7 Biggest WrestleMania rises and falls from year to year

WrestleMania Rise: Bret Hart

Bret Hart

WrestleMania VII through WrestleMania IX

I admit that I’m cheating just a bit with this entry because it spans two years. However, reviewing the career trajectory of Bret Hart from 1991-1993 is a master class in elevating a talent. Just by simply looking at Hart’s matches on the cards of WrestleMania 7, 8, and 9, the movement up the company ladder is clear as day.

Bret Hart's stock continued to rise over the course of consecutive WrestleManias in the '90s

At WrestleMania 7, Hart competed as a member of the Hart Foundation, coming into the event as the Tag Team Champions. He and Jim Neidhart would drop the titles to the Nasty Boys on the show.

At WrestleMania 8 a year later, Hart wins the Intercontinental Championship for a second time from Roddy Piper. This was Piper's first pinfall loss in the WWF.

Then in 1993, Hart was main eventing WrestleMania 9 as the WWF Champion, albeit in a losing effort against Yokozuna.

From tag champion to mid card champion, to THE champion in consecutive years, the ascension could not be more evident. In fact, it would be easy to extend this example out even further to the following year in 1994. At WrestleMania X, Hart regained the WWF Championship from Yokozuna and cemented himself as the flag bearer for the “New Generation.”