Bret Hart vs Disco Inferno (WCW, 2-25-1999)

WCW Thunder, Salt Lake City, UT

At this point Disco was a sorta member of the nWo, which had reunited, sorta, on January 4, 1999, the infamous “finger poke of doom” with Hogan and Nash. This episode of Thunder was taped on February 18. It’s very obvious that it’s a taped show and that Tony Schiavone and the crew are working in a studio somewhere.

So this is the Thunder main event, Thunder having become the clear B-show very quickly after its premiere in early ’98. Disco wants to sing the Canadian national anthem. Stuff about hockey and beer. Hilarious. Anyway, Hart’s music interrupts and I guess we’re supposed to cheer him because Disco just mocked Canada or something? Or Disco’s the babyface even though he was cut off like a heel and is a heel? Who knows?

Disco runs away from Bret to start the match, going outside the ring. “Disco sucks” chant. So I guess Hart is going to be de facto babyface since he’s not acting like his usual dickhead self tonight. Hart just waiting on Disco. A child parades around in the background with a sign that reads I FARTED.

Anyway, Disco gets into the ring, Hart gets close to him, and Disco bails again. Disco tries to put the sneak on Bret, who turns around in time. Disco runs away again. Repeat that, Hart with a kick, right hands, and he…throws Disco out of the ring. OK, at least he’s following. Hart stays on the attack out there, then throws Disco back in.

Disco begging off, Hart with a headbutt to the lower abdomen. Rake across the top rope. Hart with a choke over the second rope. So he’s still entirely wrestling as a heel. We go to a break as Bret chokes him with the boot.

After the break, Bret hits a DDT. He’s dominating the poor Disco Inferno. Another boot choke. Disco to the floor, Bret continues following him around and just destroying the fucker. Head into the steps. Rapid fire right hands from Hart. Back into the ring. Disco swinging at the air.

Hart with a headbutt. Hart continues dominating. Disco’s done nothing on offense. Russian legsweep from Bret. Cover gets two. Choke in the corner. Disco finally rakes the eyes, his first offense of the match. Hart rammed into the turnbuckle. Elbows from Disco to the top of Hart’s head. Stomps from Disco.

Now Disco is the one doing the choking. Hart hanging over the apron, Disco with an elbow to the chest. Disco roughing it up now. Kicks in the corner. Disco stomping Hart down like a regular Steve Austin. Hart up, catches Disco coming in and takes him down. Leg snap, now he’s going after the knee. Ass splash to the leg.

Another leg snap. Hart with the figure four now. Disco fighting it but he’s not near the ropes and he can’t roll it over. Disco tries to punch Hart in the knee to get out, but Hart’s not breaking. More knee punching, no break. Disco finally fights enough to get to the bottom rope. This kinda made the figure four look like shit, which Heenan sorta noted.

Side backbreaker from Hart. Elbow from the second rope. Hart going for the sharpshooter now, locks it in and turns it over. Hart sits down, Disco is tapping and that’s that. Bret just calmly walks out and the show is over.

Rating: 2.5/5. They’d had Bret lose to Piper and Booker on Nitro recently, between those matches a goofy ass win over Will Sasso, so this was a match to establish that Bret Hart is, in fact, still at least better than Disco Inferno as a competitor. It achieved that, but boy was this a “going through the motions” match for Hart.