Posted June 10Jun 10 comment_6031114 Rougeau Brothers vs. Hart Foundation (LA Sports Arena 10/16/88) - This isn’t the Brother Love match formula. This starts with the Harts bullying the Rougeaus and either teasing the tags and taking them away or letting them tag without opposition. Hitman and Bret clobber Jacques with some forearms and the crowd is chanting along like they’re Sheamus. The big difference so far is that the crowd is into the match. Los Angeles is riding high from their back to back NBA titles. The Rougeaus get control and work over Bret’s back. Anvil losing his cool allows Bret to get beat up even more but its really well done. I don’t mind the sitting chin lock or ab stretch here because Bret’s back has been brutalized. We get the same sunset flip pin where Bret waits for the ref to count and it feels more impactful with the crowd reacting. Bret crawling to this corner with a Rougeau on his back felt special. This is honestly the same match as the September matches but with genuine crowd heat. Bret kicking out of several near falls. After ten minutes of abuse, the crowd is rumbling and breaks loose for the Anvil hot tag. I have never heard Anvil get this type of response. They erupt for a Hart Foundation double team 2nd rope elbow. They do the ref collision spot but I was expecting it. I am doing something I have never done before. I am going to go back and put all my other recommendations from the feud and put them in doubt and change their nominations. With the exception of the matches from the first set, all other nominations from September or October are null and void - SOLID-STRONG NOMINATION (Because of the hot crowd in spite of a ten minute heat segment.)
