[1996-09-14-WWF-SuperSport] Bret Hart vs Steve Austin

[PeteF3]

Talk about it here.

[PeteF3]

Austin's already starting to set himself apart: Owen Hart, doing commentary, had just interfered in a Mero/Bulldog match prior. Austin warns him that if he does it again, he'll whip his ass after he's done with Bret!

 

Interesting times for Bret, as Ross and Owen hammer that this could be his last WWF match, and I think the uncertainty was still there. Austin's familiar in-ring mannerisms are coming into shape, as we get the Thesz press-and-punches and a few other Stone Cold touches, but he still works like an old-school heel, constantly bailing out, offering fake handshakes, walking out and jawing with fans, etc. The whole match is very '70s-style and deliberate, as they stick to the mat for the first portion before moving to a quicker pace. Nothing blowaway, but a VERY well-structured and well-built match with a nice finish. Very interesting proto-look at this feud and anyone who watched this at the time had to be excited at the prospect of a long PPV match between these two.