REVIEW: WWE's Greatest Rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart

WWE brought two former real life enemies together for this ‘special presentation’ DVD. The company has previously produced other DVDs with mixed results, but the buzz behind this release was palpable considering the bitter history between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.

Both men were involved in the most controversial match in pro wrestling history, when Shawn Michales in collusion with WWE boss Vince McMahon, legitimately screwed Bret Hart out of the WWE Championship in Montreal at the 1997 Survivor Series. The situation was tense at the time as it was Hart’s final match before he would jump ship to then-rival promotion, WCW. The lines between what was being presented as a story on  WWE TV and what was going on backstage are all laid out in specific detail.  The story has been documented before in both biographies penned by Michaels and Hart. “Wrestling with Shadows” was a groundbreaking eye-opening documentary which covered the entire story of Hart’s last year with WWE and had cameras backstage for the aftermath of the ‘Screwjob’. WWE has also reflected on the controversy several times in story lines, including having Hart come back to WWE in 2009, to defeat Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 26.

So how does this “Greatest Rivalries” come off fresh with a story that is 14 years old? It keeps things brilliantly simple in that it features the HeartBreak Kid and the Hitman sitting down to talk out the issues of their rivalry and issues. Jim Ross serves as the anchor of the conversation which is inter-spliced with retrospective recaps of each chapter of the story. The majority of the 2 hour documentary covers obviously the ‘Montreal Screwjob’, but it’s not the only topic covered. Hart and Michaels also give insight on their matches, their early years in the WWE in the tag team division, and how their rivalries has effected their legacies. The tone at times in the sit down conversation is intense and makes for engaging experience for die-hard WWE fans.

This DVD is must-buy for any WWE fans who enjoyed the 90’s and Attitude Era. It truly encapsulates the issues between these two Hall of Famers but gives revealing insight on what this rivalry did to both legends. The documentary is worth the price alone, but the collection of matches especially the epic Wrestlemania 12 Iron Man match make this an exceptional DVD.