Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels had one of the most combustible rivalries in WWE history. Fueled by the quest to be WWE’s top guy, the pair of WWE Hall of Famers carried the company in the post-Hogan era. While we may not be able to pick a favorite, WWE legend Jim Cornette certainly can.
On an episode of his podcast The Jim Cornette Experience, the perpetually mouthy Cornette weigh the impact of both Hart and Michaels but would ultimately make his final decision.
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“Bret was f**king…he was a high-level worker. He was an elite-level worker. When you compare him with Michaels as far as, you know…it’s apples and oranges, because it was a completely different style and Bret would probably punch me. But I mean, Michaels…was the best performer in the business in that episode for a few years there in the ’90s. But Bret I think, to be quite honest, was on top and obviously more responsible with it for longer. I don’t remember him ever taking his ball and going home,” he said.
There may not be a wrong answer to this debate, but Cornette gives the slight edge to Bret for simply being more consistent. It’s been well documented that mid-90’s Shawn Michaels was prone to drama as had several fiery exits. However, even though it sounds like Cornette doesn’t have fond memories of Michaels he still underlined that HBK was still a transcendental talent, and admittedly the best for several years.
Michaels would go on to have multiple runs in WWE while Hart would bounce to WCW after 1997’s Montreal Screwjob. When the dust settled Hart finished with more WWE Championships (5) that Michaels (4) but HBK arguable owns bigger moments in WWE history.
Let the debate continue!
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