#5 – Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog
Summerslam 1992
London, England
Bret Hart – and possibly just the Hart Family in general – is/are the undisputed kings of the SummerSlam PPV in my book. In fact, nobody else really comes close. Whether it’s the older tag team action with the Hart Foundation, Bret and Owen, Owen and anybody, or this fantastic classic against the British Bulldog, for years the Harts stole the show. This match actually wasn’t going to happen, until WWE decided to move SummerSlam from Washington D.C. to London, England to capitalize on a growing international brand. Instead of dropping the title to Shawn Michaels – more than a little irony there – Bret was given the match against his real-life brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith.
This was excellent on so many levels. Most importantly it was the biggest moment in Bulldog’s career, winning gold in front of his hometown in one of the biggest matches England has ever had. Secondly, it was around that time that Bret started being groomed for the main event level, and would win his first WWF Championship just a few months later. It was his first real blockbuster main event, his last Intercontinental Championship reign, and the stepping stone to a true Hall of Fame career.
