Everything You Need to Know About the First Ever Ladder Match in WWE History

Twenty-eight years ago to this day, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart locked horns against each other for the WWE Intercontinental championship. The two fought in a stipulation that has become a mainstay match today.

Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals are two of the greatest in-ring performers in the history of WWE. Both superstars had the ingredients to go to the very top and both didn’t disappoint.

Both these pioneers were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006 and 2011 respectively. The two icons have immense respect for each other now.

However, back in the day, this wasn’t the case. In the 1990s, The hitman and HBK were not only on screen adversaries, but they also had considerable heat off-screen.

Micheals in his autobiography revealed he had real-life heat with Bret Hart. This often happens when two superstars want one thing i.e. being king of the mountain.

Spring of 1997, the real-life backstage conflict between Michaels and Hart was reaching its height. Both men were going out on television and frequently making personal, true to heart remarks about one another.

Fall of 1997, Michaels along with his best friend Triple H and the D-generation X, continued his rivalry with Bret Hart and his reformed Hart Foundation.

This feud between Michaels and Bret culminated in a championship match at Survivor Series in November 1997. The showstopper defeated the hitman in an unpopular way which is now dubbed as the Montreal screwjob.

The rivalry between the two was built over the years. However, the seeds were sown in the early 1990s.

Also Read : “You’re One of the Best!”- NXT Sensation Rhea Ripley Recalls Hilarious Interaction With WWE Legend Shawn Michaels

Shawn Micheals vs Bret Hart in the first-ever ladder match in the WWE

In 1992, Shawn Micheals and Bret Hart faced off in the first-ever ladder match. Yes, you read it right, this was the first-ever Ladder match.

Many people are unaware of this because this wasn’t telecasted or marketed like Shawn Micheals vs Razor Ramon.

This match happened at a relatively obscure WWE show. Check out this post by the WWE Network on Twitter.

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Bret Hart defeated Shawn Michaels in this match.

If you’ve been living under a rock, HBK is the pioneer of Ladder matches. Mr. WrestleMania has competed in 6 ladder matches which is the most after Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, and Christian.

After their retirement, both legends have buried the hatchet and become friends. They make sporadic appearances once in a while.

Bret Hart had his sweet revenge when he defeated Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 26. The Hitman then captured the United States championship and was also the General Manager of Raw for a brief period.

After WrestleMania 26, Shawn Micheals stayed true to his word of retirement and never came back. However, he did return after a few years for a historic DX vs Brothers of Destruction match at Saudi Arabia.

Shawn Micheals is now an NXT coach grooming young athletes for the future. Do check out the link given in the article to see HBK’s influence on the future of WWE.

Let us know your favorite Shawn Micheals vs. Bret Hart moment in the comments.