Brief Summary
James Romero recaps Bret Hart's recent podcast appearance, focusing on key statements and providing context. Hart discusses his role in Steve Austin's WWF signing, his thoughts on his matches with Austin and Piper, and his opinions on various wrestlers like Owen Hart, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Jake Roberts. He also shares his views on modern wrestling, the Montreal Screwjob, and his potential opponents.
- Bret Hart played a role in Steve Austin's WWF signing.
- Hart believes modern wrestling looks too fake and misses the realism of past eras.
- Hart accuses Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels of being secretly lovers.
- Hart reflects on the Montreal Screwjob and his conduct throughout the situation.
Conceiving Steve Austin Signing and I Quit Match
Bret Hart discusses his involvement in Vince McMahon's decision to sign Steve Austin, questioning why McMahon would let ECW sign Austin when WWF desperately needed talent. Hart also shares his initial skepticism about the "I Quit" match with Austin, believing it would be terrible because neither he nor Austin were primarily submission wrestlers. However, they managed to pull it off successfully. During faceoffs with Austin and Piper, Hart had to bite the inside of his cheeks to avoid laughing. Austin had never bladed before, and Hart convinced him to let him do it instead.
Rick Flair's Nutshots and Getting Along with Owen
Bret Hart critiques Rick Flair's nutshots, finding them unconvincing. He contrasts them with the Stampede wrestling style, where a shin kick to the buttocks simulates a nutshot without causing real pain. Hart recounts discovering this technique after a woman at a Rod Stewart concert accidentally kicked him in the rear instead of his groin. He also discusses his relationship with his brother Owen, noting Owen's wrestling talent and his early attempts to get Owen signed with the WWF in the mid-1980s. Despite Owen's talent and several house show appearances, his official tryout was overshadowed by Vince McMahon's enthusiasm for Tom McGee, stalling Owen's WWF career until he debuted as the Blue Blazer.
Roddy Piper and Passing the Torch
Bret Hart states that Roddy Piper brought out the best in him as an opponent, contrasting this with his matches against Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels, where he felt he contributed 90% of the ideas. With Piper, the collaboration was more balanced, and Hart appreciated their shared vision for storytelling in the ring. Piper would joke about potentially turning their match into a shoot. Hart initially thought he was being double-crossed when he lost the Intercontinental title to The Mountie, only for Piper to win it and then drop it back to Hart. Hart contrasts Piper's willingness to pass the torch with Hulk Hogan and Jake Roberts, whom he accuses of selfishness and hindering other wrestlers' careers.
Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts and Dream Opponents
Bret Hart felt that Hulk Hogan missed an opportunity to pass the torch to him in 1993, which Hogan was very selfish in that respect. Hart also addresses Jake Roberts' criticism that Hart and Shawn Michaels were the worst champions ever. Hart defends his and Michaels' contributions to high-quality matches, questioning Roberts' perspective. Hart counters that Roberts never stepped up to take the torch himself. The speaker defends Roberts, noting the wrestling business's decline in the mid-90s and Roberts' departure from WWF in 1992. Hart names Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, The Rock, John Cena, AJ Styles, Bryan Danielson and Brock Lesnar as wrestlers he would have loved to face.
Modern Wrestling and Realism
Bret Hart expresses his dislike for modern wrestling, finding it too fake and unrealistic compared to wrestling from the 1990s and earlier. He criticizes today's wrestlers for being actors who don't understand basic wrestling techniques and for prioritizing high spots over storytelling and psychology. He contrasts this with the more grounded and realistic style of wrestling from the 1980s and 1990s. Wrestlers in WWE NXT are taught to only do pre-agreed moves and rely on producers for guidance, making matches predictable. He argues that suspending disbelief has become increasingly difficult due to the lack of realism in modern wrestling.
Charisma and Drawing Power
Bret Hart says that nobody gives an as good an interview as a prime heel Brett Hart does today and he is including CM Punk in that list. He says that there is no comparison between charisma of wrestlers from the 80s and 90s and modern wrestlers. He says that the best main event stars, the best midcard stars, the best tag teams, the best enhancement talent were better in the past. He says that nobody kicked out of each other's finishes 14 times a match because everyone was so creatively bereft these days. He says that wrestling has changed for the worse. He says that there are a plethora of people out there who are desperate to start watching wrestling again.
Ricky Steamboat and Punches
Bret Hart says that Ricky Steamboat is a great example of somebody who made wrestling look real. He explains how to do a headlock properly. Hart criticizes the way modern wrestlers throw punches, singling out Sheamus for opening his hand at the last second. He contrasts this with his own technique of twisting his hand at the last moment to strike with the soft part of his hand, creating the illusion of impact without causing significant injury.
The Screwjob and its Aftermath
Bret Hart reflects on the Montreal Screwjob, expressing pride in his conduct and criticizing Vince McMahon as a "slime ball, crook, and liar." He dismisses Shawn Michaels' knee injury as fake, pointing to Michaels' subsequent backflip as evidence. Hart reveals that he suspected Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon were secretly lovers. He says that Shawn Michaels saying he wouldn't put him over after Bret Hart's uh, said that he would do put Shawn over. He says that Montreal would have never happened if Sha hadn't said that to him. He says that he may well not have uh tried to sue Vince McMahon because he started destroying all the TV monitors and the cameras and basically he was causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage.
