The Bret hart heel turn in 97

[Tommy Fits]

I posted in the network thread but I think this deserves it's own thread. The Bret Hart heel turn in 97 was so well done, it might be the best slow burn angle/turn the WWF has ever done. I've be rewatching 97 WWF and as a kid you don't realize how well done it was, but rewatching it, it is amazing. Bret' turn reminds me of Macho Man going into WM5, a lot of stuff they were saying was true but they still got booed. Even Austin's turn was handled perfectly, the tide was slowly turning him face in 96 but they still booked him as a heel, they didn't force the face turn they just let it happen organically. Now they would of booked him as a baby face right away killing all his momentum. From a booking quality standpoint, 1997 might be the WWF/WWE best year. It doesn't get appreciated like it should because they were still getting killed ratings wise.

 

[DaHNIC82]

It was executed with brilliance... Plus You had so many characters in the mix and it spinned off into different beefs throughout that year.. Austin hated Bret, Bret hated Shawn, Shawn and Austin didn't like each other but both hated Bret, Undertaker got thrown in the mix later, then Pillman, Triple H and Chyna, the Nation of Domination.. Great times

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

FUSTRATED ISNT THE GOD DAMN WORD FOR IT = one of my favorite wrestling quotes ever, i say it A LOT

 

[richaveli83]

It was a good heel turn. The roots were planted months in advance. Plus his whining was justified kayfabe wise because Austin and HBK had cost him the title for months and Austin kept fukking with him for months. That promo he cut the Raw before Wrestlemania 13 was one of the best promos he ever cut plus the ensuring brawl involving Sid, Austin, Undertaker, and Hart was great!

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

It was a good heel turn. The roots were planted months in advance. Plus his whining was justified kayfabe wise because Austin and HBK had cost him the title for months and Austin kept fukking with him for months. That promo he cut the Raw before Wrestlemania 13 was one of the best promos he ever cut plus the ensuring brawl involving Sid, Austin, Undertaker, and Hart was great!

 

[Silkk]

Loved watching those 97 Raws this year

 

[Fenian]

Yeah Austin bret was the best double turn I can think of. It worked so well because Bret had scull motivation to turn heel, he was getting fukked over and made fun of constantly and it pushed him over the edge.

shyt showcased why bret is the undisputed GOAT.

 

[dbp]

I was at the Raw in Halifax in 1997. That's where Bret got into that big pull apart fight with announcer Vince. Rewatched that segment the other day, and goddamn I forgot how good it was. Really blurred the lines between wrestling and reality, plus back then you didn't put your hands on an official/announcer like they do now. The way they fought, Vince selling it after, JR and King freaking out, the crowd... it was perfect.

1997 is by far the most underrated year in wrestling.

 

[Canon]

i don't remember them cursing like this

 

[Alexander The Great]

FUSTRATED ISNT THE GOD DAMN WORD FOR IT = one of my favorite wrestling quotes ever, i say it A LOT

when they aired THAT unedited, I was couldn't believe it. was legit

 

[Alexander The Great]

It was executed with brilliance... Plus You had so many characters in the mix and it spinned off into different beefs throughout that year.. Austin hated Bret, Bret hated Shawn, Shawn and Austin didn't like each other but both hated Bret, Undertaker got thrown in the mix later, then Pillman, Triple H and Chyna, the Nation of Domination.. Great times

I've posted before that the way they booked the main event scene from like late 94-98 was GREAT. the feuds were intertwined, guys that didn't like each other for months, didn't all of a sudden decide to be friends just because. they RARELY ran the same main event 2 PPVs in a row. like the winner of the title match one month would already know he'd be facing someone different at the next PPV. so if the guy that loss the title match got screwed, he'd be pissed he wasn't getting his rematch yet...and that made him hate the guy getting the shot...so now you can have multiple feuds and storylines ALL revolving around the CHAMPIONSHIP...and not someone's "list"

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

FUSTRATED ISNT THE GOD DAMN WORD FOR IT = one of my favorite wrestling quotes ever, i say it A LOT

Might be low key the best since it's so applicable everywhere. Looking back all the turns and major booking decisions were so good in 1997 that I think only 2000 can compare from the sense of booking the best members of the roster. I can't think of any major mistakes made for Michaels or Austin or Owen or Bret or Kane or Taker

 

[Kill Dat Noize]

97 was bret's peak imo

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

the heel turn showcased what Bret could do on the mic. Everyone knew he was the GOAT in-ring but this turn showed that no.. he was not average on the mic. He has incredible mic work.

:hitgoat:

 

[jadillac]

I posted in the network thread but I think this deserves it's own thread. The Bret Hart heel turn in 97 was so well done, it might be the best slow burn angle/turn the WWF has ever done. I've be rewatching 97 WWF and as a kid you don't realize how well done it was, but rewatching it, it is amazing. Bret' turn reminds me of Macho Man going into WM5, a lot of stuff they were saying was true but they still got booed. Even Austin's turn was handled perfectly, the tide was slowly turning him face in 96 but they still booked him as a heel, they didn't force the face turn they just let it happen organically. Now they would of booked him as a baby face right away killing all his momentum. From a booking quality standpoint, 1997 might be the WWF/WWE best year. It doesn't get appreciated like it should because they were still getting killed ratings wise.

someone on here should list the eps and time stamps to help follow the entire heel turn.

I wish WWE would utilize the "Collection" feature on the Network for stuff like this.