Smark Out Moment

In FIVE MOVES OF DOOM, we break down a particular wrestler's moveset and examine the five signature maneuvers that they perform on a regular basis.

These are the moves that fans watch out for during a match and are usually in a sequential pattern, building up to and including their finishers that typically get the biggest pop of suspense from the crowd each and every week.

On today's edition, we will be covering Bret 'The Hitman' Hart's Five Moves of Doom. Hart is arguably one of the best technicians ever to enter the squared circle. He is a pro wrestler who prided himself on in-ring skills and the ability to put other wrestlers over through crowd appeal. Hart is coined as being "the Excellence of Execution" and "the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be."


1. Inverted Atomic Drop

Hitman positions himself face-to-face with his opponent. He then quickly dips down and wraps his opponent with his arms. He swiftly lifts his opponent up in the air suspended and ferociously drops them down in between their two legs. This is a highly effective move which causes a large amount of pain in addition to having a significant 'stun' factor on an opponent. This move damages inner thighs, private parts and grounds an opponent.

2. Russian Leg Sweep

Hitman positions himself directly next to his opponent. He then wraps his arm around his opponents' neck while standing perpendicular. He takes his inside leg and wraps that around his opponent's inside leg and immediately snaps back. This move leaves both of them laying on their backs and damages his opponent's neck, shoulders, upper and lower back.

3. Pendulum Backbreaker

Hitman scoops his opponent up and holds by his arms and hip. His opponent is roughly 3 feet parallel to the mat now. He then thunderously pounds his opponent down onto one of his knees that creeps into position under his opponents' back. This maneuver causes severe damage to his opponent, affecting their lower back.

4. 2nd Rope Elbow Drop

This move is performed exactly like it sounds. Hitman backs himself into the corner turnbuckles and hoists himself up onto the 2nd rope. He leaps onto his opponent in perfect form, driving his elbow into his opponent's face. This move typically is Hitman's lead up to his finisher.

5. Sharpshooter

The Sharpshooter is Hitman's finishing move, and it is a particularly painful submission hold. While his opponent is laying on the mat borderline unconscious, Hitman proceeds to takes their legs and cross them with his own leg between them. With his opponent's feet firmly lodged in between his left armpit, Hitman proceeds to turn his opponent onto their stomach. He then sits down on top of them, pulling their legs backward. This maneuver causes excruciating pain to his opponent by stretching their lower back and placing their legs in a very uncomfortable position. Historically, the only pro wrestler not to tap out was Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIII (but he passed out in doing so, and thus, lost the match anyway).

CONCLUSION

The reality is that Bret Hart has many more signature moves than these 5 listed here. Every single one of his matches were led and created by him (as loosely claimed by Hart himself in his autobiography; "Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling"). Hart was able to form such a large arsenal of signature moves through training with his father in the famous Hart family Dungeon since childhood. Stu Hart was a famous Canadian promoter, amateur and professional wrestler. He founded "Stampede Wrestling" which was a Canadian territory that produced several notable WWE Superstars and Legends. All of his children were involved in the business. The sons all went on to become wrestlers and his daughters married wrestlers. The WWE even adopted several creative matches that originated at Stampede Wrestling; such as the ladder match. I suggest picking up his autobiography or perhaps renting 1 of his 3 wrestling documentaries to learn more about his moves, or checking out his Iron Man Match with Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania XII. That match showcases just how much of a variety of moves Hart was working with.