Our fifth and final inductee of 2022 is the embodiment of precision inside the ring. Proficient in all areas of the game, but particularly lauded as perhaps the greatest technician of all-time. Though he never possessed the boisterous, over the top personality that was popular in his era, he certainly never had an issue getting his point across, and his understated approach on the microphone actually gave him a certain level of legitimacy that isn’t easily obtained. His in-ring prowess, combined with his composed demeanor and iconic pink and black attire with the reflective shades contributed to him becoming the face of the WWF during the mid-90s and one of the biggest stars in the wide world of pro wrestling until his retirement in 2000. Introducing the final member of the Wrestling Smarks Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, class of 2022 --
“THE HITMAN”
BRET HART
The perfect inductee to round out another amazing class of Hall of Famers, “The Excellence of Execution” is a no-brainer choice for any pro wrestling Hall of Fame. Bret is a performer who practically didn’t know how to miss. Throughout his career, whether he was tasked with being a midcard workhorse, a tag team specialist or the face of a company, he never dropped the ball and clocked in classic after classic inside the squared circle. Due to his incomparable in-ring IQ, wrestlers would be better just for sharing the ring with Bret. His tireless work ethic and treatment of wrestling as a religion gave him a leg up on his peers and made him the catalyst for a shift in the wrestling industry that would see smaller, more scientific wrestlers step into the forefront as top guys. When you see such matches as his against Curt Hennig at SummerSlam 1991, or against British Bulldog at SummerSlam 1992, or against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII, or against Stone Cold Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1996 and WrestleMania 13… there can be no denying that Hart is an unbelievably consistent performer and possibly the greatest in-ring storyteller to ever grace this business, and it’s obvious why the industry ultimately moved in the direction it did with him as the vanguard. Bret would go down as a seven-time World Champion with three WrestleMania main events and one Starrcade main event to his name, earning the moniker “The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be”. Now we acknowledge his brilliance as a performer with a tip of the hat and an induction into the Wrestling Smarks Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, class of 2022!
Thank you to everyone who participated in voting for the 2022 class and everyone who has followed along with the ceremony! I think we did a really great job again this year, creating a class that we can all be proud of. See you all again next year when we look to enshrine five more legends into our prestigious Hall of Fame!