Bret Hart vs Brian Adams (WCW, 3-2-1998)

WCW Monday Nitro, Philadelphia, PA

Adams, the former Crush in the WWF, made his WCW debut two weeks before this, offering to shake Bret Hart’s hand and then it turned out to be a big nWo ruse, Adams their newest recruit. The next week, they had a brawl and Hart got the better of it with Ric Flair’s help against Adams, Curt Hennig, and Rick Rude.

Adams jumps Hart right away, before Bret can get his jacket off. Adams with a gorilla press down into a backbreaker. Adams with a stomp, Bret rolls out of the ring. Adams follows out with a right hand, but at least Bret got his jacket off.

Hart rammed into the guardrail. Adams looks to post Bret, but Hart blocks, elbows him in the gut, and smacks Adams’ head off the post instead, then the ring steps.

Back into the ring, Hart slams Adams’ head off the turnbuckle and lands some rights to the body. Hart mounts for the rapid 10-punch, drives him down. Adams sent off the ropes, right to the gut, Russian legsweep. Hart in total control, making Adams look like a total also-ran.

Adams off the ropes, nope, reversed, Hart ducks under, they collide, and Hart knocks him down with the clothesline. Side backbreaker. Hart off the second rope for the elbow, Adams gets a boot up but Bret stops short. Hart goes for the sharpshooter, Adams fights it, and Hart drops a headbutt into the abdomen. Borderline at best.

Adams catches Hart going for a hiptoss and clotheslines Bret down. Adams with the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. He’s back in it. Adams with a boot up in the corner after a whip reversal, now Adams takes the turnbuckle pad off. Adams with a double sledge down to the back. Hart blocks the shot into the exposed steel, Adams hits it, and Bret turns him over in the sharpshooter. Adams trying to hang on. Curt Hennig runs in, Hart sees him and meets him with right hands. That’s the DQ even though Hennig hasn’t done anything other than appear.

Hennig and Hart, who will meet at Uncensored, fight outside. Bret ducks a chairshot and Hennig hits the post. Hart driving Hennig away with right hands. They fight down the aisle, and Adams comes from behind and slams Bret on the floor. That’s that!

Rating: 2/5. Nothing wrong with it but nothing anyone needs to see, just a TV match to set up a pay-per-view match.