At WCW Starrcade 1999, Bret Hart and Goldberg faced off in a match that would live on in infamy in the careers of both men.

During one part of the match, Hart bounces off the ropes and receives a stiff kick to the head by Goldberg, resulting in a severe concussion.

After decades in the industry, Hart would never fully recover, and his legendary career would end on a whimper.

Forgiveness

For years, Bret has blamed Goldberg for ending his in-ring career, and that attitude is unlikely to change.

Goldberg recently joined The Michael Kay Show with Peter Rosenberg to promote his upcoming ‘Biography: WWE Legends‘ and was sad to think the Canadian legend will always hold a grudge (via Sportskeeda.)

“When an accident happens and you tell your side of the story and nobody believes it, especially the person negatively affected by it, yeah it sucks. I will take it to my grave because I am sure that he will never forgive me. What else can I say? I said I was sorry and that it was unintentional, it was the furthest thing from my mind, I dont know, a million times?”

“I am sure that he will never forgive me.”

Bill Goldberg on Bret Hart.

Bret has shown no signs of forgiving Goldberg over what happened, and made that clear during an appearance on the Broken Skull Sessions.

On the show, Hart told ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin that Goldberg hurt everyone he worked with, and wrestling him was like fighting a gorilla.

When it comes to Canadian wrestlers, few are more beloved or more accomplished than Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart.

Hart’s legendary career in the ring saw him capture both the WWF and WCW World Championships, as well as several other titles as both a singles and tag-team wrestler.

“The Hitman” also has two WWE Hall of Fame inductions to his name (2006 as a singles Superstar, 2019 for his work in The Hart Foundation) but now the “Excellence of Execution” is heading back to Calgary.

The Event

According to the Daily Hive, Calgary will host a “Ring a Ding Dong Dandy” of a wrestling show.

On July 9, the Romero Distillery will host ‘Romero Rumble,’ which will feature an appearance by Hart.

Bret, who turned 65 years old last Saturday, will be doing a meet and greet with fans for the event, which takes place 25 years after the iconic WWF In Your House: Canadian Stampede Pay Per View.

A Family Affair

Bret will be the biggest name to appear at Romero Rumble, but he’s not the only Hart in town.

The card will also see Davey Boy Smith Jr. the son of Bret’s brother-in-law in action, as the former WWE Superstar takes on Raj Singh.

Raj is the son of Gama Singh, who spent 16 years in Stampede Wrestling, the promotion Bret’s father Stu owned.

Brian Pillman Jr. the son of “The Loose Cannon” Brian Pillman, a teammate of Bret in the Hart Foundation, will face local talent Mo Jabari.

Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has said that Goldberg’s success makes him “kind of mad” given the career-ending concussion the former Universal Champion gave him.

At Starrcade 1999, Hart (then the WCW World Champion) received a stiff thrust kick to the head, resulting in a concussion.

Compiled with several other injuries from his career, Hart would be forced to retire from in-ring competition and has only wrestled a handful of times since.

While speaking to Lucha Libre Online, Bret admitted that he has still not forgiven Goldberg, who has wrestled on a part-time basis for WWE in recent years (h/t Bodyslam).

“It’s always been a bit of a sore spot; it always makes me kind of mad that some guy is flying all the way over to Saudi Arabia and making 3 million dollars in a match and the same guy is the guy that kicked me in the head and never thought about me or what he cost me and my family and what he did to me.”

“The Hitman” has claimed in previous interviews that Goldberg “hurt everybody he worked with.”

Bret and Goldberg After ‘The Kick’

While Bret has technically wrestled in the years since Starrcade 1999, measures were taken to avoid him getting injured.

In 2010, Bret won the WWE United States Championship from The Miz in a match where The Hart Dynasty did most of the work.

At that year’s Summerslam, Bret would team with John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Chris Jericho, Edge, R-Truth, and John Morrison to defeat The Nexus, but was eliminated after being disqualified for using a steel chair.

As for Goldberg, he would continue to wrestle for WCW and signed with WWE in 2003 where he worked for a year.

In 2016, Goldberg returned to WWE and has competed sporadically since, becoming a two-time WWE Universal Champion.

• Bret Hart Advises AEW Talent, But is Happy at Home (May 2022)

Bret Hart says he enjoys mentoring members of the AEW roster, but considers himself happily retired from the wrestling world.

The Excellence of Execution spoke with Mike Dagger for Lucha Libre Online earlier this week. During the conversation, Hart spoke about rumors of him coming out of retirement to appear for All Elite Wrestling.

Hart says he has no plans to appear on television any time soon. After a decades-long career that kept him on the road several hundred days per year, he’s making up for lost time and spending as much time at home as possible.

As he’s said before, he wants to be remembered as a wrestler and is not interested in being a manager or authority figure.

“I’m happy retired,” said Hart. “I’m a ‘home’ guy now. There’s not a lot I can do in wrestling. People say, ‘What are you going to do? What would you do in AEW?’ It’s like, what would I do? Referee? Manage? Be a chairman? I don’t want to be remembered that way. I want to be remembered as a wrestler.”

Bret Hart & AEW

Bret Hart remains a hero to countless wrestlers throughout the industry. He’s considered one of the greatest performers of all time and his legacy is still celebrated to this day.

Hart says he keeps in touch with several wrestlers on the AEW roster. They call him and text him asking for advice about their matches and their careers.He enjoys giving back to the business in this way, but enjoys his time at home.

“I’d be happy to help a lot of them,” he said about AEW talent. “.. and I know a lot of them, and I talk to them, a lot of them sometimes, by text or on the phone, and people call me up and I always got advice and I can always pinpoint little things that can make a difference in a guy’s match or something he’s doing but, I’m a guy that likes being home. So, they’re gonna have to call me on the phone.”

He wishes he could still travel like he used to, but it’s getting harder for him to fly around the country at this stage in life. That said, he respects AEW as an organization and will continue mentoring people remotley.

“There’s a lot of things I would love to be part of with AEW and what they’re doing. I know they’ve got some great wrestlers there and I have a lot of respect for the organization and all that but right now, I’m happy at home.”

• Watch: Bret Hart Canada Walk of Fame Induction Video

Watch Bret Hart’s interview with Lucha Libre Online:

CM Punk has responded to Hangman Page’s “Bret Hart tribute” dig during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

Page cut a promo on Punk ahead of their match at Double Or Nothing, saying that their match isn’t going to be a “masturbatory Bret Hart tribute.” In fact, he plans to “destroy” the Straight Edge grappler once and for all. He also mocked Punk for missing this week’s Dynamite.

Punk later responded on Twitter, teasing he’s going to put Page in the Sharpshooter.

Over his past several matches, CM Punk has been paying homage to Bret Hart with various spots. His match against Darby Allin in his AEW debut was almost an exact remake of Hart’s match against The 1-2-3 Kid on a 1994 episode of RAW.

Also, during Punk’s dog-collar match with MJF at AEW Revolution, Punk used the same finish from Hart’s match with Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 8. Earlier this year, Punk’s match with Wardlow was also very similar to Hart’s match with Diesel at the 1995 Survivor Series.

Most recently, Punk’s match with Dustin Rhodes on Dynamite was very similar to Hart’s match with Goldust on an episode of RAW in 1997. It will be interesting to see if Punk does pay tribute to Hart again with some more cool spots during his match with Page at Double Or Nothing.

AEW Double Or Nothing will go down live on pay-per-view (PPV) from Las Vegas on May 29.

As expected, FTR paid homage to wrestling royalty during their Owen Hart Cup Tournament qualifier match.

Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler were in action on the April 27 episode of AEW Dynamite. The two have insisted that this was the first and last time they will wrestle each other and it lived up to the billing.

In the end, it was Dax Harwood who got the pinfall and he will move on to the opening round of the Owen Hart Cup.

Promo Joe has put together the tributes made by FTR. While the two honored Bret Hart and Owen Hart, they also paid homage to Scott Hall and Mr. Perfect.

When AEW first announced the Owen Hart Foundation Tournaments, it seemed inevitable that Bret Hart would be involved one way or another.

Last week, news broke that the Hitman recently signed a new WWE legends contract that bars him from appearing for Tony Khan’s promotion anytime soon.

On the latest episode Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer provided some additional information about Bret Hart’s situation.

Meltzer confirmed that Hart has a legends deal and a merchandise deal with WWE.He spoke with Hart a couple of weeks ago and asked about the possibility of making an appearance for AEW as part of the Owen tournaments. Hart says AEW officials have not reached out to him.

The Owen Hart Foundation Tournaments were originally announced back in September 2021. The men’s and women’s tournaments are winding up the qualifying matches.

The finals of both competitions will take place at the AEW Double Or Nothing PPV on May 29th.

Bret Hart won’t be returning to AEW any time soon.

Hart is a beloved figure throughout the industry. Many of today’s top stars idolized the Hitman growing up. In recent months, names such as Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and of course FTR have praised the man and his legacy.

AEW stars FTR and CM Punk have paid tribute to Hart in recent weeks, including references to the “The Best There Is,” wearing pink and black and executing some of Hart’s signature moves.

A recent photo of Bret Hart also got people excited that he was gearing up for a television return.

Bret Hart will be in FTR’s corner at an upcoming event for Big Time Wrestling (6/10 in Webster, MA). However, there’s a reason this pairing is taking place at an independent show instead of in All Elite Wrestling.

People in AEW believe Hart recently signed a lucrative WWE legends contract, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. This agreement would prevent him from being FTR’s new manager in AEW. It would also keep him from having any involvement in AEW’s Owen Hart Memorial Tournaments.

Bret Hart recently stated that he plans to slow down his appearance schedule, likely by the end of this year. He still hopes to make select appearances, including the lucrative ‘Comic Con’ events, but will scale back his traveling.

The 64-year-old legend is also considering writing a second book about his childhood. Of course, it would detail his childhood as the son of famed wrestler and promoter Stu Hart, and aspirations to conquer the wrestling world.

Hart’s first book, 2010’s Hitman, was an international best seller. You can read the synopsis of his first book below:

“A story of death, sex, betrayal and revenge; sweat, steroids and duplicity – wrestler Bret Hart lifts the lid on the wacky, mythic, secretive word of pro wrestling in this epic tell-all.”

CM Punk paid homage to the legend Bret Hart on this week’s 4/20/22 episode of AEW Dynamite.

Punk and Dustin Rhodes opened up the program with a great match. Punk ultimately came out on top before having an intense stare-down with AEW World Champion Adam Page at the top of the ramp after the match.

Punk wore pink and black ring gear and used of Hart’s moves throughout the match. Most of Punk’s Hitman moves were actually from Hart’s match with Rhodes (Goldust) on an episode of Monday Night RAW in 1997.

As captured below by Twitter user @PromoJoe, the videos below showcase Punk’s tribute to Bret Hart’s 1997 match against Goldust:

Punk is currently chasing an AEW World Championship opportunity, and might just get it after continuing to impress inside the AEW ring. If his staredown with Page is any indication, he might just get his wish sooner than he thinks. However, Punk might have another big match to look forward to, as it was also announced on Dynamite yesterday that AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) will be teaming up for a joint pay-per-view (PPV).

AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door is set to go down on PPV from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26. Both promotions will surely be putting their top stars on the card, so we can expect Punk to have a strong presence at the event. Perhaps he might even have AEW gold around his waist by the summer show.

For years there has been a group of fans who believe the Montreal Screwjob could’ve actually been a work, and WWE Hall Of Famer Road Dogg might be a part of that group.

In 1997 at Survivor Series, Vince McMahon decided to “screw” WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart, smartening referee Earl Hebner up prior to his match with Shawn Michaels for the WWF Title to call for the bell while Michaels had Hart in his own signature sharpshooter submission hold.

This was in effort to force the title off Hart as he was on his way to WCW. McMahon didn’t want Hart showing up on WCW with the WWF Title, similar to how Madusa did with the WWF Women’s Title, throwing it in the trash on an episode of WCW Nitro a few years prior.

Road Dogg recently took to his podcast, “Oh…You Didn’t Know” to reflect on Survivor Series ’97 and what he remembers from that day. The DX member said he remembers seeing everyone rush to the monitors once everything went down inside the ring. He then recalled the “loogie” Hart hawked at Vince McMahon, and seeing McMahon come out of the locker room with a red/purple eye after taking a punch from Hart.

The former WWE Tag Team Champ added that, from what he heard, McMahon let Hart swing on him because he deserved it. However, he noted that he’s still not 100 percent sure if the entire thing wasn’t a big work or not.

“I’m still not 100% sure it was all real and that’s just me being honest with you, I know I’m cynical because I’m a wrestler and I’m one of the boys and I think everything’s a work.”

If the entire ordeal was a work, nobody involved has cracked and revealed the truth yet, from what Road Dogg has heard. Despite the fact that everyone involved is adamant that it was real, Dogg is still skeptical.

“I’m still not 100% sure it was all real and that’s just me being honest with you, I know I’m cynical because I’m a wrestler and I’m one of the boys and I think everything’s a work.”

Quotes via Wrestling Inc

FTR has been having an incredible year so far with amazing matches. It appears that things are only going to get better for the AEW stars with the involvement of Bret Hart.

The two have been teasing Hart becoming their manager in recent weeks. Big Time Wrestling then made the following announcement on Saturday:

“FTR will FINALLY get their chance to be managed by Bret Hart when they take on the team of Brian Pillman Jr & Brock Anderson with Arn Anderson! It happens on Friday June 10th in Webster, Ma! Tickets on sale now!”

Cash Wheeler reacted to this announcement on Twitter. He joked that someone should go check on his partner Dax Harwood.

Meanwhile, Dax Harwood dubs this match “Hart Foundation vs. The Horsemen” and says having Bret Hart in FTR’s corner will make this one of the most special nights of his life.

“My mentor, Arn Anderson, leads the Sons of the Horsemen against me, my best friend, & my hero, Bret “The Hitman” Hart. 2022 is wild.”

FTR In 2022

FTR has been having a dream year so far. They have gotten the chance to compete against teams such as The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and more in the last few months.

The duo also won the ROH world tag team championships for the first time in their career earlier this month. They defeated The Briscoes at Supercard Of Honor.

There is no word yet on if this pairing between Hart and the ROH champions will be a one-off or if we are going to see more of it in the coming times.

• MLW Offers To Host FTR vs. The Von Erichs

There are few men who know Stone Cold Steve Austin in the ring better than Bret Hart.

The feud between Hart and Austin in 1996 and 1997 is what helped turn business around for the WWE at the start of the Attitude Era. Austin and Hart first worked together at some house shows in 1996; the Hitman then faced Stone Cold at the 1996 Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden.

That Survivor Series match was an all-time classic, but the duo followed it up with arguably the greatest match in WrestleMania history at WrestleMania 13 in Chicago. They continued to feud throughout 1997 until Hart left the company following the “Montreal Screw Job” at Survivor Series.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Hart commented on Austin’s pending “return” to the ring at WrestleMania 38 this weekend with Kevin Owens.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Hart says. “I’m proud of him. It takes a lot of courage to come back and do what he’s trying to do. I’ll be there to cheer him on.”

Hart has been hitting the road again recently as the Covid-19 pandemic has eased up. He’s been appearing at fan festivals and is glad to interact with his fans once again, commenting about how he’s never taken his fans for granted.

“I always appreciate every fan I’ve ever had,” Hart says. “People might laugh, but I remember a time when I didn’t have many fans, so I never take any fan for granted. That’s one of those values I learned from my parents, to treat people the way you want to be treated.

“I remember what it was like to be a fan, and I remember meeting my favorite wrestlers. A lot of fans have special memories, and hearing those mean a lot to me.”

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

Bret Hart Names the Greatest Match of His Career

Bret Hart has heard only good things about Brock Lesnar’s abilities in the ring, which is the complete opposite of his own experience with another monster athlete – Goldberg.

During a recent appearance on Sports Guys Talking Wrestling podcast, Natalya had discussed how The Beast Incarnate told her that Hart was a dream match for him.

Bret Hart addressed this during his appearance on Signed by Superstars event. He praised Brock, saying that he has always heard the WWE champion to be a good worker:

“I heard that I was his [Brock Lesnar] dream match. That was just a week ago I heard that. Always heard Brock was a good worker.

I’ve never heard that [Lesnar was stiff in the ring].” said Bret Hart, “Always heard just the opposite, that he looks stiff, but he’s a real pro in the ring. Totally the opposite of Goldberg.”

Hart is of course referring to the botched kicked from Goldberg during their infamous WCW championship match at WCW Starrcade 1999. The wrestling legend suffered a severe concussion due to it.

The injury later forced the Canadian star to retire from active competition. Bret Hart has been critical of Goldberg ever since, and has called the former world champion out on many occasions.

• Bret Hart Looks To Be In Great Shape Amid Return Rumors

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart looks to be in excellent physical shape these days.

The Hitman posted a photo on Sunday with members of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. The photo was posted on March 20th, which happens to be the 28th anniversary of his legendary match with Owen and WWE Championship victory at WrestleMania X.

The Excellence of Execution has dealt with various health setbacks in recent years, but you’d never know that based on the way he looks today.

Bret Hart & FTR

At 64 years old, Hart’s days in the ring are long behind him. However, he still has a lot to offer as an on-screen personality.

Wrestling fans are on high alert that he could be appearing for All Elite Wrestling in the months ahead.

AEW tag team FTR recently fired Tully Blanchard on their manager. Since then, there have been several hints that Bret Hart will be filling that role.

Dax Harwood of FTR considers Bret Hart to be his role model and mentor. “Without Bret, there is no FTR, no Revival, no Scott Dawson, no Dax Harwood. I am what I am, because he was what he was.” After FTR dumped Tully, Dax publicly reached out to Bret to see if he’s available.

Last week on AEW Dynamite, we saw another reference to Bret Hart filling in as FTR’s new manager. During a backstage segment with FTR and the Young Bucks, the Bucks said it doesn’t matter if FTR’s new manager is “the best there is,” a not-so-subtle reference to The Best There Is, The Best There Was and the Best There Ever Will Be.

Bret Hart & AEW

AEW’s Owen Hart Foundation Men’s & Women’s Tournaments will begin in early May. Bret Hart has yet not been linked to AEW’s work with the Owen Hart Foundation, but there’s no question his involvement, in any capacity, would be a tremendous asset.

Bret Hart has appeared for AEW once before. He attended the AEW Double or Nothing 2019 pay-per-view to unveil the AEW World Championship, which was won later that night by fellow Canadian, Chris Jericho.

If Bret Hart does decide to join AEW as FTR’s manager, this would be a surprise turn of events. As recently as December, he expressed reluctancy to managing anybody on television. You can read more on that story below:

• Bret Hart Says: “I Don’t Want To Be Remembered as a Manager”

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar recently revealed to SmackDown Superstar Natalya that he wanted to have a dream match with her uncle and WWE Hall of Famer, Bret Hart.

Speaking to the Sports Guys Talking Wrestling Podcast, Natalya revealed discussions backstage with the Beast Incarnate, saying that Lesnar vs Hart was a dream match of his.

“I like to go to Brock for advice and he does know what he’s talking about” Natalya revealed during the interview.

“He told me a dream match for him would’ve been to wrestle Bret Hart” the daughter of Jim Neidhart continued.

“We were talking last week and he said that would’ve been a dream match because I told him how much Bret was a fan of his work. I think Brock is awesome” Nattie concluded.

Brock Lesnar vs Bret Hart

Obviously, Bret Hart vs Brock Lesnar is not a match that could ever happen, but it is certainly an intriguing prospect.

Many other performers have listed Hart as their dream opponent, with the likes of CM Punk heaping even more praise on ‘The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be’ in recent months.

Kurt Angle has said in the past that he wishes he could’ve had a match with the Hall of Famer, and Hart himself reciprocated the idea in his autobiography.

h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

Kevin Nash has expressed gratitude to Bret Hart for his tribute to Scott Hall.

Hall passed away on March 14, 2022 due to complications from hip replacement surgery. He was 63 years old. Hall will be remembered for his Razor Ramon character in WWE as well as helping start the New World Order in WCW.

The wrestling world has reacted to the news of Hall’s passing with warm messages. Bret “The Hitman” Hart had one of those messages on Instagram, expressing his sadness over the situation. He also said he wishes the road life wasn’t as rigorous because he feels it might’ve saved the lives of many of his peers.

“…We’ve lost so many wrestlers from my era, and this is just one more to a list that’s far too long. I won’t blame anyone thing, but I do believe that if the days of wrestling 300 days a year had been kinder and more considerate if we could’ve been home with our loved ones more, many of my old friends and brothers would still be here,” said Hart.

Kevin Nash Responds To Bret Hart

Kevin Nash responded to Bret Hart in the comment section of his post. “Big Daddy Cool” agrees with Bret’s opinion on the rough road life.

“We just had this conversation. I agree 100% the meat grinder hasn’t been kind to the crews that ran 300 plus days. The mental and physical pain of those years scar hard and deep but the men that I shared my life with were such a special breed and many life-long friends. Thank you for the kind words about Scott. I love you Bret honored to call you my friend.”

Nash and Hall were good friends and even formed “The Kliq.” Few can deny that the two changed the game in 1996 when they left WWE in favor of WCW.

WWE legend Bret Hart has shared his tribute to Scott Hall.

During their time in the then WWF, Hart and Hall as Razor Ramon had several matches against each other. The most notable match was Hart’s successful WWE Championship defense against Hall at Royal Rumble on Jan. 24, 1993.

Wrestling fans and legends like Hulk Hogan have paid their respects to Hall after passing away at 63 on Mar. 14. After learning of his passing, Hart shared his tribute on Facebook about his former rival and reflected on the working conditions they faced in their careers.

“I’m saddened to hear of the passing of Scott Hall. I wasn’t very close with Scott in his later years, but upon reflection, I can flashback to many happy and fun memories of the days when he was my friend. I think Scott carried many heavy crosses long before I ever knew him. He was a good friend to Owen long before he became Razor Ramon. Wrestling life can be so much fun, and at the same time, it can take all you have at the same time,” said Hart.

Bret Hart on the Work Conditions during his Era

Professional wrestling is a challenging job to have. Wrestlers have shared stories about the working conditions and struggle to balance family life throughout the decades. Hart reflected on their working conditions, including Hall, in their careers in the post.

“…We’ve lost so many wrestlers from my era, and this is just one more to a list that’s far too long. I won’t blame anyone thing, but I do believe that if the days of wrestling 300 days a year had been kinder and more considerate if we could’ve been home with our loved ones more, many of my old friends and brothers would still be here,” said Hart.

Hart has also shared on Facebook that his niece Tanya Hart has passed away. She is the daughter of Smith Hart. He shared that she had a difficult life but is at peace now.

SEScoops sends our condolences to The Hart and Hall families.

Jim Ross got a ton of support from Bret Hart during his battle with skin cancer.

Hart is recognized as one of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots. He is a WWE Hall of Famer and his name is forever etched in history.

JR and Bret have developed a bond over the years from their days working together. The two remain in contact.

From One Legend To Another

During an episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross said that Bret Hart was one of the first people to reach out to him both when he was diagnosed with skin cancer and when he announced he stomped a mudhole in the damn thing and walked it dry.

“One thing I do understand is Bret Hart cause I still keep in contact with him. He was one of the first to step up when I had skin cancer and encouraged me to not give up the fight.

“One of the highlights of my day, this may sound really childish, was when I [got] a text from Bret. ‘How ya feeling? Hanging in there?’

“When I [announced being] cancer-free, he was one of the first guys to text me and congratulate me and that meant a lot to me. So, like I said that’s the respect that he has earned and deservedly so.

“It’s been a blessing in my life in a lot of ways is Bret.”

Episode 145 of Grilling JR focuses on Bret’s heel turn back in 1997. As one would expect, JR gave Bret a ton of credit for helping get the wheels in motion for Stone Cold Steve Austin’s mega push.

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

Former two-time WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has one match in mind that he would turn back the clock for to watch live.

McIntyre is one of WWE’s top stars but of course, he’s also a wrestling fan at heart. There is a slew of matches from different promotions that one could point to and watch back.

For McIntyre, one WWE classic is enough for him to want to go back in time to watch live.

Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart Is Drew McIntyre’s Pick

During an appearance on WWE’s The Bump, a fan asked Drew McIntyre which match he’d use a time machine for to see live.

McIntyre admitted it wasn’t an easy question to answer but his pick is Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart from WrestleMania 13.

“Oh man, there’s too many. I was there for Shawn and Taker at Mania, which was amazing to watch live.

“I’ll go with Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13. That’s a match that I still watch to this day often and it stands the test of time, which not all matches do.

“Such unbelievable competitors, storytelling, and a double turn at the end. It was just a perfect, perfect match.”

That match took place back in March 1997 and is still talked about by those in the wrestling industry and fans.

From the blood dripping down Austin’s face, to him passing out rather than tapping to the Sharpshooter, and the double turn as Drew mentioned, this match has gone down in history as one for the ages.

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

Pro wrestling legend Bret Hart was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame last week.

The Hitman was inducted by Chris Jericho. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also recorded a special video message and thanked Bret Hart for mentoring him early in his wrestling career.

Bret Hart has posted video of his induction to social media, which you can check out in the player below:

Bret Hart touts his accomplishments

Bret Hart recently spoke to TSN about his induction. Hart talked about his in-ring style and what it was like growing up in the business.

“I gave 100 per cent in my matches all the time. There was something different about [my] matches. They were so real, and believable,” Hart told TSN. “My matches were an amazing blend of athletics and acting. You have to know from real pain in your life, what really hurts and how to sell something and make people feel your pain. I think I did that as good or better than any wrestler.

“I grew up in the business from the time I was a little kid, I was watching wrestling matches since I was five years old,” Hart continued. “When I became a wrestler I had a really good idea of how to entertain a wrestling fan like myself. I could bring the fan out of the wrestler, and when we’d go out there and perform it, the fans and the wrestler you worked with are so happy that you delivered this beautiful story.”

Bret Hart’s Hall of Fame Resume

In addition to Canada’s Walk of Fame, Hart was also inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Oklahoma in 2006. The Hall of Fame and museum honors achievements in amateur wrestling. Hart won the city of Calgary wrestling championship in 1974. 

For professional wrestling, Hart is in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame, Prairie Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame, Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, and he’s been inducted twice into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Bret Hart was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame last Friday. Over the weekend, Hart took to Instagram to release a statement and thank both the Canadian wrestlers who came before him and those active today.

Bret Hart praised the many Canadian wrestlers who paved the way for him.

“Thank you to the many Canadian wrestlers that paved the way for me: my father Stu, Gene Kiniski, Abdullah the Butcher, “Killer” Kowalski, “The Stomper”, Ed Carpentier, “Whipper” Watson, Sky Low Low, Rocky Johnson, Pat Patterson, Roddy Piper,” Hart wrote.

He then praised the many Canadian wrestlers who have come after him.

“To the many other Canadian wrestlers, some that filled my shoes after my career ended, that someday will deserve this same honour: Chris Jericho, Edge, Trish Stratus, Kevin Owens, Kenny Omega, my niece Natalya, my brother Owen, and so many more,” Hart continued.

Kevin Owens saw the post and responded as well.

A video featuring the Rock aired during Hart’s induction. After Hart thanked the Rock for this, he took to social media to talk about what Bret Hart meant to his career.

“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 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.

• Dwayne Johnson Shares Who Is On His ‘Wrestling Mount Rushmore’

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Bret Hart is set to be inducted onto Canada’s Walk of Fame today. He is the first professional wrestler ever given the honor. Other inductees set for the ceremony include star of the Matrix and other films, Keanu Reeves.

During a Q&A session held before his induction, Bret Hart was asked if he’d ever consider being a manager, commentator, or any other type of on-screen character in WWE or elsewhere.

“I have no time to do that,” Hart responded. “I like to get away once in a while and do the odd little bit here and there. You know, anything sometimes to get out of the house,”

He added, “But at the same time, my days of sort of playing a character for wrestling, I don’t need it that bad and I’m happy kind of just making up time with my grandkids and being home and you know, kind of smiling about stuff like that.”

“I Don’t Wanna Be Remembered As a Manager”

– Bret Hart

Hart also answered if he would be interested in coming back for a one-off match or something similar.

“I mean if there was something where it’s like I could wrestle Donald Trump at WrestleMania and Vince McMahon was gonna referee it or something,” Hart joked. “I’d hear it out because it’d be funny to hear it. But the thought of me going in there and wrestling somebody is pretty unlikely.”

“As far as managers and all that kind of stuff… Bret Hart was a wrestler, not a manager and I don’t wanna be remembered as a manager and so I would never do it.”

• Toronto Sun: “Bret Hart From Calgary” Hitman Honored by Walk of Fame Induction

Bret Hart’s Hall of Fame Resume

In addition to Canada’s Walk of Fame, Hart was also inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Oklahoma in 2006. The Hall of Fame and museum honors achievements in amateur wrestling. Hart won the city of Calgary wrestling championship in 1974.

For professional wrestling, Hart is in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame, Prairie Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame, Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, and he’s been inducted twice into the WWE Hall of Fame.

H/T to Post Wrestling for the transcriptions.

Bret Hart’s disdain for Hulk Hogan is nothing new, and the topic came up again this week during an interview with the WWE legend’s hometown newspaper.

Hart took part in an interview with the Calgary Sun in advance of his December 17th induction into the Canadian Walk of Fame. During the discussion, Hart was asked about his influence on future generations of wrestlers. Of course, the topic of Hogan came up.

“I think it all goes back to when Gorilla Monsoon called me the ‘Excellence of Execution.’ I was just a guy who did everything right. I remember when I started wrestling, I knew how everything worked. I knew how to take turnbuckle (hits to the chest), I knew how to body slam. When you want to watch how to do something in wrestling, you watch my matches back. You’ll learn how to do a Sharpshooter. That’s how you do it. Want to learn how to do a standing suplex? That’s how you do it. I was always that guy,” Hart said.

“He didn’t know a headlock from a headlamp. He didn’t know very much.”

– Bret Hart on Hulk Hogan

He continued, “And all the Canadian wrestlers like Natalya or Edge were influenced by me. I think if you look back at wrestling when it was the Hulk Hogan show. He was six-foot-eight and a one-out-of-three wrestler. He didn’t know a headlock from a headlamp. He didn’t know very much. He knew how to do a clothesline and maybe a body slam. He was very limited.”

Bret Hart was crowned WWE Champion in October 1992. The World Wrestling Federation was undergoing a dramatic change during this period. After an era of larger-than-life muscle-bound champions, the Hitman ushered in a new era of technical excellence.

“Vince McMahon took a chance with me and made me that champion. It meant so much to me that I think I tried to live up to be that champion. It was about being the best wrestler. I gave so much as that wrestler. I was a good role model in the dressing room. All that means a lot.”

The SummerSlam Main Event That Wasn’t

Hart’s dislike for Hogan goes back to 1993 when the Hitman claims that Hogan was slated to drop the WWE Championship to him at SummerSlam in Detroit in a passing of the torch moment. Hart had lost the title to Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX earlier in the year, and Hogan came out to assist the injured Hart on the outside of the ring following his controversial loss. It was at that time that Mr. Fuji challenged Hogan to face Yokozuna; Hogan won the WWE Championship in less than one minute.

That eventual Hart vs. Hogan match never occurred in the WWE. Hart wrote in his 2007 autobiography that Hogan refused to lose to him because of his size.

• Bret Hart Names His Mount Rushmore Of Technical Wrestlers

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Bret Hart will be honored on Canada’s Walk of Fame on December 17th. Chris Jericho is set to induct him during the ceremony. Hart recently spoke to the Toronto Sun about what the induction means to him.

“It will always mean a lot when you’re celebrated and honoured amongst your peers and fellow wrestlers,” Hart said.”The WWE Hall of Fame always meant a lot to me. This is even higher to me in a sense. You’re being lumped in with Canadians – great Canadians and the contributions they’ve made in their fields. It means a lot to me to be honoured by Canadians across the country for my wrestling career.”

Among other inductees for this year’s Canada Walk of Fame are Bruce Cockburn and Keanu Reeves.

Hart talked about some of the best matches of his career. He noted a flag match from 1997 in Halifax he had as one of his favourites.

“I think one that stands out is a flag match I had in Halifax at the height of the U.S. and Canada bashing (storyline in 1997). It was me, Jim Neidhart , Owen, (Brian) Pillman and Davey Boy (Smith) . It was all five of us on one side. I remember we ended up winning and it just pissed off the American wrestling fans so much.”

Much like MJF did in Long Island last week on AEW Dynamite, the Hart Foundation cheated to win the match and the Halifax fans cheered them on while they did it.

“We cheated all the way through the match and we celebrated like the good guys and the (Halifax) fans cheered. It was very warped in a sense because the American fans were like, ‘that ain’t right.’ The next week we’d be in San Antonio where they wanted to kill us.”