6 memorable WWE moments from overseas broadcasts

WWE opts to make its American fans choose between their workday and their wrestling.
WWE opts to make its American fans choose between their workday and their wrestling.

#1 Bret Hart and The British Bulldog tear down Wembley Stadium

Bret Hart congratulates his brother-in-law after a legendary match.
Bret Hart congratulates his brother-in-law after a legendary match.

Bret Hart is one of a short list of names, including Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and AJ Styles, who are said to be able to pull a good match out of nearly any opponent; common wrestling hyperbole holds that any of those men could be booked against a broomstick and it would get three stars (six if the match were held in the Tokyo Dome).

Hart earned this legacy at SummerSlam 1992 against his brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith, as the main event of that Wembley Stadium show featured the Hitman defending his Intercontinental Championship against The British Bulldog.

Smith, reportedly, entered the show with a legitimate staph infection in his knee; in his autobiography, Hart took exception to this claim and countered that Smith was unwilling to deal with the pressure, athletic prowess, and amount of preparation such a long and high-profile match would require.

Picture a sleepy Julie Hart in Bulldog's place here.
Picture a sleepy Julie Hart in Bulldog's place here.

Hart's autobiography also shed light on an interesting backstory to one of the match's most famous spots; with both men lying exhausted on the mat, Hart managed to apply his signature Sharpshooter hold on the Bulldog starting with both men on their back (rather than Hart beginning from a standing position, as he usually did). Bret explains that the idea for the spot came to him while he was lying in bed, and he tested the possibility of making such a move work on the only person nearby: his then-wife Julie.

One of the best (and longest) singles matches of Smith's professional wrestling career, the contest saw 25 minutes of closely-planned action designed to highlight Bulldog's power clashing with Hart's technical prowess, while still protecting Bulldog's lack of cardio. In one of the most insanely loud pops in all of WWE's history, Smith took his first singles championship in the company by reversing a sunset flip attempt for a three-count.

An ungodly pop echoed through Wembley Stadium, one of the loudest in WWE's long history.

As successful as this match is, Hart was the only man to benefit from it in the long term. Bulldog would be gone from the company by Thanksgiving, having been caught up in a steroid scandal alongside The Ultimate Warrior at perhaps the worst time in WWE's history to be associated with such substances; Hart, meanwhile, impressed front office brass so much with his London performance (and with his stature, which suggested a lack of steroidal influence) that his rise to WWF Champion coincided with his brother-in-law's exit.


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