Greatest Match Round 1: Hart/Austin WM13 vs. Lesnar/Rollins/Cena RR2015

[Everlong]

SquaredCircle's Greatest Match of All Time!

(1) Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, Submission Match, WrestleMania 13



VS

(8) Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena, Royal Rumble 2015



VOTE NOW for which you liked better. Voting will last three days. In the event of a tie, the winner will be decided by which match had more people commenting in its favor.

[SortaCreative]

Yeah. If you vote against the best match ever you should go fuck yourself.

[Circled Square]

Hart/Austin no question for me.

[KaiserGlider]

I saw Austin/Hart again a few days ago. It was an extremely well put-together match that relied on storytelling and realness. It was a different style than the types of matches we usually get these days and I can appreciate that. However, I have to vote for the match I enjoyed more - and that's Lesnar/Rolins/Cena. I did have the benefit of watching the matchup live on the WWE Network (for just $9.99) so it was easy to mark the fuck out for things like Rollins doing the Phoenix Splash for the first time in a WWE ring or Lesnar going BEAST MODE after being taken out by like 55 finishers and being put through the announce table and the barricade.

On the other hand, with Austin/Hart it was going back and watching a match that so many people are praising as the best match ever, and a match I knew the finish of because it was such a famous one. To that end, it didn't quite live up to expectations. It was a match that was fascinating to watch, but a match that didn't totally blow me away.

So my vote goes to the triple threat, in my opinion the 2015 Match of the Year so far and a match I enjoyed the hell out of. Bret/Austin will probably win this round and I have no problem with that.

[Tom]

I think it's safe to say that both of these matches saved both respective pay per views from being completely rubbish

The triple threat was awesome, probably my match of the year so far this year. There was some great action, awesome moments and Lesnar looked like a monster throughout whilst putting over Rollins and Cena at the same time. It's a pity we don't have Lesnar around on a full time basis to do this with the current roster on a more frequent basis. But does it beat Austin vs Bret? Not a chance.

Austin vs Bret at Wrestlemania 13 remains one of the greatest matches of all time and, although I don't think it is the greatest match of all time, it is a strong candidate to win and deservedly so. The brawling on this was top notch. It was a classic one vs one encounter in which the hatred between both superstars was executed perfectly. It was also a lot different than their previous pay per view match at Survivor Series (another great match between the two) which goes to show how well the feud had advanced and how both superstars were capable of working different styles. Bret probably doesn't get as much credit for as good of a brawler he is, probably because his technical prowess maybe unmatched.

The triple threat was awesome but Bret/Austin had that one vs one match where every move and moment felt much more real. It also had one of the most iconic finishes in wrestling history. So it has to win this round for me!

[EmperorWu]

Austin/Bret is a great match which I have seen several times, so maybe that takes a bit of the luster out for me. Rollins/Cena/Brock I saw live, so the excitement is still fresh in my mind. At the end of the day though, I enjoyed that match much more.

[PorkChop]

Hart vs Austin at WM13. Once again, not a close contest.

[VaderBomb]

Hart vs Austin has been one of my favorites for years. Rollins/Cena/Lesnar was amazing but still has to prove itself with staying power. Granted, I've only seen the match live on PPV and it was excellent. Just not on that Hart/Austin level.

[Hanley!]

This is an easy one for me. I've been watching every match in the tournament again, which is why I've been slow to get my comments up for some rounds. It's partially to refresh my memory on the matches so I can make a clear, unbiased decision. It's also due to the fact that @Kirbi hasn't seen a bunch of the matches, due to not being a fan for quite as long, so we're watching them back so she can take part. But despite going back to watch the matches again, this is the one round where I cast my vote before giving the matches a rewatch. I knew there was only going to be one winner.

I voted for Hart/Austin. Not only was it the better match here, it arguably deserves to win this entire tournament in my opinion. Fantastic work by two performers in their prime.

The psychology of the match was brilliant. Both guys were 100% in character at all times, from the moment they entered the arena. The brawling looked very intense and real, and that's something that is often done wrong. Agreed with Tom about Bret's brawling. It's exceptional. He has a reputation for being a great technical guy, but Bret could brawl with the best of them. He was a true all rounder.

There weren't as many big spots as in some modern matches, but there didn't have to be because every move was done to perfection and sold to perfection. Everything seemed more authentic here, from the brawling to the chair shots, to something as simple as a superplex.

Bret zoning in on the knee was great strategy, and he never let up for the entire match. I liked the slow heel turn that was building even through the match, as he became more methodical and ruthless, just taking Austin apart. And Austin sold the leg for the whole damn match. Even on offense, he was always selling.

The finish was fantastic. Austin milked the submission for just long enough before passing out, and he really made himself look strong and admirable in defeat. Likewise Bret took things up a notch after the match and his facials and body language made him seem like a sour, mean bastard. It was just great stuff. Basically a perfect match.

In comparison, the Royal Rumble match was very good but not special in the same way. It's not going to be remembered in the same way, it didn't have the same impact on the company and it just wasn't as good a match.

It relied too much on the big spots. They were thrilling to watch, and Lesnar did look like a beast by kicking out of so much, but I think they could have accomplished the same thing without making the finishers mean so little. I also thought that some of the interference was unwarranted. J&J were involved in a couple of cool spots, but I thought they probably added less to the match than they subtracted from it.

Then there was John Cena. He just subtracts from most of the matches he's in. Cena can have good matches for sure, but I don't think I'll ever consider a match with him in it a 5 star classic because there's so much he doesn't do well. He can tell a good story, and he works well with the crowd. He has a good sense of timing. But his moves all look bollocks. Without exception. He also sells terribly. He jumps up when he takes the curb stomp, it looks ludicrous. He also can't stay down for a believable near fall. As soon as the ref slaps 2, he does a massive kickout without fail.

This match also had the problem I have with all triple threat matches in that it was just a series of one on one matches in the ring. WWE always rely on this technique particularly. Compare this to Joe/Daniels/Styles which is coming up later in the tournament, and you'll see a big difference. Those guys actually try to do spots that incorporate three people. I would have liked to see the two triple threat matches paired against each other actually.

There was a lot to love about Rollins/Lesnar/Cena without a doubt, don't get me wrong. I liked the match a lot, it's still probably been the WWE match of the year. Lesnar and Rollins tore it up out there with some great spots and outstanding selling. But it doesn't compare to the near perfection that was Austin/Hart. This is an easy choice for me.

[Str8Shooter]

Watched both matches today, starting with Bret vs Austin. I think Steve is right in that this match will most likely be a contender to win it all. I'll be honest, I enjoyed it but for some reason it didn't seem as special to me this time. I think probably because it's such a well known match that I've probably seen it quite a bit more than most matches on this list.

Bret and Austin had great chemistry together and I liked it got off to a hot start and really was one of the first Austin matches that would end up using his trademark "brawling through the crowd", which would become a Stone Cold staple throughout the Attitude Era. I did think the brawling through the crowd might have gone too long, because the cameraman stopped following them after a bit, and there was only a high camera that could barely see what was going on.

Bret going after Austin's bad knee was cool, the figure four around the post was always cool looking. This match just dripped with a believable hatred of each other. I loved the shot of Bret's daughter with her hands over her eyes when Austin was on the attack. The commentary was jarring with the constant selling of the shift of Bret Hart from babyface into a whiny heel and the putting over of Austin's toughness. The finish is one of the best finishes ever, certainly iconic.

Watching Cena/Rollins/Brock reminded me of just how good it was. The action was non stop, Brock looked like a beast, and there were a whole bunch of cool moments throughout. With the double German to J & J, the elbow through the table, Brock coming back and cleaning house after, the double AA to J & J. It was well paced and the crowd was into all of it.

This matchup was much closer than I would have though, as I really liked the Triple Threat, even on the second viewing. I'll give it to Bret/Austin, but it's a tough choice for me.

[Kirbi]

I watched both of these matches today (I'd seen a bit of the triple threat before, but I was fighting off sleep at the time). The triple threat was a solidly entertaining match. It wasn't perfect, and I pretty much agree with Steve on why, but it was fun as hell. Watching it also got me re-psyched for Lesnar/Rollins down the road. That will be just gravy.

Good as this year's was, it couldn't hold a candle to Hart/Austin. Sometimes the stars just align, I guess, because this one's very nearly note-perfect. The brawling here was truly great, right from the start of the match. These were two consummate professionals, still in their prime, leaving it all out there when it mattered, and doing it smart. A workshop in getting you to care, in 30 minutes or less. If I'd seen this when it came out, it would've made me a viewer all by itself. Hart/Austin FTW.

[prophet]

Easy enough as a few of the first round match-ups will be, Hart/Austin no question.

[The Legend]

Hart/Austin is an iconic piece of art that tells a better story in the ring action than any other match I think I've ever seen. If not at least on the short list. The double switch was brilliant. And the ending successfully begins the rocket launch of Austin's career with him refusing to give up.

This year's WrestleMania main event I think more than anything in this tournament suffers from recency bias. Also, somewhat shock value. If not for the cash in I don't think this match makes the tournament. The match itself as a whole package wasn't all that particularly compelling or much different than another Cena/Lesnar match.

[KaiserGlider]

This year's WrestleMania main event I think more than anything in this tournament suffers from recency bias. Also, somewhat shock value. If not for the cash in I don't think this match makes the tournament. The match itself as a whole package wasn't all that particularly compelling or much different than another Cena/Lesnar match.

Seems like you got confused, we're discussing the triple threat at this year's Royal Rumble, not Reigns/Lesnar.

[The Legend]

This year's WrestleMania main event I think more than anything in this tournament suffers from recency bias. Also, somewhat shock value. If not for the cash in I don't think this match makes the tournament. The match itself as a whole package wasn't all that particularly compelling or much different than another Cena/Lesnar match.

Seems like you got confused, we're discussing the triple threat at this year's Royal Rumble, not Reigns/Lesnar.

Oh so I did. Whoops. Anyhow, I'd still have voted the way I did.