Bret Hart has responded to Jake Roberts’ previous claims that he was one of the “worst world champions” in WWF history.
Hart addressed Roberts’ statement in a recent episode of his Confessions of the Hitman series. Roberts had previously argued that both Hart and Shawn Michaels were the “worst world champions of all time”. The Hitman disagrees.
“He made some reference that we didn’t draw, which is always .. I don’t know if that’s a fair view,” Hart stated. “If you look at any of the WrestleManias, WrestleMania 12, you can’t tell me, if you look at the crowd, that I didn’t draw. I mean, it was huge buyrates and it was a packed. Even Wembley with Bulldog was over 80,000 fans there. And to try to throw out, ‘hey, you never drew?’ I wrestled in front of 100,000 people in India for [WWE] in 1994.”
A Great “Pretend Wrestler”
Bret Hart acknowledged that, although he feels he was an undeniable draw, an argument could be made that he didn’t draw in the same way Hulk Hogan did—though he isn’t sure any other Superstar did.
He argued how Roberts never went to the gym and was strictly a “promo” guy. Although he credited Roberts as a “great worker,” Hart quickly added how he was a “great pretend wrestler.”
“I think it bothers me that someone like Jake, who never went to the gym– if he did go to the gym, he might do a set and then go smoke a cigarette outside. He was not a tough guy, was not a legit athlete, he was strictly a promo, and he was a great worker; a great pretend wrestler.”
Hart continued, “But all I know is that when my time came and they picked me to be the champion, they chose me for whatever reasons. I’m very happy that they chose me. I think I was a good choice. I certainly worked hard enough to get that opportunity. But Jake Roberts said something like we were too small and we and we never drew big numbers or anything like that, but I say in response to that, where was Jake Roberts? […] like, why didn’t [Roberts] take the torch? Why wasn’t he there?”
Throwing Stones
Bret Hart then claimed that Roberts was the kind of wrestler who “never passed the torch to anybody.” According to him, Roberts was never interested in establishing anyone but himself.
Vehemently disagreeing with Roberts’ opinion, Hart stressed that he believes that people would be “hard pressed to find two better” than himself and Michaels to become champion. He added how they never had to take a backseat to Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, or those that Roberts considered to be “real iconic [pro] wrestling champions.”
As far as Bret Hart is concerned, Jake Roberts has “no business ever throwing stones at me and Shawn.”
