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GREAT PPV'S, MATCHES, ANGLES AND WRESTLERS FROM HISTORY.
Following mention of it recently by Swanton on the Hardyz messageboard I have choosen this match as my first foray into WWF history.
GREAT MATCHES. WRESTLEMANIA VIII SUNDAY APRIL 5TH 1992 INDIANAPOLIS HOOSIER DOME.
INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH. CHAMP Roddy Piper. Vs Bret Hart.
This eagerly anticipated match was at the time about pitting fan favourite against fan favourite. The only other time I can recall such a move was the Hogan Vs Warrior match at WMVI but that is not for today (or ever!)
The question on my mind concerning the Piper vs Hart match at this time concerned the possibility of Roddy turning heel? Was it going to happen? I didn't have long to wait to find out.
After the bell rang the two wrestlers engaged in a long stare off, which was followed by Piper arm dragging Bret who quickly returned the favour. The Hitman then used a series of arm wringers and a dropkick to send Piper crashing to the mat.
Hart an intelligent wrestler, feigned a shoulder injury after the dropkick, which seemed to confuse Roddy and enabled Bret to attempt a cheeky small package. This playing possum move only served to infuriate the Scot who seconds later found himself going over the top rope courtesy of a Hart flying cross body, however the momentum took Bret to the outside as well.
Piper was the first back in and he held the ropes open for Hart, but then blasted Bret with some punches after he had returned the cheeky compliment by suckering the Hitman into believing his boot laces were untied.
Following a vicious looking bulldog Bret was cut open (legit wound, no blading here!)his forehead a sea of crimson. Following the customary referee knockdown (things never change) Piper left the ring and grabbed the timekeepers ring bell. The Rowdy one returned to the ring and held the bell aloft ready to strike the defenceless Canadian who looked a bloody mess on the mat. Piper seemed to hesitate while he waited for the crowds approval. Unfortunately this was not the era of Attitude so all he received was a ( 63,000) crowd of people booing.
This seemed to affect Roddy (as up to that point I was sure he was going to turn full blown bad guy) so much so he threw the bell back out of the ring and instead applied his trademark sleeper hold.
In a move that at that time I had never seen used Bret somehow managed to get to his feet and edge his way towards the corner turnbuckle. In a imaginative move he threw his legs at the top buckle and pushed backwards in turn forcing Piper to the mat with Bret shoulders resting on his chest for the 1 2 3 in Bret's favour.
Following the victory the upset Scot grabbed the title belt and in a touch of sportmanship placed the belt around the fatigued Hitman's waist which in turn brought forth a rapturous ovation from the crowd.
This match brought out the best in both men. Bret took a tremendous pounding but rallied to take the tile with a clever finish. That was the end of Piper wrestling in the WWF until the dreadful King of The Ring match a few years later against Jerry Lawler. If only Roddy had called it quits here his WWF legacy would of finished on a high, despite the loss.
Even though the match ran just short of 14mins to this day I still regard it as one of the best WrestleMania matches I have seen. It may have been the first WWF event I had seen live on TV (broadcast on Sky Movies Plus at 10pm to.. at the time a UK audience of 1.5 million I kid you not!)The blood may also have added that extra something but to me it was one of those matches that actually told a story and concluded the angle that had proceeded it. Great stuff.
Kelvin