WrestleMania Rewind : WrestleMania VIII - Rowdy Roddy Piper vs Bret 'The Hitman' Hart

WrestleMania’s history has been punctuated with a good number of Intercontinental Title matches over the years, and it has become an open secret that the IC Title match is booked in such a way that more often than not, it steals the show. One of the earliest exponents of this phenomenon was Rowdy Roddy Piper’s IC Title defence against Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, at Wrestlemania 8. This match was unique in a few respects – Both Piper and Hart were babyfaces and there was no natural concrete “good guy versus bad guy” angle to work the feud with. Added to that, they were also cousins in real life. Their chemistry through their short feud though, and the resulting match at Wrestlemania 8 were nothing short of tremendous – and proved why Bret ‘ The Hitman’ Hart would go on to be the next face of the company. More than that though, in my opinion, it justifies why Rowdy Roddy Piper holds a WWE Hall of Fame ring, but has never needed to hold the WWE Title to qualify him for it. Piper had cemented himself as one of the top heels in the company by then, playing his understated yet invaluable part in making Hogan the star that he was. Bearing that in mind, it was an interesting dynamic to behold a babyface Piper facing off against a young and upcoming star in Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart.

#1 The Build-up

Bret Hart had defeated Mr.Perfect at Summerslam in 1991 to capture the Intercontinental Title in what has proven to be a match that has withstood the test of time. However, he dropped the title to a heel character, Mountie, who carried it into the Royal Rumble event. Piper, who had also been portrayed as Bret Hart’s friend until then, stepped up to the plate and fought Mountie for the IC title at the pay-per-view. Hot Rod went on to win his first, and what will remain as his only, Intercontinental Title. It was then announced that Bret Hart would face the champion Rowdy Roddy Piper for the IC Title at Wrestlemania 8.

The lead up to Wrestlemania, though devoid of in-ring altercation, was inevitably spiced up owing to the fact that now two babyfaces, that were friends both on and off the screen, would have to put aside their friendship and do battle for the Intercontinental Title. One could sense that with Piper, one of the great villains, a heel turn was always around the corner, and this kept the audience hooked on to the plot.

Piper, being also one of the great talkers as well, showcased incredible psychological warfare in the interviews that punctuated the road to Wrestlemania 8. Bret Hart was technique personified in the ring, whereas Roddy Rowdy Piper was a brawler. Perhaps it was this dichotomy in style, added to the fact that the two men were friends, that captured the intrigue of the audience heading into WM8.

#2 The Match

The match was excellent all-around, and it ticked all the boxes in the metaphorical checklist for all the elements that a great match should have. The interaction between Piper and Hart before, during and after the match was indicative of a tremendous spirit of competitiveness, yet within the confines of sportsmanship. It revealed to the world the classier side of Piper, who was generally recognized to be the best heel in the business at that time.

Initially in the match, Piper tries to out-wrestle Hart, and despite a valiant effort, predictably falls short against the excellence of execution. Then Hart, who feigns a shoulder injury to set a trap for Piper, attempts to capitalize on the deception by rolling up Piper for the three count with the Small Package, only for Piper to kick out.

An incensed Piper slaps Hart across his face, and the match changes from a wrestling contest into a brawl. Piper takes charge, and deals out some punishment to Bret Hart, bloodying his face in the process. After a couple of unsuccessful pin attempts, Bret Hart fights back, sending Piper out of the ring with a flying forearm shot to the face. The pugnacious Piper though, gets back into the ring almost immediately with a clothesline aimed at Hart, only to find the thought mirrored in his opponent’s mind as well. Both men collapse in the middle of the ring, and though Piper gets to his feet fairly quicky, Hart lies motionless.

Piper attempts to go to the top rope to “finish off” what appeared to be a bloodied and weak Bret Hart, only to find himself the victim of another deception. What ensues is a clinic in technical wrestling, as Bret Hart puts Piper through a series of moves, in an attempt to finish off the champion. However, Piper kicks out of a couple of pin attempts and also manages to fight out of an attempt to lock him in the Sharpshooter- Bret Hart’s famed submission finisher.

Unable to finish each other off, the men lock up in the centre of the ring again. This time, Piper whips Hart in the general direction of the turnbuckle, only to find the referee in the way. The referee is knocked out by the subsequent collision, and the match spills over to the outside. Piper utilizes the temporary absence of the referee and slams Hart’s profusely bleeding head into the steel steps, and then sends him back into the ring. Piper retrieves the bell from the time-keeper’s area and enters the ring.

Bret Hart is vulnerable in the ring, and without referee supervision, at the mercy of Piper. However, in a show of class, Piper discards the bell and chooses not to win using unfair means. He allows Hart to get back to his feet before locking him in a sleeper hold. Just when it seemed like Bret Hart would fade in the sleeper, he uses the turnbuckle to flip himself over Piper, and turn the match around by pinning him and in the process, becoming the new Intercontinental Champion.

#3 The Fall-out

Rowdy Roddy Piper took a hiatus from the WWE after Wrestlemania 8, but by the end of 1992, Bret Hart had won the WWE Championship from Ric Flair. He went on the become “ The best there was, the best there is and the best there ever will be”, serving as the face of the company for 5 years, until the notoriously infamous Montreal Screwjob played out. The match that Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart had with Rowdy Roddy Piper at Wrestlemania 8 had served as a turning point in his career, propelling him towards top gold in the company. If not taken in that context, then purely as a match, it entertained nonetheless.

Rowdy Roddy Piper later remarked that he would have liked to have a longer run as a face, and it was perhaps with the audience reaction to this match in mind that he felt that way. And justifiably so, for it was truly one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches in history. It had solid in-ring action that hardly slackened off the pace, on the back of some fantastic promo work from Piper in setting up the match. The audience was invested heavily in the match and the outcome of the match was the right result for everybody. It might have been the more technically sound Bret Hart who walked away with the victory, but the brawler Roddy Piper made the match.