Great write-up. If you ask me it was this rivalry that helped to make Stone Cold a star and kick-start the Attitude era. I also agree they need a DVD set for this rivalry.
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Re: Reviewing the Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart Rivalry
Quote:
Originally Posted by humanracer25
Excellent write up. In Bret's book he expressed doubts about the USA vs Canada feud as everyone would be watching the same show. But Vince managed it perfectly, creating a great deal of sympathy for Hart in Canada and Europe. It wasn't just a feud between two nations but two different ideals. Americans wanted to cheer for rednecks, Europeans wanted old fashioned heroes like Hart. Of course there were exceptions but generally the realism of this feud made it highly intense and compulsive viewing.
It was captivating television for the fans because we were emotionally invested in what was at stake. The entire Austin-Hart rivalry at its core was about competition, pride, and respect. Taking the blood feud Austin & Bret had and shifting it into a huge USA vs. Canada dispute on values and national pride was genius, and it played out perfectly. I absolutely love the dynamic they had with the "honorable" heel Bret Hart and the attitude provided by anti-hero Stone Cold Steve Austin. These more than just your simple babyface and heels combating week-to-week, they were characters with depth and plausible intentions that many fans can relate to.
Here are some of Bret's best lines from his promos on the United States:
I remember one of my favorite parts was when Bret had lost the WWF title on raw to Sid and after his promo where he cursed everyone out Austin came out on the titantron and started calling Bret a crybaby and they had this huge brawl everywhere including Sid & Undertaker
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That is a great Raw moment as are so many involving these two. The intensity Bret & Austin brought to their brawls, the promos, and matches was just off the page. The 4/21/1997 show that feature the Street Fight I'd put up there as one of the greatest Raw episodes ever. The Austin-Hart feud greatly developed in like six segments that night and they all were top-notched, quality entertainment.
Awesome post man. At that time I was more into WCW but this storyline was brilliant from start to finish. I 100% agree with what you said about the realistic dynamics and characters you can relate to because that was just Bret Hart and Steve Austin going out there to do and say everything THEY believed was right, not writers or creative members holding them back from being themselves. The Canada/USA storyline worked so well because the fans were invested in everything they did. Their matches were all-time memorable classics one after another and the believable intensity in their interaction was always incredible. My favorite segment between them was probably in the Ambulance with Austin as the driver, I remember they even copied it again in 2001 during the Austin/Taker feud.
^Thanks man. I wanted to added a video of the entire Street Fight + the aftermath to my review but WWE took down all of the videos on YouTube. I'm assuming because it is available on the Falls Count Anywhere DVD. It should be up on dailymotion, however. The way that angle was planned & executed is remarkable from Austin's opening promo to Pillman's return to get revenge at the end.
Here are a couple of Austin/Hart's best promos together. The conflicting characters is sooo good:
^Thanks man. I wanted to added a video of the entire Street Fight + the aftermath to my review but WWE took down all of the videos on YouTube. I'm assuming because it is available on the Falls Count Anywhere DVD. It should be up on dailymotion, however. The way that angle was planned & executed is remarkable from Austin's opening promo to Pillman's return to get revenge at the end.
Here are a couple of Austin/Hart's best promos together. The conflicting characters is sooo good:
I have ordered that DVD so it will be nice to relive that moment from Raw. It was a strong piece of history
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Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart Rivalry in Review
Re: Review of the Austin vs. Hart Rivalry
It was captivating television for the fans because we were emotionally invested in what was at stake. The entire Austin-Hart rivalry at its core was about competition, pride, and respect. Taking the blood feud Austin & Bret had and shifting it into a huge USA vs. Canada dispute on values and national pride was genius, and it played out perfectly. I absolutely love the dynamic they had with the "honorable" heel Bret Hart and the attitude provided by anti-hero Stone Cold Steve Austin. These more than just your simple babyface and heels combating week-to-week, they were characters with depth and plausible intentions that many fans can relate to.
