One big thing: Bret Hart wanted a ladder match, not a cage match, against Owen Hart at SummerSlam ’94.
Bret “The Hitman” Hart recently disclosed that he and his brother Owen originally envisioned a different stipulation for their iconic SummerSlam ’94 bout.
- The brothers were set to face off in a steel cage match, but Bret had other ideas.
- Hart revealed he would have preferred a ladder match, drawing from his experience in Stampede Wrestling.
- The ladder match concept was scrapped due to Shawn Michaels using it at WrestleMania earlier that year.
Why it matters:
This revelation sheds new light on one of wrestling’s most celebrated feuds, highlighting the creative process behind iconic matches and the constraints wrestlers sometimes face.
By the numbers:
- Bret Hart participated in WWE’s first-ever ladder match against Shawn Michaels in 1992.
- The Hart vs. Hart steel cage match at SummerSlam ’94 is widely regarded as one of the greatest in WWE history.
What they’re saying:
“We never wanted to have a cage match,” Hart told Sports Illustrated. “The truth was, I would have liked to have had a ladder match against Owen.”
The big picture:
Despite not getting their preferred stipulation, the Hart brothers crafted a masterpiece that stands the test of time. They chose to focus on storytelling and suspense rather than the typical violence associated with cage matches.
“We told the wrestlers’ story. We wanted to tell the suspense of getting in and out of the cage, and we were proud of the match. I thought it was a beautiful story,” Hart explained.
The bottom line:
The Hart vs. Hart cage match at SummerSlam ’94 remains a testament to the brothers’ ability to adapt and excel, even when faced with creative limitations.
What do you think about Bret Hart’s revelation? Would a ladder match have been better than the cage match we got? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
