[1986-02-17-WWF-MSG, NY] Hart Foundation vs Killer Bees

[NintendoLogic]

The Hart Foundation seemed to have cracked the code for having great tag matches in the WWF environment. Rather than an interminable heel in peril segment followed by face in peril, they work a more abbreviated heel in peril followed by a double-FIP heat segment with Bret invariably cutting off the first hot tag with a knee to the lower back in the ropes. Along with referee leniency allowing liberal run-ins from both sides, it gives their best matches the feel of a high-end Japanese tag rather than a high-end Southern tag. In the beginning, none of Brunzell's holds or strikes faze Neidhart, so he has to catch the big guy off guard with a drop toehold. From there, the Bees go to work on Neidhart's legs. The tide turns when Bret crushes Blair's windpipe with a leg drop while he has Neidhart in a figure four. The work on Blair is nothing to write home about, but the subsequent work on Brunzell is out of this world. It's not quite Can-Ams vs. Kobashi/Kikuchi-level punishment, but it's about as close as you'll get in this company during this period. The goal, of course, is to build anticipation for Brunzell's dropkick, and it's a thing of beauty when it happens. I've been hard on Neidhart in the past, but he was a net positive contributor to this match. His best work was as the illegal man providing well-timed interference. Blair has some nice punches off the hot tag, and there's a pretty insane series of nearfalls down the stretch. I actually didn't know the outcome going in, so the finish took me by surprise. Also, I had forgotten that time limits were still a thing in the WWF at this point.

[tcg91]

This was JIP, about 5 minutes are missing from the start of the match. This is also the best Killer Bees ever looked in WWF, as the Harts had a pretty cool control segment on both of them, putting over their selling skills. Brunzell shined a lot here, doing very crisp stuff with Bret in terms of heat, but also feeding the energetic comeback with one of the best dropkicks I have ever seen. This was getting better and better, until the time limit draw, which was quite stupid at 18 minutes (13 shown), they could have done this at the 20 minutes mark or so
***1/4

[Superstar Sleeze]

This is from a review I did in 2013

The Hart Foundation vs Killer Bees - 2/86 MSG

The one thing I never got about the Killer Bees is how they were supposed to be faces with the Masked Confusion gimmick. Anyways, this starts off with the Bees doing some token leg work on Anvil (think Rockers, but not as exciting), which culminates in a figure-4 that Bret breaks up. Jimmy Hart, clearly 20 years ahead of his time, gets mocked for shopping at a Thrift Shop. Bret slips on the second rope while going for a second rope elbow (a rare sighting of this Bret bump). Brunzell is a house with a small stovetop fire, dangerous, but easily quenched by a blind knee in the back (the ultimate Hart Foundation transition spot). Usual Hart Foundation heat segment: bodyslam on concrete, Demolition Decapitation, and the irish whip sling shot move. I remember this being a little too front facelock-y. Brunzell hits his sweeeeeeet dropkick (Bulldog's is still more impactful), but cant capitalize. The Hart Foundation Irish whip sling shot misses this time around.

Blair is a house afire: punches, small package, bodyslams and atomic drops (Bret bumps into Anvil). After the Hart Foundation collision, Brunzell hits his dropkick, but alas we hit the time limit draw. I thought this was on par with 9/85 Bulldogs match just a solid match nothing to go out of your way to see. The Hart Foundation/Bulldogs would eventually exceed this match in 1987, but for now it is on par with that. *** 1/2