And...we're back with issue #2 of the Single File, where one match, good or bad, goes under the microscope for play-by-play.  This week we head back to America for a gem found on Schneider Comp #12 (1).  It's Bret and Owen Hart taking on Rick and Scott Steiner in a match from an unspecified Coliseum Video.  And, as you'd expect, this match rules.

Not too sure where or when this match happened.  If the Harts were teaming and the Steiners were still in the WWF, I'm guessing it was late '93.

Backstory:  None, really, since neither team ever feuded with the other.  Some suit at Titan Towers probably thought "Damn, this could be a great match.  Stick it on a Coliseum video."  So there you go.

Bret "Hitman" Hart/"The Rocket" Owen Hart vs. Rick and Scott Steiner

Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane are your announcers.

Bret and Scott start off the match by circling each other.  Scott makes a quick grab for the Hitman's legs, but Bret easily dodges.  Scott tries again, and this time hits a double leg takedown, but he and Bret are tied up in the ropes.  Scott waits until the five count before letting go.  Bret slowly gets up, and they tie up again, and this time it's Bret with a fireman's carry takedown, hooking an armbar, then going behind with a waistlock, all with blinding speed.  This time Scott grabs manages to grab the ropes.  They tie up again, and Scott takes Bret down with a single leg takedown, then applies a standing toehold.  Bret tries to roll Steiner up, but Scott holds on and turns it into a front chancery, then a side headlock.  Bret throws Steiner into the ropes, drops down, then leapfrogs him, but Steiner hits him with a shoulderblock that knocks the Hitman to the outside.  Owen goes over to check on his brother while Bret makes sure his teeth are still attached.  Bret gets back in the ring and they tie up again.  Scott applies a wristlock, then Bret reverses to apply his own, but Scott reverses that and whips Bret into the ropes.  Scott goes for a press slam, but Bret manages to go behind and roll up Scott for a 2 count.  Scott gets up and is quickly armdragged by Bret.  Bret applies an armbar and tags in Owen.

Owen comes in and takes over the armbar, wrenching it a few times for good measure.  But Scott just scoops up Owen with ease and deposits him with a slam, then tags in brother Rick.  Rick comes and he and Owen do this amazing little amateur display that ends in a stalemate.  They tie up again, and Steiner applies a wristlock.  He throws Owen into the ropes, but Owen reverses it.  Owen drops down, but when he tries to leapfrog Rick he gets powerslammed for his efforts.  Rick goes to drop an elbow, but Owen manages to move.  Owen goes for a headlock, but Steiner dumps him right on the back of his head with a backdrop suplex (2).  Rick covers for a two count.  Rick applies wristlock, but Owen flips out, and applies his own wristlock, then applying a headlock.  Rick tries another backdrop suplex, but Owen flips out and hits a killer German suplex for 2.  Cool storyline here, as both teams are equal in technical prowess, with the Steiners having the edge in power and the Harts having to use their speed.

Match may be slightly clipped, because we get a close-up of Bret on the apron, and when we go back to the match, Rick has Owen in a wristlock and makes the tag to Scott.  Scott whips Owen into the ropes, but the Rocket reverses, drops down, and hits a boss spinning heel kick that gets a 2 count.  Owen picks up Scott and hits a nice Northern Lights suplex for another 2 count.  With Scott still down, Owen grabs the legs and rolls forward in another pinning attempt, but Scott bridges up and hits Owen in the back with a forearm.  Scott butterflies the arms and nails the double underhook powerbomb with ease.  Scott covers, but Bret runs in to break up the pin (Owen had kicked out anyway).  Owen wisely makes the tag, and Scott does the same to Rick.  Bret and Rick tie up, and Rick manages a go behind, and then just slaps Bret in the back of the head.  They tie up again, and Rick trips Bret and applies an armbar.  Bret gets back to his feet, and nails a bodyslam, but Rick manages to hold onto the armbar.  Rick then heelishly taunts Owen before driving his knee into Bret's arm.  Rick really applies the pressure, and Bret actually taps out to the armbar at this point (3).  Rick then gets on the mat while still applying the armbar, and gets a pair of two counts.  But Bret manages to get back to his feet and backs Rick into the ropes, then whips him into the ropes.  Bret drops down, then he nails Rick with a knee to the gut on the rebound.  Bret tries a headbutt, and hurts himself as much as Rick.  Bret bodyslams Rick, then bounces off the ropes, but misses an elbowdrop.  Rick goes back to the armbar, using leverages to get another 2 count.  Bret manages to get back to a vertical base and backs Rick into the ropes by sticking his hand in Rick's face.  Bret whips Rick into the ropes, drops down again, and nails a nice dropkick.  He picks Rick up and hits a DDT, followed by a legdrop.  Rick gets back to his feet, so Bret peppers him with some punches, but Rick starts to fire back.  So Bret does the smart thing and applies a sleeper hold, driving Rick down to one knee.  They do the old "ref drops the arm" deal, but since Bret ain't Brutus Beefcake, Rick gets the arm up on the third try.  Rick gets back to his feet and pushes backwards, ramming Bret into the turnbuckles.  Rick tries to shake the cobwebs, but Bret comes right back and reapplies the sleeper, actually more of a choke this time.  Rick almost passes out again, but manages to fall on the bottom ropes.  But this time Bret acts a little heelish and won't let go of the hold (4).  Bret finally lets go and kicks Rick in the stomach and floors with a right hand.  Bret picks up Rick and hits a nice vertical suplex. Bret goes to the second rope, and tries to drop the elbow, but gets a boot in the jaw.  Rick manages to get to the top rope and hit the bulldog for a two count.  Rick then whips Bret stomach first into the turnbuckles and gets another 2 count.  Rick tags in Scotty, who whips Bret into the ropes and nails the Tilt-A-Whirl slam for another 2 count.

Scott gets in the ref's face for not counting three. Bret crawls to a corner, so Scott rams his head into the turnbuckle.  Scott follows with a cross corner whip, but the Hitman reverses.  Bret charges in, but Scott moves and Bret slams his shoulder into the pole.  Bret slumps to the outside, causing Owen to check on him.  Bret manages to get to his feet and stumble around ringside, but Scott grabs him by the hair and pulls him to the apron.  Scott tries to suplex the Hitman back in the ring, but Bret blocks and suplexes Steiner to the floor.  Holy shit!  Bret drops back down to the floor and picks up Steiner, ramming him into the apron, then rolling him back into the ring.  Bret wisely tags Owen, who comes in and slams Steiner, then turns him on his stomach. The Rocket goes to the top rope and comes off with a headbutt to Steiner's back, then covers for a 2 count.  Owen hits a gut wrench suplex for another 2 count.  Owen slaps on an abdominal stretch, but Scott manages to hiptoss Owen off.  Both men get to their feet, and Owen whips Scott into the ropes and nails the belly to belly OF DOOM for another 2 count.   Love that move.  Owen throws Steiner stomach first into the turnbuckles and tags Bret back in.  Bret nails some shots to Steiner's back, then nails a side Russian leg sweep for 2.  Owen gets tagged back in and whips Scott into ropes, and ducks down, and Bret nails Scott in the back with his knee (5).  Owen covers, but the ref's busy with Rick.  He finally turns around and counts a 2 count.  Owen with another whip and tries a dropkick, but Scott holds onto the ropes, letting Owen land on the back of his head.

Scott tags out to Rick, who prevents Owen from tagging out.  Rick whips Owen to the ropes and nails a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a 2 count.  Rick then slams Owen and begins to drag The Rocket over to his corner with the intention of tagging out, then changes his mind and tombstones Owen for another 2 count.  Scott tags in, and he hits Owen with a release Dragon suplex.  In 1993.  Holy shit.  It gets yet another 2 count.  Tag to Rick, who whips Owen into the ropes and levels him with a Steinerline.  Rick drops and elbow and gets another 2 count.  Owen starts to crawl for the tag, so Rick applies a Camel Clutch.  Rick releases the hold and tags Scott back in, and Scott DESTROYS Owen with the Screwdriver (6).  Scott mouths off to Bret on the apron and goes for the sure cover, but Bret breaks it up.  Scott clubs Bret and then just dumps Owen to the outside.  Owen manages to make his way to the apron, and Steiner goes for a slingshot back into the ring, but Owen reverses it and sends Scott to the outside!  Owen gets back into the ring and begins crawling to the corner.  Scott gets back in the ring and grabs Owen's leg, but the Rocket manages to make the tag anyway.  Bret comes in and nails Scott with an inverted atomic drop, then follows up with a clothesline for a  2 count.  Bret headbutts Scott and goes for the Sharpshooter, but Rick comes in and wrecks Bret with a forearm to the back of the head.  Owen comes in (with no tag) and tries a Sharpshooter of his own on Scott, so Rick comes back in and knocks him as well.  Scott gets Owen on his shoulders and Rick goes to the top rope for the bulldog, but Bret grabs his leg.  Owen rolls forward in a victory roll to get a 2 count on Scott (7).  Bret and Rick are now exchanging blows in the ring, as Owen clamps a headlock on Scott.  Scott whips Owen into the ropes and drops down, and Owen collides with Bret and Rick, knocking them out of the ring.  Bret and Rick resume their fight outside, so Scott goes to the top rope and hits a double axe handle on Bret to the floor!  Then Owen nails a pescado on Rick, and a few seconds later the ref calls for the disappointing (but not surprising) double count out (24:53).

Both teams keep brawling until the refs break it up.  As the Harts head to the back, Scotty gets on the mic and tells the Harts to get their butts back in the ring (8).  So the Harts go back and they brawl some more, until they get separated by referees again.  So Bret gets on the mic and tells the Steiners to get back in the ring.  So the Steiners return for some more brawling.  Referees separate them again, then both teams shake hands and decide to be friends.  The end.

Fallout:  The Steiners left the WWF fairly soon after this match.  The Hart brothers officially broke up at Royal Rumble and had a classic match at Wrestlemania X.  Of course, seven years later, Owen is dead, Bret retired after his career fell apart, Rick has gotten sloppy and hasn't been seen in months (although he could return at Syn), and Scotty is the WCW World Champion.

Anyway, this was a fucking great match.  A totally non-formula tag match with tons of near falls, everybody worked hard, and Scott and Owen bumped their asses off.  A reminder of how great all four were at one point.  If you're into star ratings, I'd put this match at about ****1/2 stars.  I have to ding it a 1/4 star for not having a clean finish, and another 1/4 star for ultimately being a meaningless match.  If this had been on a PPV, and for the tag titles with a clean finish, it'd be ***** easy.  You know that famous Superbrawl match between Sting/Luger and the Steiners? This is like the WWF version.

If you want to see this match, you've got two options.  You could get the Schneider comp, or you could try and track down the Coliseum video.  I'd definitely recommend the former, since the Coliseum video would be a pain to track down, and you'd have to sit through matches like Virgil vs. Repo Man and Doink vs. Ludvig Borga.

That's all for now.  Next week, we go crazy lucha style with a special look at Ricky Marvin.  Take care 'til then.

Joe Gagne
Flashbacker
[slash] wrestling

Footnotes: