Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin

[9.0] "A truly special match, a clash of eras and styles that truly has the distinction of being a "dream" match considering both men's place in wrestling's long history. This one certainly gets lost in the shuffle considering the legacy of WM13, but Bret's elevation of Stone Cold to the high card here often gets discounted for the double turn a few months later. Bret doesn't get enough credit for that, and about a thousand and one other things."

[10.0] "Depuis le King of the Ring, Steve Austin prend de plus en plus d'importance au sein de la WWF : il enchaîne les victoires et défie Bret Hart (absent depuis WrestleMania XII), en affirmant que celui-ci ne revient pas parce qu'il a peur de lui. Hart revient à RAW fin Octobre, et accepte le défi d'Austin. Nous voilà donc au Survivor Series. C'est le premier match entre les deux en PPV. L'enjeu est d'obtenir un match pour le championnat de la WWF, mais pas seulement. Pour Bret Hart qui est dans le top 3 de la compagnie à cette période, il y a également l'importance de ne pas perdre ce match, défaite qui serait synonyme d'humiliation, contre quelqu'un qui en + ne figure pas dans ce top 3. Pour Steve Austin, l'enjeu est de faire ses preuves en gagnant parce qu'une défaite freinerait nettement son ascension, aussi bien au niveau de son personnage (ayant un personnage basé sur le fait d'avoir une grande gueule, cela mettrait un coup à sa crédibilité), qu'au niveau de sa carrière (première chance d'accéder au championnat WWF manquée). Cette confrontation, c'est deux styles opposés. D'un côté : Bret Hart, le face, avec un style plutôt lent et méthodique, il l'est l'un des meilleurs techniciens et catcheurs de l'histoire. En 1996, il est encore au sommet de sa carrière. De l'autre côté, Steve Austin, le heel, avec un style bagarreur, agressif et provocateur. Il n'est pas encore l'immense icône qu'il deviendra par la suite, mais il possède déjà un bon bagage dans le monde du catch. Austin est apprécié par une partie de la foule (ce qui n'est presque jamais le cas pour un heel) mais pas autant que Bret Hart qui lui est beaucoup + acclamé par la quasi-totalité de la foule du Madison Square Garden lorsqu'il fait son entrée. Hart est en bonne forme physique pour son retour au plus haut niveau. Le match est superbe, il y a de tout : de la technique au sol, de la bagarre à l'extérieur, un peu d'aérien, de l'intensité et de la psychologie. Les deux sont allés dans les domaines de l'autre, et surtout les deux ont été à l'aise dans les domaines de l'autre ! Austin a été plus dominant que Bret, mais c'est bien Bret qui finit par gagner le match avec un Roll-Up. Je trouve que la manière de conclure ce combat est la bonne, ça montre qu'aucun des deux n'est supérieur à l'autre, tout en permettant de protéger Austin de cette défaite. C'est un match complet dans lequel les deux hommes ont rappelé toute l'étendue de leur talent in-ring ainsi que leur capacité à véritablement raconter une histoire. En plus de cela, ils possèdent un élément primordial pour livrer un très grand match : une bonne alchimie. Quand tout est réuni comme c'est le cas ici, on ne peut qu'apprécier le talent ainsi que le travail fourni par ces deux légendes."

[8.0] "This is for anyone who might not realize or remember how good of a wrestler Austin was before his neck and knee injuries forced him to be a brawler. This bout takes a bit of a long time to get out of the station, but once it gets moving, it is fantastic. It could have been around 5 minutes shorter and been close to as good as WM13. More wrestling is employed here, and the story telling is fantastic. Austin takes a lot of this match, and the story told is essentially the more experienced Bret survives the storm enough to frustrate Austin. And in his frustration, he makes a mistake that costs him the match. Gives Bret a well deserved comeback win and Austin looks better after the lose than he did going in. There is a lot of drama, and it feels like a real fight. It is forgotten in the shadow of WM13 for a reason, but it doesn't mean it isn't a classic in its own right."

[9.0] "Very damn good match, the action is crisp, impactful and has a nice pace to it, with a variety of submission, brawling and power move styles. Both guys work very hard here."

[5.0] "I guess I'm in the minority here, but this match didn't do anything for me and it's not as good as their WrestleMania XIII one. I liked the outside brawling and the finish, which is reused from Bret Hart vs Roddy Piper at WM8. Everything else was dull. It goes on for way too long with little substance and fails to engage the crowd. Pacing is slow the entire match and never kicks in into higher gear."

[10.0] "Outstanding wrestling match. While the legendary "I Quit" match at Wrestlemania 13 is the one that's known for making Austin the biggest star in the company, this match showed how good he truly was inside the ropes before his career shortening neck injury. Both of them force each other out of their element here. Bret was a match for Austin when it came to the chaotic brawling, but what really stood out was Austin getting the better of Hart in many of the wrestling exchanges. The match is more clearly defined with the heel/face roles here with Bret being the favourite under pressure while Austin gets himself booed by trash talking the fans mid match, but it was obvious Austin was getting more popular with showings like this! The finish was amazing where Hart gets caught in the Million Dollar Dream and ended up winning with a last ditch counter when he walks the turnbuckle and gets the pin. It's a brilliant match with excellent storytelling and in ring psychology and I'd go as far as to say this was equally as essential to Austin's career as the legendary Wrestlemania clash."

[10.0] "An all-time classic. Maybe the best thing about this match is its structural simplicity and minimalism; because the simplest moves create a unique magic in this match. The MSG atmosphere, as JR mentioned, has an aura on the level of Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier or Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield, and from the moment Bret and Austin go face to face, the sense of greatness is felt. The veteran vs. rising star. Bret tries to gain superiority through technique, but Austin is not someone who can be easily controlled. Nevertheless, Austin's desperation to prove that Bret is not "the best" turns into a real complex, and Austin wants to defeat Bret with Bret's own style. However, he realizes he can't and begins unexpected, unpredictable attacks, gradually taking control step by step. What makes Austin dangerous is not just his chaotic assaults, but also his ability to work systematically and calculated. Indeed, he applies neck work to increase the impact of the Stunner he will hit later. Whenever Bret tries to take control, Austin has an answer. Because Austin has conditioned himself to be ahead of Bret. His obsession with making Bret submit pushes him to apply various submissions, but Bret successfully manipulates this obsession and goes for a fujiwara pin in one of the most cerebral finishes ever seen. The level of details, logical storytelling, character work, masterclass psychology, superb selling, amazing finish. One of the best matches in WWE history. ****3/4"

[10.0] "Awesome wrestling match because it was just a match with an story so simple being told. SCSA and Bret Hart both had some time to speek before their entrance runned, Stone Cold just said about how he was about to destroy his opponent while Bret came into the ring saying that he would make Stone Cold respect him. At the ring, I can't lie, modern wrestling really can't replicate that because the crowds would not be able to care that much for what happenned here. Pro wrestling changed a lot, for worse or better, idk, but what I know is that the entire atmosphere for that bout for me ruled. Jim Ross made one of his best performances I ever saw from him, Vince McMahon understood and made good coments about the bout. Two real wrestlers, two great ones, arguably two of the best that ever did, fighting in the most sacred place for sports in all USA, Madison Square Garden. The ring action also don't disappointed, it was simple, but so effective. The entire bout runned around submission, with both guys colliding their egos and trying to beat each other with submission moves due to the fact that they never got submited before in their careers. Stone Cold here looked fresh, moving so well in the ring and selling everything he could, even his dominance moments while he was making Bret struggle in the ropes while he pressed the foot on his neck was great. Althought, Bret made also an hell of performance, targetting his back to apply the most devastading Sharpshooter he could. The bout is simple, really easy to understand and so much easier to enjoy. 30 minutes that you don't feel passing, that can me smack the table and proclaim this is a five stars match for me, those two genious even were able to show that a great wrestling match, yes, can end via roll up and still be good, unlike most part of the roll up finishers we have in the modern wrestling. However, the real question is, Bret Hart got Stone Cold respect? Hm..."

[10.0] "This was a complete prelude to what we ended up seeing in WrestleMania 13, what a match and banger this was, Stone Cold here he is already, Steve Austin before the incident of SummerSlam 1997 was a complete different game to what he was after that, a wonder of technique and emotions here that for almost half an hour when with everything, here Bret was still the face, and it's as great as the match of WrestleMania 13, just less remembered or well deserves more recognition, even though the WrestleMania 13 it's one of the greatest matches in WWE history. 10/10 [*****]"

[10.0] "[5.0*] Perfect old-school match, I really enjoyed this one more than the WM 13 match, which is already a super damn high bar. This had no stipulations nor a bloody feud but it actually felt more physical in some ways. This was Bret's first match since Mania and he sold the ring rust perfectly. They started-off with some holds and technical exchanges. They were creating a slow burn, but the thing here is that even the most simple Headlock looked perfect. Then they changed the pace and started being more aggressive, with more strikes, punches and power moves. They had a huge brawl on the outside with an awesome Elbow Drop from Austin on the announcers table and at this time the crowd entered completely into the vibe of the match. Both guys had never lost via submission so they tried to submit each other in a battle of who is the best wrestler. Austin provoked Bret with a Sharpshooter, Bret then tried one for himself which Austin escaped in a pretty awesome way (I love these details) and they kept trading blows and trying ways to out-smart the opponent, the psychology was crystal clear at this point. Another spot that I loved was when Austin did a Superplex but Bret was the one to out-smart him with a roll-up, and the spot repeated itself at the ending when Austin tried a Sleeper Hold but Bret used the corner to flip and win via roll-up. Spectacular match with an incredible showing of in-ring storytelling. EDIT: I rewatched it now, it's funny because I just have a different way of viewing wrestling now. In my previous comment I detailed tons of specific spots, but now I just care about how the match made me feel. In a rewatch with this new way of viewing, this match is just so much more beautiful. It has a sense of caring, of trying to bring the best to the audience at every second. Like I mentioned before, Bret sold his ring-rust so well it looked like he was legit banged-up, but it was only him trying to immerse us in the psychology of the match. His selling of the exhaustion was just indescribable. I'm a lover of details and this is one of the most detailed matches I've ever seen, and it's so easy and palatable that even Vince understood perfectly the story they were telling lol. It was a very zealous match, everything they did were "the basics", but an impeccable execution of The Basics TM is just the best wrestling there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be (yes, I nailed on this one lol). It's just so much better than what we have nowadays it makes me actually sad. So, so much above. Fucking loved every second of it."

[10.0] "Wow! What an awesome match! Five stars out of five. It's not a rating I give very often, but this was a special match that was so entertaining from start to finish. I like how each guy kept going for pinfalls throughout the match and coming close so many times. This was the biggest match of Austin's life at the time with a lot of pressure on him to perform at a high level. He delivered the best match of his career at the time. What made the match worked so well was the aggressiveness shown by both men. It felt like a real fight, which is when pro wrestling is at its best. One of the big spots was when Austin hit the Stunner and Hart kicked out. Guys weren't kicking out off finishers that much in this era, so that was significant. The finish was really well done because Austin went for multiple submission moves in the match. It was the story of Austin trying to end the match in different ways, but he was unable to do so. Then he lost because he held onto the Million Dollar Dream for too long. If he let go of the hold then he would have been able to kick out. It's a finish that Hart did with Roddy Piper to beat him at WrestleMania 8 in 1992 as well. I think their WrestleMania 13 match was even better than this and also a match I rated at five stars. There aren't many feuds in wrestling history that have multiple five star matches, but these guys did it. This is one of the best feuds in wrestling history although they never finished it with Austin winning the rivalry in the end. That's because of what happened at Survivor Series one year after this."

[10.0] "Can't believe I haven't rated this yet. One of my favourites of all time. Fun fact that at the time of this review the match is at #99 while their Mania 13 Match is at #2 - pretty funny contrast. What I love most about this match is that it feels quite NJPW as far as the crowd goes. They start off quiet - you'd take it for disinterest if it didn't get to where it does. Instead the crowd are completely invested. They react to everything and slowly build to the finish as we see the crowd start to want the double turn that we get a few months later. They want to cheer for Austin, they don't know how to feel about Bret. It's this crucial piece of story telling on the way to their Mania match that is also an oddly hidden gem. Also, fun trivia that the Rock debuted right before this match foreshadowing the attitude era in one pretty wild hour."

[9.0] "Bret makes his long awaited return to face the man who's risen up the ranks during his absence. Even though he would ultimately defeat him, Hart shines up Austin to look like a megastar and ready him for the massive push that he would recieve over the next year. Both men looked good. Austin's rabid body movements made him feel dangerous and always on the hunt. This felt like an old NWA title match in the best way. It has a slow start, but builds up and escalates the tension organically. Whilst it is not as good as the Wrestlemania rematch, that match wouldn't be as good without this one setting the scene."

[10.0] "One of Austin's best technical matches ever. We're lucky that these two competitors overlapped each other in WWF if only for a year or two. This was a masterclass in storytelling and psychology. Loved the grittiness and hard hitting nature of the bout. The finish was a brilliant callback to Hart's win over Roddy Piper at WM8. Except that at WM, the finish represented a rising star overcoming a legendary veteran and beginning his rise to the main event. In this match, the finish showed a main event star barely fighting off the next rising star and signifying that Austin's time was near. Extremely well done."

[10.0] "A perfect match. I'm not saying there aren't better matches, but I think you could use this to explain the fundamentals of pro-wrestling to someone with relative ease. This is the very essence of professional wrestling. Go watch this ASAP."

[10.0] "You know if anyone were to say they prefer this over the mania match, I wouldn't even disagree. I rewatched this this morning again after applying more knowledge to my growing wrestling brain and I love it so much. Bret's first match back since mania, this taken place in msg. Steve Austin who had a massive chip on his shoulder around this time. All the makings were there for this to be a classic. It was a nice blend of both men's best strengths being technical and brawling. Loved the strategy from Steve here to try and wear Bret out that deeper this match went, constant pin fall attempts, submission holds, to get him to exert more energy since he hasn't wrestled in several months. I thought Bret sold his ring rust in this match perfectly. When that didn't work, Steve went back to his normal formula to what made him arguably one of the biggest stars in the game. You don't see matches like this anymore uh, it was gritty, it was physical, they made every moment matter. At the end, Bret wins via a similar callback he used on Roddy when he won the ic title from him at mania, just barely escaping Steve, protecting him in the process which I thought was brilliant considering the year he was having. *****"

[10.0] "This was Bret Hart's first match back after a long break, and the story building up to this match was pretty well done with the rising star Steve Austin going after the top guy Bret Hart. The two worked a very good technical match, telling a nice story of Austin matching Bret's technical abilities. The finish is pretty good as well, as it was a nice call back to Bret vs Piper at WrestleMania 8, and the fact that Austin didn't want to let go of the submission hold. Of course, they'd go on to have a better match at WrestleMania the following year, but this is a classic in its own right, and the perfect way to kick off the amazing feud between Bret and Austin. [*****]"

[9.0] "A lot of people talk about the WM 13 match between the two, but this is almost as brilliant. The intensity is off the charts. Austin pretty much destroys Bret for the majority of the match and it feels brutal and real. He works a more technical style with Bret for about the first half and then it really picks up physically afterwards. The only negative point would be the sudden roll-up finish, but that effectively retired the Million Dollar Dream from his moveset."

[9.0] "A great technical affair from two of the best to ever do it. The slow, technical opening proves Austin can take Hart on in Hart's own element. The portion on the outside in transitioning into the middle of the match forecasts the opening to their legendary match at Wrestlemania 13. Steve Austin showcases the charisma and crowdwork which later carries him to greatness all throughout the match. The ending, with the submission exchanges, is really well executed. Both men seem credible winners all the way through to the end of the match. The symbolism with Austin locking in the Million Dollar Dream, subsequently causing him to lose the match, is really strong. It signifies the transition from his Million Dollar title-era to his Stone Cold-era. Symbolism like this, which is clear without becoming cliché, is quite uncommon from the WWE, especially in this era. I won't say hold this to be better than their Wrestlemania-match, but their Wrestlemania-match is definitely itself made better by elements introduced and trust developed here. ****1/2"

[8.0] "I've seen some discourse lately where this match was being talked up as better than their classic WM13 encounter, so I finally gave this a watch. The verdict? It's damn good, but it really isn't close. This match, which was labeled as Bret's first in six months, starts off rather slow with both of them trading some grappling moves. Business picks up when they head outside of the ring and they start brawling all over. I loved how at one point the security gate breaks and they just go with it and fight right into the crowd. Shortly after, Austin throws Bret onto the Spanish announce table and then whips himself on top of him in a frenzy. It's a chaotic scene that really helped pick up the pace and get the crowd into it. There's some good action back in the ring, including a nice cloverleaf from Austin, before culminating in an oft-imitated finish sequence of Bret using a corner flip to trap and pin Austin while in the Million Dollar Dream. Great stuff, just not quite at the WM13 level. ****"

[7.0] "Decent enough match, but definitely overrated, some good exchanges, but the outside brawling and the finish recycled from WM8 didn't help the match, crowd were fairly quiet as well, just didn't feel like a big match like i was expecting it to be 7/10"

[7.0] "I don't see why this is rated so high. It's a good match, but nowhere near great. Frankly, it's a weird match. The crowd needs to be practically cajoled and prodded to get behind the babyface at most points. They really aren't behind Bret. The match feels somewhat forced, and it really drags at the end. They are building the match pretty well all the way through. Then, the finishing stretch falls flat."

[7.0] "This was still good-great but I really didnt see much outside of the usual bret formula and the great ending sequence, which to me wasnt really all time. Brets and Austin did much better at Mania and I was hoping this would've been as good or better. Might need to rewatch it tho."

[7.0] "I love both this guys and I was really exited for this match during my rewatch of old wwf, but I was kind go dissapointed. The build was great with Austin coming off as no nonsense guy who beat everyone up but during the match he didnt have that fire. The begging was really slow and up to when do go outside and fight over the table nothing of worth happens. I wanted to like this match more but in the end it wasnt for me. Still really enjoyed watching a moment in time, seeing Austins rise and bret return for his final run in wwf. Crazy to think the next survivor series would be the screw job."

[9.0] "This was back before Austin was banged up from injuries and could still compete scientifically. This match was badass. Sure, it had some slow spots, but it was 3o minutes long. It was going to have some downtime."

[7.0] "This match involves two all-time workers, but I think they could have done better here. The match dragged along in parts, didn't have a great flow and there weren't any really memorable moments throughout. Not to say it was all bad. It's hard for these two to put on a boring match, just think it didn't have the same big match feel that their future matches had and that comes down to the ring-work being only adequate by their standards."

[6.0] "Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1996 was a good match but not their best. The technical work was sharp, and you could see the chemistry they had, but it didn't quite have the intensity or drama of their WrestleMania 13 classic. The pacing was a bit slow at times, and while the finish was creative, it felt a little underwhelming. Solid wrestling, but it lacked that extra spark. A fair 6/10."

[7.0] "Overrated match in my opinion. They had a much better one at Wrestlemania 13. Felt this match overrun 6-8 mins too long. A nice finish to the match though which made both Austin and Bret still look strong and setup one of the best rivalries of the 90s"

[6.0] "The match never seemed to click for me. It felt like a lot of the time was spent doing punch exchanges or grappling but without any of the sizzle that normally accompanies a Hart or Austin match. Once they get outside and Austin punches Bret on top of the Spanish announcers, it picks up quite a bit, but that momentum is quickly stifled by a return to the ring and more punch exchanges. The match feels like more of a stepping stone on the path to their submission match, which is obvious because Jim Ross and Vince McMahon keep saying, "Oh can you imagine these two in a submission match? " I do appreciate their attempt at telling this story of a rusty Bret Hart returning from injury and running into a brash young wrestler trying to prove himself. There's a nice contrast between them as Austin represents the opposite of Hart's character--loud, explicit, and not worried about what he represents. It's rare that I don't enjoy a Bret Hart match, but this one was not his best effort."

[10.0] "If someone ever asks you what is missing from wrestling today, point them to this. The intensity. The fire. The hunger. It simply jumps through the screen. They beat you over the head with it and it is simply impossible to not be swept up in it, not be consumed by the feeling that this match, and the result of this match, the idea of *beating* the other man, is the only thing that matters to either man. Austin simply never lets up, ever. Everything is done with unrelenting intensity, his punches, the way he applies holds, his pinfalls, even his defeat comes from his refusal to let up of the submission, a refusal to let go of a position that could allow him to win. His drive to be better than Bret allows Bret, the ultimate tactician, to just barely sneak by in a match that he is thoroughly bested in. I still prefer the Mania match for it's epic scope and drama, but the period of this match and the spirit of that period this match encapsulates is as good as the WWF ever was. *****"

[10.0] "Love this so much. As real a looking match as you're likely to see. Both guys at the top of their game. Great wrestling with both laying in their stuff, not holding back or showing obvious cooperation. Better than their Wrestlemania match wrestling-wise, that match told a better story however."

[7.0] "This felt pivotal at the time, but let's be honest, it hasn't aged especially well. The brawling on the outside, which was unprecedented in Vince's vanilla WWF, seems utterly innocuous nowadays. As a match it all feels rather drawn out & lethargic, and it's obvious that prior to the Attitude Era, the WWF in-ring product was lightyears behind Japan and in some ways even ECW & WCW. It's also noticeable that the tame crowd is predominantly screaming kids, with the full-on invasion of angry young men still a year away. And lastly, Vince is still at his cloying 'whattamaneuver' worst ***1/4"

[9.0] "Far better than the mania match, Hart is doing better Austin too and the chemistry and rythmn of the match is right on the spot."

[10.0] "This was a masterclass, every young wrestler should watch this tape, it's impressive the way they control the pace and know the perfect timing to execute the big moves, for me wrestling is about build and anticipate, and they did this here brilliantly, I mean, it's a match between probably the two greatest American wrestlers of all time, so greatness is expected, but this is really really good. The storytelling of the match was that Bret Hart, who's been away from television for 6 months had some kind of ring rust, and that's why a heel Steve Austin was responsible for the majority of offense in the match, and he controlled it pretty well, proved he can be the top asset of the company, which he turned out to be. The way they suddenly shift to punch duels and brawls is amazing, it's like they get pissed that technique isn't working and go for nastier strategies. When it looked like Austin was getting the victory, Bret outsmarted him with a roll-up, and became the #1 contender. Those fans in the Madison Square Garden watched an all-timer classic here. The WrestleMania 13 match is the ultimate masterpiece and the bigger match, but this is not far behind, as a match it was better wrestled and more complete - {****3/4}"

[10.0] "Better than the Mania XIII match, and I know that's a controversial opinion. The only reason this one isn't singled out as the better match of the two is that it doesn't have the iconography of Austin's bloodied face."

[8.0] "These two have amazing chemistry, and it shows. Two of the best to ever do it (some would argue the best) performing at their highest level. Bret Hart is well known as one of the greatest technical wrestlers ever, and he proves it here, but this match clearly shows how Stone Cold was perfectly able to match him technically. The atmosphere is electric, and it feels like we are witnessing something special. While the ending makes total sense and works to keep Stone Cold feeling strong while still giving the win to Bret Hart, it came very abruptly in my opinion. It definitely feels like it's not the end between these two, as we find out later. For that reason, I don't love this match as much as I would like to. But everything up to the ending was awesome, and in general, it's a match that every pro wrestling fan needs to check out."

[10.0] "I don't know if this is "perfect" necessarily, but I'm not convinced that it needs to be. This scratches a very particular itch, a distinct classic that stateside, almost stands alone for the decade. It refuses to rush or wrestle expectations, instead trusting their direction and taking Madison Square Garden along for the ride. Slowly but surely, The World's Most Famous Arena becomes entranced and with each rewatch, I do exactly the same. This match is an embodiment of the wrestling that I love: gritty and scrappy but still inherently dramatic. The drama isn't bombastic or glossy however, instead rooted in a visible desperation to win. I'm truly unsure that any WWF match in history has captured competition to this degree, an utter masterpiece. *****"

[10.0] "Up there with some of the greatest matches wrestled in northern america, best match of the year, even better than In your House: Mind Games. Awkwardly great technical work here from Austin and it shows how good he was before Owen."

[9.0] "****1/2 / A hard-hitting bout that was a technical spectacle. Several bumps throughout this match made me utter "Wrestling wasn't fake in the 90s", because these two were selling and taking the hardest moves they could. Bret with his usual buckle bumps and a few to the outside. Some stiff elbows and blows from Austin. this match has it all for any technical wrestling fan and the character work of Austin pre attitude era is an amazing sight to see. His asshole tendencies are shown from the gate and go for the entire match."

[9.0] "A great match that I love. Austin tries to make Bret suffer throughout the match but he gets away with it every time. The finish is great with Bret countering a Million Dollar Dream by pressing on a corner and doing the Pin. (4*1/2)"

[8.0] "I'm really having a bad time finding out what people see in so many matches that are highly praised. It happened with Okada vs Omega I, it happened with Angle vs Michaels I, with the TNA Unbreakable triple threat, and now with this one. This was really good, slow paced but they knew how to make it work with a convincing acting and a good mix of brawling, technical wrestling and chaos when either man started loosing their cool, but I haven't been impresed at all to the point of rate this **** 1/2 or 9. Maybe watching this match back in the day when the feud and the rise of Stone Cold was red hot could hit so much harder, including the fact that you'd rarely see a match like this in that era. Maybe is that, maybe not, but despite being a nice match that marked a strong point in the building of the Attitude Era I don't find it that great. I specially liked the finish, which works well to keep the feud going on as it makes it look like it was Austin who defeated himself rather than Bret by not letting the hold go, also remarking the great in-ring IQ of the master technician that Bret was. Great match, but not as good as I expected given the rating consensus (****)"

[9.0] "What a match and what a chemistry between these two. It honestly looks like they called everything on the fly and still managed to get one of the most exciting matches at the time with the crowd losing their minds for every little thing. Stone Cold works his usual style, trash talking to the fans and the referee constantly, while also keeping up with his body language without losing any steam. Bret looked like he never had a break, showed more character than usually and made Austin look like a star without losing to him. Phenomenal bout without anything fancy and the crowd's engagement is the best advertisement for this."

[8.0] "These two had such great chemistry together, and the way they were able to blend the wrestling with the fighting, the intensity with the artistry, was just beautiful. The story here where Austin essentially capitalizes on Bret's ring rust to outwrestle him, stave off his comebacks, beat the crap out of him, be unable to finish him off, and then Bret, after surviving at Survivor Series, finds the way to escape with the win... It's classical psychology. Basic heel and babyface dynamics where both guys come out looking like kings. It is a serious god damn shame that circumstances robbed this rivalry of its natural conclusion. That bit where Austin picks him up, looks like he's going to give him an atomic drop and then just drops him neck first onto the rope and proceeds to work over his throat? At first glance it looks almost like a botch, but it was just part of their ability to make the fake look real."

[8.0] "A good match but not worthy of a 9/10 or 10/10 like many on here seem to think. Nonetheless a good match but doesnt match up to their mania 13 submission match. Starts Off almost too slow and crowd was pretty dead but really picked up once they went outside and brawled and got better once they went back in the ring for the climax of the match. Loved the finish with the callback to Brets mania 8 classic with piper. 4/5"

[8.0] "These two just have brilliant chemistry in the ring and this match felt natural and like an authentic struggle. Austin has fucking aura when he walks to the ring and a presence in the ring that makes it so clear and undeniable he's a star. Watching this match makes me wanna study every little thing Bret Hart does. He is so natural with every movement and does things that seem to have been lost with the next generations of wrestlers. He takes a beating and it shows like when he collapses off an Irish whip and slides under the turnbuckles taking the post right to the ribs. He doesn't just go through the standard sequences and spots you see in every match. Also the way he sells the Stunner in this match is the best Stone Cold Stunner sell of all time imo - it looks brutal."

[7.0] "A match with a false rhythm, struggling to get off the ground with a half-hearted crowd. The match picks up slightly from the moment the two wrestlers leave the ring, but I personally wasn't as excited as most people obviously were. There are a few good exchanges but not enough for me to give it a higher rating, bearing in mind that the finish left me a little disappointed."

[10.0] "25 years old and it's still absolutely fantastic. WWE were finally capitalising on Austin's KOTR win (and staggering promo) and Bret was returning after an extended break with something to prove to the obnoxious and disrespectful Stone Cold. Super intense action follows that never becomes sloppy or reckless all grounded in exemplary babyface and heel work (you could take any image from this match and know who the babyface was and who the heel was). Also, I personally love the fact the match goes nearly half an hour because the match is paced perfectly, it shows off the cardio of both people and it makes the match feel epic and important. The finish is awesome too with Bret showing if something works once, it can work again. Also, the finisher not only catches Austin completely off-guard and gives the match a smart and satisfyingly clean finish but also puts Austin in the same power bracket as Roddy Piper which is a great little moment for the psychology and lore fans. Finally, Austin sells the shock of losing but figuratively loses nothing as he leaves the match far more over than he went in. Legendary stuff."

[9.0] "This is, right next to Bryan vs Punk at Over The Limit, my favorite technical wrestling match of all time. There's just something so wonderful about watching Bret and Austin work. The in ring work is smart and the pacing is perfect. I wasn't expecting this to be a good one but it is great. Check this one out! Seriously a really great match at that MSG crowd is screaming for Austin to the point Vince even has to acknowledge it foreshadowing what is to come."

[9.0] "In terms of in ring performance I prefer this one much more than the iconic WrestleMania 13 match, the action is very fluid, Stone Cold makes a sensational heel and the dynamics of how the match is happening is incredible, with Austin practicing losing the match when Bret kicks out the Stunner and he is in disbelief and forcing other pins that give the opponent time to recover and later win (****1/2)"

[10.0] "The start of one of the best rivalries ever. Awesome match, almost as great as the one in WrestleMania."