TALE OF THE TAPE
Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels
| Category | Bret Hart | Shawn Michaels |
|---|---|---|
| Real name | Bret Sergeant Hart | Michael Shawn Hickenbottom |
| Wrestling debut | 1970s, in his family's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary | 1984, on the Texas circuit |
| Signature promotion runs | Stampede, WWF/WWE, WCW | AWA (as one of the Midnight Rockers), WWF/WWE |
| World title reigns | Five WWF Championships and two WCW World Heavyweight Championships | Three WWF Championships and one World Heavyweight Championship |
| Signature move | Sharpshooter | Sweet Chin Music |
| Billing | "The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be" | "The Heartbreak Kid", later "Mr WrestleMania" |
Real name
Bret Hart
Bret Sergeant Hart
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom
Wrestling debut
Bret Hart
1970s, in his family's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary
Shawn Michaels
1984, on the Texas circuit
Signature promotion runs
Bret Hart
Stampede, WWF/WWE, WCW
Shawn Michaels
AWA (as one of the Midnight Rockers), WWF/WWE
World title reigns
Bret Hart
Five WWF Championships and two WCW World Heavyweight Championships
Shawn Michaels
Three WWF Championships and one World Heavyweight Championship
Signature move
Bret Hart
Sharpshooter
Shawn Michaels
Sweet Chin Music
Billing
Bret Hart
"The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be"
Shawn Michaels
"The Heartbreak Kid", later "Mr WrestleMania"
The two defining in-ring performers of 1990s WWF met in a 60-minute Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII in 1996, which Michaels won in overtime. The rivalry ended for real at Survivor Series 1997 in Montreal, when the finish of their title match was changed without Hart's knowledge, an incident that followed both men for the rest of their careers.
The archive's interview with Hart, on his life away from the ring, is restored atThe Hitman And Her. The magazine's review of the Michaels retrospective is atWWE Shawn Michaels: Mr WrestleMania.