Best: Bret Hart vs Diesel (Survivor Series 1995)
As mentioned before, Diesel’s title run did not contain great matches. He was usually paired with less-than-great workers, and the match quality suffered. Only when defending the strap against Bret Hart did we get to see some entertaining wrestling.
Bret Hart and Diesel were the classic David versus Goliath story. It was a technically sound match that saw Hart trying to cut the legs out from underneath Diesel, while Big Daddy Cool used his power to prevent The Hitman from gaining an advantage. Both men showed an edge to their characters that hadn’t been there before, and it helped to add another layer of intensity. It was easily the best match of Diesel’s WWE Championship run.
Worst: Jerry Lawler vs Roddy Piper (King of the Ring 1994)
King of the Ring 1994 saw the coronation of Owen Hart. The youngest of the Hart siblings took his steps out from Bret Hart’s shadow and became his own man. It should have been the main event moment that finished a great tournament, but instead, we got to see two past their prime wrestlers roll around the ring for 12 minutes.
Roddy Piper and Jerry Lawler had a quick build, but alas, not a quick match. The 12 minutes they were given felt like 12 hours, as nothing happened. It was a yawn watching these men walk around the ring and try to placate the crowd. No one was interested in seeing this match finish the night and taking away a well-deserved moment from The King of Harts.
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