Bret Hart's 5 Greatest WWE Rivalries

More than 20 years have passed since Bret "The Hitman" Hart was a full-time wrestler, and yet his lofty contributions still echo through several generations. An earnest hero with a peerless work ethic, Hart parlayed slick and smooth technique with an intuitive ability to map out match of the year hopefuls, forging a legacy as a headline talent that was both relatable and awing.

The first man to win the WWF's Triple Crown twice over began his company tenure as a flavourless babyface, gasping for air in the heavyweight-centric New York "meat market". Through the roster transformations that followed through the next decade, Hart's increasing stardom, loyalty, and general excellence not only kept him afloat, but earned him a place in the promotional pantheon. His story is that of patience, hard work, and a willingness to bet on yourself.

To carve out his legacy, Hart required worthy foes, of which there are many. But just who were Bret Hart's greatest rivals of all time? Consider this a primer into the rogue's gallery that best filled out the Hitman's hit list.

More than 20 years have passed since Bret "The Hitman" Hart was a full-time wrestler, and yet his lofty contributions still echo through several generations. An earnest hero with a peerless work ethic, Hart parlayed slick and smooth technique with an intuitive ability to map out match of the year hopefuls, forging a legacy as a headline talent that was both relatable and awing.

The first man to win the WWF's Triple Crown twice over began his company tenure as a flavourless babyface, gasping for air in the heavyweight-centric New York "meat market". Through the roster transformations that followed through the next decade, Hart's increasing stardom, loyalty, and general excellence not only kept him afloat, but earned him a place in the promotional pantheon. His story is that of patience, hard work, and a willingness to bet on yourself.

To carve out his legacy, Hart required worthy foes, of which there are many. But just who were Bret Hart's greatest rivals of all time? Consider this a primer into the rogue's gallery that best filled out the Hitman's hit list.

5. Jerry "The King" Lawler

Hart's "consolation prize" for being removed from the World title picture in 1993 was this feud with the antagonistic Lawler. This ended up being a good thing, as Lawler's insults toward the Hart family (especially Stu and Helen) brought out Bret's volcanically-vengeful side.

The SummerSlam 1993 brawl that ended up with Hart intentionally hurting Lawler (long story) was only the beginning. The feud actually stretched into 1995 with Lawler enlisting several henchmen, and even spilled down into Lawler's USWA promotion, where Bret played the heel.

4. Mr. Perfect

In the late-eighties, The Hart Foundation would regularly work their own singles bouts independent of each other, and Bret often engaged in house show bouts against the nominally-unbeaten Mr. Perfect. Generally, the two gifted technicians fought to time limit draws.

The rivalry was done proper for the national TV audience two years later, when Hart unseated Perfect at the 1991 SummerSlam to become Intercontinental Champion for the first time. They had an even greater match in the semis of the 1993 King of the Ring, which Bret eked out.

3. Shawn Michaels

If we were factoring in real-life angst, this is number one by a country mile. In story terms, however, for as often as Hart and Michaels found themselves across the ring from each other, it didn't truly get heated until 1997, which did make for engrossing TV.

But there's something to be said about the entirety of the rivalry, dating back to those comparably more innocent Rockers vs. Hart Foundation matches. The two have fought at major PPVs, for all three principal men's title belts, leading up to one fateful night in Montreal.

2. Owen Hart

Any doubts the WWF might have had about midcard-dwelling Owen being able to hang in a feud with headliner Bret were quashed when the two lit into each other in one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time, before an enthralled crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Incapable of having anything less than a good match together, Bret and Owen's sibling rivalry grew to include cage matches, the WWF title, interference from in-laws, and a genius double-cross by Owen (at the 1994 Survivor Series). In all, the feud lasted beyond one calendar year.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin

With Hart on a lengthy hiatus, ornery Stone Cold called Bret out every chance he got, goading the decorated Hitman back to the ring for the 1996 Survivor Series. A gruelling and hellacious bout culminated with the ageing Hart barely pulling out the win.

But it didn't end there, oh no. The heat only turned up with Austin hounding Bret further, and Hart becoming embittered by numerous injustices that inconvenienced him. A WrestleMania 13 Submission Match led to a massive double turn, and a war between nations.