Shawn Michaels gets Bret Hart shout-out in his Top 5 Wrestlers of All Time list

Bret Hart is one of the greatest wrestlers in the industry. His record of nearly 3,000 matches over his professional wrestling career proves his dominance as an athlete. Hart’s identity is synonymous with the Stamford-based company and its biggest premium events.

The former five-time WWF Champion recently shared his Top 5 Wrestlers of All Time list with his fans. The list contained the five best wrestlers that were Hart’s personal favorites, including athletes that Bret worked with, such as Owen Hart and Shawn Michaels, among other big names from the 90s.

Bret Hart picks Shawn Michaels in the Top 5 Wrestlers of all time list

Bret Hart’s last match in WWE was against Ricardo Rodriguez & Alberto Del Rio in a tag team match, where Hart teamed up with John Cena for his last match in the company. The match took place on the September 12, 2011, episode of Raw, and “The Hitman” performed well despite being out of the ring for a while.

Not long ago, Bret Hart shared his top wrestler’s pick, mostly the athletes with whom he shared the stage or had known personally. The list also included the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, who is both a friend and rival to the Hitman.

HBK is a great athlete and is highly regarded as one of the top wrestlers in the industry. The former three-time World Champion has also made the Road to WrestleMania two times after winning the Royal Rumble event, which goes on to prove his capabilities as a WWE superstar.

Hitman’s storied rivalry with HBK

Rivalry between Bret “Hitman” Hart and Shawn Michaels is one of the prominent conflicts that is highly celebrated among fans. The WrestleMania 12 Iron Man match saw both wrestlers duking it out for the WWF Championship. Although the match was 60 minutes long, Shawn Michaels eventually defeated Bret Hart by a pinfall.

During an interview at the Games with Names podcast, Michaels added how he and Hart respect each other and have settled their differences since they retired.

HBK said, “We saw each other at WrestleMania, and it was unbelievably nice, very pleasant. We are both in a great place in life. I think he knows how important it is for us to be where we’re at. Bret always had a very calming presence about him, and he always pats me on the shoulder and very quietly says, ‘We’re good, Shawn, we’re good.’ And I know that he means that”.

Shawn continued, “Personally and professionally, I think we’re at a fantastic spot, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels’s rivalry changed the landscape of WWE at that time. Later more superstars were inspired by Hart’s technicality, making more submission moves. The Sharpshooter made Hart a household name and even today different variations of this move are even used today.

What do you think of Bret Hart’s list? Do you think his rivalry changed WWE? Let us know in the comments section below!