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#3 Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE
Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Shawn Michaels may be the most captivating rivalry in WWE history. The two men were the faces of the company during its New Generation era. Both guys stepped up and took the mantle when stars like Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage left and when the company truly needed it after the steroids trial.
This started as a friendly rivalry of sorts. Bret and Shawn were friends behind the scenes and each were competitive, looking to be considered the man in WWE. Both come from famous tag teams with Bret in the Hart Foundation and Shawn in the Rockers. Those two tag teams put on remarkable battles against one another that helped push forward tag team wrestling in the company.
They locked horns on a major stage at Survivor Series 1992. Hart had just won the WWE Championship and successfully defended against Michaels in the main event. This would just be the start of their clashes for the top prize. Their feud would go to the grandest stage of them all at WrestleMania 12.
The two men met in the first ever 60 minute Iron Man Match in WWE history. This iconic contest is looked back on by many fans and wrestlers as their favorite match ever. Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart to win the WWE Championship for the first time.
The boyhood dream had come true, but this was a catalyst for a change in the dynamic of this rivalry. That night, Shawn told Bret "to get the hell out of my ring" according to Hart in his biography. From there, the two former friends would start to bicker behind the scenes.
Prior to WrestleMania 13 where the plans were for the two to meet, Shawn Michaels infamously "lost his smile" and relinquished the WWE Championship. The rising tension would move to on-screen at this time. There were fist fights and pull-apart brawls in the locker room that led to a final showdown at Survivor Series 1997 and the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
The animosity between the two men would go for years after Bret Hart left WWE for WCW. It was a dark cloud that stood over both men's careers. They would finally bury the hatchet when Hart made his on-screen return to WWE in 2010. However, it still stands that Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels is one of the most famous "fight forever" rivalries ever.
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