Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart from WWF’s Survivor Series 1996

Recap from TJ Hawke:

I have not seen this match in years. I’m curious to see what I think of it now.

Like a lot of Bret matches, I felt this first five to eight minutes were wasted on things that would not matter for the rest of the match. Austin cut him off with a hotshot and then worked over Bret’s neck. Bret fought back and then made a comeback. It seemed like Austin cut him off again after an eye rake. However, Bret fired back on the floor and got back control. Austin got right back into it though by sending Hart into a table. Austin was then in control after that. Hart won a punch exchange and then made another comeback. Austin fought back with a superplex. Austin hit a very weak stunner for a nearfall. He then applied the cloverleaf. Bret survived, but Austin later applied a bow/arrow. Bret tried to reverse it into a sharpshooter, but Austin avoided it. Bret got a sleeper, but Austin escaped. Austin went for the cobra clutch, but Bret used the corner to reverse it into a pin: 1…2…3!

The opening five to eight minutes of this were a waste of time, but I really got into it after that. The intensity of the match was increased to a level that it made it nearly impossible for me to sucked into the match. There were a lot of clever moments throughout the match, and the finish made both men look great. This is nearly on par with their Wrestlemania 1997 match.

Match Rating: ****