Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper (WrestleMania VIII, 1992)

As big a star as Piper was in WWE, the “Rowdy Scot” had never held a title in the federation until winning the Intercontinental championship less than three months before this match. Hart, who had made the transition from highly accomplished tag-team wrestler to rising singles star, was a former Intercontinental champ. What made this confrontation even more compelling was the fact that Piper and Hart, both babyfaces at the time, were friends – both on and off camera.

The climax to an exciting back-and-forth match, which perhaps was Piper’s best ever during his WWE tenure, saw Piper grab the ring bell and prepare to smash a fallen, bloody Hart over the head with it. But Piper, once one of the most hated heels in wrestling, couldn’t bring himself to do it, and he tossed the bell aside. Piper’s moment of indecision gave Hart time to recover, and “The Hitman” went on to defeat Piper and regain the title. It was the first pinfall loss Piper had suffered since joining WWE more than eight years earlier, and it was the biggest victory of Hart’s career to that point. Hart and Piper embraced after the match and left the ring with their arms around each other.