Bret/Owen Ironman
by me
Honestly, I don't know the exact date of this match. This match took place at a house show sometime between Wrestlemania X and Summerslam 94......my best guess was that it occured sometime in July 1994, possibly in Boston. Again, I don't know for certain so don't quote me on that.
The Setup
Come on....this is Bret and Owen. If you don't know the story between these guys, I have to seriously question what the hell you are doing passing yourself off as a wrestling fan. From Survivor Series 1993 when Owen first showed signs of turning heel, to his complete heel turn at Royal Rumble 1994, to one of the best pure wrestling exhibitions ever at Wrestlemania X, to one of the best matches EVER at Summerslam 1994....I mean, seriously. You should know the story.
However, there WAS a house show schedule to fill out.....and what better way to reward us than by giving us a match that would have smarts creaming in their pants just thinking about it. Trust me, Bret and Owen faced each other in about ten million house show matches during 1994 (well, maybe not THAT many), and a few of those are on some Coliseum Home Videos, and they're all around ****. And anyone who's watched lots of Coliseum videos knows those are rare. But this one wasn't. Actually, this is a match that is seemingly NOT well known. I got this match awhile ago, but I've never seen a whisper of it mentioned on any of the major wrestling sites, or any message boards, or anywhere else. Hmmmm. But it should be. But I GUARANTEE you that if you mention the three simple little words, heads will snap around in curiosity, awe, and reverence.....Bret....Owen.....Ironman.
The Matchup
Starting Out......
We get at least one part of my timeframe theory right, as Owen is announced as the King of Harts, and the King of the Ring was 6/19/94, so it was sometime after that. Bret comes out and does his sunglasses thing, but Owen one-ups him by using the belt to fix his hair. Haha. Remember, this match is from a house show, so this is all on a handheld camera. However, the video quality is pretty damn good, plus the fact that the guy holding the camera is a pretty good cameraman considering he holds it steady the whole hour. And God bless him for it.......
Owen bails right away after the opening bell, gets on the mic, and asks for a little respect. Lockup goes nowhere to start, but Owen celebrates anyway. Lots of cheap heel tactics and heel stalling by Owen and the crowd is crazy for it. We finally get some wrestling at about the 8 minute mark, with Bret controlling Owen's left arm with some basic stuff. I would give a play by play, but nothing really major happens. NOTICE, I didn't say "nothing happens" or it was "boring", just that it's basic stuff. They work in a ton of interesting counters and reversals that you just never see anymore. Owen does Tiger Flipout '82 (if you've watched Dynamite Kid/Tiger Mask matches lots, you know what Im talking about....Dynamite has the headscissors, Tiger does a handstand then a front flip out of it) a few times out of Bret's headscissors, something I can't really recall him doing before. At least not at this moment......
15 minutes gone now. Cool Moment Alert #1---Owen keeps trying to walk away from the match, but Bret interrupts Earl Hebner's count several times. Owen is just standing in the aisle with arms folded, and when Bret finally stays away long enough for Earl to get to 9, Owen rushes back in and runs directly into a drop toe hold. Funny, funny stuff. We're 20 minutes in now, and I haven't written terribly much......which is a true testament to both guy's skills, as the crowd is just red hot and into EVERYTHING.
Owen gets solid control now, and gets a few 2 counts with his feet on the ropes, and a nice camel clutch. Owen then slaps on a headlock that literally lasts for 10 minutes.....have you ever wondered how many different things two guys could do with a headlock? Well wonder no more, as Bret and Owen put on an exhibition by making a side headlock an event unto itself, working in every possible counter and variation on a simple headlock you could ever think of. Even the cameraman is getting a little restless here as he talks to his friend, asking for just one pinfall. Honestly, I can see why some would be bored with this segment, but personally, I wasn't bored at all, and the crowd was very much into everything, so I can't penalize them for pacing themselves......
First Strike....
Bret fights back right at the 30 minute mark, but Owen catches him off the ropes with a nice belly to belly. Owen with the headlock again, but Bret immediately slips out. Owen tries a kitchen sink as Bret comes off the ropes, but Bret rolls him up for 2. Owen doesn't like that and quickly gets punches and a neckbreaker for 2. Legdrop by Owen gets 2, but Bret comes right back with a backslide for 2, countered to an almost-camel clutch by Owen. Bret escapes and gets a sunset flip for 2. Crowd is getting even more fired up as they sense a pin coming soon......Bret hits some Euro uppercuts in the corner, but Owen reverses a corner whip and Bret goes...well....Bret-first into the buckle. In a little sidenote, I can't believe no one since Bret has not made consistent use of going chest first into the buckle....it's a simple but effective spot to get over being hurt and drained. Missile dropkick from Owen gets a hot 2 count. Bret tries to roll Owen up, but he counters and drags Bret outside and rams his back into the apron. Owen tries a suplex back inside, but Bret floats over and tries a rollup, which Owen blocks AGAIN. Forearm by Bret, and Owen "gets caught" in the ropes. Geez, that was the most obvious spot I've ever seen of someone catching themselves in the ropes. Bret charges.....and then completely misses as Owen slips out. Owen suckered him (and me) in!!!!! Holy shit, that was AWESOME!!!!! Alas, it all goes for nought as Bret reverses Owen's sunset flip attempt and strikes first with the pin at the 37 minute mark. Bret 1, Owen 0
Psychology, Baby!!!!!
One minute rest period between falls here. They both play around with a lockup until Bret gets Owen in the corner and slugs away. Side headlock by Bret is immediately countered to a kneebreaker, and HERE WE GO!!!!! Owen drags Bret to the ringpost and slams his left leg off the post.......the same leg that had been injured at Royal Rumble and that Owen had worked on at Wrestlemania X.
Cool Moment Alert #2-- Earl tries to come out and stop Owen here, but Owen just casually puts his arm around Earl as if to say "I'm sorry, Earl. You're right, I'm cheating and I know it. I'm going to change my heelish ways. By the way....has anybody ever told you how great of a referee you are? NO!?!? That's a travesty, and I'm appalled that no one has told you that. Tell you what....you just go on back in the ring, and I'll be right there. Go ahead, go on, I'm RIGHT behind you."......and as soon as Earl turns around he slams Bret's leg off the post again. HAHAHAHA!!!!! Ok, so maybe I made up that conversation between Owen and Earl....but if this was 60 minute, 20 second Ironman match, and not just a 60 minute Ironman Match....well, that's what Owen WOULD have said.
Owen finally gets back in and works Bret's leg over in the corner. Dragon screw leg whip, and Bret is hobbling away for dear life here. More kicks and a leg bar by Owen as Bret tries frantically to get out, before eventually reversing for a 2 count. Owen stays on the attack and gets another dragon screw, and then he goes right into the Dynamite Figure 4 at the 45 minute mark. Bret headbutts to break, but Owen stays right on the leg, then puts on a regular figure 4. Bret turns it over and gets to the ropes to break, but Owen IMMEDIATELY drags him back to the middle and slaps it on again.....and BRET SUBMITS!!!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!! I'm a huge Bret mark, but I'm also a big Owen mark, and that's one of the coolest things I've ever seen. That's the kind of psychology that usually only happens in Japan, and NEVER happens in the WWF, because main event level faces just don't submit in the WWF Granted, this is a house show and not on WWF TV, but it's still cool......
So we're tied up at 1-1 now, and during the rest period Owen subtlely works on the turnbuckle pad in the corner.......the rest period ends and Owen kicks the knee some more and puts it into the post. Owen drags Bret to the middle and puts on the Figure 4......AND BRET SUBMITS AGAIN!!!!!! The crowd is in SHOCK!!! Owen's up 2-1 now with 12 minutes left in the match. Rest period again, but a turnbuckle pad is mysteriously laying on the mat. Owen, ever the gentleman and fair sportsman, points this out to Earl so he can fix it.....then Owen slaps on the figure 4 and pulls on the top rope like there's no tomorrow, then breaks just as Earl turns around. Bret is seriously fucked here......
Rest period officially ends and Bret is still taking a shitkicking. Dragon screw, going for the figure 4 AGAIN, but Bret reverses it for 2. Woah. Owen goes right back to the leg, and I bet Bret wishes he didnt even have a leg right now. Corner whip, but Owen eats foot on the charge, and Bret hits a middle rope clothesline to put both down. Bret then almost completely forgets the leg injury from earlier as he goes on the attack. Well, not THAT much, but it's just a little unlike Bret. He limps at a few spots to redeem it. Atomic drop, side russian leg sweep, small package, backbreaker, and middle rope elbow drop all get 2 for Bret as we're deep into Five Moves territory. Owen tries to stop the momentum with a rollup, but Bret blocks. Sharpshooter attempt, but Owen stops that with a thumb to the eye. Owen tries a suplex, but Bret blocks, then puts Owen on top and hits the superplex. This crowd is SUPERHOT now. Owen can't stop the follow-up Sharpshooter that ties the match 2-2 with five minutes left......
Rest period ends and both guys stand toe to toe slugging it out until Bret wins that particular battle. Sharpshooter attempt again but Owen makes the ropes. Piledriver by Bret gets 2, then a DDT gets 2. This is all Bret right now....and just as I think that, Owen hits the Owenziguiri for 2. Now we get an absolute super sequence of near falls by each guy that doesn't do it justice to recap move for move. Tombstone attempt, reversed, and Owen hits it instead. Up top, and the flying headbutt gets only 2. That was directly from the Dynamite Kid playbook right there. Owen slaps on the Sharpshooter, but Bret is able to hold on for the last 20 seconds to end the match at 2-2......
BUT WAIT!!!!! Earl Hebner orders that there must be overtime. Owen wastes zero time in hitting a backbreaker, right into a bow and arrow, but Bret reverses that and gets a surprise 2 count. Abdominal stretch by Owen, reversed into one of his own by Bret, but Owen hiptosses out. Owen with more kicks and re-introduces Bret to the ringpost. HARD corner whip and kicks by Owen. Double shoulderblock stops Owen's momentum as both guys are down. Owen is up first, but Bret ducks a right and slaps on the SLEEPAHHHHH!!!!! Owen gets one of those pesky double leg cramps however.....those can be a real pain. Sharpshooter by Owen, but Bret reverses it and Owen submits to give Bret the win 3-2 about 5 minutes into overtime. MEGA-HUGE pop for the win there. *****, as if there was any doubt.
Final Thoughts--- Wow.......what more can be said. This is one of the best matches I've ever seen. Ever, in any fed, under any condition. It's just that simple. Unless you absolutely HATE Bret Hart or something, it's impossible to dislike this match.
HOWEVER.....even I admit that the first 30 minutes of the match are not for everybody. Some great technical wrestling, but not many fans today have the patience to sit through it, even if I can and see something worthwhile in it. The LAST 30 minutes are really where your money is, and they are absolutely fucking awesome. Words can't do them justice.
Of course, this gets my highest recommendation.
Well, that's all I have for now. Later.