[1997-03-17-WWF-Raw] Bret Hart vs Sid (Cage)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Austin with another scorching hot promo before the match. Kind of a nothing match until all of the run-ins start. Looking back, this is really all Steve Austin's fault. Sid wins. After the match, Bret does his famous profanity-filled tirade. Vince's bump was awesome. Bret's tope on Undertaker was awesome. Everything about this was great. You might be tricked into thinking WM13 would be a hell of a show.

[slabinski611]

If it weren't for this match, I would not have ordered wm that year. It may not have been a great match but I loved the chaotic nature of having your upcoming opponent interfere on your behalf so that they can face you for the title. With no internet at the time, I was sure Bret would win because I couldn't see the appeal of Sid/UT for the title. Then we get the Bret tirade which is still my favorite moment from Raw. What were the reactions like online after this raw as I was in total shock that they would allow cursing on tv. This also has to be one of the first times someone got physical with Vince. Awesome stuff.

[soup23]

I'm here because I'm the King of the Ring - Stone Cold with another gem pre match remembering history.

 

The match was fine but Sid was not on the level of the earlier match between these two. The finish was a chaotic scene with Austin and Undertaker coming down. Eventually we get another good finish where Taker slams the door on Bret and Sid climbs out for the win.

 

Afterwards, we get the promo of the year so far with Bret Hart losing his shit and cussing up a storm. Sid comes out to break it up and that brings out the Taker which Bret gives a huge tope to. We end the show with Sid vs. Taker and Bret vs. Austin brawling it out.

 

Watching all the show highlights in succession, I really liked the buildup to the Mania. Being a casual fan though and not knowing who was going to be in the championship match six days out, I can see how the show did as little a buyrate as it did.

[FLIK]

2 of my favorite moments from this match

 

Austin's "it coulda been you and me at Wrestlemania for the title but ya blew it" line

 

and Sid's "I don't know shit cry baby" response to Bret as he's walking back down the ramp post match

[Kevin Ridge]

I’m wondering when Austin gets rid of the earring. Maybe it was this year. He delivers another great promo and there is great anticipation for the Cage match now. Commentators talk about how this match will effect Austin and Undertaker too. Austin hits the ring to close the cage door which Sid was trying to escape through. Hart takes a powerbomb and needs Austin to cut off Sid from trying to climb over cage. Bret and Austin teaming up on Sid is nice. Undertaker finally gets involved and takes his own shots at Bret. Undertaker ends up closing the cage door on Bret. Hart got screwed.

 

Bret pushing down Vince and then McMahon’s reaction to it is so fantastic. Just wow. Hart goes on a huge profanity laced promo which leads to the five second delay for USA. Austin lets Bret know he blew it. More from Undertaker and Austin with a pull apart brawl at the end. What an amazing go home Raw finish before WrestleMania. I was getting this show at the time no matter what but if I’m on the fence this show would have sold it for me.

[ajtroma]

There wasn't a delay on the original airing. We got the entire tirade uncensored which was a little surprising at the time. The next week, USA Network overdid it with the delay though.

[PeteF3]

Not only was there no delay, it aired again on the west coast, again uncensored.

 

Austin rips Ken Shamrock a new one, because all he did was get in a couple little street fights which somebody filmed with a little video camera. The match isn't much, but it's perfectly booked and the post-match is one of the best moments in Raw history. Vince taking a bump, Bret cursing, Austin's awesome promo, hype for both of the big matches at WM, Shawn lurking over everything, and Vince frothing at the mouth when Bret punches Pat Patterson. I guess it was really etched in stone with the WM13 post-match and promo the next week, but I think everyone at this point knew Bret was a heel.

[Exposer]

Austin cuts an awesome promo on Shamrock threatening to beat his ass again. He brings up being King of the Ring as justification for his actions in a nice moment of continuity. He's an exceptional promo at this point.

 

The match itself is fine. Not much to it until all of the interference starts. The four main eventers for Mania brawling on top of the cage is a wild scene. People probably weren't sure what was going to happen at the time. Taker slams the cage door on Bret to save his title shot allowing Sid to scale the cage & retain. Bret's tirade is classic. It's uncensored on The Network by the way too. Vince takes a great bump off the shove. Sid, Taker, & Austin all come back out to start a huge brawl. Bret strikes first with that awesome tope. The only downside was Shawn coming out, which was interesting at first, then he wandered around looking for a weapon like a goof. Nonetheless, a really great go-home segment & one of the best go-home segments in WWE history.