March 2025 Wrestling Discussion

[SovietShooter]

1 hour ago, twiztor said:

not the best, but my personal favorite b-team luchadore was Super Calo.

Yeah, Calo was a favorite of my group. 

[The Natural]

WWE reportedly bringing back the all women Evolution PLE, 5th July. About time.

[stuntmanc]

17 hours ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

I don't know if Blitzkrieg counts but he was awesome and I always looked forward to him popping up in the first hour. 

Blitzkrieg was definitely in my top tier for WCW during that time frame.  

[southofheavy]

13 hours ago, The Natural said:

WWE reportedly bringing back the all women Evolution PLE, 5th July. About time.

That is great, great news and LOOOOONNNNG overdue. 

I expect it to kick all kinds of ass. 

[Dolfan in NYC]

14 hours ago, The Natural said:

WWE reportedly bringing back the all women Evolution PLE, 5th July. About time.

Sad way for me to find out Natural has me on ignore.  

[The Natural]

11 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

Sad way for me to find out Natural has me on ignore.  

Don't have you on ignore, bud. I never saw your post. Apologies.

[The Natural]

Smackdown SPOILER. More people will see this here:

Spoiler

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13 will be inducted into the WWE 2025 Hall of Fame.

The best match in WrestleMania history, the best finish in wrestling history and the greatest wrestling match of all time. *****.

 

Edited March 29, 2025 by The Natural

[BobbyWhioux]

22 hours ago, SovietShooter said:

Yeah, Calo was a favorite of my group. 

Calo and Blitzkrieg had a knack for ending their planchas about four rows deep into the audience, and it often felt like any given episode of Nitro didn't really start until at least one of them had.

[BloodyChamp]

3 hours ago, The Natural said:

Smackdown SPOILER. More people will see this here:

  Reveal hidden contents

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13 will be inducted into the WWE 2025 Hall of Fame.

The best match in WrestleMania history, the best finish in wrestling history and the greatest wrestling match of all time. *****.

 

I don’t know if I agree but what a cool concept. 

[The Natural]

4 hours ago, The Natural said:

Smackdown SPOILER. More people will see this here:

  Reveal hidden contents

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13 will be inducted into the WWE 2025 Hall of Fame.

The best match in WrestleMania history, the best finish in wrestling history and the greatest wrestling match of all time. *****.

 

Here's the video:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WXPVV5o_IGI

[The Natural]

46 minutes ago, BloodyChamp said:

I don’t know if I agree but what a cool concept. 

It is. Be interesting to see which future ones do as I can't see this as a one off. UFC Hall of Fame has been inducting classic fights for years.

Edited March 29, 2025 by The Natural

[The Natural]

7 hours ago, The Natural said:

Smackdown SPOILER. More people will see this here:

  Reveal hidden contents

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13 will be inducted into the WWE 2025 Hall of Fame.

The best match in WrestleMania history, the best finish in wrestling history and the greatest wrestling match of all time. *****.

 

This has got me thinking about the possibilities:

Spoiler

Will it be WrestleMania matches only? WrestleMania is the biggest show of the year.

Doing that however excludes other matches that deserve to be there. I wouldn't limit it to WrestleMania only for that reason.

Which matches will get in over time?

Surprised this wasn't done sooner like UFC has for years with it's Hall of Fame.

 

[zendragon]

8 hours ago, The Natural said:

Smackdown SPOILER. More people will see this here:

  Reveal hidden contents

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13 will be inducted into the WWE 2025 Hall of Fame.

The best match in WrestleMania history, the best finish in wrestling history and the greatest wrestling match of all time. *****.

 

I told you we are going to watch the greatest match of all time and then you can leave

[The Natural]

12 hours ago, The Natural said:

Smackdown SPOILER. More people will see this here:

  Hide contents

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13 will be inducted into the WWE 2025 Hall of Fame.

The best match in WrestleMania history, the best finish in wrestling history and the greatest wrestling match of all time. *****.

 

Here's my review:

Spoiler

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin. WWF WrestleMania 13.

We start with the entrances. The camera zooms in to the Austin 3:16 glass panel in the entrance stage which breaks as Steve Austin makes his way to the ring. Our first glance of Bret Hart is his foot as he steps over the broken glass as he enters. Perfect entrances those.

The fist fight opening inside the ring and through the stands felt real, had intensity to it. Inside the ring Austin bends his head and Bret makes him pay with the nastiest swinging neckbreaker ever. Bret Hart goes to work on Steve Austin's knee with the knee brace. Bret puts Austin's knee on the ropes to squat down his weight on but he moves. Austin gives Bret a Stone Cold Stunner, his biggest offensive weapon to be used defensively to stop Bret but Bret recovers while still selling the SCS.

Bret Hart's viciousness wanting to Pillmanize Steve Austin's ankle in the steel chair from the top rope but Austin gets up to crack Hart across his spine. The subtle blade job, you rarely see bleeding in the WWF then and the violence too with the steel chairs and ring bells. Bret takes the Bret bump. Austin ragdolls Bret into the turnbuckle stomping a mudhole in him while Austin does his signature head taunt.

The finish, that fucking finish. The Sharpshooter is so protected, when applied it's over. Steve Austin so stubborn not to submit per the stipulation of the match starts pressing up with blood pouring down his face, knocking Bret off his feet but he still has the hold on. Austin passes out from the pain and the blood loss. Got goosebumps typing this finish out.

The post match, Bret starts kicking Austin's leg out of his leg to a defenceless Austin. Special guest referee Ken Shamrock waistlocks Bret off Austin. Shamrock wants some of Bret but Bret backs off and leaves to boos while Austin Stone Cold Stunners Mike Chioda and limps out to cheers. The double turn complete.

What the match led to. Bret Hart reuniting the Hart Foundation after years of fighting against each other: Bret vs. Owen, Bret vs. Bulldog and Owen vs. Bulldog. USA vs. Canada and the rest of the world. Bret was booed in the former and loved in the latter. Steve Austin set on the path as one of the biggest stars and draws in wrestling history.

As noted at the beginning it's rare I do a thread on a match but have to here. A five star match. To me, this is the 1997 Match of the Year and what a year it was but more. It's not only the best match in WrestleMania history, it's the best match in the history of WWE. Furthermore it's the greatest match in wrestling history, the sport we all love. Thank you, Bret Hart. Thank you, Steve Austin and thank you for reading. Paul.

https://deathvalleydriver.com/forum/index.php?/topic/9724-bret-hart-vs-steve-austin-wwf-wrestlemania-13-25-years-today/

 

[Sex Machine Gun]

I didn't know where else to post this, but I had some of Goldberg's cousins on one of my tours today (I'm a tour guide at the Boeing factory in Everett, WA). It was funny because one of them said they were from Calgary and I said "ah, the home of my favorite wrestler ever" which made them go "uh oh, Goldberg is our cousin!" I was floored, especially when they said the kid with them was originally supposed to be celebrating his birthday at Goldberg's house but was there instead. They were super cool people and it took all the effort in the world to not ignore everyone else and just pepper them with questions.

I can claim outdrawing Goldberg with his own family now, proud of that.

[The Natural]

2 minutes ago, Sex Machine Gun said:

I didn't know where else to post this, but I had some of Goldberg's cousins on one of my tours today (I'm a tour guide at the Boeing factory in Everett, WA). It was funny because one of them said they were from Calgary and I said "ah, the home of my favorite wrestler ever" which made them go "uh oh, Goldberg is our cousin!" I was floored, especially when they said the kid with them was originally supposed to be celebrating his birthday at Goldberg's house but was there instead. They were super cool people and it took all the effort in the world to not ignore everyone else and just pepper them with questions.

I can claim outdrawing Goldberg with his own family now, proud of that.

Thank you for sharing.

[AxB]

So you know how a few wrestlers have started calling themselves two-time Hall of Famers, because they've gone in as a solo performer and as part of a team or faction?

Triple H is going to eventually make sure that both Shawn and Flair have more HoF rings than Bret does, isn't he?

[Curt McGirt]

Oh it's probably guaranteed that Shawn gets the Best Match next year at least

[Craig H]

It'd be neat to do two matches a year. Next year do one of the Undertaker/HBK matches and Bayley vs Sasha Banks?

[AxB]

They aren't giving anyone a HoF ring while they're active in AEW. And I don't see any way Mercedes Mone isn't still in AEW a year from now.

[Eivion]

2 hours ago, Craig H said:

It'd be neat to do two matches a year. Next year do one of the Undertaker/HBK matches and Bayley vs Sasha Banks?

If its Wrestlemania focused it feels like Sasha/Bianca is far more likely.

[Niners Fan in CT]

I was thinking about what matches are obvious ones.  You have to put Steamboat vs. Savage on the shortlist.   Bret could easily have 3 more in there (vs. Piper, Owen and HBK)  

That said, it's called "Immortal Moments" so I'm not even sure if it's just going to be matches.   It could be something like the Mike Tyson vs. Stone Cold face off to get Austin and Tyson on the same stage again.  Etc. 

[zendragon]

Hogan v Andre, Hogan v Sheik, Hogan v Warrior, Austin v HBK WM14

[Niners Fan in CT]

As a match,  I don't think Austin vs. HBK is anything special.   I think in WWE lore the confrontation between Stone Cold and Tyson on RAW is far more memorable. 

[zendragon]

Not necessarily as a match per see but more about THE AUSTIN ERA HAS BEGUN!!!. Gets into the question of important matches vs greatest matches