In celebration of Monday Night Raw set to premiere on Netflix, former WWE superstar Sean Waltman/X-Pac reflected on one of his favorite matches from Raw’s inception back in the early ’90s. Known then as newcomer 1-2-3 Kid, an underdog who had recently scored a big upset win over Razor Ramon, Waltman earned his first chance at the WWE World Heavyweight championship against defending champion Bret “The Hitman” Hart.
The two would put on a 17-minute babyface vs. babyface gem, both uncommon because babyface vs. heel was the norm and a 17-minute contest on Raw was unprecedented. Notwithstanding, the match was highly regarded among fans and critics alike and solidified Bret and 1-2-3 as two of the WWE’s most solid performers.
“I was excited because I was such a big Bret Hart fan,” Waltman said on a recent episode of the “WWE Vault” YouTube channel. “I think we had a couple of weeks notice for that match. Bret let me come up with everything. He put everything into place. He wanted me to do all my stuff. I even did some stuff to him that I didn’t usually — like, I jackknifed him,” Waltman explained, the jackknife being a dangerous variation on a standard powerbomb.
Waltman commended Hart for his in-ring meticulousness, particularly when it came to the Hitman’s thoroughness and passion — even for ostensibly insignificant moves and holds like elbows, arm holds and forearm shots.
“There was as much effort and intensity put into those things as any of the bigger things, you know? And that’s incredibly important, and it’s something I learned from Bret,” X-Pac added.
X-Pac admits there were some rough patches throughout the match, but the prevailing notion is that the match was an excellent one. Longtime commentator Jim Ross, who was on commentating duty for the Bret Hart and 1-2-3 Kid on Raw matchup, described it as one of the best he’d seen in his career, a sentiment that X-Pac more than echoed.
Do you agree with Waltman that the Bret Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid on Raw matchup from July 11th, 1994 was the best of his career? If not, what match do you think was X-Pac’s best? Let us know in the comments.
