How to Access: On Disc One, Go to Chapters. Highlight Stampede Wrestling'. Click the left arrow twice and the clip will play.
Easter Egg: Bret Hart discusses believability inside the ring
How to Access: On Disc Two, Go to Chapters, Highlight 'Bret Hart vs. Ricky Steamboat'. Click the Right arrow twice. The clip will then play.
Easter Egg: Bret Hart discusses where he got his nickname
How to Access: On Disc Two, Go to Chapters, Highlight 'Saturday Night's Main Event'. Click the Left arrow twice. The clip will then play
Easter Egg: Bret Hart Discusses Never Injuring an Opponent
How to Access: On Disc Two, Go to Chapters, Highlight 'Intercontinental Championship Match'. Click the Left arrow twice. The clip will then play
Easter Egg:Bret Hart "You Start the Fire" music video
How to Access: On Disc Three, On Disc Two, Go to Chapters, Highlight 'WWE Championship Match 11/19/95'. Click the right arrow twice. The video will then play
Overall, this DVD set is a must have for every wrestling fan. If Bret didn't directly go to the WWE and have his input, it wouldn't have been this way. And all of the matches on here are personally selected by Bret. So, even if he did leave out some of his other classics, I still have no arguments. Strongly recommended.
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