I was recently asked by someone what I thought of Bret
Hart in light of all the recent things that has
happened surrounding him. That question was far more
difficult to answer than I ever thought. Some will
tell you that Bret is one of the greatest in the sport
today. Others will tell you he is an embarrassment and
a constant whiner. People point to the infamous
Survivor Series Screw Job we have all heard so much
about. That Bret blames Vincent McMahon for all his
woes. Anyway, here is what I think of Bret.
When I think of Bret Hart, I first think of myself as
a young child watching wrestling while laying on my
living room floor watching the Hart Foundation with
Bret "the hit man" Hart and Jim "the anvil" Niedhart.
They were my favorite. No matter if they were good
guys or bad guys I always liked them. They both seemed
larger than life.
I was lucky as a child, as my father and several
uncles were either in, or somehow connected with WWF,
at that time, the only wrestling I knew ever existed.
I remember once while on a trip with my family to
Canada to see an Uncle, I and my sister was put in
with a few other kids into a truck, and my Uncle
telling his son, take them to the dungeon, show them
what happens when they don't listen. It was all in
good fun, but let me tell you we didn't think so at
the time. I must have been 8 or 9 at the time. We were
taken to a house I couldn't tell you much about. I
meet other people, whose names I have forgotten. What
I do remember was I got to meet Bret! My hero. My
father had set it up. He took us down into the dungeon
keeping with the whole this is what happens to you if
you don't listen to your parents scheme. Through the
eyes of that child, I thought he was so serious, even
dangerous. He had this look on his face that I took to
be dire. As an adult, I think it was pride. I remember
going down and seeing a grown man on the floor on top
of an older teenager. The older man was hurting the
kid, he was screaming. The old man looked at us and
yelled, he didn't listen! Then gave us the most evil
laugh you ever heard. Bret hurried us back up the
stairs before he could, "get us!" I did a lot during
those two weeks of vacation, but I'll remember meeting
Bret, my hero, as the best time. Looking back on it as
an adult, I think the two in the dungeon was Stu, and
one of the boys.
About a year or so later (age helps us forget
dates
and times) back home in California, we went to see
this same uncle. This time the WWF was in town, so our
trip didn't involve airplanes, and long car trips. My
sister and I were taken backstage, while my Dad and
uncle caught up and talked about whatever it is adults
talk about, we got to meet some of the wrestlers. The
two of us got to meet Hulk Hogan, no not just Hulk
Hogan, but THE HULKSTER. I was great. He was at his
finest that day, telling us to be good, say our
prayers, and take our vitamins. Classic Hogan Silly
now, but really cool at the time. We meet others that
day. Hacksaw Jim Dungeon, Randy Savage, Elizabeth,
Henning. A really great day. As we were walking to
take our seats, I spotted a familiar set of Pink
tights walking towards us. Bret came up, said a few
words to my Uncle, got down on one knee, looked at me
and my sister, and asked in his most serious hit-man
voice, "You two are being good right? I don't have to
take you to the dungeon." We both laughed and said we
were. He reached into his leather jacket and pulled
out a pair of those famous hit-glasses he always gave
away and placed them on my sisters' face. She was so
excited. He looked at me and told me he was out of
glasses but would give my uncle some for me later. And
he did. And then he was gone to do what ever it is
wrestlers do when they are back there. Later that day,
as we watched the matches from our seats, it came time
for the Hart Foundation to come out. Bret and Jim
stalked to the ring ready to kill whoever was put
before them. They looked so mad. As Jim got into the
ring, Bret looked around, found his fan, and for just
a second that grim look disappeared, he put his
glasses on another girl, and smiled at her. Then look
was back. Back to business. They ended up destroying
the Killer B's if any of you remember them. I had
gotten to see my hero again. Hogan was main event that
night. He won. He had the belt, it was so loud. I
loved Hogan, but I respected Bret. I was confused as
to the look I told you he had, just before he gave the
glasses away. First he was so deadly serious, then I
didn't know what it was. As an adult I know. It was
pride. Bret loved what he was doing.
Years past, I grew, as did wrestling. I still
watched, but not as often. I saw great matches with
Bret, as always you could see the little flame in his
eye. He loved what he was doing. I saw the Iron Man
Match with Bret and Shawn Michaels. It has to be one
of the top 5 matches of all time. And you could see
the flame in his eyes. He loved it. He may have hated
Shawn, but he loved wrestling him, because Shawn
brought out the best in Bret, and I am sure Bret
brought out the best in Shawn. I saw his brother Owen
wrestle. There was the same spark in Owens eyes that
was in Brets. As an adult I saw the way a crowd yelled
for him, and the way he seemed to drink it in. He
loved wrestling. After the famous turn, when Bret was
a bad guy again, anti-American. I watched him walk out
to boos. He looked arrogant, and snotty. Still if you
looked at him. The spark was still there. He was still
in wrestling, and he still loved it. I watched him bad
mouth this country. He was very convincing. Yet if you
looked not directly at him, but just kind of looked at
the whole picture, I think you can tell, he really
hated bad mouthing America. Then the Survivor Series
of 97 happened. There are different versions of what
happened that night. Vince screwed Bret. Bret screwed
Bret. I have my opinion, as I am sure you have yours.
What I do know is, they both screwed wrestling. It was
an awful evening. Seeing Vince jump up to the
timekeeper telling him to ring the bell, even though
it was so clear Bret hadn't tapped out. Seeing the
look on Hebners face, as I think he was in shock over
what was going on. Even the exuberant Michaels, for
about 20 seconds looked confused. As much as he and
Bret hadn't gotten along, I think he hated to see
their history end like that. And the look of pure
disgust the came over Brets face when he realized what
had happened. Then Bret spitting on Vince. I'll say it
again, what an awful night.
We all know what happened in the aftermath.
Vince's
side, Bret Hart and his side. The wrestling with
shadows documentary. And of course all of us out there
making our own minds up as to what we think really
happened. I have gotten into a few disagreements with
people over it, their opinion, and my opinion. Some
disagreements have turned into fights. In the final
analysis it doesn't matter what any of us think. If
anyone was truly injured by this it wasn't Vince and
really it wasn't Bret, it was wrestling.
Time moved on. Bret, along with his
brother-in-laws
went to WCW. Owen stayed to fulfill his contract. I
also think he wanted to prove to everyone he could
make it without Bret. I remember thinking at the time
how difficult it must be for him, being in a company
that his own brother, who had been Owens hero growing
up, hated. Working for the man his own brother was
constantly spitting nasty things about. I told my
uncle, who is now, quite old, my feelings. He chuckled
and then imparted these words to me. Don't you stress
over Owen or Bret, their Harts, They'll be just fine.
I kept expecting to see that same look in Brets eyes
when he went to the ring in WCW. It wasn't there. It
almost was, a few times. The closest I saw was the
night after a PPV when Bret stood in the ring with
Jean Okerland and his opponent he had defeated the
night before, the Nature Boy Ric Flair. And then
Flair, as only Flair can do, said at the top of his
voice, veins pushing so hard against his neck you know
he is going to have a stroke any second, "You know
what Bret, maybe not tomorrow, and maybe not
yesterday, but today you are the best there is, the
best there was, and the best there ever will be!" As
they shook hands, I thought I saw a little bit of that
spark. I had hopes I would see it again.
Then we all know about the death of Owen. That
affected Bret on so many levels, I'm not even going to
speculate on all any of them. A WCW staff member told
this to me about their appearance in the Temper Arena.
"We were setting up today, and Bret showed up early,
even earlier than usual for him. He got out of his car
with his bag, didn't say a word. He walked in about
half way to what would become ringside and stopped. He
looked up to the sky to the place near the sport where
his brother had surely been. He just dropped his bag
and stared. There was about thirty of us out there.
You could almost feel Owens presence in the air. No
one said a word, which if you have ever been in an
arena when we try and get everything together, never
happens. Bret must have stared for five minutes, never
said a word, nor shed a tear. Just stared. Then he
picked his bag up and went to do whatever it was he
had to do." I've decided not to tell this persons name
because I know he values he image and can't have
anyone thinking he is soft. Your secret is safe with
me my friend.
I am sure Bret is happy with the World Strap he holds
today. There might even be some pride there. But that
spark I remember so well, it's gone. I think Bret is
trying to move on. His attacks on Vince have become
fewer and farer in between. I don't want to condone
attacks on anyone, weather my hero does it or not. All
I can say in his defense is this. I don't judge Bret
because I don't know what I'd of done in his
situation. In the course of two years, the company he
put his heart and soul into for so many years in his
opinion stabbed him in the back and sold him out. His
brother, who had idolized him, has died in a tragic
accident while performing in the sport Bret loves, and
his marriage is in the process of disinagrating (if it
exists at all anymore, I don't ask anymore.). If all
that happened to me, I don't know what I'd be like. It
angers me when I hear people refer to him as sissy
boy, and a whiner. This man who has given literally
everything for so many years to try and entertain us.
The funny part is, if you ask Bret about these
remarks, he laughs. He says, "but they are still
talking about me aren't they? It takes more effort to
insult me than it does to ignore me." Then he gives
you one of those goofy Bret Hart grins.
When I think of Bret Hart after his retirement and
he
is no longer in the public eye. I won't think of
Survivor Series. I won't think of Vince McMahon. And I
definitely won't think of all the crap surrounding
these past two years. I'll think of when Bret won that
first title. The look in his eyes you could tell he
had achieved one of his childhood dreams. I'll think
of Bret standing in a ring with Flair, who is one of
the all time greats, and Flair telling him that today,
he was the best. I'll think of the Bret Hart that took
me and my sister and a few other kids to the "dungeon"
to urge us to be good. And I'll take with me the Bret
Hart who took time backstage when I am sure he had
things to do, and to talk to me and my sister, and
give her and later me some of his glasses. That's what
I'll take with me.
=====
****Stardog Champion****
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