Tag: bret hart

Bret Hart says Hulk Hogan was a ‘roadblock’ in his career

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Bret Hart doesn’t mince words about Hulk Hogan.

On The Ringer Wrestling Podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer said that Hogan’s legacy in the industry can’t be denied. But while stars like Roddy Piper helped Hart reach a new level of popularity, Hart accused Hogan of looking out for one person: himself.

“Hulk Hogan never did that for anybody. He never looked out for anyone but himself,” Hart said.

Hart recalled while Hogan got to face top heels in the 1980s like Paul Orndorff and Piper, he didn’t get the same level of talent when he won the WWE Championship in 1992. And he didn’t feel that Hogan was all that welcoming when he became champion and instead had it out for him.

“I always thought the day I won the belt Hulk Hogan would come up to me and pat me on the back and tell me how glad he was I was the guy that they picked to pull the sword out of the stone for him. And unfortunately, that’s not how it was,” Hart recalled. “The second I won the belt, I was the enemy. And I had what he wanted, and we were never really friends again after that.”

“When I was a little kid, you go to school, elementary school, there’s just always some kids that are bullsh******, that just tell bulls***. Classic bulls*******. That’s just the way they are…but I think Hulk Hogan was a bullsh*****,“ he added.

Hart accused Hogan of being a roadblock in his career and thought Hogan held him down while they were both in WCW in the late 90s.

“I will always shake my head and wonder why he was such a roadblock for me. He wouldn’t do anything for me. And he made sure, and I know this as a fact, he made sure that when I was in WCW he made sure that they didn’t do anything with…’Don’t do anything with him. Just leave him. Have him sit on the bench in the dressing room.’” he said.

Hogan passed away last month at the age of 71 following cardiac arrest. Tributes have poured across the industry, though some have questioned the tributes in light of comments Hogan’s past comments.

WWE ranks 25 greatest matches in SummerSlam history

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has concluded its countdown of the top 25 matches in SummerSlam history, ranking Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog in the top spot.

The countdown has been playing out on WWE’s YouTube channel over the last several weeks leading into SummerSlam 2025. Today, WWE officially revealed Hart vs. Bulldog from 1992 at Wembley Stadium as the best match in SummerSlam history. Full video of the bout — which saw Bulldog win the Intercontinental title in his home country — can be watched here.

Hart was featured in three of the top five matches on the countdown, with his 1991 match against Mr. Perfect ranking third and 1994 steel cage match against brother Owen Hart ranking fifth.

The other matches in the top five were John Cena vs. AJ Styles from 2016 and CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar from 2013.

Here is the complete list:

WWE’s 25 greatest matches in SummerSlam history —

  • 25. Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar (2023)
  • 24. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena title vs. title match for the WWE Championship and United States Championship (2015)
  • 23. The Undertaker vs. Bret Hart for the WWF Championship (1997)
  • 22. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship (2019)
  • 21. Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship (2022)
  • 20. Randy Orton vs. Christian no holds barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship (2011)
  • 19. Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (2015)
  • 18. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk TLC match for the World Heavyweight Championship (2009)
  • 17. Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship (2001)
  • 16. Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero ladder match (2005)
  • 15. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship (2017)
  • 14. The Rock vs. Triple H ladder match for the Intercontinental title (1998)
  • 13. John Cena vs. CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship (2011)
  • 12. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship (2023)
  • 11. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship (2013)
  • 10. The Undertaker vs. Edge Hell in a Cell match (2008)
  • 9. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon ladder match for the Intercontinental title (1995)
  • 8. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar for the Undisputed Championship (2002)
  • 7. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H unsanctioned street fight (2002)
  • 6. The Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Edge & Christian TLC match for the WWF Tag Team titles (2000)
  • 5. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart steel cage match for the WWF Championship (1994)
  • 4. CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar no DQ match (2013)
  • 3. Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental title (1991)
  • 2. John Cena vs. AJ Styles (2016)
  • 1. Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog for the Intercontinental title (1992)

SummerSlam 2025 is the first time the show has ever been a two-night event. It’s being held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey this Saturday and Sunday. Each night will feature six matches.

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The early 1990s

Posted on by Karl Stern

On this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, you and I are heading back to the early 1990s to discuss the state of pro wrestling at the time.

While business was just about as bad as it could get, there were still plenty of great storylines and personalities. Hulk Hogan was gone from WWF, but we saw the rise of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and others. WCW was a complete corporate mess but there was still great wrestling with Sting, Big Van Vader, Ron Simmons, Cactus Jack, and others.

I also look at the PWI 500 during the early 1990s from both the top and bottom of the rankings.

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Bret Hart says Vince McMahon ‘used wrestling as a backdrop for all of his evil’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Bret Hart believes that money may have turned Vince McMahon into a bad person.

The two-time WWE Hall of Famer was a guest on The Rise Guys podcast on Sunday and was asked about the possibility of McMahon returning to the wrestling business.

“Only if he buys another business. He’s got enough money. I heard something about him and Hulk Hogan might open up some kind of wrestling company or something. But I mean, I don’t have a lot of faith in that matchup,” Hart responded.

Asked whether McMahon had a great mind for wrestling, Hart said:

“From what I gather, talking to young wrestlers that are in WWE today, that Vince became a big obstacle to getting things done at the end. He became almost too much of a tyrant. He seemed to be unhappy with everything everybody was doing, and so would scrub ideas midway through the show. I had a lot of people tell me that since the day he left, it’s been tranquil and business has been better and everyone has a better attitude. So I mean, Vince may have just burned himself out after a while.”

Regarding the allegations of sexual misconduct levied against McMahon and former WWE executive John Laurinaitis, Hart said:

“Shame on all of them. I mean, that’s just terrible. I’ve had ups and downs with Vince McMahon, and in a lot of ways I have a lot of respect for him, but at the same time I find what happened there inexcusable. There’s no place for that. I think Vince McMahon became a predator and used wrestling as his backdrop for all of his, sort of, evil. And it just tells me that too much money can turn you into a bad person.”

Earlier in the conversation, Hart discussed some of the wrestlers he was influenced by before beginning his career in 1978. Hart mentioned Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Nick Bockwinkel, and Archie Gouldie.

“Nick Bockwinkel from the AWA up in Minneapolis was as good a wrestler as there ever was,” Hart said. “I don’t think anybody, you take all the classic champions like Dory Funk and Terry Funk and Harley Race, and there was nobody, none of those guys were better than Nick Bockwinkel.”

“I grew up with a guy named Archie ‘The Stomper’ Gouldie, who was a big villain in my dad’s territory. To me, he was one of the greatest wrestlers to ever put on a pair of boots. He was such a great villain, such a great worker,” he continued.

Gouldie received 43 votes for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2024, just staying above the 10 percent needed to remain on the ballot. The others Hart mentioned, Bockwinkel, Fujinami, and Inoki, were all selected as part of the WON HOF first class of inductees in 1996.

Hart’s full appearance on The Rise Guys podcast is available below:

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The WON Hall of Fame case for the Hart Foundation

Posted on by Karl Stern

On today’s DragonKingKarl, I continue my look at acts which have not yet been voted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame with a focus on the Hart Foundation.

While Bret Hart is already in, his team with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart is not. Why?

Then, we travel in time back to the mid-1930s for a look at what was happening at Madison Square Garden as the big name of Danno O’Mahoney enters the scene. Plus, I provide an extensive look at a 1990s Tokyo Dome card during the midst of the mixed martial arts influence.

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WOR: Kevin Owens injury, AEW Dynasty preview

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Dave Meltzer and I are back with our Friday episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Here were some of the things we covered:

  • Injuries to Kevin Owens, Orange Cassidy and Mark Davis
  • AEW Dynasty updates
  • Tony Khan’s media call
  • AEW Dynamite on Max numbers
  • WrestleMania 41
  • Bret Hart
  • Dark Side of the Ring on Ludvig Borga
  • Kim Woods
  • NJPW Sakura Genesis

Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube (video sub needed)

Bret Hart on WrestleMania 13 match vs. Steve Austin: ‘It was just magic’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Bret Hart discussed his WrestleMania 13 match vs. Steve Austin during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Tuesday.

WWE recently announced that the match will be the first to be inducted into its Hall of Fame as an “Immortal Moment.” Hart says what he and Austin did that night was “just magic.”

“It’s a big honor,” Hart said of the match being inducted into the Hall of Fame. “I’m really quite proud of that, especially that match and the work that I had with Steve Austin. If you asked me in truth if I thought there was a better match somewhere, I mean, I don’t think there’s been a better match. It was just magic what we did that night.”

Asked if the match is at the top of his list of career favorites, Hart responded:

“It’s been at the top probably since I had it. I have my all-time favorites. I think the match I had with the Bulldog at Wembley was probably my first greatest match, in the sense that it was the first one that I wasn’t in a team, it was just me by myself going out there and putting that match together. And that was a beautiful match. And the Ironman match with Shawn Michaels—I mean, you could say what you want about our relationship—the truth is that it’s hard to top that match.”

Hart referred to his WrestleMania 13 match as “the highest level of professionalism” possible in wrestling:

“It was, to me, the highest level of professionalism that you can get in a professional wrestling match. We both really worked really hard, took a lot of hard falls, large hits with the chair and stuff like that. But we also really protected each other and looked out for each other. And when they told me they were going to induct that match, it was like, well, they should, it was maybe the best match ever.”

Both Hart and Austin are scheduled to appear at the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025 ceremony on Friday, April 18, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Nevada. Hart will become the first person to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on three occasions: once as a singles competitor, once as part of the Hart Foundation with Jim Neidhart, and now for his WrestleMania 13 match with Austin.

Hart’s full appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show is available below:

Steve Austin reacts to WM 13 match being inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Joseph Currier

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is happy that his WrestleMania 13 match against Bret Hart still resonates with fans.

It was announced last week that the Austin vs. Hart match will be enshrined into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 41 weekend in Las Vegas. Receiving the inaugural “Immortal Moment Award,” it’s the first match to ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

While doing a private autograph signing for American Icon Autographs, Austin was asked if this award means anything to him.

“Yeah, yes and no,” he responded. “I mean, yeah, because it was a hell of a match and we knew it at the time. And I think that it was good that it was in Chicago, because Chicago was kind of a stronghold for me, but it would have worked anywhere. But the fact that it happened with Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart. There’s a couple behind-the-scenes stories that, you know, I don’t want to talk about. But, man, it was a hell of a match, and it’s cool for people to still remember it damn near 30 years later. So, yeah, it means something to me, because, I don’t know, if it wasn’t for the fans, I wouldn’t be sitting here. So the fact that that match is relevant and it’s going into the 2025 Hall of Fame for matches and it’s the first match to be inducted, cool.”

Austin vs. Hart was a no holds barred submission match with Ken Shamrock as the special guest referee. Along with their stellar in-ring work, the match is memorable for its double turn that helped Austin become one of the biggest babyfaces in pro wrestling history. With blood streaming down his face, Austin refused to tap out while in the Sharpshooter and lost by referee stoppage.

Both Austin and Hart have already been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame individually, and The Hart Foundation (Hart & Jim Neidhart) are in the HOF as a tag team as well.

The 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is set for Friday, April 18 and will air live on Peacock and WWE’s social media channels. Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Michelle McCool, Lex Luger, and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon) are also part of the inductee class.

Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart WrestleMania 13 match to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Bryan Rose

For the first time ever, a match will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

During SmackDown, it was announced that the match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13 would be inducted as a “WWE Immortal Moment.” Announcers said that both Austin and Hart would be at the ceremony for the induction.

The bloody brawl that took place in Chicago on March 23, 1997 saw Hart win the match after applying the sharpshooter on Austin, who didn’t submit but passed out, giving special guest referee Ken Shamrock no other option but to end the match. It would begin Hart’s final run with the company as a heel, later forming the Hart Foundation stable. Despite Austin’s loss, it started his own babyface run that led to him winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 14 the following year.

The match was given a five-star rating in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and also won Match of the Year in the 1997 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards.

Those already announced for this year’s ceremony include Triple H, The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon), Lex Luger, and Michelle McCool. It was reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Shamrock’s name has also been mentioned for the ceremony.

Wrestling Observer Live: AEW Dynamite review, ratings, more

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

Image: AEW

With both Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor on the shelf, Mike Sempervive flies solo to rundown AEW Dynamite from Wednesday night, as well as preview tonight’s ROH & Impact. Plus, ratings news and much more!

It’s a fun show as always, so check it out~!

Click Here for the Commercial-free Download (subscription required) 

Bret Hart reacts to WWE Raw appearance, CM Punk-Drew McIntyre callback

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Bret Hart is thankful for the reaction he received from his hometown crowd on WWE Raw last month.

On the September 9 episode of Raw, Hart returned to WWE programming for the first time since 2022. He appeared at the Saddledome in Calgary and took part in a promo segment with World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and Sami Zayn.

Hart was a guest at the Vancity Card Show in Vancouver last weekend. While speaking with The Wrestling Classic, Hart explained that his WWE Raw return came together with just a few days of advance notice. It was a special experience for Hart to appear in front of the Calgary fans.

“Maybe four or five days ahead of time. I found out — they called and asked me if I wanted to go down. I was like, ‘What else am I doing?’ But, yeah, it was really special,” Hart said. “I didn’t expect that kind of reaction. Of course, it’s been a long time since I walked out in front of a Calgary crowd.”

Also during his interview with The Wrestling Classic, Hart was asked if he noticed CM Punk and Drew McIntyre’s tribute to him at Bad Blood earlier this month. During their Hell in a Cell match, Punk put a bloody McIntyre in the Sharpshooter — a callback to Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.

“I did notice it,” Hart responded. “I thought it was — I always take those as sort of a nod of respect. So I like it and I appreciate it, but it still wasn’t as good as my Austin match [smiles].”

Hart said the best match of his career was that WrestleMania 13 bout against Austin.

Wrestling Weekly: AEW All Out thoughts & the road to Grand Slam

Posted on by Victor Sosa

Image: AEW

On this week’s Wrestling Weekly, it’s all about last Saturday’s AEW All Out and the subsequent road to this month’s Grand Slam with a match we can’t wait to see, regardless of how we got there.

Also, we talk about enhancement talents and whether doing that work for the big groups can hinder their ability to be seen as stars in the future.

We do talk some WWE at the onset, looking ahead at tonight’s WWE SmackDown, Bret Hart’s appearance on Raw, and the rest of what’s happening these days.

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

Click here to listen (sub needed)

Bret Hart reflects on WWE Raw return, seeing Triple H

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Bret Hart enjoyed getting to appear in front of his hometown fans this Monday.

With WWE Raw taking place from Calgary’s Saddledome, Canadian icon Hart made an appearance on the show, marking the first time he’s been on WWE programming in two years. Hart took part in a segment with Gunther and Sami Zayn on the episode, helping to further the build to a future World Heavyweight Championship match between the two.

WWE uploaded a video today with Hart reflecting on the experience, saying it was “magical” to briefly turn back into The Hitman for the fans.

“I didn’t just assume or take for granted that they were going to invite me down tonight. You know, any time I get a chance to be in front of the Calgary fans — because I think Calgary fans go back the farthest for me. They go back to when I was 18, 19 years old wrestling. So, I mean, it’s a very special, powerful building for me to walk in. A lot of memories here. A lot of great memories. A lot of title matches. A lot of — even in the old Stampede Wrestling days, I had a lot of memories here,” Hart said.

“It’s kind of a funny feeling to walk down to the ring slowly and kind of pull yourself back into the ring and just find yourself standing at the center of it talking to the fans. But, I mean, I don’t know if I looked a little nervous, because I’m not sure that I was. But I think standing in the middle of the ring there for a few seconds, this transformation takes place. I mean, I think I transformed back into Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart for a minute for everyone. And it was fun for me to do that, and it was something that was magical that was brought out by the love of the fans.”

Hart and Paul “Triple H” Levesque had an interaction backstage at the show that WWE uploaded for social media. Levesque thanked Hart for being there and said his segment was great.

“There’s not that many from my generation that are around anymore, so running into Triple H is always a pleasure,” Hart told WWE.

Hart said that, while he has so many cities he loved wrestling in, there’s no place like home in Calgary.

Natalya calls WWE Raw in Calgary ‘a full circle moment’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Natalya says WWE Raw on Monday was a night she’ll cherish forever.

The show took place at the Scotiabank Saddledome in her hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and featured an appearance by her uncle, Bret Hart. The venue was technically where Natalya first stepped into a WWE ring when she joined the rest of her family to celebrate The Hart Foundation’s victory at 1997’s In Your House: Canadian Stampede.

Natalya reflected on her “full circle” moment in a social media post on Tuesday:

“My very first time in a @wwe ring was in 1997 at the IN YOUR HOUSE Canadian Stampede PPV in Calgary. It was the last time my whole family was together. Last night was a full circle moment, being back in that same building, with @BretHart, The Hart family and my @wwe family. Performing in Calgary means so much to me because it’s where it all began for the Harts. It was a night I’ll cherish forever.”

Natalya was revealed as the mystery partner of Zelina Vega and Lyra Valkyria in their match against the Pure Fusion Collective. It was her first match since her win over Izzi Dame on the June 4 episode of NXT. She reportedly signed a new multi-year deal with WWE in late June.

Bret Hart confronted by Gunther on WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Bret Hart ended up being confronted by the World Champion on Raw.

Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore introduced Hart to the Calgary crowd. He said was proud to be a Canadian World Champion. That brought out the current World Champion, Gunther, who called Hart one of his childhood heroes. Gunther then revealed that Hart was a close second to his favorite wrestler growing up: Goldberg.

That brought out Sami Zayn, wearing a Johnny Gaudreau jersey. Zayn told Gunther that he had a lot of nerve talking to Hart in that manner, calling him a Canadian hero. Zayn then challenged Gunther again to a title match. Gunther responded by leaving but was stopped by Hart who called Gunther a yellow, gutless coward. Gunther started to head to the ring again but was stopped by Zayn, who attacked him on the outside. Officials eventually broke up the altercation as the segment ended with Zayn raising Hart’s hand.

After the segment, Triple H posted a video of himself congratulating Hart on X:

Hart appeared in a segment later in the show congratulating Natalya, who made her return to WWE as a mystery partner for Zelina Vega and Lyra Valkyria. Together, they defeated The Pure Fusion Collective.