The Complete History of the WWE Championship - Part 4

Bret "Hitman" Hart (October 12, 1992 - April 4, 1993)

Bret Hart: Upset Ric Flair to become WWE Champion

Bret "Hitman" Hart was called into Vince McMahon's office on October 12, 1992. Fearing he was about to be fired, Hart was shocked when McMahon advised him that he was to become the next WWE Champion that very night.

Hart upset Ric Flair in a decent match and cut an impassioned promo following the contest in which he stated: "dreams do come true."

For Hart, it was a dream come true. He had hoped to be the main man in WWE for a decade, but due to his smaller stature in a land of the giants, he never expected it to happen.

Here he was, at 35 years of age, at the top of the mountain. Warrior had been fired, Flair left at the end of January and Savage became a part time wrestler and semi-permanent fixture behind the announce desk. Hogan was still on sabbatical. Hart had no obstacles in his path. He was free to be the "Man."

However, being the only top line star in the company meant Hart was crying out for worthwhile challengers. He contested a brilliant, technical battle with Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series 1992, but Michaels at that point was a mid-carder and no threat to the title and the fans knew it.

The WWE audience was similarly not invested in Hart's title defenses versus the likes of Virgil and Papa Shango.

His defenses drew poorly as well by the standards of the time.

When the champion is not drawing he has to replaced. That's what Vince McMahon did earlier than expected at WrestleMania IX.

Shango, although he did contest a well received battle with Razor Ramon at the 1993 Royal Rumble.

Hart had been promised a long title reign by McMahon and was shocked when McMahon told him he was set to drop the title six months after winning it. However, the truth was that Hart was not drawing as champion, and wrestling is a business first and foremost.

Therefore, he had to be replaced.