Bret Hart was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame on Friday evening, and the ceremony featured a specially recorded video from an old friend of Hart’s — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The Rock wasn’t the only name from the wrestling world making an appearance for Hart’s big night. Chris Jericho delivered the induction speech for the Hitman. And while Johnson’s video is not yet available online, we do have a screencap.
“Thank you to @therock for making a special appearance to honour @BretHart during our Celebrating Greatness: @CWOFame 2021 broadcast special featuring all of our 2021 Inductees & Honourees!” wrote Canada’s Walk of Fame on Twitter.
The Rock replied with a heartfelt message about Bret Hart’s impact on his career.
“My pleasure,” he wrote. “Bret Hart was a mentor to me when he didn’t have to be and in our wild and intense world of pro wrestling, there weren’t many “mentorship programs” back then. He gave me guidance and I’ll always be grateful. Congrats my friend on your incredible accomplishment.”
Bret Hart closed his speech by saying, “Most of all, thank you to all my fans around the world and across the country. I’m a proud Canadian and thank you for letting me be your hero.”
Bret Hart posted this photo and heartfelt message on Instagram about his induction and the people who paved the way for him:
The Rock & Bret Hart’s 25-Year Friendship
Johnson has always went out of his way to mention the respect he has for Hart. When the Hollywood icon joined WWE as Rocky Maivia in late 1996, Hart was reportedly one of the nicest veterans to the young star. Johnson has shared memories before about how Hart would go out of his way to sit by him on bus trips overseas.
“I’m always happy to shine light on those who impacted my life early in my pro wrestling career. Bret Hart treated me so good, took me under his wing and gave me great advice. Respect the business, save your money and never let those assholes bring you down. The rest is history,” Johnson wrote on Twitter earlier this year.
One famous story was when Hart and Johnson wrestled on Monday Night Raw (March 31, 1997), and Hart refused to beat the rising star even though that was what was originally booked. Both Triple H and Shawn Michaels were reportedly very upset that Hart had the finish changed.
It’s always good to see one of the biggest movie stars in the world remember his roots in professional wrestling and the people who helped him long before he became an icon.
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