Bret Hart makes his way out, this was during the time he was
seamlessly switching from babyface when he was in Canada and heel when he
showed up in the US. He introduces the Canadian National Anthem which gets
booed from the American crowd. Everyone has something to lose in this match. Obviously, Undertaker’s WWF Championship is on the line, he’s also being
tormented by Paul Bearer threatening the arrival of Kane. Bret Hart
announced that if he lost the match, he won't wrestle in the USA again. Shawn
Michaels is next out, if he doesn’t call the match down the middle he is the one
that can’t wrestle in the good old US of A. Vince is already doubting Shawn’s
ability to not be biased towards the champion and the match hasn’t started yet.
Shawn Michaels does his ring gear checks and takes the title from Undertaker. Bret wants a look, holding it in the air before attacking Undertaker with it. Bret pulls Undertaker’s jacket over his head and attacks with shots to the midsection.
Shawn Michaels does his ring gear checks and takes the title from Undertaker. Bret wants a look, holding it in the air before attacking Undertaker with it. Bret pulls Undertaker’s jacket over his head and attacks with shots to the midsection.
Vince McMahon, Jerry “The King” Lawler, and Jim Ross are on commentary for this match.
UNDERTAKER © VS.
BRET HART
(WWF Championship)
Shawn Michaels as Special Referee
WWF Summerslam 1997 (3rd August 1997)
Shawn Michaels calls
for the bell and clears the ring as Bret connects with right hands in the
corner. Undertaker throws Bret into the turnbuckles and unloads lefts and
rights of his own.
Bret Hart is sent across the ring and staggers out into a clothesline. Bret goes for a walk on the outside, he’s sent into the guard rail and ring post but moves out of the way of a clothesline. Undertaker’s arm hits the post and he gets sent into the ring steps. Undertaker catches Bret from the apron and rams his spine into the ring post, Shawn shows he also has a spine by telling Taker to get back in the ring. Bret goes into the post again, Shawn Michaels grabs Undertaker by the hair but quickly retreats. Undertaker brings it back in the ring, clubbing at Bret’s back before hitting a backbreaker and holding Bret across his knee. Undertaker covers Bret and gets 2. Undertaker connects with right hands and sends Bret’s head into the top turnbuckle before slowing it down with a bearhug. Good idea don’t want people to think you’re trying to compete with WCW’s Cruiserweights. I’m mocking it, but it is the move that kept the belt around Bruno Sammartino’s waist for almost a decade.
Bret Hart bites his way out of the hold but runs into a Big Boot. Undertaker misses the jumping elbow but connects with a right hand and sends Bret off the ropes. Bret Hart ducks the Big Boot and kicks at Undertaker’s knee. Taker has to use the ropes to stay on his feet, Bret drags Undertaker to the middle of the ring before pulling on the ankle. Bret hits a cannonball in the ropes, focusing on the left leg. Undertaker fights back from his knees but Hart rakes his face before going back to the leg. Undertaker grabs Bret as his leg is tied in the ropes, forcing the break as Bret gets a cheap shot. Undertaker is dragged back to the middle of the ring for a leg lock and elbow drop to the knee. Bret flies over Undertaker, taking Taker’s ankle with him and connects with strikes before tying Undertaker up in the figure four. Paul Bearer is seen walking to the ring as Undertaker’s shoulders go down for 2. Undertaker reverses the pressure and Bret gets the ropes. Undertaker slams Bret’s knee into the apron and chases Paul Berer, knocking him down.
Bret Hart chop blocks Undertaker’s knee and sends him back in the ring, locking in the ring post figure four, holding until 4.9 and returning to the ring. More shots to Undertaker’s left knee as Owen Hart and Brian Pillman come down to ringside for a look. Undertaker tries to fight back with a right hand and a headbutt but Bret rakes his face. They get to their feet and Bret is focusing on the knee with kicks before introducing it to the ring post. Bret Hart puts Undertaker in a leg lock and fights off a sleeper hold attempt so Undertaker kicks his way out before going after Owen and Pillman. Brian Pillman is sent into the guard rail and they’re ejected by Shawn Michaels for their own safety. Bret Hart runs into a Chokeslam as Undertaker gets back in the ring. Undertaker covers but Bret Hart has plenty of time to kick out since Shawn’s halfway to New York. Undertaker brings Shawn up to the apron for a word and gets rolled up for 2.
Undertaker knocks Bret down with a right hand and confronts Shawn Michaels again. Bret Hart drags Undertaker to the floor and drives him into the side of the ring, then lifts Undertaker and sends him into the ring post. Back to the ring as Bret hits the ax handle from the middle rope to Undertaker’s back. Bret gets headbutts to Undertaker’s kidneys and hits the backbreaker for 2. Undertaker sits up but Bret hits him with a suplex, leaving his feet. Bret flips the crowd the bird before hitting the elbow drop from the middle rope and covers again, Undertaker throws him off the cover at 2 and sits up again. Bret hits a DDT for another 3 count, Bret headbutts Taker but gets dropped across the top turnbuckle. Undertaker covers and gets 2 before handing Bret the receipt for the earlier headbutts. Bret connects with right hands and headbutts to the lower back to set up the Russian leg sweep and leg drop, then a second leg drop.
Bret Hart sets up the Sharpshooter but gets goozled before he can turn Undertaker over, Undertaker gets to his feet and a knee to the midsection sends Bret back into the corner. Bret Hart is sent across the ring he gets his boots up as Taker charges at him. Bret hits the ropes into another goozle but kicks Undertaker’s knee. Undertaker fires off lefts and rights from his knees and an uppercut floors Bret. Bret Hart reverses an irish whip but Undertaker ducks the clothesline and hits his flying variation. Bret is sent sternum-first into the turnbuckles and Undertaker covers (barely) and unsurprisingly Bret’s out at 2. Bret’s sent off the ropes into a Big Boot and a leg drop gets Undertaker 2. Bret goes out to the apron but is brought back into the ring with a Chokeslam, he slowly crawls over Bret for the cover and still gets 2. Taker climbs to the top rope for Old School but gets his foot kicked from under him.
Bret Hart climbs to the top rope, Undertaker slips from the turnbuckle, but they recover and Bret hits the Superplex. Shawn Michaels starts counting them down and Bret is the first to his feet. He puts Undertaker in the Sharpshooter and they’re in the middle of the ring! Undertaker kicks Bret off the Sharpshooter, sending him through the ropes. Bret Hart gets right back in there with right hands but is sent off the ropes into a clothesline as the legwork starts taking effect on Undertaker. Undertaker calls for the Tombstone but Bret lands on his feet and trips Undertaker. Bret tries to put a Sharpshooter on Undertaker around the ring post and he holds it for most of the 5-count. Undertaker kicks Bret off again, sending him into Shawn Michaels. Bret Hart grabs a chair from ringside and hits Undertaker with it. The fans instantly grass on him but Michaels counts the cover anyway. Undertaker kicks out at 2 and Bret goes to work in the corner as Michaels finds the chair. Shawn Michaels warns Bret about using it, dragging him away from Undertaker.
Bret Hart says “fuck you” to Michaels and spits at him, Shawn Michaels swings the chair, Bret ducks and Undertaker takes another one to the cranium. Bret Hart covers and Michaels reluctantly counts the 3.
Bret Hart is sent across the ring and staggers out into a clothesline. Bret goes for a walk on the outside, he’s sent into the guard rail and ring post but moves out of the way of a clothesline. Undertaker’s arm hits the post and he gets sent into the ring steps. Undertaker catches Bret from the apron and rams his spine into the ring post, Shawn shows he also has a spine by telling Taker to get back in the ring. Bret goes into the post again, Shawn Michaels grabs Undertaker by the hair but quickly retreats. Undertaker brings it back in the ring, clubbing at Bret’s back before hitting a backbreaker and holding Bret across his knee. Undertaker covers Bret and gets 2. Undertaker connects with right hands and sends Bret’s head into the top turnbuckle before slowing it down with a bearhug. Good idea don’t want people to think you’re trying to compete with WCW’s Cruiserweights. I’m mocking it, but it is the move that kept the belt around Bruno Sammartino’s waist for almost a decade.
Bret Hart bites his way out of the hold but runs into a Big Boot. Undertaker misses the jumping elbow but connects with a right hand and sends Bret off the ropes. Bret Hart ducks the Big Boot and kicks at Undertaker’s knee. Taker has to use the ropes to stay on his feet, Bret drags Undertaker to the middle of the ring before pulling on the ankle. Bret hits a cannonball in the ropes, focusing on the left leg. Undertaker fights back from his knees but Hart rakes his face before going back to the leg. Undertaker grabs Bret as his leg is tied in the ropes, forcing the break as Bret gets a cheap shot. Undertaker is dragged back to the middle of the ring for a leg lock and elbow drop to the knee. Bret flies over Undertaker, taking Taker’s ankle with him and connects with strikes before tying Undertaker up in the figure four. Paul Bearer is seen walking to the ring as Undertaker’s shoulders go down for 2. Undertaker reverses the pressure and Bret gets the ropes. Undertaker slams Bret’s knee into the apron and chases Paul Berer, knocking him down.
Bret Hart chop blocks Undertaker’s knee and sends him back in the ring, locking in the ring post figure four, holding until 4.9 and returning to the ring. More shots to Undertaker’s left knee as Owen Hart and Brian Pillman come down to ringside for a look. Undertaker tries to fight back with a right hand and a headbutt but Bret rakes his face. They get to their feet and Bret is focusing on the knee with kicks before introducing it to the ring post. Bret Hart puts Undertaker in a leg lock and fights off a sleeper hold attempt so Undertaker kicks his way out before going after Owen and Pillman. Brian Pillman is sent into the guard rail and they’re ejected by Shawn Michaels for their own safety. Bret Hart runs into a Chokeslam as Undertaker gets back in the ring. Undertaker covers but Bret Hart has plenty of time to kick out since Shawn’s halfway to New York. Undertaker brings Shawn up to the apron for a word and gets rolled up for 2.
Undertaker knocks Bret down with a right hand and confronts Shawn Michaels again. Bret Hart drags Undertaker to the floor and drives him into the side of the ring, then lifts Undertaker and sends him into the ring post. Back to the ring as Bret hits the ax handle from the middle rope to Undertaker’s back. Bret gets headbutts to Undertaker’s kidneys and hits the backbreaker for 2. Undertaker sits up but Bret hits him with a suplex, leaving his feet. Bret flips the crowd the bird before hitting the elbow drop from the middle rope and covers again, Undertaker throws him off the cover at 2 and sits up again. Bret hits a DDT for another 3 count, Bret headbutts Taker but gets dropped across the top turnbuckle. Undertaker covers and gets 2 before handing Bret the receipt for the earlier headbutts. Bret connects with right hands and headbutts to the lower back to set up the Russian leg sweep and leg drop, then a second leg drop.
Bret Hart sets up the Sharpshooter but gets goozled before he can turn Undertaker over, Undertaker gets to his feet and a knee to the midsection sends Bret back into the corner. Bret Hart is sent across the ring he gets his boots up as Taker charges at him. Bret hits the ropes into another goozle but kicks Undertaker’s knee. Undertaker fires off lefts and rights from his knees and an uppercut floors Bret. Bret Hart reverses an irish whip but Undertaker ducks the clothesline and hits his flying variation. Bret is sent sternum-first into the turnbuckles and Undertaker covers (barely) and unsurprisingly Bret’s out at 2. Bret’s sent off the ropes into a Big Boot and a leg drop gets Undertaker 2. Bret goes out to the apron but is brought back into the ring with a Chokeslam, he slowly crawls over Bret for the cover and still gets 2. Taker climbs to the top rope for Old School but gets his foot kicked from under him.
Bret Hart climbs to the top rope, Undertaker slips from the turnbuckle, but they recover and Bret hits the Superplex. Shawn Michaels starts counting them down and Bret is the first to his feet. He puts Undertaker in the Sharpshooter and they’re in the middle of the ring! Undertaker kicks Bret off the Sharpshooter, sending him through the ropes. Bret Hart gets right back in there with right hands but is sent off the ropes into a clothesline as the legwork starts taking effect on Undertaker. Undertaker calls for the Tombstone but Bret lands on his feet and trips Undertaker. Bret tries to put a Sharpshooter on Undertaker around the ring post and he holds it for most of the 5-count. Undertaker kicks Bret off again, sending him into Shawn Michaels. Bret Hart grabs a chair from ringside and hits Undertaker with it. The fans instantly grass on him but Michaels counts the cover anyway. Undertaker kicks out at 2 and Bret goes to work in the corner as Michaels finds the chair. Shawn Michaels warns Bret about using it, dragging him away from Undertaker.
Bret Hart says “fuck you” to Michaels and spits at him, Shawn Michaels swings the chair, Bret ducks and Undertaker takes another one to the cranium. Bret Hart covers and Michaels reluctantly counts the 3.
WINNER: BRET HART (NEW WWF Champion)
This match had a great finish and Bret Hart was consistent
with the legwork to keep the match threading together, but Undertaker’s selling
was spotty and it didn’t need 28 minutes to get to the (again great) conclusion.
I actually think not having Bret wrestle in America could have worked for a
couple of months, but stipulations like that do usually telegraph the result.[***]
6/10
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