[8.0] "Great match, and the first one of this remembered rivalry Shawn and Bret Hart, kinda out of context Santa Claus coming after the match, but the match itself did it's part, the psychology and the level in ring was on the point and then the crowd helped it, even though I felt It like slow for moments. 8/10 [****1/2]"
[8.0] "this is pretty good. with two of the best wrestlers ever must be hard to have a bad match. i do think that the start was slow and the match is too swingy but from the last 15 minutes the match becomes really great, and just seeing shawn sell bret moves was worth the time. the story told is pretty simple with bret beating the narratives after his defeat to bulldog and facing a new wrestler in shawn michaels, with brets promo we already see what bret thought of him in and out of kayfabe, pretty much daying in the promo he had to dig through the bottom of the barrel implying he thought of shawn as a spoiled brat who didnt have to fight to get to where he is, it was fun but nothing crazy. pretty good match though, il say this is about as good as mankind v shawn 8, 25/10"
[9.0] "My favorite match between the two. It was a phenomenal bout. Amazing in-ring psychology on display, chemistry on point, their technique is on another level, just a superb wrestling match all around. ****1/2"
[9.0] "Tolles Match mit einem technisch sehr schönen Ende. Beide geben sich viel Mühe und sind sowohl intensiv, als auch glaubwürdig in ihren Aktionen. Ihr Iron-Man Match war jedoch eine Klasse besser ;)"
[8.0] "I've never watched a Bret Hart match before, or many oldschool wrestling matches so this was my first introduction to a technical oldschool match and it was a good one. The strikes looked real, the bumps looked very real and the psychology and everything looked very believable. These guys along with other great technical wrestlers were experts at making simple moves appear devastating while still being safe which we don't see much of in wrestling nowadays. I also like that there were no false finishes, hulk ups or anything that indicated "This is about to be over". The unpredictability of the match along with the buildup, intensity and believability made this match very compelling for me."
[8.0] "This was a very good main event. The final ten minutes were very exciting and featured good back-and-forth between Bret and HBK. I liked that the match avoided the use of finisher spaming to build drama, with Bret only attempting and needed one sharpshooter to finish the match. I also liked the beginning of the match which saw Bret getting the better of an increasingly frustrated HBK with his use of holds on the latter's left arm. Shawn tried to use his quickness to get out of the holds only to end up back on the mat. Eventually, Shawn was able to turn the tables and get back at Bret by working over the Hitman's own arm. However, the match then transitioned into a rather bland middle section that saw Shawn do nothing but keep Bret on the mat with a bunch of headlocks. This was not at all interesting to watch, and I was disappointed the limb work did not play into the decision of the match in any way. It made the beginning section which, while enjoyable on its own, feel disconnected from the back-half of the match which would have been made more dramatic if the limb work played into it. Overall, I think this one would have been better if it were five minutes shorter, as the middle section could have been reduced or eliminated entirely, which would have helped the pacing. Still, it was a very good main event and worth watching if you're a fan of either guy. ***3/4"
[8.0] "A solid match with two great performers in their prime, so that was to be expected. Great psychology and by the end neither guy really had to do much to get the crowd going by the end. A very smooth contest and absolutely the match of the night, although that's not saying very much."
[6.0] "I don't know why, but I've never been able to really enjoy this match. I think it was badly paced, but I won't hate on anyone for liking it. I get it. I just think it's overrated by both Dave Meltzer and this site. I love watching both guys usually, but to me, this wasn't their best showing."
[9.0] "A fantastic, long, classy NWA style title match. The 1992 WWF crowd doesn't know what to do with this at first but Bret inches them into it during Michaels' heat phase with two cleverly planned hope spots. By the time Bret starts making a comeback they're totally invested. Shawn and Bret then proceed to trade counters and reversals with beautiful execution before kicking things into fifth gear with Bret hitting the floor outside. This is a really nice escalation for the last few minutes as Michaels comes dangerously close to pinning a badly hurt Bret. If the goal was to make Shawn look as credible as possible without pulling the trigger, they pull it off here. There's no cheating from Michaels, he just takes advantage of an imperiled opponent. In a great finish Shawn succumbs to his lack of his experience and puts himself in a position to be caught with the sharpshooter. Bret Hart was really firing on all cylinders in 1992 and out of his three PPV matches that year this is the one where he displays the highest amount of ingenuity. He got an audience trained on Hogan style main events to accept a different type of match, while getting himself over as a fighting champion and making an upper midcard heel look a potential world title holder. We get a clear look here at Bret's vision for WWF title matches, and even though it wouldn't last, what a lovely vision it was. **** 1/2."
[9.0] "Little stuff like selling an injured hand after punching someone is something you don't see much, but can do so much for the viewer. There's tons of things like that to look for in these matches, and I think it's what cements both of these guys as legends in the industry. Great execution and technique. Bret with the better offense/fundamentals - but Shawn sticks in with great pace and athletics. Not crazy about the 2nd-rope-jump-into-sharpshooter finish... or Santa? But still a fantastic match. To this day, I cannot help but flinch at every Bret Hart turnbuckle bump."
[10.0] "Amazing match, the only thing that held this match back was Shawn's weak offense, the exchanges here are very crisp and the selling from both sides is great, lots of effort by both these wrestlers [****3/4]"
[8.0] "This was a very good match from a psychological standpoint. The story was simple and textbook pro wrestling, but well executed. Bret had the technical advantage, until Shawn eventually found a somewhat flukey opening, and managed to keep control from there through a combination of underhanded tactics and rudimentary holds applied with a bit of added aggression. From an entertainment standpoint, there were some portions of the match where things were a little flat. Shawn's heat segment grows a bit old, and while being so basic makes perfect sense from a story perspective, it does feel slightly dull at times. Bret's comeback is lively, and the final segment of the match has some pretty exciting and has some very entertaining back-and-forth. The strongest aspect of the match for me was how well Bret sells for Shawn - he does an excellent job making Michaels feel like a threat to the title and a main event level prospect. You can tell that Shawn hadn't quite found his footing as a singles star yet, but consider the two smartly worked that into the story of the match, it simply feels like a feature of the bout rather than a drawback. It's not an example of either man at their absolute best, but it is an effective title match, and easily the highlight of the 1992 Survivor Series."
[9.0] "This was an amazing match with a great face and heel dynamic. Brets technical ability and Shawns high flying skills complement each other well. Bret would be on a roll of offense and Shawn would put him in a headlock to ground him and gain heat. HBK sold really well for Bret every time Bret got in any offense. Bret won with a Sharpshooter."
[5.0] "This match would been great but that section of the match where Shawn gains the advantage and starts doing alot of boring rest holds really killed the momentum the match had at the start with the two of them being on equal footing and countering each other's moves. The final section is good as well but not enough for me to ignore that section of the match."
[5.0] "Well, this is a shame. Personally, I found the pacing to be very poor, it was very slow with Hart working the arm...which was forgotten about mid-way through the match, and Michaels doing lots of long rest holds...not great. The final 10 minutes had some really nice action but by that point my investment was lost and therefore I can't give it above a 5."
[8.0] "This was a great match, and ideally what you want you main event to be, which is the match of the night. Seeing the two main faces of the New Generation Era already main eventing at the tale end of 1992 seems kinda crazy. It's kinda funny what had been an IC Title feud earlier in the year ended up being a World Title match here. Just a straight up great wrestling match between two top tier talent before they hated each other here."
[6.0] "Decent but not great for me. I had always heard this was superb, but I was not invested in the action after about five minutes. I thought both Bret and Shawn gave a good performance, but the story wasn't there for me just yet. Maybe they did not hate each other enough at this point to give the work that edge it would have in later meetings. It is an ok match but I have seen collectively better from the both of them."
[8.0] "It was a main event in the truest sense of the word. Already in 1992, the WWF tried to rely on a new vision, namely oversized technical guys. Unfortunately, at first they were not convinced by this path, so we will finally return to it in 1994 and 1996. Now let's get back to the match, which was very good. The chemistry of these guys is felt even through the screen. They were given more than enough time, but that was the downside. The guys didnt yet know how to competently fill out such an impressive time frame, so somewhere in the middle of the fight there was a significant drawdown. However, this did not stop them from showing a worthy spectacle. The ending turned out to be quite tense, because Sean was actually close to winning several times. I liked the intensity towards the end. There, the initiative changed more often, and the wrestlers constantly counterattacked their opponents, preventing them from carrying out their techniques. It was a pleasure to watch. Give them 5 minutes and it would be great. But its okay, because in 4 years these guys will not only be able to fill half an hour well, but will also be able to spend a decent hour in the ring."
[6.0] "The final 10 or so minutes of this match were excellent. Those last handful or two of minutes show the match you'd expect these two to have. Unfortunately, the first 15 or so minutes just features a LOT of rest holds and slow, lumbering limb work. Now, working on a body part can lead to some very dramatic moments. But Bret works over Shawn's arm, and subsequently Shawn does the same to Bret's shoulder. However, after those particular spots are done, both of them immediately stop selling the 'injured' body part for the last few minutes, so it made those long wear down segments just feel like filler. Honestly, this match feels like a dry run of their Iron Man match they'd have years later. They both have a very similar 'stop and go' feel to them. But this match was a little under half the length, so it is much more enjoyable. Quite honestly, I'll take Bret and Shawn's Screwjob match over both this one and the Iron Man match. When this match was good, it was worth 8 points. But the bloated length, and absolutely forgettable first 10-15 minutes drag the second half down too much. If the first half was more exciting, or if the first half was how it was, but the injured limbs of both men carried over to make it feel like a dramatic beating, this would have been classic. As is, this match leaves me wanting much more."
[6.0] "A match that I was expecting a lot more from. I'm a big fan of Bret and a lesser fan of Shawn, so I was expecting a great match. I found that this was mostly dull but had some good moments. I can't say I ever got really into it beyond appreciating that the wrestling itself was smooth, if unexciting. A 6 may seem harsh, but relative to my expectations for the match, it seems about right."
[8.0] "I was really hyped for these men's first encounter and it absolutely delivered. They were flawless, everything looked like a struggle and I would forgive some signs of cooperation considering the pace and complexity of some moves, but there were none. Every single hold was exciting because Michaels constantly was selling Hart's holds and he worked the crowd if he put on one of his. Almost half an hour and it didn't drag at all, take a bow."
[5.0] "Really weirdly structured match. Let's start with the good, both these guys are good workers. Bret especially, as Shawn is good and better than most of the roster, but still isn't quite there yet. You will notice that fact, as it's obvious that he has no idea how to work a match this long, holding on an insanely long front facelock to stall for time. So it's a match where both guys are technically good and sound, but there's just nothing here. No real heat or story involved, just a big disappointment. Their natural wrestling skill can only take them so far, but you need to give me a bit more to work with. This went too long, Shawn wasn't yet ready to work a match this long, and it was just overall really average."
[9.0] "This is the first major showdown between two of the all-time greats of the sport and it was nothing more of a tremendous clash. Both men had little to none in terms of storyline paths, but their sheer arsenal of wrestling abilities carried this bout to a fascinating level of engagement. From the old-school collar & elbow wrench down to a feisty finishing stretch, it was layered greatly with some moments of upsetting the scientific artifact from Canada by the name of defeat. But it was The Hitman who reigned supreme as the champion. Michaels was amazing here as a rising star giving in a lot of physical & mental tussle to Bret as well as displaying a great value of selling Bret's offense. This is a match that was overshadowed by the WrestleMania masterpiece & the infamous Survivor Series rematch five years later, but looking back at the series, this is arguably the finest technical classic these two had in a straightforward manner. 4.25 out of 5 stars!"
[9.0] "This is a great match with both men going back in forth this match has some great in ring wrestling just a very good match and one of the first great matches of shawn michaels career. ****1/2"
[7.0] "On paper, this had all the makings of a classic; the two best wrestlers in WWF clashing for the first time on PPV in a high stakes match-up, WWF champion against IC champion with the opportunity for Shawn to become the first to hold both titles at the same time, and while some still consider it a classic, I actually find myself skeptical, much like all of these two legends encounters unfortunately, and this might very well be their best. A solid methodical wrestling match, very slow paced and heavy on psychology, which is fine, although I was not a fan of Bret's work on Shawn's arm. Nice heel work from Shawn who bumped his ass off as usual, great selling from Bret and a nice comeback win, just not as great a match as you could expect from these two all-time greats. [ > 7.5/10 ] *** 1/2"
[8.0] "Good match between these two, five years before their infamous encounter in Montreal. Certainly this is the better match between the 2 Survivor Series encounters, although I feel like Michaels/Hart never had the true classic that they were capable of having. There were a lot of rest-holds that kept this from being a classic and the Sharpshooter uncharacteristically came from out of nowhere without a whole lot of build of back/leg work. It's still a satisfying finish though with a Shawn dropkick being reversed brilliantly into the Sharpshooter. Good match but not quite a classic. ****1/4"
[9.0] "Awesome match that unfortunately doesn't get talked about as much due to their future bouts. The action in the ring was spectacular, a smartly-wrestled and well executed wrestling match, with multiple stories being told throughout it. Loved the small details coming into play, such as Bret being able to outwrestle Shawn at first, and then having to resort to punches and brawling to escape holds after Shawn had weakened him. Bret's recent grueling schedule as defending champion also came into play as the bout grew longer, which was another lovely touch. Props to Vince and Heenan on commentary as well, who were essential at getting those points across on commentary. Great main event to close 1992. [****1/4]"
[8.0] "This was a really great match and the best match between these two in my opinion. Bret was fantastic here and Shawn was really good, but his control segment was a little dull. I thought the match was a bit too long, which hurt it. ****1/4"
[9.0] "Shawn didn't seem to have an issue with doing the J-O-B to Bret back in 92, did he? Anyway, Shawn beat Bulldog for the title back in October at SNME and now he's going for the big one. Only the world title is on the line. Kinda eerie watching these two 5 years prior to the same event and match that people would not and will not ever get over. Fantastic wrestling from both guys. Bret outsmarts Shawn in the wrestling department so Shawn goes to punching. Bret controls nearly all of the first 5 or 8 minutes until he blind charges and runs shoulder first into the post. Shawn attacks the shoulder and sends Bret into the corner and Hart does his trademark bump, Shawn gets a close 2 count. Shawn with a headlock. Bret gets out of it then gets knocked down with a dropkick. Shawn with a rib breaker and back to the headlock. Shawn pouring it on. Shawn hits a flying elbow for another close 2 and back to a front face lock. Shawn sends Bret into the corner and Bret springboards over Michaels head and hits a belly to back suplex! Shawn gets caught and slingshot into the corner. Both guys down. Bret pops up and Shawn backs off. Bret fires Shawn into the corner then kicks him and Shawn crotches on the top rope. Bret gets a 2 1/2 count. Bret with the russian legsweep and another 2 count. Pendulum backbreaker and an elbow off the second rope! 1...2...Shawn kicks out. Bret's going into the 5 moves of doom but Shawn won't stay down. Bret superplexes Shawn then gets another 2 1/2 after a long pause. Bret runs into the ref giving Shawn time to recover, both guys outmaneuver each other until Shawn sends Bret outside. Shawn slams Bret on the floor. Shawn gets frustrated and argues with the ref then Bret rolls him up for another close 2. Shawn crescent kicks Bret then goes for his suplex finisher but Bret fights him off and it's a punchfest. Shawn gets tied up in the ropes and Bret charges as Shawn gets free and Hart ends up crotching himself in the ropes. Shawn goes to the second rope and gets caught jumping off and Bret slaps on the sharpshooter for the win at 26:40. Great match."
[9.0] "An absolute classic and it's also very remarkable as these two men went from feuding for the IC title to main eventing a PPV for the WWF Title in the same year. The final few minutes of this match are amazing and put Shawn over even though he lost. This was really a sign of things to come in the future in WWF of how the main event matches would be. I know some people prefer this over their Iron Man match but I think their Iron Man match was better. This match too however is a definite recommendation to watch and saved the show. [****1/2]"
[7.0] "This was good but at certain points, this was incredibly dull. That, however, was mainly due to Shawn Michaels, not Bret Hart since Shawn was still not equipped to work matches for so long. The last 15 minutes or so of this was incredible back-and-forth action with great near falls and selling from both men.***1/2"
[9.0] "A fantastic main event, and pretty much a show saver to be honest. Right on par with the famous Ironman match they'd have years later. They got plenty of time to work with, and made the best out of it. Great mat work leading up to a super hot final stretch. One of the best matches of 1992. [****1/4]"
[5.0] "Considering how good both Michaels and Hart were during 1992, this was a massive disappointment. This was technically fine yet deathly dull. Michaels wasn't yet equipped with the skills to work a 25+ minute singles match just yet, as evident by his boring control segment where had Hart in a front facelock that felt like an eternity. I never felt like Shawn had a chance of winning this. There are a few cool moments in the finishing stretch, but not enough to recommend this."
[6.0] "I was quite excited to see that Bret Hart - Shawn Michaels encounter from 1992, and I must say it is rather disappointing. The main problem I have with that match is there is just too much time where nothing happens: chin locks, rest holds, mat wrestling.... And everything they did was absolutely fine, but that slow pace is not very exciting. I understand that a slow build-up early in the match can be a great way to set up the rest of the match but those sequences lasted far too long in my opinion. When things finally started to pick up some speed, it was very good, a shame it took so long to get there. Some very nice wrestling with two of the best, however because of the flaws mentioned above I can only consider that match a good match, not a great one."
[9.0] "Just a great wrestling match between Michaels and Hart. Even though Bret was the champ, Michaels really took the fight to him here, coming close on multiple occasions to winning the belt. After a long technical war (which slightly dragged at some points, but was great overall) Hart manages to come back from the brink of defeat and lock Michaels in the sharpshooter to win. This wasn't a classic, but it's not that far off from being one either. Definitely worth a watch. ****1/4"
[7.0] "Good stuff from these two, I don't think it's the classic that the match rating suggests though. It got better as it went along, but the early sections were a bit on the dull side, though the match was very good from a technical standpoint as you would expect. Shawn simply wasn't on Bret's level as a worker yet, but he would get there by the middle of the decade."
[7.0] "Even as a huge Shawn Michaels fan I have to admit--this match gets far more praise than it actually deserves. It's a good match, but starts out really slow with alot of super basic mat type stuff. It definitely picks up halfway through and there's no doubt everything is executed very well. But in the end the match never really reaches the excitement or intensity you'd expect from an all-time classic. It's a good match but not as good as its reputation suggests."
[5.0] "This match was slow and boring, technically it was sound and Bret did his damndest but it could've done with a few more spots instead of doing a chin lock and talking for 5 minutes then do 2 spots and back to the rest hold. Just boring."
[8.0] "What a great match, completely different from your different WWF Championship PPV matches up until that point. A beautiful match with good psychology, execution and a very good finish. It was quite clear these two were the best, and left the people wanting to see more from them in the future. Really really good and obviously recommended. ****1/4"
[5.0] "There are some matches where you get a big match feel and in a few years, this match will have that but right now, on this show, it? s not a big match for the time. On paper it is. WWF Champ vs IC Champ but Michaels simply isn? t up to that standard yet, in my opinion. The match got off to a pretty good start with Bret and Shawn doing some good counter wrestling with the two going toe to toe with the wristlock/kip-up sequence, and Bret eventually gaining advantage with his arm locks for which Michaels had zero counter for. The way Michaels gained control was very good with his snapshot into the ropes and Bret making a mistake by ramming his arm into the post, although that doesn? t really matter much as far as the match as Michaels only worked on the arm for about 10 seconds.. Then the match got very, very boring with Michaels on top who seemingly ran out of ideas and decided to lock on different versions of headlocks for an endless amount of time. The fans do get behind Bret though and are relatively into the match still. Bret made some pretty good, energetic comebacks. The match got much better when the momentum of the match was going back and forth and both guys were counting each other? s big moves. The finish was pretty good too which Hart counting a dropkick and turned it into the sharpshooter. If the match had a much more interesting middle section, this would? ve been a very good match but it was just too stagnant for too long. **3/4"
[9.0] "Glossed over in favour of their two higher profile singles matches, this match is a forgotten classic, and it is, for me, their best ever singles matches. It starts very slow, even for the WWF of 1992, but the crowd stay with it, and they're rewarded with one of the better matches on company history."
[9.0] "Watched this again and went back to liking it a bit more, especially in the context of having watched a lot of the stuff that came before consecutively. It's a departure from the usual WWF title matches to this point in history and both guys are bringing a lot to the table. I still think it drags a tiny bit but overall a pretty great match."
[8.0] "Das erste große Aufeinandertreffen der Erzfeinde kann sich durchaus sehen lassen. HBK zeigt, dass er in den Mainevent gehört. Und gerade im Kontext des vorherrschenden Stils um 1992 ist dieses Match, wie von einigen Vorrednern erwähnt, eine erfrischende Abwechslung. Technisch hochwertig deuten die beiden schoneinmal an, was sie zu leisten in der Lage sind. Das hohe Niveau führt zu einem sehr ansehnlichen Match, bei dem Bret sogar einige Bumps einsteckt. Die ganze große Stimmung mag hier jedoch noch nicht aufkommen. Das mag an der unglücklichen Story bzw. Ansetzung (rein personell) liegen, oder auch daran, das HBK gefühlt noch nicht in den Mainevent gehörte. Die zu lang geratenen Headlocks im Mittelteil stören dazu den Matchfluss empfindlich. Dennoch eine gute Leistung der beiden Ausnahmekönner."
[9.0] "This was fantastic. Loved the early work by Bret - good stuff on the mat, solid work on the arm of Michaels, Bret's control segment was really good. Shawn's control segment wasn't as engaging, but I thought Bret did a damn good job selling during that, so it didn't take me out of the match or anything like that & it all built to a great comeback by Bret, so it was all good, all good. ****"
[9.0] "Ganz klar das MotN & ein MotYC in der WWE oder allgemein im US Mainstream. Es ist mal was anderes zu diesem Zeitpunkt in der WWE zwei eher kleine Superstars in ME zusehen. Beide zeigen aber auch warum das so ist. Die Anfangsphase ist ein bisschen zäh und es wird durch Restholds immer das Tempo ein wenig aus Match genommen. Dafür ist die Schlussphase wieder stark. Dieses Match wird zu oft zu Unrecht vergessen."
[9.0] "Für mich das beste Match der beiden. Champion vs. Champion kommt immer gut und in diesem Fall war es zum Auftakt der "New Generation"-Ära genau das richtige Duell zum Abschluss des Jahres. Beide hielten ihre Titel erst seit kurzem und zeigten eindrucksvoll warum sie die beiden Top-Stars der anstehenden Zeit werden sollten. Hier gab es wirklich gute Technik zu bestaunen. Der Sieg des Hitman ging in Ordnung, Michaels konnte aber trotz der Niederlage mit erhobenem Haupt die Halle verlassen. Er hat hier die erste Duftmarke gesetzt. Auch wenn (ober vielleicht sogar weil) Bret & Shawn zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch nicht verfeindet waren ein sehr gutes Match welches weniger von Verbissenheit lebte als viel mehr durch exzellente Technik. Zudem war es auch nicht taktisch geprägt und lang gezogen wie das Iron Man-Match."
[8.0] "Das Match hatte logischerweise einige Ähnlichkeiten mit ihrem Iron Man und hatte daher auch die gleichen Stärken und Schwächen. So haben beide wieder etwas zu lange gebraucht um das Tempo in diesem Match aufzunehmen, allerdings war die 2. Hälfte des Matches richtig unterhaltsam und gehörte zu den besten Phasen, die ich aus dem Jahr 1992 gesehen habe. Den Sharpshooter am Ende fand ich als Finish nett gewählt und hat mich definitiv zufrieden gestellt. Insgesamt war es nicht ganz so stark wie ihr Match 4 Jahre später, was vor allem auch daran lag, dass Michaels zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch nicht ganz so gut war wie er es paar Jahre später sein sollte, aber trotzdem war es ein Highlight in diesem starken WWF Jahr. *** 3/4 (8)"
[8.0] "Ein wirklich sehr starkes Match von den beiden. Kennt man ja eigentlich auch nur von den Beiden wenn sie zusammen im Ring stehen (Damals). Damals hat man schon gesehen das aus den Beiden großes werden kann & das haben sie hier im Match gezeigt. Trotzdem viel zu viele Sleeper Holds von Michaels die sich immer länger gezogen haben. Eine sehr Gute Schlussphase doch die Anfangsphase war zu langziehend. 8 Punkte."
[9.0] "Hätte ich es damals in den 90er mal auf VHS gesehen dann wäre ich sehr überrascht gewesen das zwei nicht sehr große Kerle den Main Event bestreiten. Es war sehr schön das die beiden hier den Main Event bestreiten durften das sie eine sehr gute Chemie miteinander haben hat man auch hier wieder mal gesehen. Zählt für mich zu den besten Matches 92 und ist auch heute noch absolut empfehlenswert (****1/4)."
[9.0] "The match is at their peak, Bret Hart World Champion and Shawn Michaels Intercontinental Champion for the first time. It starts slow and there isn't a fast action, it's all about Mat Wrestling and momentum. Great match. ****1/2"
[9.0] "Nicht nur im Kontext der ewigen Fehde 'HBK vs. Hitman', sondern auch ganz allgemein, geht dieses Match in der großen Auflistung der Kracher der Federation-Years ganz zu Unrecht unter. Die Vorzeichen sind jedoch suboptimal - das sind zwei ganz frisch inthronisierte Champions, welche man hier direkt aufeinanderprallen lässt, ohne das Gefühl zu wecken, dass da für Michaels was gehen kann oder die ohnehin neu gewürfelte WWF-Hierarchie jenseits von Savage und Flair ins Wanken geraten könnte. Was die beiden dann aus dem Hut zaubern, ist aller Ehren wert. Das ist klar mehr als eine Andeutung, wo der ringqualitative Zug hinfahren wird, denn technisch und dramatisch ist das alles sehr fein und sauber. Der Hitman läßt den neuen Intercontinental-Champion sehr gut aussehen und bumpt sich auch fröhlich was zurecht, wogegen Michaels klar macht, dass sein Split von Jannetty die absolut richtige Entscheidung war und er zweifelsfrei im Main-Event mithalten kann. Das Match macht fast durchgehend richtig Freude, einzig der ellenlange Headlock im Mitteldrittel und der erwähnt transparente Aufbau trüben den Spaß ein wenig. Trotzdem klare Empfehlung an diesen starken Main-Event."
[8.0] "Erstes großes Aufeinandertreffen der beiden Erzfeinde Hart und Michaels. Die beiden Champions geben auch von Anfang an Vollgas und es entwickelt sich ein über die gesamte Matchzeit wirklich hochklassiges Match, dass man so im Main Event von WWF zu dem Zeitpunkt nicht gewöhnt war. Mal kein Hogan der nach 15 Minuten langweiligen Gekloppe Up-Hulked und gewinnt, sondern technisch anspruchvolles Wrestling. Bret darf seinen Titel durch den Sharp-Shooter verteidigen und HBK muss sich erst einmal eine ganze Weile hinten anstellen. Insgesamt ein guter weil technisch anspruchsvoller Main Event."
[8.0] "Die erste Hälfte ist ein bisschen langsam. Nach einem schönen Wrestling-Anfang gewinnt Shawn die Oberhand und versucht Bret mit Headlocks zu zermürben. In der zweiten Hälfte drehen dann beide den Workrate Schalter beachtlich auf. Großartige Action und tolles Drama. Shawn hat schon fast den Sieg in der Tasche. Als aber sein damaliger Finisher (ein wirklich schöner SideSuplex bei dem er den Gegner nicht an der Taille hebt sondern indem er die Hände zwischen dessen Beinen verschränkt) nicht den gewünschten Pinfall bringt, versucht er sich an einem Missile Dropkick. Bret packt jedoch noch im Sprung nach seinen Beinen, bringt ihn zu Fall und dreht ihn fließend in den Sharpshooter und erringt den Sieg durch Submission. Danach kommt sogar noch der Nikolaus zum Feiern... warum auch immer. ****"
[9.0] "Hier zeigten beide zwar gegeneinander noch nicht ihr volles Potential, aber sie bewiesen, was die damals jungen wilden so drauf hatten! Es war doch sehr erfrischend zu sehen, 2 unverbrauchte Männer zu sehen, in mehrerlei Hinsicht. Zwar fehlte beiden, wie schon angedeutet, der letzte Schliff, dennoch ein mehr als guter Main Event!"
[9.0] "This match did more in under a half an hour then the Iron-Man did in more then half the time of this one. I have both Classic`s at the same rating but this is better quality here. The X-Factor here was both guys were entering there prime and watching the chemistry together was a thing of beauty. ****1/2"
[8.0] "Wieso bearbeitet ein Mann, der den Sharpshooter als Finisher hat, die Arme seines Gegners? Will er, dass das aufgeben, also auf die Matte klopfen schmerzt? Eine Armbearbeitung gegen ihn selbst hätte dann Sinn gemacht, Shawn zeigt aber hauptsächlich Sleeper Holds oder Headlocks. Und da muss ich Lebowski Recht geben, das zieht sich gefühlt ewig. Die Finish-Phase reißt dann einiges raus, ist spannend gemacht, und Michaels ist häufig an einem Titelgewinn dran. Neben dem Finish werten auch Monsoon und Heenan das Match auf, 8 Punkte."
[7.0] "Mir hat das Match zwar gefallen, aber für mehr als 7 Punkte reicht es nicht aus. Zwar geht ordentlich die Post ab, wenn der Hitman mal aus den HBK-Headlocks raus ist - aber dieses geschieht in der ersten Hälfte des Kampfes leider viel zu selten, so dass sich das Match doch schon etwas streckt."
[9.0] "Fantastisches Match, die herausragende Technik, HBKs gute Heelwork und ein sehr spannender Verlauf, es stimmt einfach fast alles. Lediglich das Finish fand ich etwas unglücklich gewählt, da es etwas zu unvermittelt kommt."
[9.0] "Für heutige Verhältnisse werden wohl viele dieses Match für lahm halten. Für Old School Anhänger ist es jedoch fast schon ein Traummatch. Klar, mit den Haltegriffen wird hier wohl etwas übertrieben aber wenn die Phase mal vorüber geht, gibts schnelles Tempowrestling vom Feinsten. Ich persönlich finde das Ende recht gelungen und war auch überascht, wie aus dem Nichts Bret den Sharpshooter ansetzt. Shawn war zu dem Zeitpunkt noch kein gefestigter Main Eventer, hat aber seinen Job einwandfrei erledigt und zeigte jedem, dass er einen potentielen Stammplatz für jeden Main Event beanspruchen konnte. War sozusagen auch ein wegweisendes Match."
[9.0] "Definitiv ein sehr gutes Match welches sich meiner Ansicht nach so im Bereich der ****1/4 bis ****1/2 bewegt. Mann bekommt hier von den Beiden fast 30 Minuten lang wunderbares Wrestling geboten. Lediglich das Finish hat mir nicht so zu gesagt. Ganz nebenbei das Finish erinnert mich ein bisschen an den Montreal Scruwjob."
[9.0] "Ohne wenn und aber das beste Match der Beiden. Hier stimmt eigentlich vom Wrestling bishin zur Chemie und der Dramatik fast alles. Toppt auch Savage/Flair von WM VIII und ist damit das bis dahin beste World Title Match der WWF."
[8.0] "für die damalige Zeit ein super Match - zwei absolute Techniker in einem WorldTitleMatch... der junge Michaels zeigte hier schon, dass er noch weit kommen wird - Bret war der beste Champion, den es bis dato jemals gab... das Match hatte zwar einige Haltegriffe, aber dennoch viel Spannung und Tempo - immer wieder verglichen damit, dass in den Jahren zuvor die Hogans, Slaughters und ähnliche den WorldTitle hielten... und auch das Ende war richtig gut inszeniert !"
