Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels: 3 iconic WWE moments from their storied rivalry

Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels is one of the most iconic WWE rivalries of all time.

WWE has seen some of the biggest superstars engage in iconic feuds over the years. From a rising star going up against an established veteran to two top-tier stars vying to become the face of WWE, the promotion has seen it all. One of the biggest rivalries that was a rage in the mid-1990s was between Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Shawn Michaels.

The two had completely opposite beliefs as part of the WWE personalities. The Hitman was the Excellence of Execution who preached his in-ring craft and came from a lineage of top wrestlers. On the other hand, The Heartbreak Kid was the notorious and rebellious degenerate coming up with Triple H as part of D-Generation X. With both stars having faced each other many times over the years, here are the three most iconic moments from their rivalry.

3. Iron Man match at WrestleMania

Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart had been feuding for months and were set to collide in their biggest match. It was a 60-minute Ironman match with Hart defending his WWE title against Michaels in the main event of WrestleMania 12. From Shawn's epic entrance from the top of the rafters to one of the greatest in-ring matches produced in WWE, it had instant classic written all over it. The match went into sudden death after the score was tied at the end of the hour. Finally, it was Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music on Bret Hart that gave him his first big win in the company.

2. Montreal Screwjob

Following years of having blockbuster matches, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were ready to clash for the final time at the 1997 WWE Survivor Series for the WWE title. The match took place in his home country of Canada and was Hart's last match before he headed to WCW. In one of the biggest double-crosses of professional wrestling, Vince McMahon called for the bell when Michaels had Hart trapped in the Sharpshooter, and he had not even tapped out. This incident infamously came to be known as the 'Montreal Screwjob.'

1. Buried the hatchet

Bret Hart returned to WWE, 12 years after the Montreal Screwjob, as the Guest Host of RAW. He called out his rival, Shawn Michaels with whom he had real-life tensions, both onscreen and offscreen. The duo gave their view on the events of Montreal, and things got a little heated. However, in the end, Hart proposed to bury the hatchet and put it behind them. Michaels agreed, and the duo shook hands and embraced each other in one of the most memorable WWE moments of all time.

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