Some sports images like Michael Jordan in a Wizards uniform will never look right. Bret Hart in WCW falls under the same category. WWE wasn’t the only promotion Bret worked for during his career, but it’s where he became a global superstar. Therefore, Bret will always be seen as a “WWE Guy.”

This is why his late 90s run in WCW always felt so out of place. In total, Bret wrestled 135 matches in WCW, losing 57 times. The majority of those 57 losses weren’t televised. On WCW programming, only 12 competitors earned a victory over Bret. One of those performers has been erased from wrestling history. The others are all worth revisiting.

Kevin Nash & Randy Savage Hand Bret Hart His First Official Loss In WCW

Bret & Sting Pick Up A DQ Loss

We start the countdown with a two-for-one. The first time Bret Hart tasted defeat in WCW was at the hands of Kevin Nash and “Macho Man” Randy Savage. On the April 16, 1998 episode of WCW Thunder, Bret teamed with WCW Champion Sting to take on two of The nWo’s heavy hitters.

The match was far from a barn burner but was fun for what it was. In the end, Bret and “The Stinger” would take the DQ loss. This would be the only time Randy Savage bested Bret Hart on WCW programming. Kevin Nash, on the other hand, would hand Bret another L in tag team competition before the end of Bret’s WCW run.

Booker T Gets An Upset Victory Over Bret Hart

Arguably The Biggest DQ Win Of Booker’s Career

WCW made a bunch of mistakes that helped speed up their demise. Chief among them was a refusal to prioritize building young stars. When Bret Hart arrived in late 1997, he became one the few established WCW main eventers who wanted to help elevate young talent. One of the first up-and-coming WCW stars Bret put over was Booker T.

At the time, Booker was one of WCW’s most popular mid-card acts but wasn’t having much luck breaking into the next level. At Bash At The Beach 1998, Booker picked up his biggest win to date when he beat Bret by DQ. A pinfall win would’ve obviously been more ideal but a DQ win was more than some other WCW main eventers were willing to offer a midcard guy.

Bret’s First Non-DQ Or Count-Out Loss In WCW

What a difference a few years makes. In 1994, Bret Hart and Lex Luger were vying to see who would be Hulk Hogan’s successor as WWE’s flagship performer. Four years later. Bret and Luger found themselves in WCW in the middle of an nWo civil war. On the October 8, 1998 Nitro, Bret and Luger would square off with Bret’s WCW United States Championship on the line.

While Bret would do his best to carry the match, it was no 5-star classic. Ultimately, Luger would catch Bret in his Torture Rack submission, picking up the win and claiming the United States Championship in the process. Luckily for Bret, he’d get his win and his title back from Luger rather quickly.

Lex Luger & Sting Team Up To Hand Bret Hart Another Loss

“The Hitman” Takes The Count-Out Loss Even With Hollywood Hogan As His Partner

In hindsight, it’s hard to believe that WCW fumbled the embarrassment of riches they had in terms of their late 90s roster. The clash between Sting, Lex Luger, Bret Hart, and Hollywood Hogan is a great example of just how stacked that roster was at the time. The star power in the match alone would’ve suggested it took place at a pay-per-view.

In classic WCW fashion though they gave it away for free and gave fans an unsatisfying finish. The match ended in a count-out after Bret walked out on Hogan. The match itself would be overshadowed by The Warrior’s supernatural arrival post-match. This would be Sting’s first official win against Bret Hart but it wouldn’t be his last.

The Blade Runners Reunite To Hand Bret Hart Another Weak Loss

The DQ Losses Are Piling Up For Bret At This Point

The Ultimate Warrior’s time in WCW can only be described as a disastrous flop. One cool thing that came out of Warrior’s WCW run though was a Blade Runners reunion with Sting. The one-off reunion took place on the October 12, 1998 episode of Nitro when Warrior and Sting teamed against Bret Hart and Hollywood Hogan.

The fact that Warrior gets credited with a win over Bret Hart in this match is laughable. Sting wrestled 99% of the match before finally tagging Warrior in. Once in, Warrior hit three running clotheslines on Bret before The nWo ran in, causing the DQ finish.

Diamond Dallas Page Makes Bret Hart Feel The BANG!

DDP Walks Out With Bret’s United States Championship

Technically, this wasn’t Diamond Dallas Page’s first win against Bret Hart. At Fall Brawl 1998, Page was on the winning team of the War Games match while Bret was on the losing team. DDP and Bret’s bout on the October 26, 1998 Nitro was a more traditional affair.

Bret’s United States Championship was on the line during this match making the match that much more important. In the end, Page would hit a Diamond Cutter, pick up a huge win, and capture the WCW United States Championship. It was a huge win for Page but it wouldn’t be his last victory over Bret Hart in WCW.

Konnan Picks Up A Big DQ Win Over Bret Hart

“Mexico’s Hulk Hogan” Vs “The Pride Of Canada”

Here’s a deep cut for some casual fans who might’ve forgotten that Konnan and Bret Hart had a match in WCW. On paper, this match had a lot of potential. Especially when considering how big of stars both men were internationally. Again though, in classic WCW fashion, the match was treated like an afterthought.

The match itself was solid. Konnan started off hot but eventually, the tide turned in Bret’s favor as he began targeting Konnan’s knee. The match would end in a DQ as an unhinged Bret began bashing Konnan’s knee with a chair. These two would cross paths again just 10 days later with Bret picking up the win.

Dean Malenko Picks Up A Big Win Against “The Hitman”

A Clash Between Two Masters Of Technical Wrestling

When Bret Hart arrived in WCW, some technical wrestling fans were excited by the possibility of two technical wrestling studs like Bret and Dean Malenko eventually crossing paths. Well, that finally happened in late 1998. On the November 23 Nitro, a hobbled Malenko would step up to a heel Bret Hart.

Malenko’s “knee injury” would add an interesting element to the match. The two mat technicians worked a great back-and-forth match with Hart repeatedly taking advantage of Malenko’s knee. The match ended in a DQ after Bret hit a Diamond Cutter on a steel chair. A clean win would’ve been preferable but this is arguably still the biggest win of Malenko’s career.

Roddy Piper Gives Bret Hart A Reality Check

Piper Walks Away With Bret’s United States Championship

Similar to Diamond Dallas Page and The Ultimate Warrior, Roddy Piper technically beat Bret Hart at Fall Brawl 1998 during the War Games match. Their one-on-one bout on the August 2, 1999 episode of Nitro was a bit more relevant though. This match marked the first time since their WrestleMania 8 classic that Piper and Bret squared off one-on-one.

This United States Championship match was a far cry from their WrestleMania bout. It featured a fake injury spot by Bret, a prolonged ref bump, and unfortunately, involvement from Mad TV actor, Will Sasso. The match ended when Bret got in an altercation with Sasso, allowing Piper to execute a roll-up for the win and the U.S. Title.

Scott Hall Picks Up A Controversial Win Over Bret Hart, Goldberg & Sid Vicious In A Ladder Match

Outsider Shinanigans Lead To Hall Winning The United States Championship

Bret Hart had some head-scratching losses in WCW. Perhaps the most egregious one though was his final loss in the promotion. It happened on the November 8, 1999 Nitro in a United States Championship Tornado Ladder Match which featured Bret, Scott Hall, Sid Vicious, and Goldberg. The match was already convoluted enough but WCW made matters worse when Kevin Nash was appointed the Special Guest Referee.

Why did a Ladder Match require a guest referee? Who knows. That’s late-stage WCW in a nutshell though. The match was mercifully short and ended when Nash hit Bret in the knee with a pipe just as he was pulling down the U.S. Title. The hit caused Bret to drop the belt into Nash’s hands. Nash then slightly elevated the belt over his head and allowed Scott Hall to grab the belt and win one of the worst ladder matches in wrestling history. Yikes!