Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels- IC Ladder Match

[Guest The Electrifyer]

I recently downloaded a 1 minute highlight of the match between Hart and Michaels. I couldn't really tell by the highlight clip if it was any good. I saw in the rafters, though, there was one of those banners saying WWF Prime Time. I never remember seeing these two go at it in a ladder match, so this clip intrigued me and I have some questions about it. When did the match happen? What led to the match and was it any good?

[Guest Downhome]

I did a little searching around, and I found a bit on it. The following is an excert from an article on the history of Bret Vs. Shawn which can be found here...

 

The Hart Foundation would go on to lose their titles at Wrestlemania 7, leaving Bret and Jim to go their separate ways. Bret would go on to have a successful singles career, highlighted by his winning of the Intercontinental Title from Curt Hennig at Summerslam that year. Shawn Michaels would soon have a falling out with Marty Jannetty, in which Shawn blindsided Jannetty with a superkick through the window of the barbershop. Michaels was now on his own, making a name for himself as a singles wrestler, and with Sensational Sherri at his side.

 

It would not be long before Bret and Shawn’s paths crossed in the ring. On Prime Time, the two met for the first time ever, in the first ever ladder match in the World Wrestling Federation. The match was great, and it went how you’d expect the first ever ladder match in the World Wrestling Federation to go down. In the end, Bret knocked Shawn off the ladder and to the floor to retain the title. Bret won the match, but Shawn’s chance at redeeming himself was not too far off.

 

...so I hope that helps, at least a bit. Oh yeah, by the way, this match took place sometime in early-mid 1992.

[Guest Jack Tunney]

I have this match on a tape called "Most Unusual Matches Ever".But it's not a Coliseum video release,it's by a company called "Goodtimes". Yeah,I think it was from "Prime Time Wrestling" though.

[Guest Downhome]

I have this match on a tape called "Most Unusual Matches Ever".But it's not a Coliseum video release,it's by a company called "Goodtimes". Yeah,I think it was from "Prime Time Wrestling" though.

How would you rate the match, in regards to the other ladder matches out there?

[Guest Jack Tunney]

I have this match on a tape called "Most Unusual Matches Ever".But it's not a Coliseum video release,it's by a company called "Goodtimes". Yeah,I think it was from "Prime Time Wrestling" though.

How would you rate the match, in regards to the other ladder matches out there?

Not bad for a prime time match.Maybe like ***.It's still cool to watch for nostalgic reasons.

[Guest J*ingus]

Keith just reviewed it in the latest Coliseum Video Rant at 411/Smarks.

[Guest Matt Young]

Keith just reviewed it in the latest Coliseum Video Rant at 411/Smarks.

Damn.... That was my planned reply, word for word. Not that that fact has any relevance to the topic, but it is kinda weird.

[Guest Grenouille]

I recently downloaded a 1 minute highlight of the match between Hart and Michaels. I couldn't really tell by the highlight clip if it was any good. I saw in the rafters, though, there was one of those banners saying WWF Prime Time. I never remember seeing these two go at it in a ladder match, so this clip intrigued me and I have some questions about it. When did the match happen? What led to the match and was it any good?

The match happened in either July or August of 92. I was there live in Portland, Maine.

[Guest Eagan469]

I have this match on a tape called "Most Unusual Matches Ever".But it's not a Coliseum video release,it's by a company called "Goodtimes". Yeah,I think it was from "Prime Time Wrestling" though.

The match was clipped on "Most Unusual Matches Ever". The full match can be found on the Coliseum release "Smack Em' Whack Em".

 

And yeah, SK did review it today

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

As I understand it from a Bret Hart shoot interview review I read, Hart brought the ladder match down from Stampede. I think he had one up there with Bad News Allen or something. Anway, the Bret vs. Shawn ladder match was just a test run to see how it would work. It was then put on the shelf and Vince brought it out for Wrestlemania X like it was his brilliant new idea. Might be a little shaky on those facts though.

[Guest godthedog]

you are correct, sir, the first ever ladder match is said to have taken place in stampede with bret & bad news allen. bret did some more ladder matches with dynamite kid, & according to his shoot interview, when vince told him shawn was getting the title, bret offered to lose it through davey or lose it in a ladder match.

 

and what the hell was vince thinking when he decided to have the bulldog match at summerslam? not that i'm not glad to have that match...it is a GREAT match, but the bret/shawn ladder match is pretty fucking good, & it was at a damn house show. with shawn's inventiveness, bret's ability to put a match together & shawn's willingness to bump his ass off (bret's bumps in that match were rather weak), i SHUDDER to think at what a pay-per-view ladder match between them could've been. it probably would've topped shawn/razor.

[Guest J*ingus]

and what the hell was vince thinking when he decided to have the bulldog match at summerslam?

Simply put:

 

1. Bret Hart was the IC champion.

 

2. Vince needed a bigger-than-usual main event draw, aside from Warrior-Savage.

 

3. British Bulldog was just hitting a resurgent peak of popularity.

 

4. Davey Boy wasn't big enough (figuratively speaking) to go near the world title, but needed a huge match and a huge win anyway.

 

5. Ergo, Bret vs. Bulldog

[Guest HartFan86]

Bret vs. Shawn was about **** from what I remember. At the time, it was totally mind boggling in the WWF. It was no Razor/HBK, but it was good.

[Guest kingkamala]

Man if I was older at the time I could have saw that match live, the arena it took place in is five minutes from my house *KingKamala starts crying*

[Guest Jayson_Hart]

Definately NOT Shawn/Razor, but considering it was the first ever ladder match in the WWF, it was pretty damn good. According to Bret, this was more or less a tryout match to show Vince what a ladder match was all about.

[Guest dreamer420]

I take it that is because the Ladder match was something that Vince "borrowed" from Stampede wrestling?

[Guest SmarkySmark]

I own "Most Unusual Matches Ever" and I don't remember it being clipped. Personally I enjoyed this ladder match better than the WrestleMania X one. Don't ask me why. I just still don't get into the Mania X one that much. I liked the psychology in the Bret/HBK one better I think. Not to say that the Mania X one wasn't good. I just don't get as much out of it.

[Guest The Hollywood Fashion Plate]

The Bret-HBK ladder match was a test match because Vince was booking for Summerslam in May or so and wanted a match for the IC title that was a guaranteed draw. So why didn't this match happen?

 

According to Bret's RF interview, it was because of where Summerslam was held- or should I say, where it wasn't held.

 

Vince envisioned either SSlam 92 at Wembley Stadium in London or in Capital Centre (later USAir Arena) in Landover, MD, just outside of Washington.

 

If the show was held in MD, then Vince wanted to go with Bret-HBK for the IC Title assuming that the tryout ladder match went well.

 

However, when the MD plan fell through and the Wembley Stadium opportunity opened up (coupled, of course, with Bulldog's rise in popularity at that time and the fact that he would be in his home country), Vince decided on Bret-Bulldog as the IC Title match, and the rest is history.

[Guest SmarkySmark]

 

Wow Torrie's nipple is in a weird place on her boob.....kinda off center, but hey she still looks nice

 

 

sorry for changing the subject........carry on

[Guest J*ingus]

Looks edited to me. For one, yeah, the nipple is in a weird place. For another, that's a really random pattern of transperancy there, doesn't look natural.

[Guest dreamer420]

That pics looks edited to me too. The nipple is way too far over to the left, unless she was in a pretty uncomfortable position for the picture.