Truly a pay-per-view that needs no introduction, as the Hitman’s Last Great Year slams into the endpoint of that year. But there’s more to the card than just Bret being stripped of his dignity and WWF Championship, right? Well, sort of. Don’t worry, a super team of Matt, Daniel, AND Will break it all down and try to end the podcast with a bang. And we even have a bonus match so you’re not bummed out, hopefully!
BONUS MATCH: Bret Hart vs. Rick Steamboat, Boston Garden, March 8, 1986
Bret Hart is… not on this episode of Raw outside of a video package, and neither is Owen Hart, but their opponents at Sunday’s Survivor Series are here to fight… uh, other people. It’s not the best way to build to a match that will ‘never happen again’, but there are some pretty famous circumstances that lend to this odd Raw. Join Matt and Will as they break it down!
BONUS MATCH: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels, Survivor Series 1992, November 25, 1992
Bret Hart wrestles his final match on Raw on this episode, defending his WWF Championship against Ken Shamrock. Who comes out on top? Well, you know. Right? Like, obviously? You wouldn’t be surprised to hear Shawn Michaels gets involved, right? This is wrestling, after all. Join Matt and Joel as they break it all down!
Some issues just don’t line up well with wrestling, and racism might just be one of them. On this episode, there’s more that is interesting about what has been cut out of this show rather than what was put in, with the Nation of Domination upset about their locker room being trashed, with Bret Hart and his boys seemingly responsible for it. Join Matt and Will as we navigate thorny issues infinitely better than WWF did at the beginning of the Attitude Era!
On this episode, D-Generation X gets named and stirs the pot, the Hart Foundation barely get a chance to speak, and Jerry Lawler says an all-time racist joke on the show, yikes. But the biggest news: The Legion of Doom are in the main event challenging for the tag titles, and if they don’t win, they’ll retire! So that’s something. Kris and Matt break it all down, including the tiny historic moments!
BONUS MATCH: Bret Hart vs. Jean Pierre LaFitte, In Your House 3, September 24, 1995
It’s the night after Badd Blood, and we have to grapple with the death of Brian Pillman and the tough-to-watch interview that takes place on this show with Pillman’s widow. But we also have to contend with proto-DX, a nameless group of children who sneer at all things authentic and might just be undercutting the show. Also, Faarooq picks way too man fights, and lumberjack matches are embraced and loved. Join Matt and Daniel as they hack their way through a show that is heavy on Attitude Era!
It’s the debut of the Hell in a Cell gimmick, and it might just be the best one they’ve ever done. Also, there’s a pretty significant debut (that really shouldn’t work, but does) toward the end that Matt and Will dig into. Also on the card: Bret’s in a tag team flag match (if you can call it that) and several matches get added or elongated as the WWF grapples with Brian Pillman’s sudden death. Join us for one legendary match and several other non-legendary bouts!
Badd Blood is coming right up, but first, here’s a Raw where almost nothing happens! Sure, Steve Austin is called to the carpet to answer for his stunner to Vince McMahon last week, but that’s just an excuse to have ol’ Stevie around the building. Matt and Will break all the exciting non-action down, plus they discuss the mechanics of No Mercy 64’s cage match, which is not easy!
BONUS MATCH: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels, steel cage match, WWF Superstars TV Taping, December 1, 1993
This may just be one of the most important Raws ever, as Stone Cold kicks, whams, and stunners Vincent Kennedy McMahon, kicking off a feud that would bring the WWF to pro wrestling dominance for decades to come. Also, Dude Love and Mankind conspire to bring a third option up against HHH, and Bret Hart just beats up on Goldust’s knee before all hell breaks loose in the main event. Join Matt and Daniel in Madison Square Garden as they take in this seismic episode of Raw is War!
In this infamous show, British Bulldog defends his European Championship against Shawn Michaels in front of Bulldog’s countrymen (and women), and boy is the result rough. Also, Bret Hart wrestles what may be his last great match, and Owen Hart and Vader put on a really solid big-man-little-man match. Join Matt and Joel as they confront the ugly reality of One Night Only and the questionable decisions therein!
Raw returns to Muncie and the big question is this: who will Stone Cold stun next? Someone eats it tonight, rest assured. Also, Bret Hart and the British Bulldog take on the Headbangers for the tag titles, and they… have a hard time? Weird. Also, Shawn Michaels cuts a promo that required some significant editing, because he’s such a pain at this point in his career. Listen now as Matt and Will break it all down!
The road to Badd Blood starts here! Steve Austin is here to cause yet another ruckus, Bret is taking on Vader in a No Holds Barred match, and a strange special cage match in announced for Badd Blood. Also, there’s a pointless midcard triple threat main event! How fun. Matt and Will break it all down, so avoid a Stone Cold Stunner and pop this into your ears!
It’s the last In Your House PPV with the house set, but it’s also the first In Your House PPV that is over 2.5 hours, and you can just feel the need to stretch it all out. Yep, lots of filler here. But there’s also Bret Hart defending his WWF Championship against The Patriot, in the least subtle title defence of Bret’s ‘Canada vs. US’ era. Also, the main even between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels is wild, even if it doesn’t feature the most conclusive and satisfying ending. Join Matt and Daniel as they arrive at ground zero and talk to you in your house! (Or wherever your ears are, I suppose.)
Bret’s facing The Patriot at the upcoming PPV, so he takes some shots at him during the show, but there’s more to the show than that: Shawn Michaels and HHH team up for the first time (but certainly not the last time) and Brian Pillman drops a bomb on Goldust. Join Matt and Will as they break down the chaos!
BONUS MATCHES: Bret Hart vs. Vader, Friday Night’s Main Event, August 29, 1997, and Owen Hart vs. The Patriot, Friday Night’s Main Event, September 5, 1997
Shawn Michaels is back in action tonight, but he’s got some insurance in the form of a random old wrestler returning. Also, a very crucial member joins the Nation of Domination, and the Hart Foundation sets their sights on the Patriot, who may not be that bright a bulb. Join Matt and Kris as they break it all down and wonder aloud about Commissioner Slaughter’s loyalty!
BONUS MATCH: Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect, SummerSlam 1991, August 26, 1991
Bret Hart is back on top of the WWF, but he’s got a new commissioner to contend with, plus a PPV match against the Patriot. Shawn Michaels is here, and he’s got a few things to say, jack. Plus: Brian Pillman in a dress! Join Matt and Alex as they break it all down!
BONUS MATCH: Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog, SummerSlam 1992, August 29, 1992
It’s one of the biggest shows of our entire podcast run, it’s time for SummerSlam, and it’s time for Bret Hart to try to beat the Undertaker while keeping an eye on the special guest ref, Shawn Michaels. That match has an all-time fantastic ending, but there’s the other side of that coin with the Owen Hart-Steve Austin match, which famously ends in disaster. Join Matt and Will as we climb the blue steel bars of a classic cage match and break down the biggest party of the summer!
Bret Hart takes on the Patriot in Pittsburgh, but he’s still stewing about Shawn Michaels being the guest referee for his impending match against the Undertaker at SummerSlam. There’s also a tag title match AND an arm wrestling match, so join Matt and Daniel as they break it all down!
Raw is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which means the Hart Foundation is back in Canada, and the fans are rabid. The Harts headline the show in a six-man flag match, but who is going to step up against them? Also, Shawn Michaels has an announcement that leads to a dramatic confrontation between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon. Join Matt and both(?!) his brothers, Alex and Will, as they break down a historic show that happened in their hometown!
We’re back in San Antonio, the hometown of a certain boytoy, and he is back! As is Sid! Sort of. We also have old man Jerry Lawler teaming up with his so to take on an even older Ivan Putski and his son, which I guess is what we’re looking for? But ultimately, it’s all about Steve Austin and the tag tournament final, and who steps up to be his partner. Hey, wait is that disco music I’m hearing? Hmm… Join Matt and Daniel as they tap their toes and break it all down!
BONUS MATCH: Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart, SummerSlam 1994, August 29, 1994