Jim Cornette Reviews WWE Rivals: Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin 

WWF Warzone Ps1 Days

Facts

​@@dominiquejones3805 what a flashback

Along with Mankind smiling as he returned to the Cell

Now imagine that but Austin has a full head of hair again. Photo shop that and you'll get $150 from Jim. Brian wants nothing to do with it but Jim, well Jim's ready for that bloody hairy head 😅😅😅😅😅

It still is even today, shawn might say he found God, but Bret is still a better human being than both shawn and hhh, who buried talent long after they weren't main eventers

Well said

Imagine if it was Bret vs Austin at Mania 14. Would have been an awesome culmination to their feud with Steve finally beating Bret for the title.

Preston Pfeiffer Yeah he really put him over when he beat him in every match. Yes the matches are competitive but hogan had “competitive” matches with everyone and never put anyone over so what’s with the double standard there? Shawn talked a lot of crap that much is true but so did everyone who was a maineventer at that time but at the end of the day Shawn laid down flat on his back on the biggest stage of the business for Austin and Bret never did. After the Bret feud Austin was a tough SOB who had awesome matches, after the Shawn feud Austin was an unbeatable champion. So yeah Shawn put Austin over more than Bret ever did. Actions matter, not words. Does it matter now that hogan says he “liked” any of the numerous wrestlers he beat and wanted to see them get over? No, it doesn’t, so why does that matter for Bret? You guys pick and choose when something matters and when it doesn’t and the hypocrisy is laughable.

Rschr101 If Bret was ever going to lose to Austin at Wrestlemania I doubt it would’ve been clean. It would’ve been a roll up or fast count or both either way Bret would’ve worked an out in their match for himself just like he did for all his loses. Say all you want about Shawn and his trash talking and backstage politics but when he had to lay down he did it flat on his back clean like you should when you really want to get someone over.

Agreed. Waltman went from a glorified jobber to a beloved underdog as 1-2-3 Kid

100% agree. Bret had a conviction about him that made you buy into his character -- on top of that he went for a hard-hitting, realistic style and was the best in-ring worker I've ever seen. Bret was the kind of guy who'd make you look like $1m even if you lost to him.

His work looked the best. Very believable work.

Shawn was a made man long before his rivalry with Bret you idiot lol.

While I agree with you, Lawler was a top guy 20 years before he ever wrestled Bret. He's sold more tickets to professional wrestling events than Bret Hart ever has. So, Lawler doesnt really fit in with the others you mentioned.

So why did 99-2000 have better ratings then

​@@KnucklesWTD you know what he means

​@@KnucklesWTD raitings have nothing to do, something can be garbage and be watched more that something amazing that less ppl watch. They were hotshoting angles week in and week out by 99 and 2000's so thats probably a reason for that

1999 with The Rock was the peak

@@EmmanuelFreytes well people tell me ratings mean everything 🤷‍♂️

Some reta ded freaks would lose the will to live reading this.

Bret could go over but legitimize u

You goddamn right. Or he could put YOU over and make you look like you EARNED it

Hart is for sure in that convo Austin before the neck injury was amazing I know he is hated for good reason but Benito is up there Rick and Scott Steiner Steamboat Bob Backlund people don't relisze how good he was Mr Perfect Kurt Angel

He put Austin over, who proved to be the straw that helped take Shawn's smile, and win the war over WCW (yes, I know it's a bit of a reach but Austin was a bigger draw than HBK was)

@@Gothy420 I totally agree with you bro, he was so over in 97. He was a heel that was shown so much love by the fans. The first time I seen him live was in 98 before he won the wwf championship against Shawn Michaels. He was in a handicap table match against the new age outlaws. The hsbc arena in Buffalo was so loud when his music started you could feel the excitement on the floor.

@@Gothy420 You guys are hilarious. Bret had the same injury Shawn had “when he lost his smile” and Bret took 3 months off.

@Kam Fisher couple things: Bret didn't implode from pressure or somas. Bret also didn't lose money as the champion. Also, Bret wasn't a whiny little bitch that exposed the business.

​@@Gothy420 Bret Hart never put Austin over. He beat him in all the matches.

I can't remember any others off the top of my head but this one is so memorable

Oh Yes, because it was two amazing talents and Bret technically is one of the best if not the best along with Angle

@@alo4912 Demolition and Powers of Pain at Survivor Series s the only other that comes to mind.

@@alo4912 rock/Mankind and Austin/Angle only two I can think of

Bret got nasty n this feud

Real talk. When I found out they were cool , I was like no way

Stone Cold Steve Austin would never say I quit to Bret hart he would never give Bret the satisfaction of Austin saying those words that is how believable the Angle was, you really thought there was an intense hatred between the two.

I loved it but now and as a kid I loved Brett n Shawn’s rivalry more

With Austin vs Hart it was more like two badasses against each other HBK was always the pretty prettyboy of wrestling as a kid to me. But I respect your opinion and respectfully disagree

@@badmoon710 I think if you remove all of the backstage shenanigans and dirt sheet stuff for Bret-Shawn, it pales in comparison to Austin-Bret. The storyline and matches as presented on TV and PPV only...it's not even close.

Bret had great rivalries in the 90s that seemed based on real, legitimate hate. His rivalries with Jerry Lawler was also one of my faves. Lawler made some legendary cracks about Helen and Stu lol

@@manuelper it's sad the program went less than a year. I hated Canada for a long time because of wwf

100% agree. I love work rate Stunning Steve but really the punch kick brawling was perfect for the stone cold character. Plus when he got his neck surgery in 2000 he came back and had some bangers in 2001

His knee injuries as well. I enjoyed the run of Stunning Steve and The Hollywood Blondes in WCW because you actually got to see Steve as a good technical wrestler and utilize the training he got from “Gentleman” Chris Adams.

He still had great matches with Kurt angle and Chris Benoit

Yes. But Owen got what he deserved.

People just don't know how good the Ringmaster was. Austin could go b4 the neck injury

And this was Austin pre-injury. While he certainly did a great job of adapting his style after he broke his neck, Heel Austin in '96 was, for me, peak Austin.

Yeah also remember JR saying "if you love holyfield vs tyson, you're gonna love this!" The best wrestling matches imo allowed the best commentators to call it play by play as though it is real. Bret always gave heenan, gorilla and JR the opportunity to call matches at their best.

I thank God I grew up watching this as a young lad. Both are superior in their own right and created some of the best moments in wrestling history

@only1icon1801 they are number 1 and 2 for me mate 👍

Wow. Never heard or at least remembered that JR commentary. Absolute superb. Its actually clearly a dig at Vince and his gimmick obsession but easily deniable.

Austin was always gonna make it, but I don't think anybody else could've put him on the path to superstardom like Bret did. Once Austin caught fire there was no stopping him,

I remember in an interview Austin did that he said that the match he had at wrestlemania 13 with Bret made him "the guy" rather than winning the title at wrestlemania 14

@@plonkersbro i agree he was the guy most of 97

You mean color. Piper got "colored" at WrestleMania vs Bad News half Brown.

@@user-wx4et7pd1d Definitely.

There's an alternative universe I'm really fucking jealous of tbh 😂

You just nailed it. It’s the realism that attracted us as fans. You actually felt these two are really going at it

HBK vs Hart is the realest best rivalry ever

Vince shoulda let HBK go, and Bret couldve had gold matches with Austin, Rock, Waltman, HHH, Big Show, Angle, Jericho, etc...

100% agreed, absolutely fantastic feud betweeen this 2 legends at their best, you,ve anything thats makes wrestling good (build up, promos, storytelling, and top matches, everything is high level) on this

Same.I feel it didn’t ever get a good ending.

Mines was Jake vs addiction.

And Austin used to be a technical wrestler before the botched piledriver that fucked his neck up

tbh Austin was actually really good at wrestling in general as well, but after his injury he quickly adapted and switched to more brawling and less rolling around while doing it in a way that was still legit

Austin wasn't a brawler yet not until after Owen broke his neck

Heel Bret was where he shined

Bret was by far my favorite wrestler in the 90's, but when I was a little kid in the 80's I remember one day I was wearing a Hogan shirt and one of my dad's friends asked if Hogan was my favorite wrestler? To which I replied, " no, I just don't have a Leo Burke shirt!" In the 80's in Nova Scotia, Leo Burke was the man!!

My first wrestling tape was WM5 I got from my uncle. U could see it n the tag match, Bret was ready. His mic work as a heel🔥

I am shocked I had to scroll THIS FAR down to find this comment... I was watching that ppv live and as soon as Hart started walking up the ropes in the Million $ Dream, I yelled out "MANIA 8!!!!!!", lol... I just remember that ppv so clearly bc it was one of my favorite WRESTLEMANIAs

@@iVtheDemonKnight it’s just crazy that so many don’t remember that match, as it was on of his greatest matches during his 2 runs with the intercontinental championship. Also include the fact that Piper put him over clean and he rarely ever did that for anyone.

Also the ring bell. Piper used it to become a babyface while Bret used it to become a heel.

AOL and Time Warner?

@@baboracus that's the dumbest comment of the day lol

Wow. Very I sightful lmao😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Me too. Bret is my favorite and Austin is right behind him. For people that say Steve Austin can’t wrestle, the fact that Bret Hart had come out and openly said he enjoyed every time he worked with him and has nothing but tremendous respect for Steve should tell you something. Bret takes the business seriously, and he doesn’t respect a whole lot of wrestlers outside his own family and inner circle. Outside of Steve, Undertaker, and Mr. Perfect, I could think of anyone else

"Pillman's Got A Gun" is one of my favorite episodes of Raw ever.

Austin introduces Brian Pillman Jr to WWE Universe

@hollaatmeross Pink tights...what the hell is that all about Bret? This ain't no Ballet class...what a load of crap!

"It's 3:16, Bret! Time to whip your ass!"

They really made u believe they hated each other come 2 find out they were cool

Austin promos and interviews during the build up of their WM13 match are pure GOLD. Hilarious stuff but felt 100% real at the same time, Stone Cold talking trash and acting over aggressive during late 96- half 97 was over the top material, even better than later larger than life promos against Vince.

The butterfly effect from that would've been astounding. Bret staying would've resulted in feuds with Jericho, Angle, Guerrero and Benoit in his prime and prevented him from getting the concussion from Goldberg. It also would've prevented Owen's death and maybe they would've had a run with the Tag Team titles against the Hardyz, Dudleyz and Edge & Christian.

@@Partyboy22 Bret staying also doesn't (probably) create the Austin-McMahon feud so unless Turner was still adamant about selling WCW, it's possible WCW stays on top or doesn't fall that far behing and they stay in business. A lot of shit would've played out differently with Bret staying home.

@@manuelper Exactly. It really makes you think whether it was for the best that the Montreal Screwjob went down if you're a WWE fan.

Didn't have a choice

It's crazy to speculate on because it comes down to one singular moment, however I think you're probably correct. I don't see Triple H magically becoming That Guy instead

I always prefer how some wrestlers say that who they are in ring is themselves pushed to 11.

They just amped up their personalities. Heel Bret was definitely coming from a genuine place

Imagine if Vince wouldn’t have reneged on Bret’s contract, and if Owen hadn’t broken Austin’s neck, shit would be bananas.

Wish Bret stayed and we got a WM match between the 2 where Austin got his win

​@@korubi_eCSTatic imagine if Vince didn't back off The Black Hart character on Owen. It writes itself

It was short but it was memorable as hell.

Bruce and Conrad had a Deep Dive about Steve. Even up to when Steve left the company.

​@William Mitchell I was just listening to that episode a few days ago that podcast is awesome

Bret recycled finishers a lot. He beat Bigelow with a victory roll at KOTR, then had it backfire when he tried it on Owen at WM10. He and Shawn had a Title match where HBK hit several top rope hurracanranas before Bret avoided it and caught him in the Sharpshooter. They used that same spot to end regulation in the Ironman Match at WM12.

@@nickash-crisler5773 agreed. i thought the wrestlemania 12 spot was genius, bc bret kept saying in the run up to the match that you jus thave to wait for shawn to make a mistake. Shawn made the mistake out of desperation and bret caught him. Except this time, time ran out.

Eh we all knew that

A real professional

I never really understood that Bret was a heel at the time. I 100% thought the American fans were the heels lol 😂