Before the match, we go to the back with Sean Mooney and Mr Perfect. Mr Perfect says tonight it's excellence against perfection, and Hart has to be perfect to be the champion, and there's only one perfect person in WWF and that's the Intercontinental champion. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Vince McMahon and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper are on commentary for this match. Bret Hart enters first and we get a shot of his parents in the crowd, speaking of which they give Hart one hell of an ovation for his entrance. Mr Perfect walks down to the ring with The Coach looking confident. Bret goes to hand his sunglasses over to a kid in the crowd before the match officially starts.
MR PERFECT (C) VS. BRET HART
(WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP)
WWF Summerslam (26th August 1991)
They circle and lock horns, but come to a stalemate. Bret Hart gets a headlock from a second collar-elbow tie up but Perfect sends him off the ropes using the hair for assistance. Bret shoulder blocks Perfect down, and reverses a hip toss, sending Mr Perfect for a breather outside. Mr Perfect takes his time getting back in the ring, and Bret again grabs a rough side headlock. These men being cautious and aggressive at the same time in this match. Again Perfect sends Bret off the ropes but Bret rolls him up with a crucifix for a nearfall. Perfect quickly back to his feet but he gets sent down to the mat with another headlock. Perfect pulls back on Bret's hair, trying to keep it out of the referee's view, the referee does get into position to break it eventually, but Perfect is able to get back to his feet. Hart using Perfect's hair to his own advantage too, keeping the headlock applied. They jockey for position with both men using the hair to keep their opponent within range and sight. Perfect backs Bret into the ropes and knees him in the ribs. Bret Hart gets sent across the ring but he ducks the clothesline, hitting Perfect with a running cross body, 1, 2, no! Perfect powers out but Bret lands on the apron, he hits a shoulder block to Perfect and comes back in with a sunset flip, Perfect kicks out at 2!
They both get to their feet and Bret snaps into another headlock, taking Perfect down on the mat. Both men are pulling hair a lot, bending the rules with the stakes of the match being so high. Perfect works to his feet and backs Bret against the ropes, hitting him with a knife-edge chop. Coach is there to give Perfect some words of encouragement as he sends Bret across the ring, Bret catches the kick and sweeps Perfect down, the crowd is excited for the sharpshooter but Bret stomps on Perfect's abdomen instead. Perfect escapes to the corner, but Bret's there with him. Perfect reverses an irish whip and scoop slams Bret out of the corner, Bret kicks him off and slams Perfect. Perfect kicks off and Bret just shoves him down. Bret charges as Perfect gets to his feet and clotheslines him over the top. Perfect tries to walk out of the match but Bret brings him back to the ring, tearing his singlet in the process.
Bret lets Perfect get to his feet as we get another shot of Stu and Helen Hart, Piper thinks he should stay on Perfect. Bret backs Perfect into the corner, forcing the referee to break and Perfect takes a cheap shot above his head. Perfect kicks Bret in the ribs, sending him out to the floor. Perfect follows to chop Bret, but Hart finally gets to his feet and on the apron. Perfect knocks him back down to the floor. Bret climbs back to the apron, feeling the affects of this match and Perfect sends him into the guard rail. Perfect catches his breath as Hart gets back in the ring and blocks a right hand, hitting Perfect with three of his own in the corner. Perfect reverses an irish whip but Bret catches himself and floats over, rolling Perfect up for a nearfall. Perfect sends Bret's head into the top turnbuckle and hits another chop. Bret staggers to the other corner. Perfect attempts a snapmare but gives up on it, instead launching Bret across the ring hard enough to convince Piper the ring moved. Perfect covers, but Bret gets his shoulder up at 2.
Perfect hits a running neck snap and gets another nearfall from a jackknife cover. Perfect toys with Bret, but Bret reverses an irish whip. Bret ducks too early and takes a kick to the chest and a dropkick sends him outside. The crowd tell Perfect what they think of him as Bret gets to his feet. Perfect meets him on the outside and they exchange right hands. Perfect walks around ringside, climbing to the top turnbuckle, but Bret gets on the apron and cuts him off. More right hands as they're both on the middle rope above the floor, Perfect knocks Bret down back in the ring after getting caught in the ropes, then loses his balance himself. Perfect landed on top of Hart! 1, 2 no! Perfect takes exception to the count and argues with the referee, eventually going back to Hart. He slaps Hart in the corner before sending him across the ring by his hair! Piper says Perfect wants to embarass Bret in front of his parents, which Monsoon thinks is a mistake. He should beat the guy every chance he gets. Perfect sends Bret across the ring and flies into a sleeper hold in the middle of the ring, dropping Bret to his knees. Bret goes all the way down to the mat, and Perfect tries to keep his weight over Bret. The referee checks the arm, but Bret shows life on the third drop and gets to his feet, elbowing his way free. Bret runs at Perfect, getting a crucifix applied, but Perfect drops to the mat and covers, but Bret gets the shoulder up at 2.
Perfect brings Bret back to the corner for more chops, and sends him across the ring chest first into the turnbuckles. Perfect covers again but only gets another nearfall. Perfect brings Hart to his feet and hits a Perfectplex in the middle of the ring, 1, 2, NO! Bret kicked out of the Perfectplex and the place is going nuts! Perfect is arguing with the referee, and that gives Bret Hart a chance to fight back from his knees with right hands. Hart hits an inverted atomic drop on Perfect. Perfect swings and misses, getting caught in a standard atomic drop too. Headbutt by Bret sends Perfect into the corner and he launches Perfect across the ring by his hair. Perfect slid into the ring post! Bret brings Perfect back to his feet for a suplex but still can't put him away. A small package by Bret gets him another nearfall. Hart hits a Russian leg sweep for another nearfall. Bret hits a back breaker and climbs to the middle rope for an elbow drop. Bret covers and gets another nearfall. Bret argues with the referee and Perfect takes his chance to roll Bret up! Bret kicks out at 2 sending Perfect out to the floor. Hart follows sending Perfect flying over the ring steps and brings him back in the ring. Hart kicks at Perfect's knee, flipping him mid-air, Bret kicks at the knee again, and brings Perfect away from the ropes and sets up for a sharpshooter but Coach is on the apron! Bret is distracted by Coach so Perfect kicks the middle rope between Bret's legs! Perfect kicks at Bret's thigh and drops the leg. Bret Hart catches the second leg drop though as the fans are chanting "let's go Bret!" Hart is able to get hold of Perfect and roll himself over. Bret gets to his feet in the most beautiful transition to a sharpshooter I've ever seen and Perfect taps.
They both get to their feet and Bret snaps into another headlock, taking Perfect down on the mat. Both men are pulling hair a lot, bending the rules with the stakes of the match being so high. Perfect works to his feet and backs Bret against the ropes, hitting him with a knife-edge chop. Coach is there to give Perfect some words of encouragement as he sends Bret across the ring, Bret catches the kick and sweeps Perfect down, the crowd is excited for the sharpshooter but Bret stomps on Perfect's abdomen instead. Perfect escapes to the corner, but Bret's there with him. Perfect reverses an irish whip and scoop slams Bret out of the corner, Bret kicks him off and slams Perfect. Perfect kicks off and Bret just shoves him down. Bret charges as Perfect gets to his feet and clotheslines him over the top. Perfect tries to walk out of the match but Bret brings him back to the ring, tearing his singlet in the process.
Bret lets Perfect get to his feet as we get another shot of Stu and Helen Hart, Piper thinks he should stay on Perfect. Bret backs Perfect into the corner, forcing the referee to break and Perfect takes a cheap shot above his head. Perfect kicks Bret in the ribs, sending him out to the floor. Perfect follows to chop Bret, but Hart finally gets to his feet and on the apron. Perfect knocks him back down to the floor. Bret climbs back to the apron, feeling the affects of this match and Perfect sends him into the guard rail. Perfect catches his breath as Hart gets back in the ring and blocks a right hand, hitting Perfect with three of his own in the corner. Perfect reverses an irish whip but Bret catches himself and floats over, rolling Perfect up for a nearfall. Perfect sends Bret's head into the top turnbuckle and hits another chop. Bret staggers to the other corner. Perfect attempts a snapmare but gives up on it, instead launching Bret across the ring hard enough to convince Piper the ring moved. Perfect covers, but Bret gets his shoulder up at 2.
Perfect hits a running neck snap and gets another nearfall from a jackknife cover. Perfect toys with Bret, but Bret reverses an irish whip. Bret ducks too early and takes a kick to the chest and a dropkick sends him outside. The crowd tell Perfect what they think of him as Bret gets to his feet. Perfect meets him on the outside and they exchange right hands. Perfect walks around ringside, climbing to the top turnbuckle, but Bret gets on the apron and cuts him off. More right hands as they're both on the middle rope above the floor, Perfect knocks Bret down back in the ring after getting caught in the ropes, then loses his balance himself. Perfect landed on top of Hart! 1, 2 no! Perfect takes exception to the count and argues with the referee, eventually going back to Hart. He slaps Hart in the corner before sending him across the ring by his hair! Piper says Perfect wants to embarass Bret in front of his parents, which Monsoon thinks is a mistake. He should beat the guy every chance he gets. Perfect sends Bret across the ring and flies into a sleeper hold in the middle of the ring, dropping Bret to his knees. Bret goes all the way down to the mat, and Perfect tries to keep his weight over Bret. The referee checks the arm, but Bret shows life on the third drop and gets to his feet, elbowing his way free. Bret runs at Perfect, getting a crucifix applied, but Perfect drops to the mat and covers, but Bret gets the shoulder up at 2.
Perfect brings Bret back to the corner for more chops, and sends him across the ring chest first into the turnbuckles. Perfect covers again but only gets another nearfall. Perfect brings Hart to his feet and hits a Perfectplex in the middle of the ring, 1, 2, NO! Bret kicked out of the Perfectplex and the place is going nuts! Perfect is arguing with the referee, and that gives Bret Hart a chance to fight back from his knees with right hands. Hart hits an inverted atomic drop on Perfect. Perfect swings and misses, getting caught in a standard atomic drop too. Headbutt by Bret sends Perfect into the corner and he launches Perfect across the ring by his hair. Perfect slid into the ring post! Bret brings Perfect back to his feet for a suplex but still can't put him away. A small package by Bret gets him another nearfall. Hart hits a Russian leg sweep for another nearfall. Bret hits a back breaker and climbs to the middle rope for an elbow drop. Bret covers and gets another nearfall. Bret argues with the referee and Perfect takes his chance to roll Bret up! Bret kicks out at 2 sending Perfect out to the floor. Hart follows sending Perfect flying over the ring steps and brings him back in the ring. Hart kicks at Perfect's knee, flipping him mid-air, Bret kicks at the knee again, and brings Perfect away from the ropes and sets up for a sharpshooter but Coach is on the apron! Bret is distracted by Coach so Perfect kicks the middle rope between Bret's legs! Perfect kicks at Bret's thigh and drops the leg. Bret Hart catches the second leg drop though as the fans are chanting "let's go Bret!" Hart is able to get hold of Perfect and roll himself over. Bret gets to his feet in the most beautiful transition to a sharpshooter I've ever seen and Perfect taps.
WINNER: BRET HART (NEW WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION)
The match was completely back and forth for it's entirety. The fact that Perfect wrestled this match with an injured back still shocks me today. They did a good job of showing how much they both wanted the win by using dirty tactics, even in the mat wrestling and with each man trying to dictate the pace at different times. The reaction to Hart kicking out of the Perfectplex isn't something that can be forgotten any time soon, Bret going for a cover after every move showed he needed the match to be over, and how much he wanted the belt. All of that on top of an amazing finish makes this one hell of a match and one of my personal favourites. Work Rate: 4/5 Personal Enjoyment: 4.5/5 OVERALL: 8.5/10
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