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August 1997 was certainly an interesting time in WWE. Not only was the company on the cusp of beginning the Attitude Era, but one of the most watershed moments in WWE history -- the Montreal Screwjob -- was a mere two months away. And the SummerSlam main event between WWE Champion The Undertaker and Bret Hart, with Shawn Michaels as the special referee, was the heartbeat of it all.
At the time, Bret Hart received a hero's welcome in his home nation of Canada (see In Your House: Canadian Stampede), but was booed vociferously when wrestling in the United States. He also had real-life heat with Shawn Michaels, as the two had a legit pull-apart fight backstage two months prior. With Michaels as the special referee, it was anybody's guess how those two would be able to work together. The stakes for the match were massive, as Bret Hart claimed he would never wrestle in the States again if he didn't win the belt. However, through it all, the conclusion of the match ultimately catalyzed one of the greatest rivalries in WWE history: Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker.
Bret Hart Vs The Undertaker Was A Perfectly Wrestled Match
The outcome of the match seemed rather obvious given that it was extremely unlikely that Bret Hart would cease wrestling in the United States for WWE. However, the finish proved to be quite unpredictable, thrilling, and frankly, set up two huge matches over the next couple of months. The match itself was intense and physical, and began with Bret Hart taking the WWE Championship from Michaels and hammering Undertaker in the back with it before the bell rang.
The Hitman utilized great heel tactics throughout the match, and began working Undertaker's knee expertly in the early going. While Undertaker was locked in a figure four, old manager Paul Bearer made his way down to the ring, and at this time, he was claiming the Undertaker's brother Kane was still alive. Taker broke out of the hold and proceeded to leave the ring and punch Bearer. Hart chop blocked Taker's knee and Bearer was taken to the back by officials. Hart employed his classic figure four on the ring post, as his allies Owen Hart and Brian Pillman, made their way to ringside.
Michaels eventually sent Owen and Pillman to the back, and Undertaker hit a big chokeslam on Bret. Taker had him pinned for a good five seconds, but Michaels didn't see it as he was still looking up the aisle. Bret rolled up Taker for two, and Taker started going after Michaels, who had refereed a fine match to this point. The action picked up, and both men exchanged nearfalls before Hart hit Taker with a superplex, followed by a sharpshooter. Taker was able to break out of the sharpshooter, but Hart proceeded to tie him around the ring post, before Taker pushed Hart off onto Michaels on the floor.
Shawn Michaels Accidentally Costing The Undertaker The Match Was A Brilliant Finish
With Michaels down, Hart grabbed a chair and walloped Undertaker with it. Michaels slowly got back in the ring and counted to two, before arguing with the Hitman about the chair. Bret proceeded to spit directly in Shawn's face, and Shawn grabbed the chair, swung at the Hitman -- who ducks -- and absolutely hammered Undertaker in the head.
Michaels begrudgingly counted to three, leaving the ring immediately, and was visibly upset walking up the ramp. Bret Hart hoisted the title while being loudly booed and pelted with garbage. The match dragged a bit, clocking in at 28:09, but it was still incredibly compelling and had unfathomable ramifications on the wrestling business.
The Inaugural Hell In A Cell Match & The Montreal Screwjob
The following month at In Your House: Ground Zero, Bret Hart successfully defended the WWE title against The Patriot, and the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels battled to a no-contest, setting up the first-ever Hell in a Cell match the next month at In Your House: Badd Blood. Michaels came out on top in the brutal and amazing match, due to the shocking debut of Undertaker's "brother" Kane tearing the door of the cell and hitting Taker with a tombstone piledriver.
And then at Survivor Series, the famous Montreal Screwjob occurred, gifting Michaels the WWE title and sending the Hitman to WCW. Michaels and Undertaker would face off again at the Royal Rumble, but this time for the WWE Championship, and in Undertaker's specialty match -- a casket match. Michaels was aided by DX, Los Bouricas and Kane, and he escaped Taker again. It would be more than 11 years before Undertaker got his revenge...
The Undertaker And Shawn Michaels Produced Two Of The Most Epic WrestleMania Matches Ever
The next singles match between the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels wouldn't take place until WrestleMania 25. The match wrote itself -- Mr. WrestleMania vs the Undertaker's streak -- and it was that much more special because it had been so long since they had locked horns. They went out and put on not only one of the best matches ever at WrestleMania, but easily one of the greatest matches in WWE history, with Undertaker picking up the victory with an emphatic tombstone after about a million nearfalls.
They decided to do it again at WrestleMania 26, but this time Michaels put his career on the line. In what was another epic encounter, Undertaker put the final nail in Shawn's coffin (we'll forget about the Crown Jewel match). It's hard to believe that two WWE legends had so few matches, but that's what made the feud so beautiful.