Bret Hart vs. The Dynamite Kid

[4.0] "Yeah, there's something here but it's just not for me. Bret has not really grown into himself yet, there are glimpses there but I didn't feel like he was well equipped for this kind of singles action. Dynamite Kid is of course athletic and explosive but I just don't enjoy him very much, perhaps his real life reputation has soiled him in my eyes but he feels like the template for future wrestlers who are all go go with no particular coherency."

[7.0] "Smooth wrestling here. The chemistry between Hart and Dynamite is already top notch and they get a lot in despite taking time early on and ending quickly, and actually in a rather disappointing way. But the middle of the match and the speed in which they do it in is good while still being believable in the ring. Also really like that Bret got in his chest turnbuckle bump in a different way than we were used to seeing it and Dynamite's Irish Whip mishap chest bump was good too."

[8.0] "(****) awkwardly fast action for a 1985 ring, both Dynamite Kid and Bret Hart are all time greats but Bret is a bit off Dynamite here, he won't get there until 1988-89, amazing work by both wrestlers and even Monsoon seems in awe of how fast they're wrestling."

[7.0] "This was a very good match. The moves may have been simple, but wrestlers like Bret Hart and Dynamite Kid made them look impactful. Also worth noting that this was not the type of singles match you saw much of back in 1985. Not everything was about work rate when you had personalities like Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter back then. If there is one thing to criticize, it was a weak finish that was marred by a replay that was playing when it happened. It just seemed like right when it was getting to be great, it ended. Still, it's an enjoyable match to go back and watch. ***3/4"

[6.0] "This match could've been better than it ended up being, not only due to the caliber of talent in this match but also just because there were moments where the action was pretty great. Once you get past the slow start, you get really invested into seeing who can pull off the win here, but then the match is just cut off by a roll-up spot that wasn't even shown on camera because they were showing a replay. The flat finish takes a ton away from this match, which like I said, ended up being simply decent when it could've been great. ***"

[7.0] "Solid, nicely paced technical match between two legends. Great heel work and selling by Bret, and Dynamite's suplexes were very impressive. A bit on the short side, though, and the abrupt finish wasn't even entirely captured on camera. Not outstanding, but definitely worth a watch."

[8.0] "Excellent little match between these two that is only spoilt by the slowish start and the very abrupt finish. Everything in this match looks incredibly snappy and crisp, especially the suplexes and backbreakers of both men. Bret's selling is great and the match is paced very well to account for both men's athleticism. Dynamite's work is amazing and he uses such offence to work over his opponent in some very interesting ways. Only problem is that the rollup finish feels like a cop out, not to mention the fact that it happens when a replay is being shown, missing the pinfall occuring. The match also starts a little slow, but the pace picks up not too far into this bout. - ****1/4"

[8.0] "An excellent technical exhibition. Super crisp and clean work from Bret and Dynamite with a lot of layers added. I think with a proper and more nuanced backstory, this has all the tools to be a classic. [****]"

[7.0] "A very good match here, it was so fluide, typically what I expected from these two. The Suplexes of Dynamite Kid were very impactful and impressive, Bret Hart's selling was great. The action is well paced and always relevant, just not a fan of the finish. ***3/4"

[7.0] "The workrate in this is so high that it feels massively out of place in 1985 WWF. Even Moonson is shocked by how hard these guys are going! I feel like Dynamite is a guy who's rated so highly because of how innovative his style was and not how great of a worker he was per se. Bret Hart in 1985 doesn't feel too different from Bret Hart in 1991. He plays to the crowd well and his stuff looks clean and crisp. He might be wearing blue instead of pink, but even here it's clear he's got all the skills to be a big star."

[9.0] "Loved it. One of those rare singles Bret vs Dynamite matches and it was a great one. Makes me wish we got more."

[6.0] "Good technical bout from two great technical wrestlers that deserved more time. Bret played the heel role well, while Dynamite Kid brought the fire with some impressive displays of agility. Unfortunately for both men the camerawork is horrendous. How bad you say? They didn't capture the ending sequence properly, which was already abrupt given it's a reverse-sunset pin."

[7.0] "A short, well-executed match between the two technical powerhouses of their respective tag-teams. There are some great counters here, and Dynamite steals the show with his agility and incredible suplexes. Solid heel work by Bret throughout. Ending of the match was a reverse-sunset flip sequence that wasn't all caught on camera, which was a bummer. ***1/2"

[9.0] "Did we watch the same match, y'all? We've got a young Hitman, who at this point is close to perfect as a technical wrestler, and Dynamite Kid, who, well, IS a perfect technical wrestler. And they have about 12 minutes of ring-time together. Which, as you should know, is more than enough to create something memorable from two highly-skilled wrestlers. And they do. The only downside is that the ending is a bit weak. The highlights are Bret playing a wonderful heel, as well as performing some great counters and showing what would become his classic moveset, and DK hitting some INCREDIBLE suplexes, including a gasp-inducing snap suplex and a jaw-dropping back suplex. Just really tremendous, basically perfect action. ****1/2."