Bret Hart vs Bob Backlund, WWF Survivor Series 11/23/94 Options

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Kevin Ridge]

The Sharpshooter versus the Chicken Wing. Submission match where the second must throw in the towel for the man they represent. Owen has said he will not throw towel in whatsoever. Stu and Helen have some nice ringside seats. Backlund works over Bret’s left arm/shoulder. They keep putting over how Foreman won the boxing title at the same age as Backlund.

First big submission is figure four by Bret. Owen doesn’t even bother to hold the towel in his hand. He’s not throwing it in. Bunch of Cross Face Chicken Wing attempts which gets the crowd going similar to Steve Williams’s Backdrops driver attempts in Japan. Bret gets the sharpshooter on but Owen completely outsmarts Davey Boy who runs himself into the steel steps for the knockout. Backlund gets on the Chickenwing.

Stage set for Owen’s fantastic acting. He is a mess at the sight of Davey Boy unconscious and his brother in the painful Chicken Wing. Owen pleads to his parents to do something about this. He’s in tears. That’s my brother! Helen and Stu just walk over Davey Boy’s body to get near the ring. Owen is begging them to throw in the towel. Stu isn’t complete buying this act but Helen is devasted. Finally Helen grabs the towel and throws it in. Owen grabs the towel and runs out of the ring in full joy.

The crowd is legitimately shocked at this outcome. Mr. Backlund has great facials after winning the title. In a way this was opposite of the Royal Rumble tag match where they went too quick to the decision that Bret couldn’t continue. Here he spends ten minutes in the chicken wing which is way too long but Owen completely carried things to the finish. He may not be the greatest promo guy but stuff like this was where he could really excel.

Mr. Bob Backlund, leader of the new generation. Owen promo where he laughs at his parents and calls Bret a loser.

[Loss]

This remains probably my favorite WWF angle ever. The match is good for Bret and Backlund keeping the heat without being able to work any real false finishes or nearfalls. But the angle is amazing. Everyone has seen it, so I will just comment on my favorite single moment in this, which is when Howard Finkel announces Bret as the NEW WWF champ, and Bret turns around and has this awesome dejected look on his face. The post-match promos are gold too.

[MARTYEWR]

Helen and Stu just walk over Davey Boy’s body to get near the ring.

That part still cracks me up to this day, especially with Helen doing it. Too bad she didn't become full-fledged heel as a result. It would've made sense. Walk over a fallen Davey Boy, without any concern for him, just to cost Bret the match.

[Loss]

I am in some ways a little surprised that they didn't accidentally heel Helen with that finish.

[Dooley]

They played it note-perfect so Helen came off as a sympathetic elderly mother that couldn't bear to see her son in so much pain, along with Owen's Academy-worthy performance egging her on. Plus it was probably harder to heel an old woman in 1994 then it is today. Stu was great as the grizzled old-timer thinking "ah, this is nothing compared to the Dungeon, he'll get out". Everything about this was just about perfect.

Backlund's post-match promo may be my favourite thing ever in the history of wrestling.

EDIT: I don't know how to do youtube tags on this site, but here's the Backlund promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyIfMvyI_dM

[Exposer]

Excellent match and angle. The angle is better than the match but I also thought this match was great. I loved the arm and leg work from both guys and the hold teases. This was all set up extremely well. It had really good structure and the drama is off the charts. Owen's promo was great afterwards as well.

[soup23]

Every time I watch this match and look at the time, I worry it wont hold up. It always does though and I love the action and the acting and finish is wrestling at its storyline best.

[Ricky Jackson]

Great match. One of the classic "match/angle" productions, ala Savage/Warrior and Hart/Doink/Lawler from Summerslam 93, which the WWF really excelled at back then. Holds up real well.

Out of curiousity, I checked Meltzer's rating for the match. He gave it a ridiculously low **, lower than the Yoko-Taker and Team Luger vs Corporation tag from the same card (both **1/2). I know he's never been much of a Backlund fan, but he was sometimes such a joyless wrestling snob back in those days.

[Loss]

He felt like the crowd didn't buy the angle, because every time they showed crowd shots of people sad about Bret losing, they started smiling and waving at the camera.