TConspiracy (Prodigy Member)
Bret-What did you think of the Jim Neidhart skit and how do you and him
get along these days?
BRET HART (Speaker)
Jim and I get along fine. I don't think his judgement was that good, but
he went down there to do what he could for the best interest of his
family and his job at that time. The fact they humiliated him out of
spite for me is more of a bad reflection on them than anyone else. I
think Jim did have a choice, and made a mistake in judgement....and he
didn't have the benefit of my advice or anyone elses, and they made a
fool of him.
BRET HART (Speaker)
There's nothing that can't be remedied over time. I think it showed what
a bunch of horrible people Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, etc etc have become.
It reeked of evil.
DamnMartinSW (Prodigy Member)
Thanks for joining us. Take us though what happened with your last few
weeks with the WWF? What was the planned finish? What was your first
reaction when you lost?
BRET HART (Speaker)
Ultimately, the planned finish would have been for me to leave with my
head up, still the champion, in a dignified manner, befitting of a
veteran of 14 years. It would have set the stage for me to step down as
WWF Champion on Monday Night RAW in Ottowa, where I would have thanked
the WWF and especially thanked Vince McMahon for the opportunity to
perform around the world for millions of fans where I had the canvas as
an artist to play out the greatest 20 minute movies as the best wrestler
of all time. It breaks my heart that it didn't go that way. I can only
shake my head and wonder at the absurdity and the flat out horrible
judgement that altered that ending. It really breaks my heart.
WrstleMOania (Prodigy Member)
Bret - Is there anyone other than Owen/Davey, obvioulsy, that you will
miss?
BRET HART (Speaker)
Oh yeah, lots. I'll very much miss the Undertaker. I actually think it
would be fair to say that I'll miss 85% of the wrestlers and the people
I worked with. I'll take this opportunity to thank Mankind for his small
show of defiance. It meant a lot to me, and showed what kind of a
professional he is. I'll also say that I've had calls from just about
every wrestler in the company, with the exception of a handful, who feel
the same way that I do. Because they can't get out of their contracts,
and I would be jeopardizing their positions by saying who my friends
are, it's best to be very vague. The one thing I learned first hand
about the WWF is that between Vince McMahon and his little inner circle
is that there is no integrity whatsoever. There's no respect for the
wrestlers positions whatsoever. They will go to any length to destroy
anybody who doesn't see things their way.
NWA4Life (Prodigy Member)
You have said that Vince McMahon approached you and told you he was in
"financial dire straights". Do you have knowledge of any
specific financial problem the WWF might be facing?
BRET HART (Speaker)
Unfortunately, I can only assume Vince McMahon to be a big liar, and who
knows what's true and what's not true when it comes out of his mouth. I
don't doubt that he has some kind of money problems, and if he does I
hope they expose themselves sooner than later.
NWA4Life (Prodigy Member)
The WWF has apologized a couple of times for offensive programming on
RAW...once for the Brian Pillman gun incident, and once for your use of
profanity. Was the WWF aware that you were going to use profanity on RAW
before it happened?
BRET HART (Speaker)
No. The one time that I specifically remember using foul language was a
time in upstate New York somewhere. I had been misled, I think by the
referee, that we were off the air. I got so angry that the ending was
all botched up that it reflected in a tirade of nasty swear words, which
I thought were going to be bleeped out and used the following week. I
had no idea that we were still on the air, and would have acted
differently had I known otherwise. I explained that to Vince McMahon
upon seeing him later and was never reprimanded. If anything, I think he
was glad it happened.
NWA4Life (Prodigy Member)
Prior to the initial conversation you had with McMahon where he told you
he wouldn't be able to honor the contract, had you been given any idea
what the WWF long range plan was going to be involving your character?
For instance, did you have a program worked out for Wrestlemania yet?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I had expected to wrestle Steve Austin at Wrestlemania, as champion.
Anything in between would have been merely stepping stones as I was led
to believe.
NWA4Life (Prodigy Member)
Have you received payment for all monies owed you by the WWF? Were they
current with you at the time McMahon approached you about changing the
contract? If they owe you money, do you expect to have to take them to
court?
BRET HART (Speaker)
At this point in time, they have paid me almost all my money. I expect,
judging by the payments that have been made since my departure, that
they'll honor their contract with me. I should get all my money.
NWA4Life (Prodigy Member)
Your match with Undertaker was not included in the US version of the One
Night Only PPV. Any comment?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I don't know why that is. It seems to be a decision based on possibly
not wanting people to see how really great I really am. To those that
haven't seen it, it was an awesome match, and a credit to both myself
and the Undertaker in the sense that it really had none of the markings
of any of our previous matches. It was very credible, very hard fought,
and in a lot of ways showed that he and I are without a doubt two of the
best workers in the business today. For both of us who are immensely
popular in England, I enjoyed the split with the crowd despite some
obviously twisted commentary by that twit Jim Ross. The match itself was
a great piece of art, and for anyone who doubts my ability or value
going into WCW, I suggest they try to find a copy of that tape or that
match. They'll see why I'm still the best. It restores my faith in
myself.
PauI in NJ (Prodigy Member)
Why did Owen Hart abandon the aerial style he did earlier in his career?
BRET HART (Speaker)
Owen severed a ligament in his knee. It's a tribute to his courage that
he can work at all. I'm not talking about a strained ligament or a torn
cartilage, I'm talking about a severed ligament. I don't know how he
does it anymore.
PauI in NJ (Prodigy Member)
Have you ever wrestled Dory Funk Jr and where would you rank him with
the best of alltime?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I did wrestle Dory Funk Jr in a tag team match in my old Stampede
Wrestling days. I didn't really get that much time with him in that
match, but I think it's fair to say that Dory Funk Jr was conceivably
the greatest worker of all time. He really set the stage for wrestlers
like me. Dory Funk never ever looked rehearsed or choreographed. Only
real. He was often imitated, but never duplicated.
Calgary01 (Prodigy Member)
What do you consider the best match you ever wrestled in the WWF?
BRET HART (Speaker)
That's a tough question. I've been very fortunate to have worked with
the all time greats of the last 10-15 years. I do believe that many of
the guys I wrestled against, and with much credit to them, we had the
best matches they ever had. If you look at Roddy Piper, Mr Perfect,
British Bulldog, Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Razor, Yokozuna, Bam
Bam Bigelow, Isaac Yankem, Hakushi, and so many more I can't think
of...they all had their best match with me. I don't think that it's a
coincidence. If you look back at all those matches you'll find one thing
in common, in the sense that not one of those matches was the same as
any other one I ever had with anyone else. They were all different
matches. For me to pick the best one of them all, my personal favorite
has always been the Bulldog match at Wembley Stadium in 1992. I still
think that it was the most intense solid believable credible match ever
documented on film. Even though I lost.
SHAQ VADER (Prodigy Member)
Bret, what is your relationship with Shawn Micheals now? Was he pissed
off at what happened at Survivor Series?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I don't doubt for a second that Shawn Michaels was in on the whole
thing. His emotional temper tantrum at the end of the match was merely
as close as he can come to good acting. His crying and weeping like a
baby in the dressing room, while he sat in the corner biting his nails,
were much the same. I suspected he was a rat, and I know he promised me
in front of all the other wrestlers that night that he would refuse to
go on RAW in Ottowa and would throw the belt down in defiance of the
injustice that happened to me. I told him I would judge him by his
behavior that next night...and I have. He's a dirty lieing cheat. As far
as justice goes, I've learned one thing in this business. What goes
around comes around. I don't have to worry about getting even. The
wrestling business if filled with Bret Harts and somebody will dismantle
his ego sooner or later. Maybe it will be some guy in a bar like the one
in Syracuse or somewhere else like that, but for a guy like Shawn
Michaels, who can't seem to stop getting in trouble with his big mouth
and his super ego and chicken sh*t ways...it'll only be a matter of time
before he gets what he has coming. I'll read about it somewhere.
RAWisLAME (Prodigy Member)
Bret,did Rick Rude's jumping to WCW have anything at all to do with the
way you and McMahon parted ways? Also,is there any way Vince can regain
even a shred of self-respect for himself or his company?
BRET HART (Speaker)
Oh, I'm very much sure that Rick Rude left on account of what happened
to me. He as much as said so on the television show. He was there, and
he watched it, and along with many others felt horrible about it and was
in a position to leave a company that had no respect or integrity where
as many others don't have that freedom. The only way Vince McMahon could
gain the respect and the integrity that he's lost, contrary to his
interview with Jim Ross a week later, would be for him to publically
acknowledge he showed horrible judgement, made a horrific mistake, and
that he owes me an apology. If that was to happen, it might reflect him
in a better light. I've always learned that when you're right you're
right, and when you're wrong you're wrong. I know I was right, he knows
he was wrong. The people know the truth.
RAWisLAME (Prodigy Member)
Bret,has your opinion of Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan changed any,now that
you'll all be working in the same company again?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I know I'll sound like a real hypocrite here, but in regard to Ric
Flair...I've never personally had anything against him. I think Ric
Flair is one of the best performers this game has ever had. My
criticisms of him have all been professional criticisms. As a person he
has treated me with great respect and has always been totally
professional to me outside the ring in all ways. I've regretted for a
long long time that comments I made about him might have hurt or damaged
our relationship. All I really meant to say was that in my opinion he
wasn't the greatest wrestler that I ever worked with, and that he was
maybe not in the top 5 but in the top 20, but people forget that I've
been wrestling for 20 years and have followed wrestling for close to 40
years. In saying that, I was comparing him to every wrestler that ever
came down the road in between all those years from Dory Funk to the
Dynamite Kid to Harley Race and so on and so on. I never met a wrestler,
especially at his age, that could cut a pace like he did....and for a
long time I've wanted to apologize to him for any misunderstanding. I
know that sounds like crap, but it's all true. As far as Hulk Hogan
goes, I had a rather awkward falling out with him at the King of The
Ring in 1993. Vince McMahon put a lot of thoughts and words into my
head, and one of the last things Hulk Hogan ever said to me was
"You don't know the whole story". Now many years later, after
being lied to and cheated by Vince McMahon, I find myself saying to
Shawn Michaels before my match in the Survivor Series that he didn't
know the whole story...and I find that I can relate to Hulk Hogan on a
much similar level now. I look forward to hearing him out and him
hearing me out on our opinions of Vince McMahon and the dealings that
happened.
StormFrontRM (Prodigy Member)
Bret, on the SLAM! wrestling website, in your column from the Calgary
Sun, you mentioned Theoren Fluery. What can you tell us about how you
got to know him, etc., and who else in hockey, if anyone, you have
become friendly with.
BRET HART (Speaker)
Theoren Fluery is a great friend of mine. We are very close, he's a huge
wrestling fan. Several times he has given me the impression that he
would be a partner in a match of mine. He's not very big, but he's as
tough as they come, and I'd pick him in a second if I needed a good
backup. I have many friends in the hockey world. I even have an entire
Jr Hockey team called the Calgary Hitmen, and many of the players on
that team are like family to me. I have many friends in the sports
world. As a matter of fact, one of my very closest friends right now,
Timmy Johnson, is now the manager of the Toronto Bluejays. Even aside
from sports, Aaron Neville, is one of my closest friends and we talk all
the time. Many of these people play a big part in my life, and are an
inspiration to me in all ways.
Da Disco Kid (Prodigy Member)
Bret, thanks for being here. I was wondering if all the rumors of you
and McMahon getting in a physical confrontation is true?
BRET HART (Speaker)
Yes, those rumors are true.
Da Disco Kid (Prodigy Member)
Bret..When will you make your first WCW appearence?
BRET HART (Speaker)
No idea
StormFrontRM (Prodigy Member)
Bret, a faction of ardent WWF supporters has criticized you, among other
things, for not wanting to "job in Canada." How do you respond
to that, especially when they point out Shawn doesn't avoid
"jobbing in USA because he's American."
BRET HART (Speaker)
Winning and losing are both confusing. I will say this. I've been
wrestling for 21 years....and have always, always, been a professional.
As far as, and I'll use Vince McMahon's "time honored
tradition", I've always honored the tradition. There isn't one
wrestler anywhere in any country from any year that ever worked with me
who can question my honor of the so called tradition. Out of respect to
all the other wrestlers in the dressing room, and for that matter all
the wrestlers around the world...I don't think it would be fair to honor
someone who does have a problem with honoring the tradition. Shawn
Michaels is the problem....was the problem. Shawn Michaels has forfeited
three major titles in the last couple of years. It's hard for me to do
business for someone who doesn't want to do business. These were all
things made very clear to Vince McMahon quite some time ago. It wasn't
something that I suddenly had a problem with once I signed with WCW.
Aside from that, I still compromised my personal feelings in the
end...and was quite prepared to honor that dishonorable little bastard.
But I was not prepared to disappoint all my fans across my home country
who would have seen my losing to Shawn Michaels as a horrible
disappointment, whether I was leaving or staying or whatever. Up here in
Canada, it's been a long road in becoming a huge national hero. I really
was just trying to look out for my fans on a Rememberance Day weekend
where being a Canadian hero meant a lot to me, and meant a lot to them.
I still had 21 days left to wrestle anybody else, and/or including Shawn
Michaels and to leave the WWF as planned. I hear it that they doubted
whether I would have lasted another three week, which I laugh at. Why
would I leave the WWF in an undignified way? After 14 years of giving
them everything I had, it was even more important for me to leave with
integrity, respect, and an open friendly relationship. I was and still
am very grateful for all the wonderful memories I have on account of the
WWF. Nobody is more sorry than I am that things have happened the way
they have. Sadly enough, the one who has been the most hurt and
brokenhearted over this whole affair is me. I still can't believe it. I
ask myself five times a day every day why it ever happened. The truth
is, I still don't know why they did to me what they did. They knew what
it meant to me. They knew what I asked was reasonable. The differences
it would have made one way or another seem very insignificant to me.
Just about any scenerio that anyone can imagine would have been better
than the one Vince McMahon forced on me, the WWF fans, and even his
employees. I don't know if anyone can imagine, but I can, how much worse
it could have been....and how much more irrationally or violently the
results could have been after. That includes Shawn Michaels, Earl Hebner,
Jerry Brisco, and the list goes on and on. Instead, I think I handled
myself pretty cooly under the circumstances. Although I'm not real proud
of what happened in the dressing room afterwards, I do know I was pretty
close to as short a fuse as I have. It would have been easy to have
really lost it. I think what kind of an idiot would put that kind of
scenerio into place. Such a volatile situation. All I can really be
criticized for is taking professional wrestling too serious. There is
one thing people have to understand about me. Wrestling has been my
whole life. I've always prided myself on being a professional. I tried
so hard to keep my integrity right to the very very end. This man gave
me his word. I was leaving with a broken heart, but I was also leaving
with the understanding that he was a man of his word. When he betrayed
me, he broke something in me that I'm not sure I can ever fix. When I
think of Vince McMahon, I just wish I could say to him that he never
needed to do that to me. I'll never understand just what the hell he was
really thinking.
JPatton (Prodigy Member)
Have you spoken with Earl Hebner since the Survivor Series? If so, what
was said?
BRET HART (Speaker)
No, I never have. I doubt that I ever will. I know that people think
that Earl Hebner was just doing his job. Maybe he was. But all he had to
do was tell me that the day before as a friend and a man of his word. I
told him if he was uncomfortable with me just to say so and that I
wouldn't hold it against him, because I suspected something like this
was being drawn up. He got tears in his eyes and told me he could never
do something like that, and he swore on his children that he would never
let it happen and he'd quit his job first. We talked for over a half
hour and I left that room, the bathroom in Detroit Michigan, feeling in
my heart that he was a close friend and no matter what pressure Vince
McMahon put to bear on him, he would never be a part of or be involved
in a conspiracy to tear down a guy with the reputation as good as mine.
When I finally saw the match back, when I came home, nothing broke my
heart more than seeing Earl Hebner sell me out without even any
hesitation. It's one thing to get screwed over by my enemies, I already
sensed who they were and what they had in mind...but it's a much more
hurtful thing when you get screwed over by a very good friend. I hear
Earl Hebner is drinking himself into oblivion racked with guilt for the
role he played, and all I can say is "Have another drink on me
Earl, keep biting your nails like your buddy Shawn, and keep looking
over your shoulder, because sooner or later what goes around comes
around." That is the nature of the wrestling business, and it's the
first and last rule. Always has been and always will be.
JPatton (Prodigy Member)
Have you spoken with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall since the Survivor
Series? If so, what is their opinion on Shawn's role in the
double-cross?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I haven't.
JPatton (Prodigy Member)
How hard on you was Brian Pillman's death?
BRET HART (Speaker)
It was very very hard on me for a lot of reasons. I felt that I should
have done a lot more for him. I didn't realize how important he was to
me as a friend. He was very close to being family, and I miss him a lot.
I can imagine talking to him about whats happened the last few weeks,
and often I find myself imagining the conversation taking place and how
he would react. He was always very kind, thoughtful, and considerate
about things like this. I felt very bad about the way Vince McMahon
badgered and bullied his wife on the Monday night RAW show in Kansas
City, and I think that was the first true sign that Vince McMahon was on
the wrong road. I found it very offensive, and it was from that night on
that I told my wife to never fall victim to his smooth talking BS if
anything like that ever happened to me. I also told her to not let the
kids watch the show anymore, and that I personally haven't watched the
show since then. That was long before I signed with WCW. I believe I did
all of that out of respect for Brian Pillman. I miss him a lot.
Fkngoofy (Prodigy Member)
if you were making 3 million a year what was mcmahon paying Shawn
Michaels?
BRET HART (Speaker)
First of all, I want to make it very clear that contrary to what you
read, it's my understanding that nobody has accurately figured out what
I was making before or after I signed with WCW. My contracts with either
company have always been closely guarded, and in many ways I've been
flattered and sometimes even insulted at the various numbers thrown
around. Nobody really knows but me and the people I made my deals with.
As for what Shawn Michaels makes, I have an idea because Vince McMahon
told me, but I don't want to lower myself to his level. If I've learned
one thing about Vince McMahon it's that he was probably lieing when he
told me...so I'd rather not even get into that.
Prince Piper (Prodigy Member)
While you've said in your Calgary Sun interview that you'd never work
for the WWF again, would you accept membership into their Hall of Fame?
BRET HART (Speaker)
No
KevTheGrad (Prodigy Member)
Bret, how soon do you forsee WCW making some stops in major Canadian
cities like Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver....?
Are you pushing for this?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I think it might take 2 or 3 months to organize and coordinate it, but I
have no doubts that WCW will make a serious run at controlling
Canada...and even without me, with the crew that they have already had
for the last year or so, I think it would only have been a matter of
time before they took the lions share of the Canadian market anyway. The
fact of the matter is, WCW has for quite sometime had far more debth in
the talent department than the WWF. Things are only getting worse for
the WWF People in Canada are just going to have to be patient and get
acquainted with WCW. The WWF, if they continue in the direction they are
going, with the sexual content, racial overtones, poor rehearsed
choreography, and things that are flat out disgracful as wiping your ass
with the Canadian flag and humping it in the middle of the ring like
Shawn Michaels did...it won't be very long before they get themselves
yanked off the air with or without WCW breathing down their neck.
Canada's not very tolerant of things like that.
KevTheGrad (Prodigy Member)
What can you tell us about the working atmosphere right now or at least
when you left Titan? Are you still in contact with anybody? Do you
forsee any other wrestlers leaving due to what happened?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I wouldn't really want to say. I know that many of them are not happy.
All I can really say is that when you can take Bret Hart after 14 years
of the most loyal dedicated hardworking professional service that anyone
has ever seen, and threaten to break his contract and then ultimately
try to rape and murder him in the ring from an artistic standpoint, and
then depict him with nothing but lies after he has left, and paint him
out to be the bad guy when they all know different....people know the
truth, and the truth is out there. When something like that happens, I
think it sends a very strong message to each and every one that this is
a company that has no respect in any way shape or form for their talent,
and that the wrestlers themselves are nothing but circus animals with no
rights and no respect and ultimately in the end they take you out back
behind the tents and put a couple of slugs in the back of your
head....that this is all you can look forward to for all the hard work.
I think it's a very sad reflection on the state of affairs in the
business in the WWF and it reflects very much on the fact that the WWF,
their inner circle, and Vince's right hand men, care very little if at
all about the wrestlers or that 'code of honor' amongst wrestlers for
the simple fact that Jim Ross, Bruce Pritchard, Vince Russo, and even
Vince McMahon never have been, never will be, and know nothing about
what it's like to actually be a wrestler. None of them know what it's
like to put your body in the hands of another man....the trust
involved...the respect involved....even the art itself has been lost to
an administration that has never laced up a pair of boots in their life.
maddog 0 (Prodigy Member)
Mr. Hart, What do you think about when Vince McMahon said "Bret
Screwed Bret" On RAW or War Zone or whatever it is?
BRET HART (Speaker)
First of all, I thought it was an absolutely ridiculous statement to
make. I've been very honest and open about everything that happened
before Survivor Series. I never screwed Bret. I was very honest and I
think even more so, I was very fair in my demands which were quite
simple in that I just didn't want to let my Canadian fans down as their
hero on that specific weekend. I think after 14 years that thats a
reasonable demand. How much damage would that have caused? Very little,
I think. Especially in light of what they did do. Also, from the fact
that from a contractual standpoint, I had 'reasonable creative control'
for my last 30 days. Not only was it my legal right, but professionally
it was reasonable as well. I can say with all honesty that my integrity
has been in place for 14 years, and I gave Vince McMahon absolutely
everything I could in the ring and out of the ring. I respected him. I
trusted him. I would never have lied to him or failed him. The fact that
I was leaving was, as he said, a favor to him because he couldn't afford
me anymore. I would be doing him a favor and the company a favor if I
would go back to WCW and make a deal that would be better for me in the
long run. What people have to understand is, I was very happy in the WWF
and when I said I was in the WWF for life...I meant it. He was the one
who was going to break my contract. He was the one that gave me the
right for creative control for my last 30 days. He was the one that told
me in Montreal that it was acceptable to him for me to leave that night
as champion with my head up in a dignified way...that it would be all
right by him to step down the next night at RAW as his champion and he
was the one that intruded on me and surrounded me in the dressing room
with several of his henchmen after the match when I warned him to leave.
All I can say is Vince screwed me and screwed me and screwed me and
finally suffered the consequences for it, and I in no shape or form
screwed myself or my fellow wrestlers, and for a guy who is supposed to
be so smart, he showed me nothing but incredibly poor judgement and a
streak of dishonesty that has followed him from Bruno Sammartino to Bob
Backlund to Billy Superstar Graham to Hulk Hogan to Randy Savage...and
the list goes on and on and on. I ask myself and I ask all the wrestling
fans out there to finally look at the facts and realize that this man is
a very distrustful guy to do business with and that maybe Phil
BRET HART (Speaker)
Mushnick of the New York Post has been right all along.
BRET HART (Speaker)
He doesn't seem to be a very nice guy at all.
PWBTS (Prodigy Member)
Bret - Do you feel that WCW is capable of sustaining what may be the
deepest talent base in wrestling history and still keep everyone an
integral part of it's product?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I imagine so. Again, I'm not familiar with the inner workings of WCW at
all. I will say this much. All my dealings, including the ones I had
last year, they were very honest and very upfront in all ways. I think
on account of the fact that Time Warner is in charge of the funding that
all the ego problems will probably sort themselves out. I've always felt
that the biggest concern in wrestling as far as positioning went was in
regard to how it would reflect on your paycheck. Even in the WWF once
the guaranteed contracts, which came as a result of WCW, the ego
problems all seemed to fade away except for one. I think it's fair to
say that Shawn Michaels had a huge problem with what I was being paid
compared to what he was being paid. That may have ultimately led to the
disaster of Montreal. As far as WCW goes, I really don't care what
anybody makes...from a before or after standpoint. I really just look
forward to artistically meshing with the wide variety of the best
athletes and professionals in the world today and giving my fans some of
the great matches that they have long been dreaming for. Winning and
losing has never been that important to me. Only the respect that comes
from being a great talent. Again, back to Shawn Michaels...the
difference between Shawn Michaels and me...and maybe between Shawn
Michaels and Hulk Hogan, to be a real leader in the dressing room you
have to be respected from the opening match all the way up. I think it's
fair to say that Hulk Hogan always was, and I always was respected from
top to bottom. Shawn Michaels has looked down on all his fellow
wrestlers and is not held in high regard by his peers, and has set the
stage for someone like me to say I can't respect him if he doesn't
respect them. By his conduct and attitude, it would be unfair to my
fellow wrestlers to pass the honor over to the likes of him. What I did
was get respect from all my fellow wrestlers for saying something and
doing something about someone that they are not in a position to do.
spicegirls22 (Prodigy Member)
What is the status of Davey and Owen?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I'm not really sure. I don't know Davey's situation, but I do suspect
that Vince McMahon will make Owen stick to his contract and force him to
be part of a storyline centered around the true life deliberate lieing
and cheating and artistic murder of his brother's character, which reeks
of bad taste and reminds me of a pimp forcing someone into prostitution.
For the WWF to take this horrible thing that they've done to me and make
it appear like it's just another wrestling storyline hopefully gives
people an in debth look at Vince McMahon's integrity and if he was any
kind of a man he would admit that he was wrong and he did wrong and he
would allow Owen at least the opportunity to leave the company if he
wasn't happy. My personal feeling is that I have in no way and never
will suggest to Owen to break his contract, but I will say it would
certainly look nice if the WWF offered him a release. I doubt it will
ever happen, and no matter what ever happens on the WWF TV show with my
brother Owen, I love him very much, I wish him all the best, and I hope
someday we can sit out on his boat and go fishing and talk about how
crazy life got back in 1997. I feel sorry for him.
Hoser Claus (Prodigy Member)
Bret, I've heard a rumor that the Survivor Series ending was
pre-arranged by you and Vince....I have a real tough time believing
this....your comments?
BRET HART (Speaker)
That's so stupid....that it doesn't deserve answering. I do know that a
lot of people think that is the case...that this is just another
storyline and maybe a well worked out way for me to leave the company. I
can say this. I swear on my childrens heads that I never submitted, that
I knew nothing about the ending of that match, and that it was as big an
insult to me as it was to the wrestling business as a whole and that
Dave Meltzer had it right that it was the biggest screwjob in the
history of professional wrestling. I said to Vince McMahon in the
dressing room that this would be his company's death knell. What I meant
by that was that this horribly bad decision is one I feel he will regret
forever and ever. I think that one thing I have emulated over the years
has been a form of integrity and respect unparralled maybe by any other
wrestler ever....and that wrestling fans, wrestlers, and just people in
general have not been able to swallow what a horrible injustice this
really was. I really do think that this bad decision ultimately will
lead to wrestling fans turning the channels faster than ever, it will
cause a form of anarchy in the WWF dressing room that has never been
seen before and much like Verne Gagne and the AWA the fact that Vince
McMahon screwed over his best and greatest hero will bring down the WWF
once and for all.
Hugh Morrus (Prodigy Member)
And have you come up with anything for entrance music yet?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I'm working on it. I have some musician friends of mine up in Canada, a
band called Odds is working on it. I also understand that there is a
possibility that even Bryan Adams might consider letting me use one of
his songs. I also know that WCW is working on a song for me. They
ultimately have the final say, I think, in that regard.
Chris in MI (Prodigy Member)
Did you ever consider appearing on WWF programing after the Survivor
Series, but before your contract expired?
BRET HART (Speaker)
No. Not after Survivor Series. To be honest, they breached the contract,
and I made no effort whatsoever to ever go back.
Hoser Claus (Prodigy Member)
Bret, how much of the truth did Vince casually "leave out"
during his segment on RAW a few weeks ago?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I'll give you an example.....he said that it was a joint decision for me
to leave the WWF. That was a lie. He left out the most important part of
the whole thing, which was he confronted me in Madison Square Garden
around Septbmer 22 that they were going to break my contract and pay me
anywhere from half the amount to maybe even less. I think that tells a
lot about the picture that he doesn't paint. He said I didn't honor the
time honored tradition, when he didn't mention that from a contratual
standpoint I had every right to do that. He certainly didn't mention
that he didn't honor the same traditions himself. Perhaps people would
like to hear what Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund and even Hulk Hogan
think of him honoring his word and the wrestling traditions. The
questions all asked were set up by him from Jim Ross and I believe even
tomorrow on RAW they will make another mad desperate attempt to distort
the truth and ride this wave that they have created out of screwing over
the best talent they ever had for little or no reason. They will force
my brother to go along with a storyline based around it, and you will
probably see that the only thing the WWF has going for it anymore is
what Bret Hart did. It's a sad testimony to a company that I always felt
in my heart was the greatest wrestling organization of all time. How
Vince McMahon has lost his way this bad is has heartbreaking to me as
anybody else.
Chris in MI (Prodigy Member)
How would you like to end your career?
BRET HART (Speaker)
I'd like to end my career with the greatest match I ever had. Win or
lose.
ECI Jep (Prodigy Member)
Bret hows that hand?
BRET HART (Speaker)
My hand is getting better. I fractured a couple of knuckles and broke a
little bone about an inch above my wrist. If I could get people to stop
shaking my hand and congratulating me on everything that has happened,
it would probably heal a lot faster. I start lifting weights again
tomorrow. I've been sidelined since Montreal.
RobNYC (Prodigy Member)
Do you see yourself getting lost in the shuffle down in WCW, whereas
before you were pretty much the main man in the WWF?
BRET HART (Speaker)
No, I don't. I think there is a committment by them and by me. That
committment is that talent is talent. I've sensed for some time that WCW
has great respect for my talent, and even greater respect for my
integrity. I think the feelings are mutual. As a closing statement, I
want all of my fans both new and old to understand that my memories with
the WWF will live forever in my heart. I'll miss the WWF very much, and
from this point on, I don't plan on addressing the WWF or bashing the
WWF. I've made my points clear. I apologize for nothing. I gave them
everything I had, and despite the fact that things ended the way they
did, I will always be proud of all the years I had with the WWF with the
exception of my last 20 minutes. I'm not proud of what happened between
me and Vince McMahon, and I hope all my fellow wrestlers there will
prosper and things will go well for them....especially my brother Owen.
I don't plan on discussing this topic or this issue anymore. I will make
no more rebuttals of statements or commentary made about me on their
programs. I hope in a sense to bury the hatchet and to move on in what
for me has been a very very difficult time and much of the last month
has broken my heart. The last look on my face at Survivor Series was one
of a hero that felt betrayed and let down by an organization that I had
given all I could give. In a certain sense the Hitman character was
brutally murdered by Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Earl Hebner, and a
handful of others. All one has to do is see the look on my face at the
end of that match and you can see what a terrible hurt it was for me,
but I thank God that I will get an opportunity to resurrect myself in
WCW and that I will prove myself to all my doubters and will prove
myself once again to all my fans and fellow wrestlers and I can't wait
to let the new stories unfold whether it's with Hulk Hogan, Sting, Ric
Flair, Chris Benoit...there are so many Superstars down there that I
can't wait to jump into the mix. Vince McMahon said something which I
feel was just another lie and that was I wasn't worth the money anymore.
Well, I appreciate very much that WCW felt otherwise, and again I can
only promise that I'm going to give everything I have and I'll continue
to be to the best of my ability, the best there is, the best there was,
the best there every will be...., to keep all my promises and follow my
heart. I will see you all on NITRO soon enough.
