20 WWE matches that should be rated 5 stars (20-11)

#17 Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart (Intercontinental Title - WrestleMania VIII, 1992)

Hart vs. Piper

At the 1992 Royal Rumble, Bret Hart was noticeably absent. Having lost the Intercontinental Title in a fluke to low-card wrestler The Mountie just days before, Hart skipped the event, giving "Rowdy" Roddy Piper the opportunity to challenge for, and win, the title in his place.

The Rowdy One would go on to defend the strap against Hart at the outdoor WrestleMania VIII, and during this match the two Canadian legends told a story worthy of 5 stars.

Piper, a fan favorite and the more experienced of the two athletes, got frustrated at being consistently outwrestled by the rising, fresher talent in Hart. When it became clear he couldn't win in clean technical fashion, Piper resorted to heel tactics by beating Bret to the point of making him bleed and picking up the ring bell to use after the referee was knocked down and out.

Fortunately, fans in attendance loudly booed Piper, leading him to the realization that he had become the exact monster he used to fight against. Piper dropped the bell and went back to wrestling clean, whereby he was roundly defeated by the Excellence of Execution, who became 2-time Intercontinental Champion. Hart was then embraced by a gracefully humbled Piper.