Being the World Heavyweight champion is the single most coveted prize in the sport of professional wrestling. Fighting for that prize is the goal of every superstar who ever first laid their eyes on a wrestling ring. Whether it’s to continue a legacy once forgotten, marking a name for yourself in the annals of wrestling history, or plan and simple fame and fortune living for that dream is what drives every single eHw superstar. The trials, tribulations, pain, heartache, and the hidden speed bumps along the road have deterred many who once dared to live that dream. For the Sandman and Bret the ‘Hitman’ Hart the road to the World Heavyweight championship has led them across many different paths, there is no one road to the championship.
For the Sandman that road was first paved in the now defunct ECW wrestling family. It was in ECW that the Sandman made himself known as the Hardcore Icon battling and defeating countless legends in some of the most brutal and barbaric matches of all time. From his infamous feud with Raven culminating in a barb wire match to his many stairway to hell matches the Sandman has experienced first hand the true essence of Hardcore wrestling. The Sandman in late 1999 decided to jumped ship to a new fledgling company called eHw, extreme Hardcore wrestling. That decision would change the course of history for both company and wrestler. The Sandman’s hardcore style and ability to endure excruciating pain easily made him stand out amongst the rest of the pack becoming eHw’s first World Heavyweight champion. Through the years the Sandman was eHw becoming the number one most recognizable wrestler with the company, a franchise if you will. The Sandman would do battle with the best e-fed’s had to offer, and he beat them all. Marking himself as one of if not the best wrestler in the game the Sandman continues to stay atop of eHw when many have come and gone in his wake. The Sandman would be crowned eHw World’s champion on five separate occasions, more than any in the history of the company. The Sandman this Sunday looks to add on more notch to an already impressive record, one that may never be beaten.
The Sandman’s opponent on Sunday is a man he knows all too well. The Hitman Bret Hart’s journey begins in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There Bret was trained by his father and legendary wrestling promoter Stu Hart. It was in Stu Hart’s dungeon where Bret would spend hours being stretched and taken to the limit by his father. Out of all this training Bret learned the move that not only gave him his nickname but would also propel him to the top of the wrestling business in the Sharpshooter. Bret’s early career was slow, spending years wrestling not only for his Father Stu in the Canadian Stampede wrestling company but all across the world as well most notably in Japan. Bret eventually made it to the main stream scene working for Vince McMahon in the WWF. Bret’s career didn’t start off quick as he paid his dues in the wrestling business with his brother-in-law Jim the “Anvil” Niedhart, forming the team known as the Hart Foundation. After multiple runs with the Tag Team titles Bret parted ways with his partner and made a name for himself on his own. Bret would eventually reach the top of the mountain five times in the WWF, adding his name to the list of WWF legends. Bret lead the way for many of the successful Canadian wrestler who got their break largely in part to the Hitman. Bret’s tenure in the WWF ended suddenly however. In a move still disputed to this day, Vince McMahon would screw Bret Hart out of his final World Title run at the 1997 Survivor Series. After Bret had a very unsuccessful career in WCW despite holding the World Title and on the wake of his brother’s death in a tragic accident, Bret left the WCW at the beginning of year 2000. Bret left WCW and walked in to eHw fresh and away from the wrestling scene he now despised. It was in eHw were Bret made a new home for himself becoming the second ever World Heavyweight champion and holding that title three more times. Despite losing the support of the eHw fans, Bret continued to wrestle for eHw taking small breaks along the way. When eHw reopened a month ago, it was Bret Hart himself who led the resurgence bringing with him eHw Desire Studios which has given eHw new life and marked a new era in the company. Bret’s only goal since day one in eHw has been to hold that World championship, rarely has he not been in the title picture when he has been with the company. Bret finds himself fighting one more time for the belt he’s fought his whole life to hold and this Sunday, Bret looks to be the second man in history to be five time eHw World Champion.
For these two men their roads to the title have crossed paths more times than any other two men in the history of eHw. The most famous and brutal feud in eHw, the Sandman and Bret Hart’s tangled web starts at No Way Out 2000, eHw’s first PPV. It was in that main event that the Hitman would best eHw’s first world champion the Sandman despite the Sandman receiving assistance from future Crown of Barbwire champion Raven and the newly formed flock. The Hitman would go on to defend the title against the Sandman in the one and only Hart dungeon match in eHw history. It was after this match that a change of power came to eHw and Paul Heyman took the helm. With this change Heyman wanted a new world champion crowned despite Bret’s dominance. In a tournament to crown a new champion the Sandman would best the competition, without ever facing Bret Hart. It was this disrespect that changed the Hitman forever in eHw. Hart claimed foul play in a vulgar display on eHw Hardcore Tv (Click Here to hear the audio of Bret’s speech that night). Hart accused Paul Heyman and all the eHw fans that they had turned their back on him. From that day, it was the Hitman who played the role of the ‘heal’ and the Sandman the ‘face.’ A match was bound to take place and at the very first Born to Be Wired the Sandman and Bret Hart faced off one more time for the World Heavyweight championship. They were not alone in the battle however as the newest main event player the Undertaker was added to the mix and would end up beating both men to win the World title for the second occasion. With the Hitman and the Sandman out of the title picture and eager to get back in it a tournament was devised that would take place yearly. That tournament was the King of the Deathmatch, and in it’s first run the Sandman and Bret Hart once again found themselves at opposite ends meeting in the finals of the tournament. The Sandman would get the best of the Hitman on this occasion and would not only get a World title shot at Cyberslam, but also had the privilege of being eHw’s first King of the Deathmatch. With the Hitman out of the World title picture Bret announced his quest to win every other title in eHw. The first title the Hitman went after were the Tag Titles. Hart was the most hated wrestler in the locker room for his constant complaining so Hart found himself going after the titles by himself. The Hitman got his shot against Acolytes Farooq and Bradshaw, the Tag Team Champions at the time. Despite holding his own in the match, Bret was far from winning the titles by himself. As the match progressed, the Sandman ran down and hit Bradshaw with a Singapore Legsweep. Sandman made the cover and it was official, the Sandman and Bret Hart were Tag Team Champions! Far from a solid Tag Team Bret and the Sandman shared the titles that night despite Bret claiming he could’ve beaten the Acolytes himself. Bret’s real plan however would soon become apparent. In their first Tag Title defense against the J.O.B. Squad (Al Snow and Hardcore Holly), Bret turned on his partner the Sandman leaving him at the mercy of their opponents. The J.O.B. Squad would win the titles and the unlikely duo of Bret Hart and the Sandman was ended that night. Hart didn’t stop there attacking the Sandman after the match and injuring him for weeks. With the Sandman injured Paul Heyman had no choice but to give Sandman’s rightful title shot at Cyberslam that he earned at King of the Deathmatches to the man he fought in the finals who placed second, Bret Hart. Hart had it figured out all along and at Cyberslam he would defeat eHw hall of famer Sid Vicious for the World Heavyweight championship with the Sandman watching at home. Hart and Sandman wouldn’t cross paths again until early 2001 where Bret Hart was scheduled to go one on one with current World Heavyweight champion Scott Steiner. The Sandman found himself as the special guest referee and was forced to ring the bell when Bret Hart had Steiner beaten with the Sharpshooter despite cheating his way through the match. With his fourth championship reign under his belt Bret Hart was signed to defend his newly won prize against the Sandman. It was at eXtreme PAIN 2001 that these two would meet one on one for the last time in an exploding ring match. In what is still one of the most brutal and talked about matches in eHw history the Sandman beat Hart by giving Hart his patented Heinickenrana on the exploding ring! With the win the Sandman finally avenged his stolen shot from six months earlier at Cyberslam. The Sandman and Bret would share the ring again before eHw closed however. In the tournament that would close eHw last year, the Sandman and Bret Hart met in the ring and sang a duet together acknowledging their legendary rivalry and allowing eHw to close with class. Once again it was the Sandman who got the best of Bret that night giving the Hitman one last Singapore Legsweep, proclaiming “I will never, EVER forget Cyberslam!”
That was the past, the present however is a far different story. eHw is back up and running with a new desire era and the Sandman and Bret Hart find themselves to be ahead of the pack. In the tournament to crown our first World Champion of the desire era held this past month the Sandman and Hart dominated. The Sandman beat the soon to be retired Sid Vicious in the first round who just a week prior was handed the worst loss of his career by Bret Hart. In the semi-finals the Sandman defeated eHw hall of famer and the longest running World Champion in history Scott Steiner. Hart on the other hand fought the young up and coming stars of eHw. In the first round Hart easily defeated AJ Styles even attacking him after the match. In the semi-final Bret Hart squared off against his long time nemesis from the WWE, Shawn Michaels. Michaels was on a role and most say he would’ve beaten the Hitman if not for the attack he suffered earlier in the show by the hands of the New Church. Michaels may have showed his courage and determination to be the champ that night but he did not defeat the Hitman. And so it goes, the Sandman and Bret Hart meet one more time for the World’s Heavyweight championship at the historic Born to Be Wired 3 this Sunday. With such a historic rivalry who will reign supreme in the next chapter of the Bret Hart Sandman story?
Will this man return to the glory of being World Champion for a sixth time?
Will this man be forced to start the journey that has taken him three years to get to, all over again?
Who will reach their final destination at Born to Be Wired 3? Find out this Sunday night as eHw history is re-written all over again! It’s Born to Be Wired 3!
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***The song featured in this roleplay is "Shine On You Crazy Diamonds Parts 2-4" by Pink Floyd, be sure to catch the end of the song for a special send off***
