Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog

[9.0] "Okay, I definitely underrated this in my prior review; it actually holds up way better than I remembered. Bret is obviously calling the match, with him having to walk Bulldog through it with every resthold, but he does so masterfully. If you didn't know about Bulldog's condition going into the match, you'd probably not notice anything was really wrong with him. Of course, he gets noticeably gassed during the second half of the bout, which necessitates Bret having to engage in a rather protracted heat sequence, but the Hitman keeps things technically interesting enough that it isn't totally energy sucking. Otherwise, this match was really great. The action is pretty nonstop heat sequence aside, and there is a steady escalation of big moves and near falls throughout the match that perfectly builds up the tension. All of this is of course enhanced by the red hot crowd packed into Wemley, with them becoming progessively more unglued with each subsequent kick-out. The finish is perfect, with Bulldog simply catching Bret off-guard with the roll-up. It put Bulldog over huge in his home country while also preserving Bret's credibility as he began his world title pursuit over the following months. If anything, him losing here and being graceful in defeat only made him that much more sympathetic during his feud with Flair over the WWF title. It was a well executed match all around and, while I don't think it was quite perfect because of the comparatively sluggish heat section during the second half of the match, it is still eons beyond most matches in North American wrestling at the time. Overall, this is one rightfully regarded as a classic. ****1/2"

[8.0] "Perfect technician vs Powerhouse. Commentary is atrocious. Wonderful stuff from Bret, god he does it all so well. VERY simple match but executed really well"

[7.0] "It's a bit slow, and not my favorite Bret match of all time, but man, they don't call Bret the "Elegance of Execution" for nothing. He moves throughout the match with such deftness. Slipping in choke holds, slingshotting himself into sling-blades on the outside, he looks absolutely incredible, working heel against a high and weary Bulldog. It feels huge, and its legend looms large in wrestling history (I watched this on YouTube where WWE uploaded it as the greatest Summerslam match of all time) and though I don't agree with that, you can feel how this match could've created that reputation with how gigantic and proficient it is."

[10.0] "The storytelling was off the charts. This is one of the best and most important matches in WWF history. It was the match that turned Bret "The Hitman" Hart into a true WWF legend. Just a little over six weeks later, Bret would end up becoming the WWF Champion."

[10.0] "Sometimes this sport don't need too much to be so good. For be addicted into that type of story, you need to watch yourself from the wrestlers' side, let's make this test real quickly. Imagine that you are British Bulldog, a guy who wasn't even booked to be under that card facing Bret Hart, the original plans was Shawn Michaels, a outstanding talent much better than you. The world conspiracy for your own willing and them, you are booked to face Bret Hart. But, Bret Hart isn't just what he is, outside of the ring, he is also your brother in law. You are married with his sister. And the things end up even more interesting when you add the fact this match happenned at your own hometown, London, for over eighty thousands of people watching and cheering for you. Not only a simple battle for a random title against a forgetable wrestler in a more forgetable crowd, this is probably the match of your life, and you will never ever get any experience close to this one. You are afraid, scared and you make the stupid mistake of forgetting the ENTIRE script for the match. However, the world again conspires for you, your opponent is Bret The Hitman Hart and he as a good wrestler he is, is able to carry your perfomance and manage what you need to do and what you don't for OVER 25 MINUTES. And in the end, you get the victory, the crowd exploded, your boss loved the match and your wife and brother in law shares a hug with you. This is a FUCKING five stars match for me and for a moment, one day, one night only, thanks to the incredible effort Bret Hart took, it was good to be the British Bulldog."

[10.0] "After rewatching and learning more the story behind the match, how British Bulldog was high and couldn't remember what's next on the match, but still he gave a great match with Bret. Respect and without noticing, they gave a classic, the level in ring and everything was great, and the crowd reacting to the Local hero winning the IC Title, the Wembley Stadium roared and made history. 10/10 [*****]"

[5.0] "Man, this did not live up to my expectations. How does Bret v Bulldog match moves slower than Warrior v Savage? It's a really slow paced bout that picks up nicely in the final couple minutes, but not enough to save it from mediocrity. It's Bulldogs hometown, but he really didn't do anything to stand out. Bret does most of the work, kicks out of Bulldog's finisher and manages to come out looking stronger."

[10.0] "Five stars out of five. I loved it years ago and the more times I watch it as an adult I love it even more. The only part of the match where I could be picky about it is when Smith didn't catch him for that spot I mentioned, but that's not that big of a deal. Through a lot of it, Bret was working as a heel because I think he realized he needed to in order to get the crowd totally behind Smith. It's the perfect example of a match doing great things for both guys. One guy went over (Bulldog), but the other guy became a bigger star after it was finished (Hart). That's the point of wrestling. It's not about the wins and losses. It's about telling stories, getting over and creating memories to last a lifetime. That's exactly what they did here. I'll never forget how loud that pop was when Bulldog countered Bret, dropped down and sat on top to get the victory."

[10.0] "What a beautiful, heartfelt match! This is truly one of the best matches of all time, and it's absolutely magical... I think between the matches I rate perfect, this is the one that makes the less sense, first because well, it's the legendary story that everybody already heard, British Bulldog was pretty banged up before the match, he wasn't taking care of himself properly, and maybe because of substances mixed with the nervousness about the match, he completely forgot the spots, and Bret Hart had to carry him during the 25-minutes, which was visible during the match, and it's just nuts, Bret is a GOAT only for this, I'm such a fan. WWF was reportedly not doing so well in the US, but the business was on fire in the UK, so Vince brought the SummerSlam to Wembley Stadium, and the 80k fans there were making an outstanding noise, it was, literally, a football stadium, and during the whole match you could hear the screams and the bugle roaring at the stadium. Bulldog received a hometown hero welcome, and Bret was cheered too during his entrance, he's a top babyface and people love him, but during the match, whenever he gained control or demolished Bulldog, he got booed, and you can say he worked as a heel here for sure, not fully, but he was kinda forced to be one, because the vast majority of the control segments were made by him. The action is absolutely fantastic, and I've said in the beginning that this being so good doesn't make sense, and if you start to think about it, it really doesn't, but somehow the atmosphere and the way Bret conducts the match, it's mindblowing, the way everythink connects makes this a fever dream, and talking with many friends who watched the match, it's really a match that inexplicably makes you cry, a lot of people cry after the match, and that's not even necessarily counting the amazing post-match angle. They've started going head to head, Bret was even thrown to outside at the beginning, Bulldog was very strong pushing him, but after Bret fully gained control, it was a massacre, and the fact he needed to call the match and destroy Bulldog actually helped the match and made it what it was, because people were mad apprehensive, watching their hero being outwrestled, it was painful to watch, and again, because of some inexplicably reason, the lack of reaction by Bulldog was the perfect selling, he wasn't even trying to show fighting spirit or sell the pain, he was just existing, and that emotion is what makes you agonized if he's actually gonna do it. It's one of the best performers ever by Bret, simple as that, he carries the match, carries the psychology of the bout, and the execution of everything was flawless, he was stiff as hell, and some of his moves impressed me, I don't think I've seen many crazy bumps at a Bret match than here. Diana Hart was a perfect addition to the match, she's the sister of Bret, and wife of Davey Boy, which makes them brother-in-law, and she was absolutely agonized during the match, according to her, rooting for none of them to get hurt, but at some point you can see that she's saying 'c'mon Davey' or something like that, despite her claims of being neutral, because of how bad Bret was beating her husband. The ending is great, Bret performs a sharpshooter from the mat, which Bulldog somehow survived, and then moments later he pulls a roll-up out of nowhere and defeat Bret, to one of the loudest and craziest reactions ever, it was like a goal for England to win the World Cup, really beautiful, and Diana started to cry. The post-match stuff was also brilliant and it's truly one of those 'I love wrestling' moments, this whole experience looked like that, Bret was mad about losing the match at first, but then shared a moment with Davey and Diana, which was magnificent. I can totally see why this match is so remembered and celebrated, and it deserves the status, it's remarkable, even Vince was emotional after the match - {*****}"

[10.0] "[5.0*] After the match was over, Vince came to Bret, thanked him and said this was the best match in wrestling history. Everything about this match is iconic, from the family dynamic with Bret fighting his brother in law while his sister was in attendance to the fact that this was fucking Wembley Stadium with 80.000 crazy fans rooting for Davey like they do to England in the World Cup. What fascinates me the most is the fact that Bulldog was so fucked up he forgot all his spots before the match, so Bret had to literally guide him for 26 minutes. This is INSANE. It had every reason on earth to go wrong, but it also had every reason on earth to go right. At the end of the day, we got a phenomenal technical wrestling match and an even better post-match segment. The ending of the bout was perfect storytelling-wise, Bret made a mistake and Bulldog took his chance into making history forever. The crowd reaction is one of the craziest things I have ever seen, I watched the match yesterday and I still have goosebumps. When it was all over, Davey asked Hart to shake his hand but he immediately refused. Afterwards, he accepted it, both of them hugged and Diana Hart came in to join them. Vince was marking the fuck off for the moment, it was amazing to see, one of the few times I legitimately saw him as a fan doing commentary. Then the pyro hit at the exact perfect moment on the music and Bulldog raised his new belt for all his british compatriots. I think if I was more emotive I would have been literally in tears there, but I can't say I wasn't with teary eyes either. It's just a very touching experience. The match itself is already a classic, but the whole thing is one of the most emotional moments in the history of our beloved sport. "This has been a family affair! ". I currently have exactly 20 matches in my 5-Star list, but as I watched the majority of them a long time ago, I'd easily cut at least 7 of them. This match, however, would never leave, despite the fact that I watched it 2 years ago. Unforgettable experience, just the type of thing you would trade the world to live again. This is probably my favorite WWE match of all time, which is funny, because I didn't have this feeling immediately when the match ended. Well, I guess time is the lord of reason after all. Pro-Wrestling!"

[7.0] "the match is mid , i didn't see any thing impressed me in this match , it's like any average match today , I have no idea how this got a 9 ! , i think it would be good if i gave this match a 7/10 rate"

[9.0] "The atmosphere and the story here are amazing. The wrestling doesn't lags behind, tho: technical and slow and deliberate but never boring. Diana is gorgeous. The Bulldog is clearly the underdog but shows enough strenght early on to make you believe he can do damage to Bret, which in turn plays a technically and mentally superior hero who is at odds with the morality of this bout, which transforms him into a ruthless and pissed off competitor. Great, great, great stuff, while keeping it fairly basic. Bret (and Diana) CLEARLY do the carry here, tho."

[7.0] "As an Englishman, I know I should love this match a put it up on a pedestal, but I think the moment of Bulldog winning in London hides the fact that this match was good at best. There's probably a dozen better Bret Hart matches out there. This match, in my opinion, is only loved so much because of the countryman winning in such a legendary stadium like Wembley. I wanted to love this match but at the end, I was left thinking is this it? Is this the match that gets so highly praised?"

[10.0] "Bret Hart went from one family affair at WrestleMania VIII, to another one here as he faced his brother-in-law, England's own, The British Bulldog. Tensions were high in the family before the match. Simply put, the match is absolute magic. It is a masterpiece and in my opinion is the best SummerSlam match of all time. There are no words to describe this great encounter. The whole stadium exploded when The British Bulldog won the match, giving us an unforgettable moment. Classic. [*****]"

"PROS: Wonderful selling and bumping from both men, especially Bulldog. Bret's heel psychology really gets the crowd excited. Excellent chemistry in the technical sequences. CONS: The finish feels a bit anti-climactic. A very slow burn; avoid if you like faster matches. Some of Bret's moves seem a step below his standard. CONCLUSION: A great bit of work with nitpicky, subjective issues. Watch if you have any interest in either man."

[9.0] "Bulldog's greatest moment even though he certainly had great matches after this. They all involved either Bret or Owen. When he was either facing both of them or in tag matches with either or both it always felt like Bulldog was at his best. An incredible crowd roaring him on (Nuclear hot throughout this) and of course Bret doing alot of the hard work here. As the story goes Bulldog had been on a crack binge with the Anvil for days before this and then by the time the match was going to start he told Bret he had forgotten everything. This would have been a disaster in pretty much every case. But Bret just told him "Don't worry I will carry you" and he does. Once you know that story the many many chinlocks and sleeper holds in this match are there so Bret can tell Bulldog what to do next. Sure they slow the match down but it was needed otherwise this would have been a mess. But once we get going this is pretty breathless. 25 minutes go past fast and the closing sequence is some of both men's best work. Bulldogs most iconic moment of his career. In what should have been the start of great reign and push for him instead Bret was pushed to the moon. Bret two months after this was WWF champion and become one of the most loved wrestlers of all time. Without doubt he doesn't get that position if not for this match and Vince seeing he can pull a match this good out of Bulldog who was coming down from a crack binge. Proof that Bret deserves his reputation as one of the greats."

[9.0] "A war of attrition. For one night, the Bulldog was the better man. A match where both man had victory within inches. The crowd being the game changer for Davey, and being a game changer for Bret. The Hitman tells a great story of excelling when playing just a tiny bit dirty. Makes that crowd root for Bulldog even more. I loved how the main chess battle took place in the middle of the ring during the Irish whips. You see both men learn new ways to adapt and take advantage of the other. I think my only issue with this match is a slight over reliance on that grounded headlock. A nit pick in a great match. Love that closing sequence, iconic."

[7.0] "-Watching Bret drag Bulldog along is like watching LeBron drag the '07 Cavs to the Finals. Just out there working miracles. Not close to being Bret's best match, but maybe Exhibit A in demonstrating his greatness. -I get why this match would have stood out more in 1992. It was one of only a few WWF PPV main events that weren't the Hulk Hogan routine. By today's standards, it gets off to a slow start and feels like it's lacking drama. I would take more near falls and Bulldog dragging himself to the ropes while the home crowd wills him on to escape a Sharpshooter over the cuts to Diana looking nervous (and occasionally bored). *** 1/2 ="

[10.0] "This is one of the greatest atmospheres in the history of pro wrestling. Bret Hart, maybe the greatest to ever do it; walks into the only scenario where he could be rooted against in the midst of him being one of the most beloved wrestlers of the 90's. An absolute clinic on modern speed and pace. A true work rate masterpiece of nearfalls and technical wrestling. It's speed vs power, but Bulldog has a level of athleticism that makes the formula more exciting. Bret being a wrestler who doesn't need to hit his finisher, adds a level of unpredictably to an electric crowd. This match is already a banger, but when you learn the true story behind it and understand what Bret was able to do here, it's even more impressive."

[9.0] "A great match with a unique atmosphere at Wembley Stadium. A legendary homecoming for The British Bulldog, making his entrance alongside the (soon to be) legendary Lennox Lewis, receiving unconditional love from the crowd and having the match of his life, although Bret allegedly carried it. While I was not a fan of Bulldog's fairly lame arm work early, the wrestling overall is solid although very methodical pace. But what makes this match special and cements it as a legendary moment is the epic feel at Wembley. Those football horns trumpeting all over the place, the compelling brother-in-law angle, Bret's sister (and Bulldog's wife) Diana in attendance. her heartfelt pre-match interview and her taking part in that all-time great post-match celebration. Probably one of the most satisfying roll-up wins ever as well. **** 1/4"

[9.0] "Bret Hart had to do a Weekend At Bernie's and ended up pulling a certified classic out of Davey Boy Smith. Hart CARRIED this match and it's way better than it has any right to be considering the circumstances. The fact that it's so good is a testament to Hart's abilities in the ring."

[9.0] "one of the best matches ive seen so far. the match features a lot of headlocks, submissions and rope runs, i never saw anything quite like this. the pace of the match is very very fast and it makes the match, theres no 30 second interval where nothing happens and it glues you to the screen. there isnt a single technical misstep on the fight and they use all their arsenal to keep it fresh. and i enjoyed the fight this much without even knowing the storyline to it, that shows how much it holds on its own. also the crowd was absolutely spectacular and electric on here. only problem with is the anti clamatic finish, and maybe how much they show princess diana (i think) instead of the fight but whatever incredible 9, 25-9, 75/10"

[10.0] "the backstory for this is one was something else. The British bulldog being so messed up that he forgot his spots in this match, and the fact that Bret was still able to do what he did here is nothing short of amazing. I remember for the longest time preferring the in your house match, which is an excellent match in its own right, but I slightly prefer this one just because Brett's work on top here is so good. rowdy crowd rooting on their hometown hero in one of the most iconic matches in not just WWE history, but wrestling too. what took place afterwards was such a beautiful moment between two brothers in law. an all timer right here. *****"

[8.0] "I love this this match and everything around it. I feel the backstage and the days leading up to it are even more interesting than the match itself. It's amazing how bret was able to manage bulldog through the match."

[7.0] "Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog at SummerSlam '92 was a really good match, but maybe not as perfect as some make it out to be. The atmosphere at Wembley was electric, and the storytelling was great, with Bret carrying a somewhat out-of-shape Bulldog to one of his best performances. The finish was fantastic, but there were a few sloppy moments that keep it from being a 10/10 for me. Still, a strong, emotional match--solid 7/10."

[10.0] "Bret Hart carried the British Bulldog to the match of his life in WWF's first-ever UK PPV main event. Sure, we have seen better five-star epics from Bret, but this is hands down his finest performance. He improvised all the spots, structured the whole thing on the fly, and guided a fooked-up Davey Boy Smith to something special. While it's easy to write this off as a total carry job, Davey also held his end to make this work. It's still a shame he was absolutely cooked with all the substance issues after the height he reached here, as he looked like the next big star the company was looking for in light of Hulk Hogan's departure. They told a beautiful story playing on the family dynamics, with Bret resorting to a nastier side of himself to put the crowd against him and knowing he won't match Bulldog's physicality. The Wembley Stadium exploded in joy as Bulldog reversed Bret's sunset flip by pinning his shoulders to the mat for the three count in a finish that still lives rent-free in the minds of every British wrestling fan. The 1992 WWF Match of the Year and a top-ten title change in professional wrestling history. [****3/4]"

[8.0] "29/08/92 SummerSlam WWF. A pretty good match, it's neither wrestlers best performance in the squared circle and was a little predictable, but that crowd kept this hot. The ebb and flow was very good, should of got more out the sharp shooter, it was broken up too early. Davey Boy really brought out all the stops here and kudos to him, others are wrong when they say Bret carried him. With a better finish and this could of been a 9 but the finish was way too abrupt. 8*"

[6.0] "This match with any other crowd would have been completely forgettable but instead we have maybe the best example of a crowd carrying a match. I think a lot of the reviews that make it seem like this match was all Bret are actively avoiding giving credit to Bulldog. The running powerslam, superplex and press slams were the power moves of the day in WWF and he made them look impactful. Bret was prodding and methodical in an a way that wasnt entertaining. The finish was abrupt and not climatic in the way that the crowd deserved. Its a 4/10 match with a 10/10 crowd."

[10.0] "This match features a lot of headlocks, but it fits the story of the match- Bulldog establishes the power advantage so Bret has to rely on his superior mat wrestling in order to get anywhere. The other story of the match- both competitors knowing each other well, comes off great with reversals upon counters upon reversals. There's also some great looking striking throughout this match. The gigantic, red hot crowd also helps a ton. The finish is a fun surprise as well."

[9.0] "For many years, this was my second favorite match just behind Steamboat Vs. Savage, but it has since fallen down the list. It's still a great match, but there's just been so many great ones since then, this one doesn't hold a candle to a lot of newer stuff."

[9.0] "8.7/10: a fairly clear testimony of the in ring abilities of both superstars, the best match of this night, again, backed up with a good storyline. Easily one of the greatest summerslam main events, worth the money."

[10.0] "Although I wouldn't necessarily call this my favorite Bret Hart match, I feel it is the most impressive example of just HOW good the Hitman was at everything knowing context. If not for the context and the red-hot Wembley crowd, I'd put the likes of Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam '91 above this, but it is knowing how in spite of Davey Boy's condition (much like Hennig's the year prior) they were able to have a match this iconic and classic that makes this a true 5-star classic. Everyone was wanting Bulldog to triumph, and he did. *****"

[9.0] "I know Hart is the director here and a huge part of why the match works so well, but I suspect Bulldog would've gotten just as much support from the fans here with any other opponent. So as important as it is for it to be these two wrestlers in particular - I think he crowd plays a huge part here as well. There are shots with close-ups of Bulldog and he just looks like he's feeding off the energy. This ends up being a kind of perfect storm performance. Great spots, great technique, no gimmicks. Still groan every time I see Bret take a turnbuckle bump. All of this elevated when you know the story behind the curtain. Fantastic ending as well. One of the best and should probably be required watching."

[10.0] "[*****] one of the greatest matches in history of pro wrestling, the atmosphere and storyline is insanely good and the wrestling itself is a film directed, produced, played and distributed by Bret Hart, the match is this good while Davey is under drugs, speaks to Bret's ability, the greatest summerslam match of all time!"

[10.0] "No need for words. Even being a little bit on the clouds, Bulldog still had aptitude to use athleticism to reverse and perform attacks, not to mention his foggy face expressions that make it seem like he wasn't doing this for the belt, but to gain Bret's respect back and for the welfare of his relationship with Diana. As for Bret Hart, I can't say better words than what an excellent and perfect wrestler he is. Carry around a guy like Bulldog is no easy task; big, fast, crazy partier, and unstable. Sometimes I wish we lived in Bret's mind to see how matches should go on his POV, because if he really thought about all of that on the fly, imagine what he thinks about when he's boxed in. And the ending always moves me, as the entire crowd at the stadium jumped and cheered after the three count as if the British army forces defeated the Canadian army forces in a total firearmed war. This right here, no doubt, is the greatest Summerslam main event of all time, the greatest wrestling show in Wembley history, and no doubt, it shows why Bret Hart was the chosen champion months later, and the British Bulldog deserved that win and the belt."

[9.0] "what a beautiful match this is. Its honestly might be the smoothest crispest match ive ever watched. I love going back and giving this multiple watches a year. Kinda wish that the finish was a little better and not so sudden and anti climactic feeling to me. But British bulldog winning the title here in front of his hometown crowd is so awesome and i feel like this moment doesnt get talked about enough. I think this is bulldogs best match of his career in my opinion. This crowd is so hot and incredible for this match and you can tell they dont want to boo bret but becuase of him having bulldog they have to they feel. I wish bret played more of a heel role in this match seeing how the crowd was responding to him i know he started to around the halfway point of the match. So fun to watch everytime. 4.75 stars."

[9.0] "This was a phenomenal performance from both men, especially considering the context. Bret had to call the match on the fly and had to tell the Bulldog everything while the two were locking up. The crowd here was amazing and the match probably wouldnt be as fondly looked at if it wasnt for it."

[9.0] "This match is a testament to the skill of Bret Hart. As many fans will be aware, the story goes that Davey Boy forgot the entirety of the match that they had planned, and as such Bret was forced to call everything in the ring on the fly. It's evident in the way that the bout is worked, as there are many occasions where Bret needs to grab a hold so he can guide Davey through the next spot. The crowd is so rabid that this approach works well, though, as they don't need to do much to have the people on their feet, and each time Bulldog gets on the offensive the people are practically rejoicing, and the slower pace means that everything Bulldog does stands out all the more (which is also importance, since Davey Boy didn't seem to be capable of a whole lot! ). While Smith frequently looks lost and like he is uncertain of what to do with himself, Bret's work is impeccable as always - one of the things that stands out to me the most about the bout is how tight and clean everything he does looks. The slow pace of the match will likely turn off many newer fans, but I think the atmosphere helps to make up for it, and I love the grounded, competitive vibe that the encounter has. There is too much working against it to go for a full 10.0, and in a lot of ways it really is a one man show, but it's considered a classic for a reason, and that finish is such an incredible moment. Now just imagine what this might have looked like if the British Bulldog remembered what he was supposed to be doing!"

[9.0] "This is a great match! It's even better knowing that Bret did it all by himself. Davey Boy, great as he was, had anxiety issues before this match and couldn't remember his spots so Bret had to talk him through everything. If you measure the quality of this match by today's metric, of course it's going to fall short. It was a completely different time. I grew up with this style and much prefer it even though I respect how athletic today's wrestler's are. The atmosphere was also electric as the UK was firmly behind their local hero. Great match, great main event."

[4.0] "Im so confused with this match. I went in expecting an absolute clinic with the ratings and the names involved, and by the end I just kind of felt something. Like it isnt a bad match, but like, why is this so highly rated? At times its very good but most of it is just slow rest holds and filler. The ending also came out of nowhere and the pin looked like shit. The crowd was going crazy for it which was nice, but I must not have been watching the same match because this was okay at best and boring at worst."

[3.0] "The promo with him before the match is really good and got me to pay attention to the story for a bit. But sadly, I'm not interested in Davey Smith like at all. I feel like he was ok at the start but as the match went on it felt like the only interesting part of the match was Bret. Even though the crowd was electric it felt like it didn't matter because Davey's work in this match was whatever in this match. Its an ok match, but the thing I would praise this for is Bret's mat work and promo work."

[7.0] "Maybe a controversial opinion, but this match was good, and that's it. Most of the match was rest holds and sleeper holds. When Davey won with the roll-up, it felt a little out of nowhere, and not in a good way. The crowd was hot all the way through for him, which was really cool to see, and they kind of make up for slow-pacing. If the match was a little faster or shorter, it'd definitely be worthy of an 8/10."

[7.0] "This was not a bad match but I did not enjoy this as much as I would have thought given all that I had ever heard about it. This match was about 10 minutes longer than necessary. I thought Bret was excellent and he might as well have fire-man carried Davey Boy from corner-to-corner. I thought booking was good and the finish was creative enough. Savage and Warrior had the better match of the evening. But I totally get why this was the main event. The crowd was pro-Davey Boy and that was beautiful."

[8.0] "Very good even if a little slow at times. A crowd behind the British Bulldog who plays at home but also Bret. (4*1/4)"

[9.0] "A great match that much like the Bret Hart match on the previous year's comes close to being a five star classics. At this point Bret Hart is easily Mr. SummerSlam; this was the fourth year in a row he was part of the best match on the show, at least in my opinion. Imagine how much better this could've been had Davey Boy not been fucked up; Bret has possibly one of the hardest carries I've ever seen in this match. British Bulldog ends up beating Bret with that iconic rollup and we have a new IC Champion crowned in Wembley."

[7.0] "It's a good match and the crowd reaction makes it almost great really, I just find Bret's heat segments a bit tedious at times and those spots where they play into the crowd don't feel urgent to me. Considering how much time they spend on that and compared to the salient spots I think overall this is good but it drags"

[6.0] "The definition of overrated. To me, anyone who thinks this is Bret's best match hasn't seen enough Bret Hart matches. I can think of 15-20 Bret Hart matches off the top of my head without doing any deeper digging that far outclass this one. All three matches from the first King of the Ring, both big PPV matches vs. Owen, both matches against Austin, the Diesel trilogy, vs. Piper at WM8, vs. Perfect at the prior year's Summerslam, vs. The Undertaker at Summerslam, vs. Shawn at this year's Survivor Series, vs. the 123 Kid on Raw...and I'll stop there, but you get the idea. What's more, even Bret and Bulldog's rematch at In Your House for the WWF title a few years later far outstrips this match! I sincerely don't even think too many people know or remember that they had a rematch, let alone realize it's infinitely better. The first few minutes and the last few minutes of this match are excellent. But more than half of it is terrible. Bulldog is gassed, just sitting in rest holds without even selling. It's an insultingly long amount of time in rest holds for a match of this magnitude. Bret is clearly doing every possible thing he can do to pull Bulldog across the finish line, and the fact that he was able to wrestle a solid match almost by himself is incredible. My complaining aside, this is still a very good match for being a carry job, and the crowd feels like they never take a breath from screaming the whole time, which adds to the appeal. This match is good. There's no doubt there. But legendary? One of Bret's best? Yeah, hard pass on that for me. Between this and the Iron Man match, I'm not sure which is more overrated."

[8.0] "This is a truly historical event. When two performers who know each other so well meet, it is always spectacular and beautiful. The emotional intensity was raised to the limit, and it is especially worth thanking the British public for this, which contributed 50 percent to this fight. And you understand that the fight will be good when even ordinary clinches and mat-wrestling look very cool, and this was exactly the case. Not everything was so smooth, of course. There were some slacks, but the audience compensated for everything. The ending was very emotional and the shots of Diana Hart only added to the drama. Bulldog began his comeback and pulled off all his big moves, but it didn't break Bret. Davey Boy began to fuss, which led to a sharp shooter from the Canadian, but that was not the end. Then there was the ending and winding down. It even upset me, because I was just getting a taste for it, and that was it. In any case, this is truly a diamond of that time, which even today looks quite convincing. Two men who were clearly ahead of their time, although they would ultimately revolutionize wrestling and set a new standard for wrestling."

[10.0] "It's really interesting to watch this match with the added hindsight of knowing that the British Bulldog was "completely fooked" out there, and that Bret had to lead him through everything. Even without that perspective, this is a terrific match. The formula is simple -- Bulldog starts off hot, but Bret takes control and dominates with some occasional hopeful spots for Davey -- but it is executed to perfection. The crowd is hot for everything, and Bret plays off their boos like a true professional. Honestly the only complaint I have with the match isn't the fault of the performers -- it's the frequent shots of Diana Hart Smith in the crowd where she has the exact same reaction throughout. Also her awkward, rambling prematch interview is a total WTF moment. Anyway, awesome match. *****"

[8.0] "It's a masterpiece when it comes to playing to the crowd's reaction. The fans are so hot here that they didn't have to do any fancy stuff so they just stuck to the simple things and it worked. You can see how great Bret is here when he talks to Bulldog during headlocks and makes spots up on the go while getting the crowd invested even more in this bout. A lot of technical wrestling with the transition to the Sharpshooter being the cherry on top. Davey Boy wins after countering the Sunset Flip and it has to be one of the most iconic pins ever."