WWE History Vol. 25: The Greatest Intercontinental Title Matches

Ricky the Dragon Steamboat lifts his hated rival Macho Man Randy Savage into the air at Wrestlemania III
Ricky the Dragon Steamboat lifts his hated rival Macho Man Randy Savage into the air at Wrestlemania III

#2 Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig (C) vs. Bret "The Hitman" Hart

Bret Hart suffers the Perfect Plex at SummerSlam 1991
Bret Hart suffers the Perfect Plex at SummerSlam 1991

The Time: August 26, 1991

The Place: SummerSlam 1991

The Angle: In 1991, angles were built differently. The main thrust of the story was that Bret Hart and Curt Hennig were both claiming to be the best technical wrestler in the world, with Bret viewed as an underdog.

This was the start of Bret's main event build up, and most of the time that journey starts with an Intercontinental championship reign. Mr. Perfect was the perfect 'gatekeeper' for Hart to defeat and continue his climb to the top.

Why it's considered to be great: Simply put, this match is a masterwork of technical wrestling with plenty of drama thrown in for good measure. At one point, a frustrated Mr. Perfect tried to run away from the ring (because he couldn't lose the title on a count out) but Bret Hart dragged him back so fiercely that Perfect's singlet was torn.

Hart and Hennig were at the top of their game here, in their respective primes and it shows in this cornerstone of IC title history.

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