Wrestlefest 90 VHS (29/8/89)
The first recorded bout pitting Hart against Michaels was a tag match between The Hart Foundation and The Rockers. Filmed the day after SummerSlam ’89, the 10-minute contest was a spirited affair. The Harts played subtle heel due to their slightly larger size, with Shawn taking the brunt of the punishment. As was typically the case in non-PPV marquee matches of the era, the bout ended in a no-contest, in this case due to a Rougeaus run-in.
Madison Square Garden (25/11/89)
Appearing on the Greatest Rivalries: Shawn vs. Bret and Shawn Michaels: My Journey DVD releases was this engrossing tag clash from the hallowed grounds of Madison Square Garden. Crammed with ahead-of its-time sequences executed at breakneck speed, the bout was an early indication of the magic Michaels and Hart were capable of when in the ring together.
Maple Leaf Wrestling (14/12/89)
Taped for local airing in Canada only and never released through any official WWE channels, this Rockers Harts battle from Hamilton, Ontario was the best of the bunch. Going a shade over 20 minutes, the back and-forth contest peaked and valleyed throughout before hitting the time limit and declared a draw. A true hidden gem that deserves to be seen by far more than it has.
Wrestling Challenge (10/2/90)
The first televised singles outing between the pair took place on the somewhat underwhelming setting of weekly TV show Wrestling Challenge. Running under five minutes, the match did not have time to resonate. Nor was it helped by an unsatisfying non-finish, when partners Marty Jannetty and Jim Neidhart ran in to cause a double DQ.
Saturday Night’s Main Event (28/4/90)
The first of two SNME bouts between the Rockers and the Hart Foundation ended as most of their televised matches did: in a non-finish. Prior to the double DQ––caused by Demolition getting involved––there were further tantalizing glimpses of what Bret and Shawn could do together. It was becoming abundantly clear that both men had long outgrown the tag ranks and were ready for singles pushes.
The Main Event IV (30/10/90)
This was the famous phantom title switch that never aired, with the Rockers beating the Harts in a two-out-of-three falls match to seemingly lift the gold. After the match, Vince McMahon decided to reverse the decision and not show the bout, with the most commonly touted reason for the annulment being due to the top rope breaking during the encounter.
There was another factor: NBC canceled a proposed edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event––a 90-minute show––and replaced it with 60-minute special The Main Event IV. Due to the shortened run time, something had to be cut. Because the Harts-Rockers match went over 25 minutes, it received the chop. The match finally saw the light of day on the Shawn Michaels: Heartbreak and Triumph DVD.
WWF/SWS Wrestlefest (30/3/91)
One week after WrestleMania VII, the Harts and Rockers met for the final time in the unique setting of Japan’s famous Tokyo Dome. The Harts scored the clean win when Bret pinned Shawn, perhaps a surprising result given the Hart Foundation were winding down.
Invasion of the Bodyslammers VHS (29/4/92)
A lot had changed since Bret and Shawn last locked horns. Hart was now the reigning Intercontinental Champion, enjoying his second stint with the gold, whereas Michaels had turned heel on Rockers partner Marty Jannetty in a famous Barber Shop angle. A match recorded exclusively for a CHV release (the wonderfully-named Invasion of the Bodyslammers) was never likely to showcase both men at their best. Sure enough, the bout never really got going before it ended in a count-out win for Michaels courtesy of assistance from his meddling manager Sensational Sherri.
Rampage ’92 VHS (2/6/92)
Another Intercontinental Title match presented by CHV and at 13-minutes long and with a clean finish, this was much more like it. Containing smooth chain wrestling and fast-paced sequences the likes of which few others on the roster at the time could achieve, it’s one of the WWF’s better matches of the year. Hart scores the duke, rolling up Michaels after sending him crashing into Sherri on the apron.
Smack ’em Whack ’em VHS (21/7/92)
The first-ever Ladder Match in the WWF was not contested by Michaels and Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X as WWE lore preached for so many years, but rather between Michaels and Hart on a house show dark match in Portland. Hart had pitched the concept to McMahon as a potential idea for SummerSlam, should it be held in the U.S. rather than at Wembley. McMahon had already decided upon Hart vs. Bulldog for the PPV at this point but he was keen to see the concept––lifted from Stampede Wrestling––in action. Hart and Michaels put together a well-constructed, logical and relatively safe bout, a far cry from what the match became in later years. Hart, the IC champ going in, emerged the winner.
Survivor Series ’92 (25/11/92)
Arguably the best singles match of their series, this WWF champ vs. IC champ showdown was the headliner of Survivor Series, a reality that seemed fanciful one year earlier when Hart was just finding his feet as IC champ and Michaels was still teaming with Jannetty. Their progress to the top had been accelerated due to the steroid trial literally reducing the size of the WWF’s roster. Michaels and Hart took advantage, delivering the goods in an excellent, often overlooked cracker.
Bret Hitman Hart VHS (1/12/93)
A rare steel cage match, filmed exclusively for Hart’s CHV profile tape. Lacking in intensity or invention, the duo did not click during this 12-minute affair. As usual, when they met in this era, Hart won the bout, leaving the cage as Michaels was stuck in the ropes.
Hits From The Heartbreak Kid VHS (11/1/94)
Not the hidden gem it could have been, this CHV outing was seven minutes of rest holds and going through the motions until an Owen Hart run-in brought it to a halt.
WrestleMania XII (31/3/96)
One of the most polarising contests in WWF history, this 60-minute Iron Man Match main event is considered either a mat wrestling masterclass or a colossal bore. We fall in the latter camp. Almost nothing happened for the majority of the bout, which ended in overtime with a Michaels superkick, completing his “boyhood dream” of capturing the WWF Title.
Monday Night Raw (22/9/97)
This three-way between Hart, Michaels and Undertaker was actually a dark match that took place after the historic Raw from MSG. Footage only recently emerged via WWE’s YouTube channel, showing Hart pinning Michaels (clad in dress pants) following a ‘Taker Tombstone.
Survivor Series ’97 (9/11/97)
We all know about this one. It’s perhaps the most famous match of all time, certainly the most talked about––the infamous Montreal Screwjob. The short version is that WWF champ Hart did not know he was losing and had the bell rung on him, for real, by Vince McMahon. The WWF chief had concocted the double cross with Michaels and others to prevent WCW announcing their new signing Hart while he held the WWF’s top prize. It led to bad blood on all sides for over a decade.
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