Bret Hart On Backstage Changes After Being Champ

[PHX]

The Score's Arda Ocal sits down with Bret "The Hitman" Hart in the final part of his three part interview. Bret touches on Lex Luger, his opportunity to carry "the ball" for WWE and his role as the champion of the company in the 1990's. Highlights:

On Ratings after dropping the title to Michaels at Wrestlemania XII and Steve Austin: "At the time, ratings plummeted after I dropped the belt to Shawn at Wrestlemania XII. They started losing the ratings to WCW. Shawn did not fill the void like I did and they kinda ended up where its like 'We're gonna go back to Bret Hart' The guy that pulled them all out of that was Steve Austin and that was the guy I had a lot to do with helping shape where he was going in his career. I think I had a lot to do with, through the '90s and I think I had a lot to do with the direction the whole company went, and the stars that did make it for WWE, like Austin and even Shawn I had a lot to do with helping get where they were."

On carrying the company through the 1990's: "[Vince] needed someone immediately, like someone right now to carry the whole thing and not drop it. And thats what I love about my era. Its like 'Here, give it to Bret Hart'. And they gave me all that. And you know I say, guys like Flair and some of these guys say Bret Hart didn't draw money, and thats not true at all. I did draw money. I drew big houses. And I had the tough job of having to carry things, I had to be the big star after Hulk Hogan, who was a failed hero at the moment."

On changing the 'rules' as champ: "The big one was I was never a big fan of the big star on the door dressing room. Warrior had it, Macho Man had it too with Liz, but Liz had to change and it was a different thing with Macho, but I always felt Macho earned it. Hogan had the fruit basket, the flowers and the special room with star on the door too. I always felt Hogan earned it too. I never thought he didn't deserve any of that, he did. I know just when it came to me, you know the limo rides, and the limo service and all that, I didn't want any of that" ... "I want to change in the dressing room with the other wrestlers. I don't need the star on the door, I don't want it. Save the "its all a big show" for somebody else, I don't want it. I was the first champion to refuse that" ... "You see guys like Warrior and Hogan that didn't have the time of day for anybody but themselves. I changed that. I wanted to be not just the peoples champion, but I felt like I was the dressing room champion".

Always see people on here talk about Bret/Shawn's era and how they didn't draw or did draw etc so figure it was worth posting. Bret seems to really be on his own dick in that first part trying to take a lot of credit.

 

[Chris]

Despite him sounding like a dick, most of what he said is true, he did help Austin out a ton with that feud, but man, I expected SOME modesty.

 

[Cwalker]

That's the one thing I don't care for about Bret Hart. He takes credit for a lot. Here he's taking credit for Shawn and Austin. I think he's somewhat of a mark for himself.

But I do agree with him that he was a good Champion. Different from Hogan and Warrior.

 

[PHX]

Despite him sounding like a dick, most of what he said is true, he did help Austin out a ton with that feud, but man, I expected SOME modesty.

Yeah that's pretty much what I meant I mean he obviously helped Austin a lot with that feud but the way he goes about taking credit for what Austin did comes off as a ego trip by him.

 

[We Are Legion]

He makes it sound like he was carrying the ball all by himself between Wrestlemania 9 & 12. He had tons of help from Luger, Nash, Yokozuna, Scott Hall, and even his brother Owen as well. And the ratings started plummeting after Wrestlemania 12 because 3 of those guys went to WCW... 2 of which showed up literally 2 months later. I like Bret and all, but I think the guy suffers from a delusion that Vince placed the weight of the world on his shoulders which is questionable to say the least. I'll also note that between Wrestlemania 9-12, each of those 4 main events featured either Shawn Michaels (2x) or Bret Hart (3x) or Yokozuna (2x).

Hulk Hogan also wasn't a "failed hero", just a mishandled hero. WCW sure as hell knew what to do with him (even before they turned him heel) and John Cena has been the face of WWE for damn nearly as long as Hogan was in a tougher era to prolong that sort of thing.

He definitely helped Austin a lot though, I'll give him that.

 

[Crippler]

Nash wasn't a draw just look at the numbers when he was champ for a year. But yeah Bret is mark for himself.

 

[We Are Legion]

I definitely didn't say Nash was carrying the company either. There's not enough drugs in the world to bring me to that conclusion.

 

[The Cork]

Butt Hurt still bitter about the screwjob.

I read the other part to this that he claims Shawn GOAT Michaels stole the ladder match idea from him, which reduced me to tears of laughter at how sad his life is.

 

[Heisenberg]

Bret is a mark for himself a lot of the time. He gives himself credit for way too much of his own and others success.

 

[Crippler]

I do give him some credit for Austin, cause i don't think Austin would be as over if it wasn't for his feud with the Hart Foundation.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

Bret was essentially the top guy of that era, was he not? And if it wasn't for him and their iconic feud, Austin wouldn't have been so over.

 

[Troy]

There is plenty of truth in what he is saying but it would be better if he was more modest. The way he is talking it sounds like he thinks WWF would have gone under if it wasn't for him which wasn't the case. He played a big role but he is still over stating his impact.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

Could this arrogance be the actual reason for the screwjob?

 

[Deezy]

Butt Hurt still bitter about the screwjob.

I read the other part to this that he claims Shawn GOAT Michaels stole the ladder match idea from him, which reduced me to tears of laughter at how sad his life is.

Well, the ladder match was done in Stampede waaay before WWF used it in 94.

Someone being a mark for themselves isn't a new concept here. Bunch of butt hurt fans are the ones not being able to let Montreal go. Not the people who were involved with it.

Bret Hart is still one of the most truthful older wrestlers out there, even if he still tries to paint himself holier than thou. What he says still holds more validity than most everyone from that era.

 

[Heisenberg]

Could this arrogance be the actual reason for the screwjob?

?? Sort of yes but no. Main reason for the screwjob is because Vince was worried Bret would take the title onto WCW TV.

Bret DID agree to drop the WWF Title to Shawn Michaels, just not in Canada. As Champ he did have that prerogative. He told Vince he'd lose to Shawn a few days later when the WWF got back to the U.S. Vince agreed to that. Bret told Vince he'd lose to anybody Vince wanted him to, just not in Canada. He even offered to forfeit the title on RAW, but Vince didn't want that. So they agreed that Shawn would beat Bret for the WWF Title when the WWF returned to the U.S. a few days later.

The monkey wrench in that plan was Shawn Michaels and Triple H. They convinced Vince that Bret would take the WWF Title to WCW and throw it in the trash, even though Bret had never given any reason whatsoever for Vince to doubt his word. You've heard Triple H mention that Shawn was "not a happy camper" in those days. He's right. Shawn was a drug addict, angry, paranoid (about his size), and believed everybody was out to screw him over. He's not like that now, but he sure was then. So, Shawn and Triple H kept telling Vince that Bret would "pull an Alundra Blayze" (take the title to WCW and throw it in the trash; Alundra Blayze did that with the WWF Women's Title). Whether or not Shawn and Triple H really believed Bret would do that doesn't matter. What matters is VINCE believed it.

So Vince made sure it couldn't happen. The ending was supposed to be either a double-DQ or a double-countout, with the title switch a few days later. Vince changed the ending in the middle of the match (which is why he was at ringside), telling the ref to "ring the f*cking bell!" without even asking if Bret submitted after Shawn put The Sharpshooter on him. The ref was in on it. He rang the bell and then ran for his life, to the back and into a waiting car that got him out of the arena immediately. Triple H hurried down and got Shawn out of the arena before the fans could get to him. Vince stayed there to run interference and keep Bret from going after Shawn or the ref. Bret spit in Vince's face and destroyed an expensive TV camera, then later punched Vince backstage.

The Screwjob happened because Shawn Michaels and Triple H convinced Vince that Bret would take the WWF Title to WCW and throw it in the trash on live TV. As far as I know Vince Russo had nothing to do with any of this. It was all Shawn and Triple H.