Bret Hart: It Was Time For A Change

Bret Hart is arguably the best storyteller to ever don a pair of wrestling boots. His exquisite technical prowess and pink and black in-ring attire are a hallmark of his legendary career. However, despite Hart’s intense portrayal of an anti-American heel in 1997, it wouldn’t have cut the mustard in 1998.

If the Montreal Screw job had never happened (November 1997) and Hart never went to WCW, WWE’s Attitude Era would have still been the most famous period in modern professional wrestling. The anti-establishment bravado spearheaded by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin made the era a time of reinvention.

Austin was already tailor-made for the highly volatile TV-14 product. Everyone else, however, charged their stripes to match the contemporary look of the times. If Bret Hart had stayed on, he would undoubtedly have to change as well.

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John Cena Returns to Battle The Bloodline on 12/30 SmackDown

John Cena will return to in-ring action on December 30th and team with Kevin Owens to take on Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.

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Wrestlers Who Became WWE Champion The Quickest

Ric Flair said it best when he proclaimed the WWE Championship “is the only title in the wrestling world that makes you number one. When you are the king of the WWF, you rule the world.” No title is more coveted, and no belt symbolizes success more.

Many wrestlers spend years grinding it out to prove they have what it takes for WWE to put them front and center on the marquee. Bret Hart thought he’d never win the title. Eight years, one month, and fourteen days later, “The Hitman” hoisted the title up high.

However, an elect few made such an impression in a short time; tenure and inexperience were ignored to serve the bottom line. We’re going to look at the 12 wrestlers who won their first WWE Championship in the fastest time since Vincent Kennedy McMahon went all in on Hulkamania in 1984.

Bob Backlund won his first WWE Championship four months after he started working for the company exclusively under Vincent J. McMahon. The now-retired McMahon inherited Backlund when he bought the company from his father in 1982 and therefore did not make our list.

Universal and World Heavyweight Championships are not on the menu here. It’s all about the most coveted prize in the industry.

The fairest way to chart the list is to start when the wrestler made their in-ring/television debut in a match or angle. Many debut matches were filmed days, weeks, and months before they aired on television. To the audience, a character is only in play once they’re on TV.

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The Bloodline Reigns Supreme at Survivor Series: WarGames

Survivor Series unleashed WarGames upon the WWE Universe at the TD Garden in Boston. The sinister structure bookended the five-match PLE, which included two title bouts. Each WarGames match had two different objectives. The women performed an action-packed affair with weapons galore, and the men focused on telling a specific story.

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WarGames-101: The Match Beyond

After years of demand, WarGames will finally have its coming out party on the mainline WWE product at Survivor Series on Saturday. WarGames was a WCW staple and the brainchild of Dusty Rhodes dating back to 1987. “The match beyond” occurred once a year, except for 1999, due to budget cuts, until Vince McMahon purchased WCW in 2001.

Despite owning the I.P., McMahon never allowed WarGames to occur on the main roster. Triple H got the green light to use the concept in NXT beginning in 2017 to a resounding success. Some say McMahon felt it would cannibalize the Hell in a Cell concept, while others claim he believed two rings would take up too much space and cut into ticket sales.

Of course, there’s the age old theory that McMahon will never support a concept he didn’t create. Despite proof of sucess in his own company, McMahon wouldn’t allow the match to touch anything related to Raw or SmackDown. Once Triple H became the head of WWE creative, one of the first things he did was officially bring WarGames to the main roster.

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Yeah, That Was Stupid

Two weeks removed from the most poorly conceived Money in the Bank cash-in of all time, one thing is clear.

No one misses Vince McMahon more than Austin Theory.

Seventeen years of MITB (Money in the Bank) winners found the opportune moment to vie for the world championship. Win or lose, wrestlers endured a brutal ladder match for a guaranteed title shot exclusively on their terms. Well, Paul Levesque tried adding a new wrinkle to the MITB concept.

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WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Great Muta set for New Year’s Day Clash

Pro Wrestling NOAH announced on Sunday that WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura will face The Great Muta at their Budokan Hall show on New Year’s Day.

Keiji Mutoh, otherwise known as The Great Muta, is in the process of setting up his retirement tour, with his final match scheduled for February 23, 2023, at the Tokyo Dome.

Most American fans were first introduced to Muta during his days in the NWA/WCW, where he debuted in 1989. Muta had a memorable feud with Sting, where he won the Television Title before dropping it to Arn Anderson on his way out of the promotion.

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Thoughts on NXT Halloween Havoc

If you’re looking for some excellent professional wrestling to watch, check out the first and last match from this past Saturday’s NXT Halloween Havoc.

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30 Years Ago Today: Bret Hart won his first WWE Title

Wrestling fans have always had their sentimental favorites. You know? The ones you’d love to see win the world title, but their mid-card ceiling seemed unbreakable.

On October 11, 1992, Bret Hart was one of those favorites. Masterful tag team fare followed by an exciting singles run served as an example of Hart’s exquisite craftsmanship in between the ropes.

On October 12, 1992, all that changed for Calgary’s favorite son.

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Bray Wyatt is Back…Now What?

The spectre of ECW shined bright upon Extreme Rules on Saturday in Philadelphia. Ronda Rousey regained the SmackDown Women’s Championship over Liv Morgan; Matt Riddle conquered Seth Rollins in the Fight Pit…You don’t care about any of that.

Extreme Rules was sold on one thing and one thing only—the reveal of the White Rabbit. Weeks of clever videos filled with QR Codes and easter eggs marked the long-awaited return of Bray Wyatt.

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