Ranking the top 10 matches of WWE's Golden Era
In 1980, WWE emerged from the erstwhile WWWF fueled by Vince McMahon to become an international phenomenon. What followed was a boom in the pro-wrestling industry brought about by charismatic, larger than life characters such as Hulk Hogan, and Macho Man Randy Savage.
Vince’s first large-scale project, Wrestlemania in 1985, drew attention from mainstream media due to the inclusion of pop culture icons such as Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T. The success of Wrestlemania encouraged Vince McMahon to go ahead on a conquering spree as he acquired talent from different wrestling territories and went on his mission to build an international empire.
The Golden Era of Wrestling is popularly believed to have stretched from 1983-92. This was a time when the crowds were passionate about the business and wrestlers sold out arenas every night.
In this piece, we count down some of the best matches that WWE put on during this period and how these encounters went on to shape the future of the sports entertainment industry.
#10 Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart Survivor Series (1992)
One of the lesser known matches between the two rivals, the Survivor Series encounter between Hart and Michaels subtly planted the seeds of a rivalry that would define an entire generation of the WWE.
Bret Hart was quickly being propelled to main event status and Shawn was right on his heels. The two men put on a spectacle, a typical characteristic of Michaels-Hart matches. Shawn Michaels was selling left, right and centre, making the Excellence of Execution look like a million bucks.
However, this trend gradually faded as the two men jostled for the top position in the company. Bret Hart retained the championship in emphatic fashion after he caught Michaels in a Sharpshooter forcing the Heartbreak Kid to tap out.