Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog

[5.0] "Wasn't a fan of their 1992 Summerslam match and not a fan of this one. Once Bret starts bleeding it gets pretty good, but before that it was pretty slow and uneventful. Also way too many Diana reaction shots."

[9.0] "Great World Title match. Family drama, dynamic action and interesting momentum shifts. Bulldog wants to repeat what he did at SummerSlam 1992 three years ago, but Bret does everything he can to prevent that goal. Bulldog's dominant attacks make Bret look more vulnerable than usual and in a rare New Generation era moment, he bleeds from the head. The last 5 minutes are filled with climactic action and exciting nearfalls. ****"

[9.0] "Great match, It was well built from begining to end, with Bret and Bulldog taking it back to SummerSlam 1992, and then after plus 20 minutes, Bret retains here taking revenge of Bulldog and now for the world title. 9/10 [****3/4]"

[9.0] "[4.25*] This was not on the same level as their Wembley match, because that one is probably the greatest match in WWE history, but it's still absolutely phenomenal, because of course. This match had the same "family affair" vibes, but roles were reversed. Bulldog was 100% the heel here while Bret was kind of an underdog. Davey spent 75% of the match demolishing Bret, which looked very fucking painful lol. Hitman took some bumps here who looked way more gnarly than any "deathmatch" or whatever. It was a very physical match rather than a technical contest, which was ideal for the story they were telling. Diana came alongside Davey, but she clearly had mixed feelings. Some people may be bothered by the camera on her face, but I thought this added a lot to the story and her facial expressions were very natural. When Bulldog was killing Bret on the outside, he threw him on his face and he got "busted open". This was an amazing blade job, adding to the brutal visual. DBS felt unbeatable, but Bret was able to outsmart him and win the match via roll-up, doing a little reference to the classic Summerslam match. The way they kinda told the same story but with the characters playing different roles, which was very cool and unique. Incredible match, cool as fuck visual and great finish."

[9.0] "Another fantastic and meaningful match between Bret and Bulldog, filled with family dilemmas and emotion, and yet so different than the SummerSlam match, something very hard to accomplish. That was the rematch of Wembley, and the stakes were very high... they sold the match like Bret had never defeated Bulldog, so it was a difficult matchup, despite him being the champion, he's facing a personal opponent that is like a thorn in his side, so it's a very cool one to watch. Differently from SummerSlam, Bulldog is the clear heel here, he's alligned with Jim Cornette and this time, there's few respect between him and his brother-in-law, and before the match, Diana Hart said that she's fully supporting Davey, which ended up not being totally true. The Bulldog starts the match dominating, and very differently from the Wembley match, the majority of control segments were made by DBS, probably because that was such a carryjob by Bret, they wanted to tell a different story here, and Davey completely dominated the match, brutalizing Bret, to a point he started to bleed, and Diana was seen crying during that ambush, probably out of sympathy for her brother. The blade job was phenomenal and this match isn't what you expect, it's a bloodbath and a very physical match, which is awesome, they really destroy each other and the visual is very cool. Bret eventually had some shots, but it was mostly Davey Boy... at the end of the match, they did a little callback to the Wembley roll-ups there, and Bret managed to win the match after he outwrestled Bulldog one final time, also in a roll-up, showing how much the tiny details matter in a match like that, where both guys know each other so well - {****1/2}"

[10.0] "You sent I have a bit of a complicated relationship with both of the wrestlers, I'd say. Bret Hart, for a long time I was something of a doubter, he was obviously skilled but he always seemed a bit dry for my taste. However, the more I have gone back to watch him, the more I have come to appreciate the quiet way he built up his skills to a truly elite level over the years, and the many small touches he would add to his matches that ultimately led to him being one of the top stars of the 90s, not just in the WWF but in the whole world. "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith is another somewhat weird one for me, kind of in the opposite way. When I first watched him I was quickly impressed by his impressive physique and power game, and there's no doubt he has something about him, that's why he was a star. However, the more I watched him, the more it felt like he was limited by what his opponent could do, with someone great he could sometimes step up to greatness, but left to his own devices he didn't have a lot of ideas. Anyway, all this to say is that these two always had great chemistry as previously seen in their heralded 1992 Summerslam main event, and the only really surprising thing is it took them so long to get back into a major singles match after that success. Davey Boy hopping promotions had something to do with that, but with Hart family drama being one of the key WWF storylines of the mid 90s, it was only a matter of time before we got this clash between Bret and his brother-in-law. The match once again showed off just how well these two worked together, this time playing the dynamic of Bulldog as the clear heel unlike their last meeting, and there's a lot of rock solid wrestling in between the technical work and the well placed story beats of the match. Special credit to Bret's selling here, the man surely knew how to work that part of the game. What sets this match apart as even better than their 1992 encounter is that Bret gets spectacularly split open midway through and it really adds to the drama. If I recall correctly, the WWF had a no-blood policy at the time that Bret decided to break, faking a hard-way cut because he believed (correctly) that the feud required a bloody climax. A battered and exhausted Bret takes down his brother-in-law in the end here in a classic match. With face Hogan getting stale in WCW it was clear WWF was looking for a way to jump ahead again, but with the nWo on the horizon it was not to be. Anyway, this match deeply rocks."

[7.0] "The match that far eclipses Wembley Stadium's. It is a true work of art. The only real problem is that it starts very, very slowly. The first 5 minutes or so leave a lot to be desired. It's a lot of standard offense and the trademark Bulldog chin lock. But from the minute Bret hits Bulldog with the piledriver, it's full speed ahead. The blood from Bret wasn't necessary but definitely makes the match have a bigger feel to it. And the stamina they both show is great. Once they get rolling, there's very little filler time. Only some small moments like after a double clothesline spot are used to catch their breaths. It's constant action otherwise. It's also very competitive, going back and forth quite a lot. I don't think many people expected Bulldog to win, but he puts in great work here. This would have gotten 8 points from me easily if it didn't start off so slow. Had this been 15 minutes instead of 20 and the wasted opening cut, it'd have been a gem. Still an awesome match that far outclasses their more famous encounter."

[9.0] "Some people like this more than the Wembley match. I do not. But I do like it. There's SOOOOO much blood that the mat is stained by it. Bulldog bounced off the turnbuckle and landed on his head. How he didn't break his neck I'll never know. Nice fight."

[9.0] "This wasnt quite as great as their SummerSlam 1992 match but still was a really fun match. It did have its boring points but the rest of the match was great. The two have amazing chemistry and the technical wrestling was good."

[10.0] "The first few minutes are boring but when this match gets going, it really gets going, one of the nest matches of Davey Boy Smith ever [****3/4]"

[7.0] "***1/2 / Pretty fine match for the first 10-12 minutes, with a lot of holds and cuts to Diana looking worried with Cornett frolicking around like an idiot. In the ring, these two got their spots in but it didn't pick up in pace until it went outside and Bret got a surprising amount of color. I do wish BB had more of a character here, Bret just being Bret is good but having Diana and Jim Cornett being your character work isn't a great setup. In-ring this match delivered well."

[8.0] "Didn't expect Bret to get busted open in this one. I'm not sure it was necessary; this wasn't the kind of angle where it made sense, at least not to me. Bulldog's not really wrestling like a heel in this one either (aside from pulling the mats up). It does start getting good after the color though. Not as good as wembley, but still an extremely solid match."

[9.0] "Amazing match here. Easily one of the best In Your House matches. This had the technical aspect as well as the grittiness that added a lot more to it. They started off slow but it wasnt plodding. They kept up this pace up until Bret got busted open. From that point on, it got really good. The crowd seemed more into it. The moves looked better. Everything was great. Both guys got in a lot of offense and had a ton of believable nearfalls. I thought Bulldog really shined here. He was on the offensive for a solid chunk of it. Pretty much all of his offense looked good outside of the awkward splash to Brets ass. Sometimes I think people forget just how good he could be. The blood here added a lot. Id say its responsible for getting the match into high gear and making everything way more interesting. That being said, Bret bled a lot here. Like a surprising amount. There were puddles on the outside and Im pretty sure there was a few in the ring at times. I guess it does make sense but one thing I noticed was that despite him being the heel in this, Bulldog didnt do anything Id consider heelish. Yeah he pulled the hair once, but so did everyone else at the time. Just an observation, not something Id count as a negative. The match itself doesnt have any glaring issues. The finish was a bit weak, but it kept Bulldog strong in a sense that Bret had to resort to a roll up of sorts. Overall, this whole thing has aged surprisingly well. Give it a watch if you havent already. Its that good. 9/10. ****1/2"

[8.0] "This is the more entertaining of the two major Bulldog-Hitman matches. It was a little slow at the on-set but really picked up steam once Bret was busted open. Lame-ass finish keeps this one from being rated higher in my opinion."

[10.0] "Bulldog knew what he was doing, this time. It's a great contrast of SummerSlam '92, as it was a bloody and gritty fight. Hart and DBS schooled each other, but Bret didn't want to hurt The Bulldog because he's family, but the latter didn't care at all. Great heelwork, definitely. He was much better as a heel. Hart out-wrestled Bulldog at first with some excellent smooth sequences, but once DBS took the advantage... this fight took another dimension. It was more personal than ever. DBS displayed his powerhouse aura by bouncing Hart everywhere in and out of the ring. The bout itself stayed basic, but it showcased why Bret Hart is nicknamed "The Excellence of Execution". The Hitman bled like a pig, that added a lot in terms of psychology, and sold every move, every strike of Bulldog like a boss. Once Hart did his comeback, the crowd went wild. The fact that Bret didn't lock Davey Boy in the Sharpshooter just to school-pin him was a great act. It's clearly not as flashy as their SummerSlam encounter, but it's a bloody bout full of details with some great wrestling and acting displayed. That showcased both lads' versatility."

[4.0] "Well I don't know about this one. The execution of the moves is obviously flawless from these two but Jesus Christ, some things are just not right. With so many headlocks you would expect Davey to work the crowd at least a little bit since he's the heel, but he doesn't do that so the fans start chanting ECW, and then Bret gets busted open after hitting his back against the pole for some reason, . It picks up the speed there, but they lost me again on the Powerslam spot. Bulldog does his finisher on the goddamn floor and Bret is up and running just seconds later like nothing happened. It could have been a nice, original change of direction of the match but instead it was just a spot that didn't matter in the end. And then the finish is weak - Bret rolls Smith up with no build and without using any counter, making it feel so unclimactic. A disappointment from my point of view."

[8.0] "Good match, makes good recalls of the 1992 SummerSlam classic, but obviously does not reach the level and atmosphere of the previous one, great dynamics between the two and ends up ending in a way where Bret escapes with the victory and the belt (****)"

[8.0] "What a match. This saves this event from being an absolute waste of a PPV. The first 10 minutes are a bit slow as they work on the technical side of things. The last 10 minutes from when Bret blades to the end are absolutely fantastic."

[10.0] "Bret Hart had such a fantastic career with so many stonkers he has matches like this fall through the cracks. It's a match that is even better than their Summerslam classic because it has BOTH people working at the peak of their powers. Great and judicious use of blood as well."

[9.0] "CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED! This match was a full-on brutal, bloody brawl, contrasting with their previous, technical showcase of a Summerslam match. Davey absolutely manhandled the Hitman, busting him open and Running Powerslamming him on the exposed concrete. The added layer of Cornette helping Davey with his usual dastardly heel manager schtick was amusing as well. Bret bled buckets but managed to outwrestle the bigger man in the end and walk away with the win."

[8.0] "Bulldog takes over from the beginning with his power. Bret uses his skills to turn the tide. Bret with a pile driver then a count of 2. Both guys fight on the top rope and Bret gets crotched and spills outside. Bulldog after him and hits Bret from behind sending him into the steps. Bret is busted wide open. About an 8 on the Muta Scale. Back inside Smith uses a bow and arrow as Bret bleeds all over the damn place. In spite of this Bret fights back. Big backdrop sends Bulldog outside. Bret goes after him and punches him on the floor. Bulldog catches Bret on a dive attempt and running powerslams him on the floor! Davey pulls up the padding on the floor and tries suplexing Bret on it but Hart counters and crotches him on the guardrail. In a surprise finish Bret gets a magistral cradle and pin Bulldog after 21 minutes of bloodbath. Bret retains and gets The Undertaker at the Rumble. Only thing on this show worth a crap!"

[9.0] "Bret never beating British Bulldog was the story heading into this match and we constantly heard about on commentary. It starts off as a technical bout until they both decide to make it more physical and British plays the dominant heel so perfectly. When Bret made his comeback bloody and battered the crowd goes crazy. Phenomenal match.****1/2"

[9.0] "This is just fantastic. Bret bleeds like a pig, there is a great bit where it is first revealed when he is on the outside and the mat is covered in blood, Lawler is in mid sentence amd just stops and goes 'OH'. The ghoul in me means I thought it was a shame this is 1995 WWF so we don't get to see how bad it is close up but his hair is soaked through and soon the canvas and Bulldogs trunks are covered. This is Bret so this match just builds and builds ****1/2"

[8.0] "This is a rematch from Summerslam 92. Commentary claim Davey Boy is wearing the same tights as in that match, but it's not actually true. Not that I expect anyone would have cared at the time. That was a classic match, and this one is almost as good. The Bulldog working heel makes it a different match, and lets Hart work solidly as the underdog, which he's great at. It starts a bit too slowly though, and the fans don't like that. The amount of rest holds do date the match somewhat, making it slightly less good than its predecessor. Still highly recommended, and the only worthwhile match of the show."

[9.0] "The only highlight of a lackluster IYH PPV. This is arguably better than their Wembley match as these two simply don't like each other anymore. They work a lot of technical wrestling spots into this, and to their credit, none of it looks out of place. This match is yet another carry job by Bret, but Bulldog clearly isn't in the rough state he was in '92. Bret bumps like mad for Smith, with him attempting to land an Asai Vaderbomb, only for Bulldog to violently Powerslam him on the mats outside. Bret bleeds like a pig, and you can hear Vince getting pissed off by asking for the production guys not to show any close-ups, robbing us of some great visuals. Cheers, Vinnie Mac. The finish came out of nowhere with Bret Hart retaining by rolling up Bulldog in a La Magistral, a fancy-looking pin that doesn't really lend itself to creating an appropriate conclusion for such a personal feud."

[10.0] "Whereas there Summerslam match was a high-speed technical masterclass, this was a bloody, hard-hitting war. I absolutely loved it. There was still some great technical work by both men, but as the match went on and grew in intensity, they became increasingly desperate to defeat one another. I'm pretty sure this was Davey Boy in his prime, because he was able to play a great dominant, powerhouse heel while also moving around with ease. Hart had a superb underdog performance, coming back from the edge of defeat and just barely managing to retain his title. I don't think I can say that this is better or worse from their first meeting. It was just as riveting, but in a different way. Career defining stuff for both men. ****3/4"

[7.0] "I used to like this match alot more but it didn't really seem to age all that well. That's actually the case with alot of Bret Hart's 'classic' stuff quite frankly."

[9.0] "Great match especially by Bret Hart. Hart has this ability to carry guys through matches and this here is a prime example. Family vs family, lots of drama especially with Bulldogs previous Winn against hart at SummerSlam ? 92. ****3/4"

[6.0] "A pretty average match where nothing really happens until Bret gets busted open. The crowd was quite iffy and starting to turn on some matches at this time so could have definitely been better. I just don't see the supposed great chemistry Bret and the Bulldog have despite liking and loving one of them in the ring. This is just a match that I just don't get but so many other people clearly do."

[9.0] "Even though it's not as great as their all time classic at SummerSlam 92, this match is brilliant and just a breath of fresh air after Diesel's run of really bad title matches with the likes of Sid, Mabel and even Bulldog throughout 1995. Recommended. ****"

[10.0] "A very well put together matchup overall for what was a not so good year for the WWF in 1995. Bret got the shine early but once the match went on it was Davey Boy who really shined and I must say put in a real good performance with his work on top and to add in some real good selling down the homestretch. Bret bleeding though did add to the match and really made up for the lack of crowd investment at the beginning but once the match went on the crowd got more behind Bret and really bought into some of the nearfalls as well. Psychology was nicely done and the finish made sense with the story they told so props to them. ****3/4"

[9.0] "Fantastic match. The selling and bumping from Hart was fantastic, made Bulldog look like a killer and garnered tons of sympathy for himself. Bulldog's work on top was very intense and everything looked very painful and impacful. Some of the moves strung together was so smooth. The finishing stretch was great. The only gripe I have with this match is rather petty but oh well. Dianna Hart is very attractive obvs but can we stop with the lingering shots of her gorming and feigning concern - or even interest - in who wins this match PLEASE. ****1/2"

[8.0] "Whilst this wasn't as good as the more famous Wembley outing between these two, it was still a great match. It was very different as well, more physical, and it had one of the WWF's more semi-infamous blade jobs."

[7.0] "7. 75/10. Beautiful classic wrestling ! It sadly can't compare to today's wrestling but that's not its fault. Still a blast to watch."

[9.0] "Completely classic earlymid-90s WWF wrestling. Both men are great, and although this does not reach the height of their SummerSlam match (one of my all-time favorite WWF matches), it is still excellent. Hart is clever and on top for the first part, then Bulldog overpowers and dominates for the bulk of the rest of the match. Hart mounts a comeback, and finds a way to slip in a clever and abrupt finishing pin. I would've been okay with 2-3 more minutes of action, but I can live with it because it works. Again, classic, brilliant stuff. They don't do too many matches like this anymore in the US, which is a goddamn shame. ****1/2"

[8.0] "My preferred Hart vs Bulldog match may not have had as great a crowd as the Summerslam match but it was so much better on a technical and physical standpoint. Bulldog wasn't out of it in this one so Bret didn't have to try to carry him nearly as hard as he did last time. There was a lot more animosity in this match and Bret gave us a LOT of color a good way through, something which was rather rare at this time. You can tell by how flabbergasted Vince became in the commentary and how often they made it split screen with Diana, which yes was the worst part about this match and the only reason I don't rate this higher but it was their way of showing less bleeding from Bret. The 'Hes Hardcore' chants get me every time I go back to watch the match. **** 1/2"

[8.0] "The story of this remarkable championship match is of those who dared to chant ‘ECW’ about five minutes in w/out possessing the prescience that Bret Hart had the might to silence the rabble-rousers by blading something fierce, and then putting forth an Herculean stave-off effort that included taking a hell of a lot of big moves by a big-match player Davey Boy Smith. The show was taking place in ECW territory, and I’m sure there were those so blinded by that product’s genius that they weren’t going to get behind a traditional, well-told/wrestled contest reminiscent of Wembley Stadium ’92. These guys were going to have to do something extra. About midway through Davey fails Bret’s NW superplex attempt by wishbonin’ him onto the S ropes. Bret falls to the outside; Davey follows, and clubs Bret into the stairs. Due to Bret’s oily-sweaty, long hair it makes it easy for him to blade and cower his body and take more abuse while the bleeding commences. By the time Bret is moved from that general area, there are puddles of blood and he’s getting a ‘he’s hardcore’ chant from some of the same men who probably chanted “ECW” a couple minutes earlier. (It’s slightly odd in that he seemed to deepen the cut after getting his back posted. ) But that’s just the beginning of Bret’s torture as Davey’s delivering the goods in a manner more seen at the time in Japan than in the States, and that includes a powerslam to the mats after an errant Bret decision to climb the outside E ropes as if he was a moonsaulter. There was a communication snafu late as Davey Boy bumped for a backdrop in which Bret was going for something else, most likely his reverse atomic drop. A minute later Bret won w/ a La Magistral."

[9.0] "It seems that many WWF fans did not enjoy to follow a great and intense fight between technical wrestlers, silcence from the crowd and 'we want blood' chant that makes no sense. Yes, Bret Hart bleeds a lot but it's not the focus of the match. It's impressive and it's not all that bad even compared to their better 1992 match. The only thing that I don't like is that Diana Hart is always on camera with her monothematic worried face, that was annoying to follow. Great main event, this is exciting. ****1/2"

[9.0] "I expected a more hot crowd. they did great spots, big moves, shocking spots but the crowd wattered down the rating. **** 1/2, fuck you crowd"

[8.0] "Match had a good build and easily the best part was Bret's blade job. Constantly cutting to Diana's face kind of took something away from the match to me."

[10.0] "What a fantastic bout. This had everything psychology, hot crowd, Bret bleeds buckets, amazing performance by the British Bulldog. In my opinion one of the greatest matches ever. And also alot better than their Summerslam 1992 match. ***** stars"

[10.0] "This match is better than their legendary Summerslam '92 match. Hart bleeds buckets."