Bret Hart's time in WCW is often remembered as one of the biggest lost opportunities in the history of wrestling. "The Hitman" arrived in the company after the "Montreal screwjob" and had a ton of fans who were excited about his next chapter. Unfortunately, WCW didn't seem to know how to use Hart.
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Bret meandered around the company until an injury he suffered at the hands (actually foot) of Goldberg forced him to retire from wrestling. WCW also lost the ratings war to WWE during Hart's time at the company, leading to many forgotten moments and matches for Hart. This list will examine 10 of Bret Hart's WCW matches that many may have forgotten about.
10 Vs. Terry Funk - Thunder, Aired June 1, 2000
Terry Funk is a wrestling legend. He was a world champion in the '70s and wrestled with every big name from Bruno Sammartino to Bret Hart. A few years before their match at WCW, Funk and Hart competed in Amarillo, Texas, at Terry Funk's own pay-per-view event.
The two competed in a hardcore match on an episode of Thunder. The Hardcore match was one of the last of Bret Hart's entire WCW career. It was his last match on Thunder. The bout between the two legends ended in a no contest after the nWo stormed the ring. Hart took a ton of headshots in this match, which in retrospect, is tough to watch.
9 Vs. Fit Finlay - Nitro, July 13, 1998
Fit Finlay was at WCW for almost five years and never earned a single WCW title at the company. One day after Bret Hart's match against Booker T at Bash At The Beach 1998, Finlay and Hart competed in a match on an episode of Nitro.
The two had the skills to put on a great match, but it ended up being a squash that allowed Finlay to deliver a few shots. In the end, Hart won this forgotten match with a sharpshooter in less than five minutes.
8 w/ Lex Luger Vs. Jim Neidhart & The British Bulldog - Thunder, Aired September 10, 1998
Bret Hart wasn't the only wrestler who left the WWE after Survivor Series 1997. Shortly after he left the company, Jim Neidhart and British Bulldog followed Hart to WCW. The pair did very little of note, which is why this tag team match on Thunder is forgotten.
This bout was a huge letdown. It lasted four minutes and there was no gimmick or interruption. Hart and Luger just dominated Neidhart and Bulldog.
7 Bret Hart Vs. Konnan - Thunder, November 19, 1998
Konnan was, at one point, a huge star at WCW. As a member of the nWo, Konnan was able to shine despite a stacked faction and WCW roster in general. He and Hart crossed paths a few times at WCW.
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Their first match happened on an episode of Nitro. It ended in a DQ win for Konnan. The second (and last) bout was promoted much less and only lasted a few minutes. Stevie Ray helped Hart secure the victory in a "nothing" match on an episode of Thunder.
6 Vs. Jerry Flynn - Nitro, December 27, 1999
Jerry Flynn competed in the WWE and WCW but made a small impact at both companies. One of Bret Hart's last televised matches ever was against Flynn for the WCW World Heavyweight Title.
It honestly made no sense for Flynn to earn a title shot and this quick bout is often forgotten. The purpose of the outing was just to give the nWo someone to jump on Hart's behalf.
5 Vs. Roddy Piper - Nitro, February 8, 1999
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Bret Hart had a long history before they met in a WCW ring. The two even competed at WrestleMania 7 for the WWE Intercontinental Title. Every match at WCW should have been a big moment, instead, their only singles match was a forgotten bout.
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They crossed paths a few times at WCW and their last bout was on an episode of Nitro. The two competed for the WCW United States Heavyweight Title. Instead of having a classic match between two icons, comedian Will Sasso interfered in the match helping Piper steal the title.
4 Vs. Disco Inferno - Thunder, February 25, 1999
Although his gimmick was lackluster, Disco Inferno had a great run in the last days of WCW. He ended up holding multiple titles at the company including the World Television Championship, Cruiserweight Championship, and the tag titles (with Alex Wright as The Boogie Knights).
Inferno and Hart clashed on a forgotten episode of Thunder in 1999. Disco started the match wanting to sing the Canadian National Anthem but ended up just getting squashed by Hart.
3 w/Sting Vs. Kevin Nash & Randy Savage - Thunder, Aired April 17, 1998
There was a forgotten match on the episode of Thunder that featured juggernaut wrestling legends in a tag team match. Bret Hart and Sting teamed up to compete against Kevin Nash and Randy Savage. The match was great and lasted almost 20 minutes.
Instead of a good clean finish to cap off a great match, Hollywood Hogan interfered, causing the match to end with a DQ finish in favor of Hart and Sting.
2 Vs. Van Hammer - Nitro, March 8, 1999
Although Van Hammer is a forgotten WCW wrestler, he and Bret Hart had a great match on an episode of Nitro. In all honesty, this match was a great example of aimless booking with Bret Hart. Instead of him having a classic match with a big-name star on the roster he was competing against Van Hammer in a match that many have since forgotten.
1 Vs. Meng - Nitro, November 29, 1999
Bret Hart has been competing against Meng (Haku in the WWE) since he was a part of The Colossal Connection with Andre the Giant. Although they had many matches in the WWE, Meng and Hart only crossed paths one time at WCW.
With such great history between the two stars, this match should have been much more than a forgotten match on an episode of Nitro. The two competed for the WCW World Heavyweight Title in a random bout. This match, like many in 1999 at WCW, was severely interfered with and ended in a victory for Hart.
