Bret vs. Shawn DVD Review
Probably the most talked about WWE DVD release since "The Rise and Fall of ECW" is the "Greatest Rivalries Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart". And why not? It's a dream come true for wrestling fans. That being said, it is somewhat strange to see Shawn and Bret sitting beside each other for the interview. (Funny side note, I tweeted Shawn asking him if it was awkward to sit next to Bret and give that interview, and he said no. So there you go!)
Overall it's a really nice way to close this chapter on their feud in and out of the ring. They share some funny little stories and give their opposing points of views, and in the end... well let me just say SPOILER ALERT! (If you don't want to know specifics stop reading now, and just go buy the thing.) In the end they both admit that they truly wanted each others' respect, and the fact that they were each to "macho" to do so, helped to fuel the dislike between the two.
My one complaint is, they seem to hold back a little. Maybe because it's a PG show? Bret especially seems to contradict himself a tad. One instance in particular, he was talking about how the WWF ratings were down, and everyone was watching WCW (during HBK's title reign nonetheless). Bret was on a hiatus at the time, and he said he thought that Shawn was doing great as champion, and it wasn't his fault everyone was tuning into Nitro instead. This blatantly contradicts what he wrote in his autobiography, which in so many words said that the fans were fed up with Shawn's pretty boy gimmick, and thought he was a disgrace to the company.
There were a few other instances that came to my attention while watching, but I think that particular one illustrates my point. It is possible, that Bret is now (finally) at peace, and upon reflection doesn't recall it quite the same as when he was bitter Bret Hart. It is also somewhat comical that Bret said, "Shawn did this," or "Shawn did that." Shawn basically shook his head, and said, "I don't remember, but I'm sure it did happen." In other words, Shawn really was pilled out of his mind all the time just like Bret wrote about, but he does admit to all his faults and offers his apologies.
Don't let this warp your opinion of the interview though. I'm a nit-picker, and just wanted to point it out to all the other nit-pickers out there. This is one of the best DVD's WWE has released, no doubt in my mind. The "Greatest Rivalries" is going to become a series of releases as well, with the next one tentatively being Stone Cold vs. The Rock. Pretty tough to beat that one as well. Check that one out next year, and definitely check this one out!
Overall it's a really nice way to close this chapter on their feud in and out of the ring. They share some funny little stories and give their opposing points of views, and in the end... well let me just say SPOILER ALERT! (If you don't want to know specifics stop reading now, and just go buy the thing.) In the end they both admit that they truly wanted each others' respect, and the fact that they were each to "macho" to do so, helped to fuel the dislike between the two.
My one complaint is, they seem to hold back a little. Maybe because it's a PG show? Bret especially seems to contradict himself a tad. One instance in particular, he was talking about how the WWF ratings were down, and everyone was watching WCW (during HBK's title reign nonetheless). Bret was on a hiatus at the time, and he said he thought that Shawn was doing great as champion, and it wasn't his fault everyone was tuning into Nitro instead. This blatantly contradicts what he wrote in his autobiography, which in so many words said that the fans were fed up with Shawn's pretty boy gimmick, and thought he was a disgrace to the company.
There were a few other instances that came to my attention while watching, but I think that particular one illustrates my point. It is possible, that Bret is now (finally) at peace, and upon reflection doesn't recall it quite the same as when he was bitter Bret Hart. It is also somewhat comical that Bret said, "Shawn did this," or "Shawn did that." Shawn basically shook his head, and said, "I don't remember, but I'm sure it did happen." In other words, Shawn really was pilled out of his mind all the time just like Bret wrote about, but he does admit to all his faults and offers his apologies.
Don't let this warp your opinion of the interview though. I'm a nit-picker, and just wanted to point it out to all the other nit-pickers out there. This is one of the best DVD's WWE has released, no doubt in my mind. The "Greatest Rivalries" is going to become a series of releases as well, with the next one tentatively being Stone Cold vs. The Rock. Pretty tough to beat that one as well. Check that one out next year, and definitely check this one out!
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