Bret Hart first contacted WWE in February of 2009 to let them know that he was open to returning for a storyline. Hart’s girlfriend was going to school in Calgary and he would be based out of Calgary for a few years instead of Hawaii, where he had been. Bret was getting bored with retirement and thought of getting back into wrestling.
Bret notes that there were times when WWE seemed interested and other times when they really didn’t seem interested in his return at all. He told them a few times that if they weren’t that interested, he was fine with that and then he would always hear immediately back from them with interest. Talks for this year’s WrestleMania angle got serious last September.
There is a storyline in place through WrestleMania between Hart and Vince McMahon with hope for some sort of street fight or at least a showdown between the two at WrestleMania. Due to concussions from the past and his stroke in 2002, Hart is very limited to what he can do in the ring. He can’t take a traditional flat back bump. Obviously challenges like these could affect what happens between Bret and Vince. The original script for the RAW angle a few weeks back was for Vince to slap Bret in the face. Because of the concussion issue, they changed it to a kick in the stomach. It actually ended up being a kick to the groin from Vince, a miscue that Bret felt made the segment better.
Both Bret and WWE have laid out the basic details of the storyline and agreed on them. Each side has veto power regarding minor details. Hart is scheduled to return at next week’s RAW and is scheduled to be a regular on RAW through February. Bret’s contract with WWE is for through April and is only for this storyline. Bret is said to be open to ideas if WWE is interested in using him past that point and is open to signing a longer contract. If no contract would be offered, he is still open to appearing on the occasional show for the next few years while he’s mostly based out of Calgary.
Other sources report that revealing Bret’s stroke from 2002 in the storyline has been talked about. Apparently it will be a significant part of the angle at some point. Bret’s concussion issue is less likely to be brought up because it’s such a sensitive issue right now.
On the plane trip from Hawaii to RAW, Bret’s sciatic nerve in his lower back was acting up badly, causing concern that he would be limping to the ring. Bret rested after the trip and was pain free by the time RAW came on Monday night.
(Credit to the restling Observer Newsletter for the information used in this report)
