One of WWE’s most infamous matches that took place 33 years ago but has never seen the light of day will finally air this Monday night on the WWE Network.
WWE announced on Friday they will air the much talked about Bret Hart vs. Tom Magee match from October 1986 following RAW. The match will be accompanied by a documentary that focuses on the significance of the bout.
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The site was Rochester, New York and the event was a WWE television taping. Hart and Magee wrestled in a dark match that night and apparently blew everyone away, including Vince McMahon. Magee, who was a former body builder and strong man competitor, didn’t have a reputation as much of a wrestler at the time, but after the match with Hart, had McMahon convinced he was the next Hulk Hogan.
If you’ve never heard of Tom Magee, that’s because his career didn’t exactly pan out that way. He was out of pro wrestling entirely by 1990.
The match is a testament to the skill of a young Bret Hart, who was seen as a man over time who could get a great match out of almost anybody.
The match itself was long thought to have been lost. Supposedly there were only two VHS copies in existence, one with famed wrestling journalist Dave Metlzer (who had no idea where it was among his thousands of tapes) and perhaps Bret Hart’s personal connection. As it turns out, the match was recently found by a fan who Hart had given some tapes to for a project at one time.
Here’s WWE’s announcement about Monday’s airing of the match and the documentary that will accompany it:
WWE Network to stream documentary on the infamous lost match between Bret Hart and Tom Magee
One of the greatest mysteries in sports-entertainment history has been found and you’ll be able to see it along with a documentary explaining the story on WWE Network after Raw on Monday.
On Dec. 6, 1986(ComicBook note: the match was actually Oct. 7, 1986), Bret “Hit Man” Hart faced Tom Magee in an untelevised tryout match in Rochester, New York. After the bell sounded and Magee’s hand was raised, he was labeled the next Hulk Hogan, but since the bout was untelevised, footage became lost over time … until today.
VHS tape traders tried in vain to chase down the cassette of Hart vs. Magee for three decades to no avail, but it was recently discovered as part of “Hit Man’s” tape library and is available Monday after Raw on WWE Network. Check out this classic match and get the full story on how the tape was discovered, what happened to Tom Magee, and much more by watching Holy Grail: The Search for WWE’s Most Infamous Lost Match, streaming Monday after Raw.
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