Post by lousyhero on Jan 30, 2013 6:26:43 GMT -5
If you're reading this, thanks for reading! This is basically the first thing I've ever written so I'm looking for feedback of any sort.. criticism more than welcome so I can figure out the sort of direction to take this.
In wrestling there have always been good guys and bad guys. They fight and help tell the tale of good versus evil. For a time, the good guys were righteous and heroic characters. Somewhere along the way though, they became flawed and some even guilty of perpetrating the same acts as the villains in the story. Traditionally, this would have led to them becoming the bad guy. But despite their actions, fans continued to cheer. This change in peoples' attitudes didn't happen over night and its causes extended far beyond the squared circle, however, I feel there was a feud, and one match in particular, that was pivotal in symbolising that change within wrestling.
On March 23rd, 1997, Bret 'Hitman' Hart and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin would do battle in arguably, the most prominent match in the modern era of professional wrestling. The match itself was an in-ring masterpiece, crafted by two performers whose technical ability, ring psychology, and sheer intensity, combined to create something which felt as 'real' as something could possibly be in the world of wrestling. It is regarded as one of the greatest matches of all time and served to not only cement Hart's legacy, but establish Austin as a bonafide star.
The bout is also revered for its execution of the double-turn. This saw one man enter the hero and leave the villain, whilst the other enter the villain and leave the hero. For whatever reason, today's writers seem to struggle to convincingly turn just one superstar.
Steve Austin turning face was undoubtedly a major catalyst that helped propel the WWF into the 'Attitude Era', affirming Hart v Austin as a cardinal accessory in its rise. However, whilst the feud was one of the many key factors that helped shape the era, it encompassed something much more than screw jobs, crotch chops and high-risk spots.
The double-turn managed to encapsulate a changing of the times. Or rather, a change in peoples' attitude towards their heroes. After all, what is particularly interesting about Hart v Austin, is that as the storyline progressed both men essentially stayed true to who they were. Despite this, the reactions of the fans began to change. In effect, it was really the fans that were turning.
Bret Hart built the Hitman character upon tradition and a strong moral standing. He was the hero and role model to many for his integrity, his fairness, never backing down from a challenge and standing up for what he believed in. The Hart family also played an integral part in the Hitman's career, conveying a strong sense of family values within the character. Together with his flamboyant pink attire and his technical ability, Bret had mass appeal to fans both male and female, young and old. He was a classic good guy, whose position as the main face of the company superseded a certain vitamin-taking, prayer-saying, Real American, who put out a similar wholesome message whilst runnin' wild and beating the bad guys for near to a decade prior.
The torch was passed to Hart when he beat Ric Flair for the WWF Championship in 1992. However, his time as 'the man' began to wane around 95-96 when a portion of fans took the boyhood dream of Shawn Michaels. The two would of course go on to compete against each other in an Iron Man match at Wrestlemania XII and after dropping the belt to Michaels at the event, Hart took some time off. Michaels' run as champion and face of the company was certainly well-deserved. He had won a place in the hearts of many due to some spectacular performances and his shining charisma. Although, whilst 'the boyhood dream' coming true may have been a heroic tale, there were attributes to Michaels' character that didn't carry the same virtue that Hogan and Hart had stood for. Michaels was brash. A cocky showman. A dancing, gyrating 'sexy boy'. The WWF fans had a adopted a new, sexualised hero. And although due to injuries and other turmoils, Michaels' run came to an end some 9 months later, this was a foreshadowing of things to come and demonstrated a shift in who and what fans would cheer.
Meanwhile, throughout 1996, the star of 3:16 had begun its rise. As the 1996 King of the Ring winner, Austin started to accumulate a passionate fan-base whilst maintaining a heelish persona. Austin was foul-mouthed, blasphemous and untrustworthy. He wasn't there to obey the rules; he was out for himself at any cost. And there certainly wasn't anything flamboyant about his style. Over the summer of 96, Austin would taunt the 'Best there is, best there was, best there ever will be' to return and face him. Austin, the hungry challenger, wanted to prove that he was now 'the best'. Hart on the other hand had to return to prove that he still had what it took to continue his legacy. Their first televised bout came at Survivor Series 96 where Hart would gain a clean victory over Austin, however, this was only the beginning of their stellar rivalry.
In the closing moments of the 1997 Royal Rumble match, Austin snuck back into the ring after already being eliminated and threw out Hart to win. However, these heelish actions did nothing to hinder the undercurrent of his growing popularity. Fast-forward to the post-Final Four episode of Monday Night Raw and Austin continued to disregard the rules when he cost Hart the WWF Championship in a match against Sycho Sid. A week before their Wrestlemania 13 bout, Austin would then try to assist Hart in winning the championship back so that their match would be for the title. This led to further interference by the Undertaker which resulted in Hart failing to recapture the gold. Post-match, Hart blasted the World Wrestling Federation for turning a blind eye to all this injustice; the outside interferences and bad officiating. He was unanimously booed for this tirade. As Jim Ross put it, this was “a very disconsonant Bret Hart”. Which was true; Hart had never lost his cool like this. But at the same time, he had not necessarily altered his principles. He was being truthful and standing up for what he thought was right. Perhaps the fans in attendance failed to see this and instead saw the sore, whining loser than Austin had accused him of being. Or perhaps fans had decided they were much more entertained by the chaotic, ruthless antics of Steve Austin than they were by the good guy fighting the good fight.
Six days later at Wrestlemania, both men entered the Rosemont Horizon to mixed reactions, although it's fair to say Hart still came out to mostly positive fanfare. For the finish, Hart cinched in the sharpshooter on a bloody-faced Austin. As Austin fought the hold, a cascade of crimson running from his temple, the cheers of support grew louder and louder until he faded to unconsciousness. After Hart was awarded the victory he continued to stomp Austin's leg only for the attack to be broken up by the referee. Hart's hatred for Austin had gotten the best of him and these actions elicited a resounding chorus of boos from the crowd. The turn was complete.
Hart's post-match assault was by no stretch the actions of a babyface, however, Austin had by this point blurred the line between face and heel. He had carried out similar dastardly deeds on his way to the top, yet still earned the respect of the fans. The difference being though that Hart as the hero had faltered. Austin had enraged Hart down to his level. And whereas Hart now stood accused of being a hypocrite, Austin had never tried to be anybody's role model. In a world where the difference between the hero and the villain was no longer so black and white, Austin's raw attitude, tooth and nail persistence and gritty determination struck a chord with the fans. The fans had begun to clamour for more over-the-top violence, profanity and risque content. Austin was not shy of this, whereas it was everything that Hart had stood against as their hero. And so that night in Chicago, the ideal of the classic good guy came to rest. That hero could no longer exist in a world that didn't want him.
16 years later and the face of the company has changed once more. The superhero of today's generation is John Cena. He makes childish insults, tells homophobic jokes and drops faeces on people. What happened to our heroes?
In wrestling there have always been good guys and bad guys. They fight and help tell the tale of good versus evil. For a time, the good guys were righteous and heroic characters. Somewhere along the way though, they became flawed and some even guilty of perpetrating the same acts as the villains in the story. Traditionally, this would have led to them becoming the bad guy. But despite their actions, fans continued to cheer. This change in peoples' attitudes didn't happen over night and its causes extended far beyond the squared circle, however, I feel there was a feud, and one match in particular, that was pivotal in symbolising that change within wrestling.
On March 23rd, 1997, Bret 'Hitman' Hart and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin would do battle in arguably, the most prominent match in the modern era of professional wrestling. The match itself was an in-ring masterpiece, crafted by two performers whose technical ability, ring psychology, and sheer intensity, combined to create something which felt as 'real' as something could possibly be in the world of wrestling. It is regarded as one of the greatest matches of all time and served to not only cement Hart's legacy, but establish Austin as a bonafide star.
The bout is also revered for its execution of the double-turn. This saw one man enter the hero and leave the villain, whilst the other enter the villain and leave the hero. For whatever reason, today's writers seem to struggle to convincingly turn just one superstar.
Steve Austin turning face was undoubtedly a major catalyst that helped propel the WWF into the 'Attitude Era', affirming Hart v Austin as a cardinal accessory in its rise. However, whilst the feud was one of the many key factors that helped shape the era, it encompassed something much more than screw jobs, crotch chops and high-risk spots.
The double-turn managed to encapsulate a changing of the times. Or rather, a change in peoples' attitude towards their heroes. After all, what is particularly interesting about Hart v Austin, is that as the storyline progressed both men essentially stayed true to who they were. Despite this, the reactions of the fans began to change. In effect, it was really the fans that were turning.
Bret Hart built the Hitman character upon tradition and a strong moral standing. He was the hero and role model to many for his integrity, his fairness, never backing down from a challenge and standing up for what he believed in. The Hart family also played an integral part in the Hitman's career, conveying a strong sense of family values within the character. Together with his flamboyant pink attire and his technical ability, Bret had mass appeal to fans both male and female, young and old. He was a classic good guy, whose position as the main face of the company superseded a certain vitamin-taking, prayer-saying, Real American, who put out a similar wholesome message whilst runnin' wild and beating the bad guys for near to a decade prior.
The torch was passed to Hart when he beat Ric Flair for the WWF Championship in 1992. However, his time as 'the man' began to wane around 95-96 when a portion of fans took the boyhood dream of Shawn Michaels. The two would of course go on to compete against each other in an Iron Man match at Wrestlemania XII and after dropping the belt to Michaels at the event, Hart took some time off. Michaels' run as champion and face of the company was certainly well-deserved. He had won a place in the hearts of many due to some spectacular performances and his shining charisma. Although, whilst 'the boyhood dream' coming true may have been a heroic tale, there were attributes to Michaels' character that didn't carry the same virtue that Hogan and Hart had stood for. Michaels was brash. A cocky showman. A dancing, gyrating 'sexy boy'. The WWF fans had a adopted a new, sexualised hero. And although due to injuries and other turmoils, Michaels' run came to an end some 9 months later, this was a foreshadowing of things to come and demonstrated a shift in who and what fans would cheer.
Meanwhile, throughout 1996, the star of 3:16 had begun its rise. As the 1996 King of the Ring winner, Austin started to accumulate a passionate fan-base whilst maintaining a heelish persona. Austin was foul-mouthed, blasphemous and untrustworthy. He wasn't there to obey the rules; he was out for himself at any cost. And there certainly wasn't anything flamboyant about his style. Over the summer of 96, Austin would taunt the 'Best there is, best there was, best there ever will be' to return and face him. Austin, the hungry challenger, wanted to prove that he was now 'the best'. Hart on the other hand had to return to prove that he still had what it took to continue his legacy. Their first televised bout came at Survivor Series 96 where Hart would gain a clean victory over Austin, however, this was only the beginning of their stellar rivalry.
In the closing moments of the 1997 Royal Rumble match, Austin snuck back into the ring after already being eliminated and threw out Hart to win. However, these heelish actions did nothing to hinder the undercurrent of his growing popularity. Fast-forward to the post-Final Four episode of Monday Night Raw and Austin continued to disregard the rules when he cost Hart the WWF Championship in a match against Sycho Sid. A week before their Wrestlemania 13 bout, Austin would then try to assist Hart in winning the championship back so that their match would be for the title. This led to further interference by the Undertaker which resulted in Hart failing to recapture the gold. Post-match, Hart blasted the World Wrestling Federation for turning a blind eye to all this injustice; the outside interferences and bad officiating. He was unanimously booed for this tirade. As Jim Ross put it, this was “a very disconsonant Bret Hart”. Which was true; Hart had never lost his cool like this. But at the same time, he had not necessarily altered his principles. He was being truthful and standing up for what he thought was right. Perhaps the fans in attendance failed to see this and instead saw the sore, whining loser than Austin had accused him of being. Or perhaps fans had decided they were much more entertained by the chaotic, ruthless antics of Steve Austin than they were by the good guy fighting the good fight.
Six days later at Wrestlemania, both men entered the Rosemont Horizon to mixed reactions, although it's fair to say Hart still came out to mostly positive fanfare. For the finish, Hart cinched in the sharpshooter on a bloody-faced Austin. As Austin fought the hold, a cascade of crimson running from his temple, the cheers of support grew louder and louder until he faded to unconsciousness. After Hart was awarded the victory he continued to stomp Austin's leg only for the attack to be broken up by the referee. Hart's hatred for Austin had gotten the best of him and these actions elicited a resounding chorus of boos from the crowd. The turn was complete.
Hart's post-match assault was by no stretch the actions of a babyface, however, Austin had by this point blurred the line between face and heel. He had carried out similar dastardly deeds on his way to the top, yet still earned the respect of the fans. The difference being though that Hart as the hero had faltered. Austin had enraged Hart down to his level. And whereas Hart now stood accused of being a hypocrite, Austin had never tried to be anybody's role model. In a world where the difference between the hero and the villain was no longer so black and white, Austin's raw attitude, tooth and nail persistence and gritty determination struck a chord with the fans. The fans had begun to clamour for more over-the-top violence, profanity and risque content. Austin was not shy of this, whereas it was everything that Hart had stood against as their hero. And so that night in Chicago, the ideal of the classic good guy came to rest. That hero could no longer exist in a world that didn't want him.
16 years later and the face of the company has changed once more. The superhero of today's generation is John Cena. He makes childish insults, tells homophobic jokes and drops faeces on people. What happened to our heroes?