Imagine being a fellow passenger on that plane ride with hbk and Bret talking over plans for extending their feud 😮 now that would've been a great conversation to over hear
I do think that if you were able to get to Bret and Shawn teaming up together after climbing the ranks together from tag to IC to the World title, it would've been a crazy story. I can't think of a time I saw them actually team up together I'm sure they did but yeah, that would've been cool if it played out that way.
Consider this: When Bret was champion, Shawn, Razor and Diesel were there in support roles, helping ratings. When Shawn was champ, those 3 were gone, and 2 of them were heavily featured on the competition.
You also have to consider the fact that when Bret was champion wrestling as a whole was going through a rough patch and he was trying to live up to much bigger names.
WCW was also going live on Nitro while Raw was still taped and that the whole NWO thing was going on. So, it could be anyone in history who was champion, at that point in time WCW was going to be winning in ratings until things changed. And Bret being off tv the whole time it was happening didn't help either really.
Yeah bret could've been the 3rd nerd in the nwo aka wcw! Just imagine bret not taking a 7 month vacation in 96!!?? On 1996 ppv: kotr 96, summerslam 96, etc. bret vs Vader, bret vs mankind, etc
I enjoyed 1996 & 1997 mainly due to the fact that Bret, Shawn & Taker were the big 3 and carrying the company during that period. WCW was whipping their asses, but Bret, Shawn & Taker delivered some classic matches and rivalries during that time. Sometimes I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall backstage during that time 😩
Looking back now the NWO was only good for maybe that solid year but dragged out for years to come. It should of stayed a smaller group like DX did. Would of made it better over time but it just got stupid and Austin and Rock/DX too just got bigger and better by 1998. The Shield had a longer healthier tenure in the first wave before Seth betrayed over the NWO. They were just letting everyone in that
@@willpowerrazorblade6436 Because running something into the ground even if amazing can only last so long withou changing/adapting. WWF had the ultimate heel in Vince which was even better than the NWO
Bret said " I loved working with steve, I wanted to be the one who made steve" Well in my eye you are the one that made steve. If there's one iconic image of steve austin, it's the one with him in the sharp shooter with blood pouring down his face refusing to tap out. That was the night steve became the steve austin that everyone loved. And you did that.
Bret did get Stone Cold over at Survivor Series 1996 and Wrestlemaina 13 in 1997..and of course Steve got himself over with his promos Austin 3:16 ..which led to being King of the Ring, IC champion, Tag Team champion, and the WWF(WWE) championship from 1997 to 1998..( p.s. in fact Bret Hart wanted to lose his title to Stone Cold but Montreal happened and the rest is history)
The iconic thing about that image is the way the blood is pouring down Austin’s face. And the ironic thing is, Bret is the one who bladed him, and he botched it. If he hadn’t there would not have been the amount blood, thus the image might not be remembered the way it is. Just another example of the amount of happy accidents that occurred between 97-01 that made that era incredible
@@TaniasUncle nah. You don't get it. He was a heel prior. That match played a double turn that garnered him fan support as a face. WWF was face driven, and heel heat. WCW was driven off heel star power. That match absolutely mattered in how things turned out for Steve.
At 15:56 “This will really break his heart when I say this on tv.” He’s the heart break kid! Lol. But we’re all still human beings and some words? Become fight words. It’s ironic Bret talked about breaking Shawn’s heart.
@@mstancl I think the screw job was what really took him over the edge. Sadly people won’t keep talking about it. I’m sure the participants are sick of hearing it. Lol
@@ezj9103 makes sense... he stuck it through until the straw on the camel's back. Got a huge paycheck from Ted Tuner and Goldberg made it easier on him.
We as humans have on average, six dreams a night but we can only remember a maximum of two of them. Bret the heartman should be more concerned with what’s going on in the other four dreams than breaking another man’s heart in 1997. I need answers and unfortunately the heartman is the only one that can give them to me but he’s stuck in the past.
"Shawn didn't draw", he completely ignores the fact that Hall and Nash just left. So you have no razor ramon, no diesel, and no Bret Hart and the ratings were supposed to improve? Lol.
That's ironic that Bret said that submission matches are boring... when his finisher is a submission. Austin DID have a submission. The year before he was using the Million Dollar Dream.
@@michaelmfwayneexactly. If its just your finisher you'll use it once, maybe twice in a match and rely on pinfalls for that quick drama and reversal of flow. You never know when a match can end. In a submission match youre putting it over and over again (say 6 to 10 times), having your opponent try to get to the ropes or fight out of it which slows down the match.
He even kept it up and trashed Michaels in the Calgary Sun when he was exploring going to WCW. I like a lot of Bret’s matches. But I suspect he may be someone undiagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. Hallmark of ppl with NPD is inability to accept responsibility or fault for their actions, grandiose egos, and always playing the victim card.
@@tron.44 I would say Shawn Michaels is an overt narcissist. I think Shawn is/was more openly manipulative. But Shawn Michaels has taken a lot more responsibility for his behavior than Bret has. Even Bret’s book was a love letter to himself and he always seemed to have a way to justify everything he did. When he talked about his affairs, he’d say something like, “I was away from home so much. Julie and I werent getting along. It was only natural for me to escape my problems at home.”
False narrative that people that hated Shawn love to push, literally Shawn got the title and right after Kevin Nash & Scott Hall go to WCW and the NWO takes off while Shawn is being forced to have a little old man follow him everywhere and carry the company pretty much on his own Vs the NWO, when he turned face after the Diesel mania match he was white hot and a combination of wwf crappy creative and wcw getting hot is what held him back
Amazing that Bret didn't think the Steve Austin match needed to happen, and he was dragging his feet before it, only for it to become the greatest Wrestlemania match ever.
Sooo you're saying that story with Shawn and Bret having the trilogy and eventually teaming up never happened... Until 2022-2024 with Cody and Seth😳😳. Think about it, 2nd generation superstar comes back to the company, has a banger trilogy with the hottest act in the company, then eventually they come to terms on a team up later on! Perfect 1 to 1 and it just shows us how much Triple H truly knows the business very well.
Here's what happened in a nutshell, Bret thought he could use WCW as leverage in an attempt to get what he really desired .... a title victory over Shawn at Mania. Bret got duped. In order to get Bret signed in late 96 Vince let Bret go on believing he was actually going over on Shawn for the title at mania, but in reality Vince was never actually going to go with Bret's idea in the end. Classic Vince, sell you the world, make promises, tell you what you want to hear, then change plans on you.
I love Bret but seriously! “Hey Shawn, here’s the plan. I’m going to submit you and then flip you off in your face at Wrestlemania after your long year run with the belt. How’s that catch ya?”
I'd say it'd be justified considering how Shawn literally told Bret to "get tf outta my ring" right after Bret put him over in the Ironman match they had.
@@aaronneville1164 Yes, obviously as that's literally what Bret said in this video clip. However, what does that have to do w/ my point of Shawn's actions after the match @WM12? Was that a work too, or was that Shawn being Shawn?
@@aaronneville1164 No I'm not reading too much into it. And you didn't answer my question. Was Shawn telling Bret to gtfo of his ring a work also, or Shawn being who he was at the time? It's a really simple question to answer.
OK, so Bret Hart is either lying in this interview or he lied in his book. Because in his book Bret tells the story of Vince informing him that he would wrestle Shawn BUT it wasn't going to be a title match.
@@crispycruiser4654Literally no one lies more than Hogan. I mean there's compilations on YT people have made of all the lies Hogan's told over his career. Stop the cap.
To be fair I've heard Nash talk plenty of S#!t about Bret too. Who knows maybe irl they think it's hilarious, or maybe they hate each other? Who really knows.
Where did he bash nash lol in this, hes just saying how vince said that ratings were down when nash was champ, did he say nash smells like dirty socks? No he didn't.
@@OptimusPrimeribsseeing how his career turned out in WCW Bret was 💯 right to want to return to WWF. He wouldn’t have had that career ending injury and would of had so many more classic matches.
I'm sure I read from ''dirt sheets'' that if Bret vs HBK at Mania had happened , then it would have been Austin vs Taker on the card . wonder if the streak would even have been a thing had these matches happened .
With all due respect to Bret, I don’t think he’s taking Shawn’s feelings at the time into account. From Shawn’s perspective, he had spent his entire career up to 96 being pass over for bigger/stronger guys and only being there to put them over and be their stunt dummy essentially. Bret was older, so HBK spent a lot of time putting him over too, especially when he was champion, a spot shawn wanted. He worked hard for that win at Mania 12. Now that his reign isn’t drawing ratings, it’s makin him stressed and now comes Bret talking about putting him over once again and also being told to let Bret say these things about him and Bret doesn’t seem to have allowed much room for HBK to respond to those disses, so he would essentially shoot on him in response and that pissed Bret off. “How’d you know I was in that girlie magazine?”
@@peacepunksean1942 If you think pills and cocain make your feelings go away I don't actually think you've abused either. What you're saying is actually pretty disturbing to me, because all I herd was " Shawn was a drug addict in those years, so he wasn't really a human and didn't deserve to be treated like one. " Addiction is a disease, it's not an addicts fault they are an addict. It's PHYSICALLY rewired brain networks that induce repeated symptoms. It's not imaginary. Look into any of the modern science and you would see that's exactly how it's treated. From a recovering heroin addict.
Yeah kinda sucked for both shawn and Bret. Obviously WCW was just doing more interesting things but the ratings will always be put on the champ. So you right I'm sure shawn didn't want to just be passed over again, for things that weren't his fault, now that he was champ. Brett definitely got lied to which happens all the time in wrestling but still sucks as the person being lied too. Wish these two would of had a longer rivalry at the top of the card instead of Brett leaving and shawn blowing his back out. That's IF they didn't kill each other back stage lol. Could of been great storylines with all their history together, plus two of the best in the ring of all time...dam we missed out on some great matches.
It was a TERRIBLE idea, poor Shawn. Not only was he carrying the company the whole year prior, but ratings were down so he was probably feeling like shit because of it, then Bret tries to pull this on him. I don't blame him either.
Bret says Shawn wasn’t drawing, but doesn’t mention that wcw continued to beat wwf with Bret as champion after he won the belt at summer slam either. Bret wasn’t going head to head with the NWO in his first reign as champion like Shawn did. And let’s not forget Shawn and dx were a huge part in wwf finally getting back on top in the ratings
A huge part of narrative missing here. In general wrestling ratings across the board were higher in those days than they are today. This is because wrestling rating tend to be made up of three components - 1. Hardcore fans of a particular company. 2. Hardcore wrestling fans in general who watch everything wrestling. 3. The mass audience who just like entertainment and will gravitate toward that, not caring deeply about wrestling generally. Today, we ONLY have two of those viewerships because wrestling is dead (not just dying - fully dead) to the mass audience. But back then there was very much still that mass audience. And the ratings shift that happened can be almost directly attributable to the emergence of NWO and huge increase in quality of WCW programming at that time, hence the mass audience finding it more entertaining as an overall product. It had pretty much nothing to do with what Shawn, Bret, Undertaker or anyone else was or wasn't doing on the WWF side of things, it was ENTIRELY to do with what was happening with the overall product, and what WCW was doing that was more gritty and felt 'real'. People who use the whole 'champion wasn't drawing' angle tend to be clueless as to the reality of the broader context.
@@Jcrash71 I think he talking actual submissions not past the basic chinlock hold etc, which would make sense as Austin was never that type of Wrestler
Only enhancement talent (tomato cans/jobbers) would submit to the million dollar dream. A mid carder MIGHT pass out and not raise their arm after 3 drops. A top guy would never do either. Shit move and not useful in that match
Bret Heart is one of the most decent men in wrestling. Everything he says he has backed up with so many other people in the business have backed up. He was and still is a proper pro. Knowing losing is just as much as winning and building characters and having great matches.
When there's so much turmoil in the world it's comforting to know that somewhere Bret Hart will STILL be fucking moaning about his wrestling career. It's the universal constant.
Not just with Bret but for WWF as a whole 97 was the best year. Creatively on the mic and in the ring it just seemed thats where not only turned the corner but peakes and the WWF was able to ride that creat through the attitude era. Mick got over with those sitdown Jim Ross interviews. Pillman was gold on the mic. Austin was peaking, Michaels was strung out on the junk but he could still go. Sid and Taker were both hot. LOD was back and over. The heel Godwins are pretty underrated. Chyna came in and just looked so different and was over almost instantly and HHH was able to get a ton of heat. Owen and Bulldog were really good in their roles. Vader had trimmed down and he was putting people over but they still treated him like a monster. But 97 and 92 were probably the two best years for Bret both in the ring and on the mic
Yeah was great, WWF was really under pressure from WCW in '97 and came up with some good stuff. It was the year that WWF was bought back to TV in New Zealand.
Bret is seriously one of the best to EVER lace a pair of boots in wrestling and I love watching his matches………… But FFS MAN!!!! Please deflate the ego just a bit!!! He really believes that much in himself, and that’s not a bad thing, until it gets to the point you thinking you are literally the best at everything 😂
Bret needs to include himself when talking about champions that didn't draw. His lack of ability to draw as champion in 94 led to WWE choosing not to feature him as the headliner of the pay per views.
The cold hard truth is after Hogan and before Austin none of them drew big $. Yoko, Bret, Diesel, Shawn, Sid and even Taker all struggled while business kept going downhill. It wasn't until Fall 97, led by the Montreal screwjob, that the WWF started to net positive and then exploded with Austin as their top act despite WCW still growing in popularity.
Hard to draw against WcW by 96 though. Still I go back and watch Brett's matches from 94-96 he was killing it in the ring. Most WWF Story lines sucked/Suck hard to pin that on him. He was one of the few highlights they still had going on.
disagree. Bret was definitely the biggest draw out of all those tops guy between hogan's era and austin. definitely not as big of a draw than hogan or austin in the USA but internationally im pretty sure Bret is only second to hogan during the 90's. Austin was a huge U.S attraction and the rock was both a huge U.S attraction and international@@robgbaby
I like how everyone talks about how hard addiction in the wrestling business is and how we need to help people, except when it comes to HBK. The man was DEEP in addiction and everyone just shits on him. The irony is all of this shit from nearly 30 years ago still upsets bitter Bret but HBK doesn’t seem to care. He’s acknowledged his mistakes made amends and moved on.
@@FredCracklin exactly. Scott Hall had an addiction problem too. Look what he and Kevin Nash did in WCW. I love how Nash got on the shoot bandwagon years ago to try and justify their political maneuvering when part of it was being driven by two of his drunk, drugged up boyfriends.. oops I mean best friends. Shane Douglas, Chris Cándido, Bam Bam Bigelow, Tracey Smothers-and many others, and, ultimately Bret Hart, had every right to feel screwed over by these dudes.
@danielsalinas6683 during that time period everyone always said triple h was the level headed guy in the group. He apparently talked them down from doing a lot of shit.
Well, I can see Shawn's perspective of not wanting to put Bret over. From 1992 to 1997, it feels like being (somewhat) permanent second fiddle, if Bret won at WrestleMania 13. WM 13 would have worked, if Bret won and he lost at Summer Slam or something (as he suggests). Alternately, Bret should have lost WM 13, and the frustration of the guard changing could be built up for bout 3, which could have gone to Bret, but with Steve Austin maybe souring the victory, so that sets up the pathway for SCSA anyway?
@@user-li3fr8jl3b Second fiddle to Bret. Not unto himself. By 1994, if Bret was 1, Shawn was 2. But, by 1995, Shawn was 1.5. By 1996, they were on par. So, for Shawn to lose again in 1997, after the one high, would feel off? Especially at WrestleMania? Shawn deserved WM13, imo. Then, it plays further into his arrogant 'you're old news' attitude towards Bret, which could be leveraged for the next bout. For once, it's Bret who would have to prove to Shawn, that he can take him out. That sorta thing.
@@user-li3fr8jl3b of course, the ideal is that Bret, Shawn and SCSA all worked through 1998. But that may have been too much mega wattage to accommodate? Bret would have moulded into different programs, but Shawn would likely not. He was in that imperial main event phase, but well...we'll never know.
Bret was always my favorite wrestler, he was too trusting of liars and thieves and ultimately injured by the scrub goldberg, is a sad story but his integrity is in tact and still a fav.
It’s sucks what happened to Bret and have his career end abruptly. Wish we could’ve seen him wrestle in the 2000’s maybe even a last match at Saudi. Dudes been through so much, respect to the Hitman.
How about no matches ever again in Saudi Arabia. That deal is morally wrong. Have folks forgotten? I question what propaganda is being pushed through youths minds. Bret Hitman was a super chraclrater because he was this little pink warrior who would go out and battle for what je believed was just. Even when he was wrong, his character was justified in the Hitnans mind. Now there are no good guys ro root for. The ones that they want folks to cheer are so sinful that we cannot.ever truely get behind them. The led screens are also.junky looking along with the on screen graphics. There is no Bob Baclunds or American heros. Too many monster men, or selfish jerks. No body feels real as a grappler. Shamrock Blockmon, Furnace and La Fong. Good old Nicky Bockwinkle had class. Heck even Tace as tuff as he was demanded resoect. Now its goofs w scribble scrabble all over em. I think its Gone. All my favorites are gone. Maybe more important things to.do now a days . Nintendo and westling seem less important.
The problem with Bret Hart is that he actually believed wrestling was real and never saw it for what it was and still is...entertainment! Business entertainment. Shawn Michaels said it better than anyone else..."Hitman you actually think all this is yours ". His rivalry with hbk was legendary and could have been even bigger if they could see each other eye to eye.
When you have zero knowledge about history. You don’t know what the Hart Dynasty meant and in which environment Hart grew up. What wrestling meant back in the day and what it meant to the wrestlers. He is one of the few wrestling’s royalty survivors.
Hmm...he actually had a good story line. I was what...14 in 2000 so this was right around my time when I was obsessed with the WWF or well, WWE. Brett was my absolute favorite growing up, I ;even remember watching his brother LIVE that one night (I was really confused what was going on). He's really good at telling stories, I mean look at how quiet everyone is!
Vince dropped the ball leaving Bret go at the height of his career in many ways. 97 was Brets greatest year his mic skills were insanely good he had heat with everyone, the Canadian/U.S rivalry was genius it was still gaining momentum. The biggest shame in wrestling is Bret gone from WWF in 1997 and prematurely ending his career. Love these interview clips!
@@gingerrevenger9718definitely, and even though the WWF did greater numbers they missed out on what Bret could offer, he’d have gotten even more guys over etc.
@@kamfisher1714it’s not just about the numbers, Bret had a lot more to offer snd he’d have gotten even more guys over etc. He was a valuable asset that the WWF lacked even in its height.
The wrestlemania 13 match between Brett Hart and Stone cold it’s probably one of the greatest matches of all time. It’s the only wrestling match in history to have a double turn. Bret heart did make Stone Cold Steve Austin that night. That is the match that propelled Austin‘s career without it I don’t think everything goes quite the same. This is another feather in the cap of why the hitman is the greatest professional wrestler ever. no one even comes close. And it also proves that the wrestling in the ring was far superior than any storyline. Think about it today’s age uses storylines to turn people good to bad, bad good but Brett hart was so good. He used his wrestling to do it.
C'mon now Bret, You mean to tell me that a POTENTIAL "championship" win over Shawn at Mania was all it took to convince you to turn down WCW's offer of a higher salary AND lighter work schedule ?!? Seriously?! Mentality of a true MARK.
That's why Nash and Hall didn't want him as champion. They knew they were not gonna be the guy, but Bret was willing to take less money if it meant him being the guy. Yeah, HBK was their friend, but he was also someone who demanded money, and that meant they could ask for more. In WCW, they had no problem with Hogan making bank cause that just kept raising the pay ceiling.
If Bret were being fully honest, him not wanting to go to WCW probably had a lot to do with his soured relationship with Hulk Hogan and knowing how much stroke Hulk had with WCW….and Bret would be 100% correct if that’s what was going through his head back then. And this is probably why he told Bishoff that he wanted Hulk’s pay plus one penny.
@@hockeyguy2005 it was Hogan's fault for not wanting to do the 3 match program. Hogan got butt hurt when HBK did the Larry King promo spoofing Hogan even though Hogan gave HBK permission to do it. Hogan only wanted to do the 1 match and faked an injury so that's the reason Shawn made Hogan look like a fool in that match with his Mr. Perfect selling he did.
@@fmthebaron no it was Shawn michaels fault, Shawn Michaels is an overrated pre-madonna little bitch, and was worse at backstage politics than the false narrative of Hogan.
@@hockeyguy2005wrong. It’s hogan who cut the program after he won . And Shawn flopping around literally made that match . It would of been a snooze fest if he didn’t
Bret Hart thinking that Making Shawn submit, break his arm and then flip him the finger would excite Shawn Michaels is so naive. The only thing missing to completely humiliate the guy would have been urinating on him as he was begging for mercy. Also Bret Hart is the same guy who refused to take the Jacknife PowerBomb from Diesel before his match with the undertaker, saying " What's in it for me? " Not getting pinned, God forbid, just taking the power bomb to make Diesel look strong before he loses to the undertaker. Bret Hart complaining about Shawn not wanting to look weak is so hypocritical.
That's a build up to make Bret turn heel and give even more sympathy to Shawn, until the 3rd encounter where Shawn comes out as a clean winner and Bret admits his defeat, turning him baby face again. It makes a lot of sense and it's a great story.
Plans change. Hogan and Bret had creative control. Even if you don't see how submitting in the middle of the ring after Bret Hart breaks your leg and shows you the middle finger. No guarantee Bret Hart would follow through on his promise, and knowing Bret Hart he would come up with an ending that would Make himself looking better than Shawn. The Guy refused to lose in Canada and refused to take the Jack knife Power bomb from Diesel because there was nothing in it for him. If you don't see how much of a hypocrite Bret Hart was, you are just drinking the Kool-Aid . @@gary6754
So essentially Brett wanted to do the Kurt and Brock angle when they were claiming to be buddy’s but just one upping each other. I think it would’ve been great and bring out Michael’s comedic side a bit earlier in his career
Man’s entire legacy is now reduced to talking shit about backstage politics from 30 years ago and making sure to drag Shawn even though Shawn’s been sober and a better person for like 20.
Right, else where he praises the match and this is The match that Wrestlemania XIII is remembered for, the rest of the ppv stunk. I'm surprised Bret was like of just "meh" about this match, I guess that's because his heart was set on regaining the title back from Shawn, something he didn't say here, which is in his book is about them promising Shawn a long title reign, much like they did Diesel and Hart before him, sadly he didn't draw, and alot of that wasn't even on Shawn, he didn't have alot of strong opponents to work with, and the whole thing with Vader (Who he didn't want to work with) would have been a great opponent for him but it didn't work out. Nash had the same problem in 1995, he didn't have enough strong heels to work against, which is part of the reason why his WWF title reign didn't go so well, not to mention business being down all around in 1995.
If Shawn never lost his smile Steve would of never gotten that big turning match that made him Stone Cold. Many say he became Stone cold when he did the 3:16 promo, but me, I remember the Ironman match with Brett that made him Stone Cold.
"I wanted to make him tap, break his arm, then make him look like a loser by giving him the finger. They got mad I wanted to completely bury their top guy." Typical Bret Hart delusional nonsense.
@@Shiva-Kumar138Sure. When Shawn getting completely buried by Bret pushed him back down the card, Bret would've backed out of the third match, too. He's an egomaniac, just like Shawn. They're exactly the same, and that's why they hate each other. They'd both fuck over their mother to be the top guy. Difference is, Bret acts like he's some kind of role model. Shawn admits to his shit.
All due respect to Bret, him being paired with Steve that first half of the year was the right decision. It was bloody Iconic. Better than his and Shawns Ironman match.
That match with Steve was the best!! I remember it! I’m pretty sure that match took Steve to the next level & he never looked back.. amazing match & loved all the storyline around it to.. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👌
@@mecha2001 💯 agree… wrestling was different back then… I felt more connected to the wrestlers & storylines… sadly don’t watch it now… but it is what it is…
@@niksingh6995 they're more concerned about planned contract signings than engaging angles. I think the only thing WWE has going for it that's lasted multiple years is the Roman Reigns thing. which I don't even watch the TVs and I'm overwhelmed and exhausted by it.
@@mecha2001 I did tune in when the SHIELD was active.. & the WYATT family it reminded me of the days when DX, Hart foundation, nation of domination, the corporation etc all these cool groups… even the NWO.. then you had all your solo wrestlers too that where amazing… yeh all about contract signing & making money…. At least we can say we watched wrestling when it was actually cool 👌
Bret saying Shawn didn't draw, is him conveniently forgetting that from Survivor Series '96 (November, when he returned) to June/July '97 (HBK returning after a 6 month absence ) and up till November '97 (Survivor Series again), he was either there without Shawn (Jan to June/July '97) OR he was there as Champion (primarily August to November '97) - AND RAW WAS STILL LOSING IN THE RATINGS. So you didn't draw either Bret. No one had the answer to the NWO, and that's a fact. At least in '97 there was a good roster. In '96 Shawn had to pretty much hold it together all by himself. Austin, despite what people think, wasn't a thing until late '96, and not from right after KOTR - it was a slow build. HHH was irrelevant, and so was the Rock until mid/late '97. Taker and Mankind feud was ok. Only Vader and Sid brought hype - albeit periodically, and also, can't believe I'm going to say this, Ahmed. Additionally, in '95 you had Diesel, Razor, Luger, and Bret was there as well. Michael's (with the those mentioned above and the level of help they brought), had to pretty much go against the juggernaut that was the NWO. Why do people always conveniently forget the above narrative when talking about '96? Yes, it was a terrible year - probably the worst of the 90's, but lets not pretend we don't know why that was so, and further lets not forget what kept the WWF from totally tanking.
Yeah exactly, nobody was beating the nWo. The roster was so thin in WWE, yet WCW's roster kept introducing stars practically every single week. Nobody could draw during that era.
@immabarbiegirl2227they actually started booing Shawn in 96 after 5 months sid was already over by survivor series so u don't know what you are talking about
No way would top babyface HBK ever lose by submission in the Sharpshooter during that time. In other shoot interviews Bret also claimed he was going to beat (at their peak) Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan with the Sharpshooter as well which the fans would never buy that either. I don't know what Bret's obsession is with him thinking he's going to beat the Top Faces of the company by submission with the Sharpshooter when it's never going to happen that way.
In fairness, another match with Shawn for the belt would have been just another match. The match with Steve Austin was a classic and one of the best of all time. People still talk about his match with Steve. 25+ years later, who cares if he won the belt back? Bret got screwed in other ways, but not working with Shawn at WM13 turned out to be the best thing possible. Those who know wrestling will remember the I Quit Match as an instant classic.
if you look at shawn's early days in wrestling he was around a lot of top guys who vacated the belt off not wanting to put anyone over, that's where he got that from.. there is a video about it somewhere maybe its still on yt i dunno
@chuckbuskee I think he is honest about how he feels but he is less than honest about his own mistakes and mishaps. Little to no accountability. You can’t be a saint in every story!
Brett Hart is the epitome of a GREAT Professional Wrestler in the world of sports entertainment. The Hart family is one of the most RESPECTED wrestling families in wrestling. Right up there with the Anoa’i family. Not only bcuz of his talent, but bcuz of the respect he had in what it takes to be a pro wrestler entertaining athlete. He understood how much the fans mean to it. The HBK might be one of the most talented entertainers, but what puts Brett Hart higher than the HBK on the list of greatest professional wrestlers is the heart and soul he had for it. Brett Hart is one of the reasons for the legacy of the WWE, the HBK was just a chapter in the WWE.
Bret is so funny. The reason why he lost the belt to Shawn was because he wasn’t drawing and to think he should get paid Hogan money proves he is the most over in his own head. I also doubt he wanted to be a hell but I know, I know…..Bret tells no lies, right?
Bret had every right to ask for watever he wanted , he and Shawn didn’t draw because of the opponent’s they were given to tangle with . Perfect was done , razor was gone , rude was shelved Jake was washed , bulldog was struggling , hunter wasn’t a thing , there literally was no dance partners to put on a show with .
Those three matches would have been a great idea. They should have went with it. It would have put Shawn over for sure. I know Shawn was paranoid as champ because he couldn't handle the pressure. He had his issues for sure but what the heck? Bret himself said Shawn was gonna win two of the three matches. That's one sweet deal right there. It's two of three and it would have put Shawn more over than he ever was. He should have took that offer. He would have come out on top on that feud. It was the biggest win-win he ever got thrown in his face, literally and he still didn't do it. One has to wonder what could have been. They had such a great chemestry and such great matches together. I'm pretty sure that as great as that Bret VS Austin match was, the one with Shawn would have been even better. If only..
The big blow off match? He would still lose two out of three matches. But I guess that doesn't count? Of course it doesn't. Even though Shawn would have won the feud and went over even more than he was before. But nope. Somehow that is a bad idea. Nobody can explain why it's a bad idea but it's a bad idea still. Funny how that works.@@Maggot39967 Edit. Oh and the blow off match is the last match of the feud which Shawn was going to win.
@@Maggot39967So tell me how many big matches against Bret did Austin win? Still who came out of that feud bigger than ever? Not Bret. There is a way to do this. Brets idea would have shot Shawn into the next level. Bret sure knew how to make somebody over.
I work night shift and I have a lot of ass time at work and it gets pretty boring. I love pulling Bret hart interviews and I can listen to him talk and tell stories all night long. It’s amazing how down to earth and fan interactive he is. He truly loves wrestling. A genuinely good guy!
Did Vince McMahon drop the ball with Bret Hart's full potential? Let us know in the comments below!
YES!!!!!!!
It Proves it, with Austin, NOBODY could make that work, Unless steve worked with Bret, JUST LOOK WHAT HAPPENED INIT,
Bret came back and worked a hell of a match, with Steve at survivor series1996???
Yesss
He didnt just drop the ball, he may have even swallowed
Imagine being a fellow passenger on that plane ride with hbk and Bret talking over plans for extending their feud 😮 now that would've been a great conversation to over hear
Eves drop*
I am going to silently read the pamphlet in the seat for the next 5 hours
@@Station9.75 *Eavesdrop
@@Station9.75eavesdrop*
I do think that if you were able to get to Bret and Shawn teaming up together after climbing the ranks together from tag to IC to the World title, it would've been a crazy story. I can't think of a time I saw them actually team up together I'm sure they did but yeah, that would've been cool if it played out that way.
pretty sure they did once in 1995, when Shawn had turned face again
Thats right 1995 tag team bret hart and hbk vs jerry lawler and the other guy
Was it hakushi? I think on raw?@@cirillamande8243
Consider this: When Bret was champion, Shawn, Razor and Diesel were there in support roles, helping ratings. When Shawn was champ, those 3 were gone, and 2 of them were heavily featured on the competition.
You also have to consider the fact that when Bret was champion wrestling as a whole was going through a rough patch and he was trying to live up to much bigger names.
WCW was also going live on Nitro while Raw was still taped and that the whole NWO thing was going on. So, it could be anyone in history who was champion, at that point in time WCW was going to be winning in ratings until things changed. And Bret being off tv the whole time it was happening didn't help either really.
nWo didn't start until the July after Wrestlemania
and Bret didn't come back on TV until well after it started...
Agree here. It wasn't really due to Shawn. Anyone would have had the same issue. Other than Austin lol.
Yeah bret could've been the 3rd nerd in the nwo aka wcw! Just imagine bret not taking a 7 month vacation in 96!!?? On 1996 ppv: kotr 96, summerslam 96, etc. bret vs Vader, bret vs mankind, etc
Why didn't bret replace warrior at July 96 iyh??!!
I enjoyed 1996 & 1997 mainly due to the fact that Bret, Shawn & Taker were the big 3 and carrying the company during that period. WCW was whipping their asses, but Bret, Shawn & Taker delivered some classic matches and rivalries during that time. Sometimes I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall backstage during that time 😩
Surprisingly they had Stone Cold…HHH…and The Rock too at that time but haven’t quite popped yet. And they had mankind, Kane & new age outlaws
Wwf was always better
Don’t forget Sid
@@brettmajors69karaoke they shudda trade out Ken Shamrock & bring Doink back at that time
1997 is my favorite year of professional wrestling. I love the end days of the new generation era
"I want the exact same pay as Hulk Hogan, plus one penny." LMAO
I lol'ed at that one
And was never one penny the draw Hogan was.
I want the same money as hogan plus one penny
Bischoff: Bret go home you’re drunk
I can’t stop laughing! Great comment! 😆
he didn't care he was playing with Ted Turner's money
So basically 1997 WWF was suppose to be Hitman Vs HBK Vs Stone cold?? I’d kill to see that play out
We pretty much did.
the blurry line between reality and make believe of professional wrestling makes it fascinating. just like how real life truly is
Vince dropped the ball by letting the inmates run the prison. Michaels v Hart could have been the greatest rivalry of all time.
Clearly he did not, they were his stooges all the while.
I mean, in a lot of ways it WAS one of the greatest rivalries of all time.
Just not for the intended reasons.
Already is
It is the greatest rivalry of all time.
Only Austin v Mr McMahon gets close
Good thing it actually was one of the greatest rivalries of all time. I swear people on the internet have no IQ.
C'mon, he hardly BLASTS him in this... 😂
Exactly.. but this is the narrative.. they say shit like this with every Bret interview. Proper two faced.
@@craigdavis5818 Clickbait, which I fell for.
Didn’t blast him at all!
Yup, he even says he can understand why Shawn might have been skeptical as a result of the multiple promos he did.
Inside The Clickbait
NWO is the hottest thing in wrestling in 1996, with all due respect to Bret, even if he was champion in 1996 the WWF would still lose to WCW
Looking back now the NWO was only good for maybe that solid year but dragged out for years to come. It should of stayed a smaller group like DX did. Would of made it better over time but it just got stupid and Austin and Rock/DX too just got bigger and better by 1998. The Shield had a longer healthier tenure in the first wave before Seth betrayed over the NWO. They were just letting everyone in that
Yeah but in his defense he was better with wwf. His storyline was good.
@@davidkruse4030 he didn't draw tho
If the NWO was so great what the hell happened? How did the WCW lost everything to WWF??
@@willpowerrazorblade6436 Because running something into the ground even if amazing can only last so long withou changing/adapting. WWF had the ultimate heel in Vince which was even better than the NWO
1:44 So many people have said this about Vince, he really is a living incarnation of J. Jonah Jameson LMAO
I never thought about that!! Spot-on comparison!!😮
“You’re fired! , oh wait, you’re unfired come here!” Lol
Bret said " I loved working with steve, I wanted to be the one who made steve"
Well in my eye you are the one that made steve. If there's one iconic image of steve austin, it's the one with him in the sharp shooter with blood pouring down his face refusing to tap out. That was the night steve became the steve austin that everyone loved. And you did that.
Bret did get Stone Cold over at Survivor Series 1996 and Wrestlemaina 13 in 1997..and of course Steve got himself over with his promos Austin 3:16 ..which led to being King of the Ring, IC champion, Tag Team champion, and the WWF(WWE) championship from 1997 to 1998..( p.s. in fact Bret Hart wanted to lose his title to Stone Cold but Montreal happened and the rest is history)
The iconic thing about that image is the way the blood is pouring down Austin’s face. And the ironic thing is, Bret is the one who bladed him, and he botched it. If he hadn’t there would not have been the amount blood, thus the image might not be remembered the way it is. Just another example of the amount of happy accidents that occurred between 97-01 that made that era incredible
Steve made Steve, not Bret. It was his 3:16 promo that got him so over, not a match with Bret.
@@TaniasUncle nah. You don't get it. He was a heel prior. That match played a double turn that garnered him fan support as a face. WWF was face driven, and heel heat. WCW was driven off heel star power. That match absolutely mattered in how things turned out for Steve.
😂😂Steve did that
At 15:56 “This will really break his heart when I say this on tv.” He’s the heart break kid! Lol. But we’re all still human beings and some words? Become fight words. It’s ironic Bret talked about breaking Shawn’s heart.
Bret talks about like he broke Shawn's heart multiple times! Why did it only take "Sunny Days" for Bret have a mental breakdown?
@@mstancl I think the screw job was what really took him over the edge. Sadly people won’t keep talking about it. I’m sure the participants are sick of hearing it. Lol
@@ezj9103 makes sense... he stuck it through until the straw on the camel's back. Got a huge paycheck from Ted Tuner and Goldberg made it easier on him.
We as humans have on average, six dreams a night but we can only remember a maximum of two of them. Bret the heartman should be more concerned with what’s going on in the other four dreams than breaking another man’s heart in 1997. I need answers and unfortunately the heartman is the only one that can give them to me but he’s stuck in the past.
@nathankirby4612 Bret's hart belongs to the kid man. I'm waiting too for him to change his black hart to loving pink once more.
"Shawn didn't draw", he completely ignores the fact that Hall and Nash just left. So you have no razor ramon, no diesel, and no Bret Hart and the ratings were supposed to improve? Lol.
That's ironic that Bret said that submission matches are boring... when his finisher is a submission. Austin DID have a submission. The year before he was using the Million Dollar Dream.
My thought's exactly.
It's not ironic. It's one thing to have a submission finisher, and do an entire match around submissions.
@@michaelmfwayne smh.. I'm not even going to respond to this
@@NateNizzleyes shake your head till it is fixed
@@michaelmfwayneexactly. If its just your finisher you'll use it once, maybe twice in a match and rely on pinfalls for that quick drama and reversal of flow. You never know when a match can end. In a submission match youre putting it over and over again (say 6 to 10 times), having your opponent try to get to the ropes or fight out of it which slows down the match.
8.40 - "im gonna go home and act like im really mad"
Tremendous acting. Keeping it up till this day
🤣🤣
Kayfabe. Gotta keep up appearances.
He even kept it up and trashed Michaels in the Calgary Sun when he was exploring going to WCW.
I like a lot of Bret’s matches. But I suspect he may be someone undiagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. Hallmark of ppl with NPD is inability to accept responsibility or fault for their actions, grandiose egos, and always playing the victim card.
@@StuUngarShawn Michaels would then have to be an even bigger narcissist.
@@tron.44 I would say Shawn Michaels is an overt narcissist. I think Shawn is/was more openly manipulative. But Shawn Michaels has taken a lot more responsibility for his behavior than Bret has.
Even Bret’s book was a love letter to himself and he always seemed to have a way to justify everything he did. When he talked about his affairs, he’d say something like, “I was away from home so much. Julie and I werent getting along. It was only natural for me to escape my problems at home.”
"So Bret, I wanted to bring up Shawn..."
{Bret takes a shot of whiskey}
Bret should have a tour called "BLAST the Legends Tour"
This dude have blasted every legend possible 😂
Shawn not drawing is hilarious lol… he was such a popular star!
False narrative that people that hated Shawn love to push, literally Shawn got the title and right after Kevin Nash & Scott Hall go to WCW and the NWO takes off while Shawn is being forced to have a little old man follow him everywhere and carry the company pretty much on his own Vs the NWO, when he turned face after the Diesel mania match he was white hot and a combination of wwf crappy creative and wcw getting hot is what held him back
Amazing that Bret didn't think the Steve Austin match needed to happen, and he was dragging his feet before it, only for it to become the greatest Wrestlemania match ever.
Greatest wrestlemania match ever. Yes!
Not better than Macho Man Vs Steamboat IMO.
@@comfortablynumblbgTriple H vs Michaels vs Benoit is Greatest wrestlemania match ever. Did you hear the pop after benoit win.
@@arslaanpasha3334Hogan vs Rock
@@mixedmartialoddest hogan vs rock was not main event
Sooo you're saying that story with Shawn and Bret having the trilogy and eventually teaming up never happened... Until 2022-2024 with Cody and Seth😳😳. Think about it, 2nd generation superstar comes back to the company, has a banger trilogy with the hottest act in the company, then eventually they come to terms on a team up later on! Perfect 1 to 1 and it just shows us how much Triple H truly knows the business very well.
Here's what happened in a nutshell, Bret thought he could use WCW as leverage in an attempt to get what he really desired .... a title victory over Shawn at Mania.
Bret got duped. In order to get Bret signed in late 96 Vince let Bret go on believing he was actually going over on Shawn for the title at mania, but in reality Vince was never actually going to go with Bret's idea in the end. Classic Vince, sell you the world, make promises, tell you what you want to hear, then change plans on you.
That's why Vince is known as The Evil Genius!
For the most point your right
Sounds like the devil!!
@@kalikels ok.
@@kalikels or my ex girlfriend.
I love Bret but seriously! “Hey Shawn, here’s the plan. I’m going to submit you and then flip you off in your face at Wrestlemania after your long year run with the belt. How’s that catch ya?”
I'd say it'd be justified considering how Shawn literally told Bret to "get tf outta my ring" right after Bret put him over in the Ironman match they had.
@@aaronneville1164 Yes, obviously as that's literally what Bret said in this video clip. However, what does that have to do w/ my point of Shawn's actions after the match @WM12? Was that a work too, or was that Shawn being Shawn?
@@aaronneville1164 No I'm not reading too much into it. And you didn't answer my question. Was Shawn telling Bret to gtfo of his ring a work also, or Shawn being who he was at the time? It's a really simple question to answer.
Well bret was the final boss hulk hogan of that era so it makes sense
@@Crimson_Titanright because everything Bret has said is the truth right? If Bret said he punched Donald Trump in 1997 you'd believe him too right?
OK, so Bret Hart is either lying in this interview or he lied in his book. Because in his book Bret tells the story of Vince informing him that he would wrestle Shawn BUT it wasn't going to be a title match.
Bret lies more than Hulk Hogan but he has he loyal marks in his corner.
All he does is lie!
@@crispycruiser4654 Nobody is a mark. You just belong to one of the many hate groups the wrestling business does not need.
@@crispycruiser4654Literally no one lies more than Hogan. I mean there's compilations on YT people have made of all the lies Hogan's told over his career. Stop the cap.
It being a non title match was the idea after the 97 Rumble. Originally beforehand it was supposed to be for the title.
michaels and hart tag team wouldve been amazing
jeEEESUSSSS CHRIST!!!
he asked him a simple fucking question!
Bret just rambles on for like 20 minutes!
I love how Bret always goes out of his way to bash Kevin Nash 😂 literally nothing to do with the question that was asked 😅
To be fair I've heard Nash talk plenty of S#!t about Bret too. Who knows maybe irl they think it's hilarious, or maybe they hate each other? Who really knows.
Where did he bash nash lol in this, hes just saying how vince said that ratings were down when nash was champ, did he say nash smells like dirty socks? No he didn't.
Cause Nash always sucked 🤣🤣🤣
I swear all the wrestlers have a celebrity look alike. Bret looks like Tommy Lee jones
He looked SOO much like Don Johnson when he was younger. It’s actually insane.
No he does not
@@tygodhumbling4446no
It’s never good to revisit the past.
Does Bret ever stop complaining?
Turning down 3mill was dumb, dude truly was a mark for the belt
He says the money was most important, but turns down 3 million to back to WWF. Was WWF going to pay him more for the long term?
@@heydudedolfan13back then tho…that was A LOT of money, so it was good either way
@@OptimusPrimeribsseeing how his career turned out in WCW Bret was 💯 right to want to return to WWF. He wouldn’t have had that career ending injury and would of had so many more classic matches.
@OptimusPrimeribs iirc he was promised Pat Patterson's spot once his career was over or something
I'm sure I read from ''dirt sheets'' that if Bret vs HBK at Mania had happened , then it would have been Austin vs Taker on the card . wonder if the streak would even have been a thing had these matches happened .
According to Nash he was supposed to beat Taker the year before. Him deciding to go to WCW changed that.
Imagine if Shawn did a submission match with Brett and Shawn passed our covered in blood. Hbk is already the goat austwiyld have never existed
With all due respect to Bret, I don’t think he’s taking Shawn’s feelings at the time into account. From Shawn’s perspective, he had spent his entire career up to 96 being pass over for bigger/stronger guys and only being there to put them over and be their stunt dummy essentially. Bret was older, so HBK spent a lot of time putting him over too, especially when he was champion, a spot shawn wanted. He worked hard for that win at Mania 12. Now that his reign isn’t drawing ratings, it’s makin him stressed and now comes Bret talking about putting him over once again and also being told to let Bret say these things about him and Bret doesn’t seem to have allowed much room for HBK to respond to those disses, so he would essentially shoot on him in response and that pissed Bret off.
“How’d you know I was in that girlie magazine?”
Eh, 96/97, think shawn was to pilled or coked out to have feelings
@@peacepunksean1942 If you think pills and cocain make your feelings go away I don't actually think you've abused either. What you're saying is actually pretty disturbing to me, because all I herd was " Shawn was a drug addict in those years, so he wasn't really a human and didn't deserve to be treated like one. "
Addiction is a disease, it's not an addicts fault they are an addict. It's PHYSICALLY rewired brain networks that induce repeated symptoms. It's not imaginary. Look into any of the modern science and you would see that's exactly how it's treated.
From a recovering heroin addict.
Yeah kinda sucked for both shawn and Bret. Obviously WCW was just doing more interesting things but the ratings will always be put on the champ. So you right I'm sure shawn didn't want to just be passed over again, for things that weren't his fault, now that he was champ. Brett definitely got lied to which happens all the time in wrestling but still sucks as the person being lied too. Wish these two would of had a longer rivalry at the top of the card instead of Brett leaving and shawn blowing his back out. That's IF they didn't kill each other back stage lol. Could of been great storylines with all their history together, plus two of the best in the ring of all time...dam we missed out on some great matches.
It was a TERRIBLE idea, poor Shawn. Not only was he carrying the company the whole year prior, but ratings were down so he was probably feeling like shit because of it, then Bret tries to pull this on him. I don't blame him either.
Bret says Shawn wasn’t drawing, but doesn’t mention that wcw continued to beat wwf with Bret as champion after he won the belt at summer slam either. Bret wasn’t going head to head with the NWO in his first reign as champion like Shawn did. And let’s not forget Shawn and dx were a huge part in wwf finally getting back on top in the ratings
A huge part of narrative missing here. In general wrestling ratings across the board were higher in those days than they are today. This is because wrestling rating tend to be made up of three components - 1. Hardcore fans of a particular company. 2. Hardcore wrestling fans in general who watch everything wrestling. 3. The mass audience who just like entertainment and will gravitate toward that, not caring deeply about wrestling generally.
Today, we ONLY have two of those viewerships because wrestling is dead (not just dying - fully dead) to the mass audience. But back then there was very much still that mass audience. And the ratings shift that happened can be almost directly attributable to the emergence of NWO and huge increase in quality of WCW programming at that time, hence the mass audience finding it more entertaining as an overall product. It had pretty much nothing to do with what Shawn, Bret, Undertaker or anyone else was or wasn't doing on the WWF side of things, it was ENTIRELY to do with what was happening with the overall product, and what WCW was doing that was more gritty and felt 'real'. People who use the whole 'champion wasn't drawing' angle tend to be clueless as to the reality of the broader context.
Wow....this is a really stupid post.
How could Austin say he doesn't know any submissions when he spent some time as the Ring Master using the Ted DiBiase's million dollar dream?
yes Bret pinned him reversing it from the ropes
He probably did not say that.
Bret's probably lying
@@Jcrash71 I think he talking actual submissions not past the basic chinlock hold etc, which would make sense as Austin was never that type of Wrestler
Only enhancement talent (tomato cans/jobbers) would submit to the million dollar dream. A mid carder MIGHT pass out and not raise their arm after 3 drops. A top guy would never do either. Shit move and not useful in that match
Bret Heart is one of the most decent men in wrestling. Everything he says he has backed up with so many other people in the business have backed up. He was and still is a proper pro. Knowing losing is just as much as winning and building characters and having great matches.
When there's so much turmoil in the world it's comforting to know that somewhere Bret Hart will STILL be fucking moaning about his wrestling career. It's the universal constant.
He’s asked the questions tho smh 🤦♂️
@@Jbgunner2024 He doesn't need any prompting to have a good moan
Not just with Bret but for WWF as a whole 97 was the best year. Creatively on the mic and in the ring it just seemed thats where not only turned the corner but peakes and the WWF was able to ride that creat through the attitude era.
Mick got over with those sitdown Jim Ross interviews. Pillman was gold on the mic. Austin was peaking, Michaels was strung out on the junk but he could still go. Sid and Taker were both hot. LOD was back and over. The heel Godwins are pretty underrated.
Chyna came in and just looked so different and was over almost instantly and HHH was able to get a ton of heat.
Owen and Bulldog were really good in their roles. Vader had trimmed down and he was putting people over but they still treated him like a monster.
But 97 and 92 were probably the two best years for Bret both in the ring and on the mic
Yeah was great, WWF was really under pressure from WCW in '97 and came up with some good stuff. It was the year that WWF was bought back to TV in New Zealand.
Hart vs Austin is my top 1 wrestlemania match
Bret is the GOAT. In so many ways.
Bret is seriously one of the best to EVER lace a pair of boots in wrestling and I love watching his matches…………
But FFS MAN!!!! Please deflate the ego just a bit!!!
He really believes that much in himself, and that’s not a bad thing, until it gets to the point you thinking you are literally the best at everything 😂
Bret needs to include himself when talking about champions that didn't draw. His lack of ability to draw as champion in 94 led to WWE choosing not to feature him as the headliner of the pay per views.
Exactly. Not many want to admit it. Bret though a great wrestler was never a big draw.
The cold hard truth is after Hogan and before Austin none of them drew big $.
Yoko, Bret, Diesel, Shawn, Sid and even Taker all struggled while business kept going downhill. It wasn't until Fall 97, led by the Montreal screwjob, that the WWF started to net positive and then exploded with Austin as their top act despite WCW still growing in popularity.
Hard to draw against WcW by 96 though. Still I go back and watch Brett's matches from 94-96 he was killing it in the ring. Most WWF Story lines sucked/Suck hard to pin that on him. He was one of the few highlights they still had going on.
Business was dry after the steroid scandal. Jesus wasn't drawing from 93-96.
disagree. Bret was definitely the biggest draw out of all those tops guy between hogan's era and austin. definitely not as big of a draw than hogan or austin in the USA but internationally im pretty sure Bret is only second to hogan during the 90's. Austin was a huge U.S attraction and the rock was both a huge U.S attraction and international@@robgbaby
I like how everyone talks about how hard addiction in the wrestling business is and how we need to help people, except when it comes to HBK. The man was DEEP in addiction and everyone just shits on him. The irony is all of this shit from nearly 30 years ago still upsets bitter Bret but HBK doesn’t seem to care. He’s acknowledged his mistakes made amends and moved on.
If you think Shawn's so different, go talk to FTR. He's still a prick.
You’re right, except for the fact that Shawn and his kliq tried to destroy a lot of careers. That’s the Shawn Michaels that people remember.
Addiction isn't an excuse for being an asshole, it's a reason, but not an excuse.
@@FredCracklin exactly. Scott Hall had an addiction problem too. Look what he and Kevin Nash did in WCW. I love how Nash got on the shoot bandwagon years ago to try and justify their political maneuvering when part of it was being driven by two of his drunk, drugged up boyfriends.. oops I mean best friends. Shane Douglas, Chris Cándido, Bam Bam Bigelow, Tracey Smothers-and many others, and, ultimately Bret Hart, had every right to feel screwed over by these dudes.
@danielsalinas6683 during that time period everyone always said triple h was the level headed guy in the group. He apparently talked them down from doing a lot of shit.
Bret was my hero growing up and still love him today such a humble person
I'm the opposite. Loved HBK as a kid. Didn't like Bret, but all the stories you hear about the druggie HBK. Makes me respect Bret more now.
@@mattb1611 I liked Shawn to but I just loved Bret even Shawn himself admits himself he was out of control
Bret is a lot of things. Humble isn't one of them.
Agreed to previous response..Bret tells a good story masks his true nature well..but he is galaxy's away from humble
@@shadowlazers just like you then
Well, I can see Shawn's perspective of not wanting to put Bret over. From 1992 to 1997, it feels like being (somewhat) permanent second fiddle, if Bret won at WrestleMania 13. WM 13 would have worked, if Bret won and he lost at Summer Slam or something (as he suggests). Alternately, Bret should have lost WM 13, and the frustration of the guard changing could be built up for bout 3, which could have gone to Bret, but with Steve Austin maybe souring the victory, so that sets up the pathway for SCSA anyway?
But he wasnt permanent 2nd fiddle. Bret had lots of time in 93 - 95 without the world title. So you're off with that comment.
@@user-li3fr8jl3b Second fiddle to Bret. Not unto himself. By 1994, if Bret was 1, Shawn was 2. But, by 1995, Shawn was 1.5. By 1996, they were on par. So, for Shawn to lose again in 1997, after the one high, would feel off? Especially at WrestleMania? Shawn deserved WM13, imo. Then, it plays further into his arrogant 'you're old news' attitude towards Bret, which could be leveraged for the next bout. For once, it's Bret who would have to prove to Shawn, that he can take him out. That sorta thing.
@@user-li3fr8jl3b of course, the ideal is that Bret, Shawn and SCSA all worked through 1998. But that may have been too much mega wattage to accommodate? Bret would have moulded into different programs, but Shawn would likely not. He was in that imperial main event phase, but well...we'll never know.
Bret was always my favorite wrestler, he was too trusting of liars and thieves and ultimately injured by the scrub goldberg, is a sad story but his integrity is in tact and still a fav.
It’s sucks what happened to Bret and have his career end abruptly. Wish we could’ve seen him wrestle in the 2000’s maybe even a last match at Saudi. Dudes been through so much, respect to the Hitman.
Thank God Bret never wrestled in Saudi Arabia. I'm glad I can still respect Bret. No respect from me for anyone who has ever wrestled there.
How about no matches ever again in Saudi Arabia. That deal is morally wrong. Have folks forgotten? I question what propaganda is being pushed through youths minds.
Bret Hitman was a super chraclrater because he was this little pink warrior who would go out and battle for what je believed was just. Even when he was wrong, his character was justified in the Hitnans mind. Now there are no good guys ro root for. The ones that they want folks to cheer are so sinful that we cannot.ever truely get behind them. The led screens are also.junky looking along with the on screen graphics. There is no Bob Baclunds or American heros. Too many monster men, or selfish jerks. No body feels real as a grappler. Shamrock Blockmon, Furnace and La Fong. Good old Nicky Bockwinkle had class. Heck even Tace as tuff as he was demanded resoect. Now its goofs w scribble scrabble all over em. I think its Gone. All my favorites are gone. Maybe more important things to.do now a days . Nintendo and westling seem less important.
@@Adam-kn3tvi agree, last match in saudi would have been a horrible last match. means absolutely nothing and represents the worst of the sport
@@Adam-kn3tvIt’s a shame right wingers support LIV golf. They embrace the worst humanity has to offer
I agree with it all apart from the Saudi idea
The problem with Bret Hart is that he actually believed wrestling was real and never saw it for what it was and still is...entertainment! Business entertainment. Shawn Michaels said it better than anyone else..."Hitman you actually think all this is yours ". His rivalry with hbk was legendary and could have been even bigger if they could see each other eye to eye.
No he didn't. But he made it look real the most out of any wrestlers.
When you have zero knowledge about history. You don’t know what the Hart Dynasty meant and in which environment Hart grew up. What wrestling meant back in the day and what it meant to the wrestlers. He is one of the few wrestling’s royalty survivors.
To bad Bret didn't stick around for awhile.......I always wanted to see Bret VS Kurt Angle
Hmm...he actually had a good story line. I was what...14 in 2000 so this was right around my time when I was obsessed with the WWF or well, WWE. Brett was my absolute favorite growing up, I ;even remember watching his brother LIVE that one night (I was really confused what was going on). He's really good at telling stories, I mean look at how quiet everyone is!
Vince dropped the ball leaving Bret go at the height of his career in many ways. 97 was Brets greatest year his mic skills were insanely good he had heat with everyone, the Canadian/U.S rivalry was genius it was still gaining momentum. The biggest shame in wrestling is Bret gone from WWF in 1997 and prematurely ending his career. Love these interview clips!
They lucked out with the Tyson thing since Shawn was hurt, but Austin vs Hart at Mania 98 with Austin beating Bret for the title would've been huge.
They did just fine without Bret.
I never comment on UA-cam but you are so right. I was ride or die with Bret even though I was American, wish he has stayed but I was even a WCW mark
@@gingerrevenger9718definitely, and even though the WWF did greater numbers they missed out on what Bret could offer, he’d have gotten even more guys over etc.
@@kamfisher1714it’s not just about the numbers, Bret had a lot more to offer snd he’d have gotten even more guys over etc. He was a valuable asset that the WWF lacked even in its height.
The wrestlemania 13 match between Brett Hart and Stone cold it’s probably one of the greatest matches of all time. It’s the only wrestling match in history to have a double turn. Bret heart did make Stone Cold Steve Austin that night. That is the match that propelled Austin‘s career without it I don’t think everything goes quite the same. This is another feather in the cap of why the hitman is the greatest professional wrestler ever. no one even comes close. And it also proves that the wrestling in the ring was far superior than any storyline. Think about it today’s age uses storylines to turn people good to bad, bad good but Brett hart was so good. He used his wrestling to do it.
Love how Bret trying to convince everyone it wasn’t on him that wcw started winning in the ratings
I’m a 90’s guy and I love the Hitman…but I feel his stories change so much! It’s mind boggling sometimes
He's a horrible liar!
Boy...you got that right....if his mouth is moving he's lying
It’s all about Bret it’s his world we just living in it
Well he was a cult hero to 99% of viewers
@@1000percent I like Bret but him hogan and Shawn just don’t want to lose lolol hogan be saying oh that’s not gonna work for me brother lolol
Mania-13-should've-been
HBK-vs-Taker-WWF-title
Bret-vs-Austin
Sid-vs-Vader
Also....Bret-shoulve-taken-WCW's-offer-of-2.5-million-a-year...He-wouldve--worked-less-dates-as-well.....He-showed-too-much-loyalty-to-Vince
Bret is the real immortal! (plus one cent)
Enjoy Bret Hart so much !
C'mon now Bret, You mean to tell me that a POTENTIAL "championship" win over Shawn at Mania was all it took to convince you to turn down WCW's offer of a higher salary AND lighter work schedule ?!? Seriously?! Mentality of a true MARK.
That's why Nash and Hall didn't want him as champion. They knew they were not gonna be the guy, but Bret was willing to take less money if it meant him being the guy. Yeah, HBK was their friend, but he was also someone who demanded money, and that meant they could ask for more. In WCW, they had no problem with Hogan making bank cause that just kept raising the pay ceiling.
If Bret were being fully honest, him not wanting to go to WCW probably had a lot to do with his soured relationship with Hulk Hogan and knowing how much stroke Hulk had with WCW….and Bret would be 100% correct if that’s what was going through his head back then.
And this is probably why he told Bishoff that he wanted Hulk’s pay plus one penny.
Yeah, but come to find out a lot of what he’s saying is true and he’s referring to nothing but scumbags.
Bret was too good for WWF dude always had a Honest heart!
Shawn didn't draw?? That's cap!
I'm glad Bret can tell these stories with a smile on his face.
What's funny is that these are the same plans Hogan didn't wanna do for Shawn. The whole three match deal.
You mean Shawn didn't wanna do for Hogan so he killed it by overselling cartoonie bumps
@@hockeyguy2005 it was Hogan's fault for not wanting to do the 3 match program. Hogan got butt hurt when HBK did the Larry King promo spoofing Hogan even though Hogan gave HBK permission to do it. Hogan only wanted to do the 1 match and faked an injury so that's the reason Shawn made Hogan look like a fool in that match with his Mr. Perfect selling he did.
@@fmthebaron no it was Shawn michaels fault, Shawn Michaels is an overrated pre-madonna little bitch, and was worse at backstage politics than the false narrative of Hogan.
@@hockeyguy2005wrong. It’s hogan who cut the program after he won . And Shawn flopping around literally made that match . It would of been a snooze fest if he didn’t
Lol...Hogan didn't want to do for Shawn was like giving Shawn the taste of his own medicine and to prove who's your daddy in politics brother 😂😂😂😂
Damn I can hear Bret all day. Best there ever will be
7:45-Bret should have left WWF at this time.
He is not tired of complaining about same things over decades?
Don’t care what my friends say about Bret Hart. He has been my favorite wrestler since Day #1 when I started watching WWF in 1993.
Bret Hart thinking that Making Shawn submit, break his arm and then flip him the finger would excite Shawn Michaels is so naive. The only thing missing to completely humiliate the guy would have been urinating on him as he was begging for mercy. Also Bret Hart is the same guy who refused to take the Jacknife PowerBomb from Diesel before his match with the undertaker, saying " What's in it for me? " Not getting pinned, God forbid, just taking the power bomb to make Diesel look strong before he loses to the undertaker. Bret Hart complaining about Shawn not wanting to look weak is so hypocritical.
That's a build up to make Bret turn heel and give even more sympathy to Shawn, until the 3rd encounter where Shawn comes out as a clean winner and Bret admits his defeat, turning him baby face again. It makes a lot of sense and it's a great story.
uh, you missed the ending to the feud where Shawn is the ultimate winner.
people only hear what they want to hear
Lmao
Plans change. Hogan and Bret had creative control. Even if you don't see how submitting in the middle of the ring after Bret Hart breaks your leg and shows you the middle finger. No guarantee Bret Hart would follow through on his promise, and knowing Bret Hart he would come up with an ending that would Make himself looking better than Shawn. The Guy refused to lose in Canada and refused to take the Jack knife Power bomb from Diesel because there was nothing in it for him.
If you don't see how much of a hypocrite Bret Hart was, you are just drinking the Kool-Aid .
@@gary6754
So essentially Brett wanted to do the Kurt and Brock angle when they were claiming to be buddy’s but just one upping each other. I think it would’ve been great and bring out Michael’s comedic side a bit earlier in his career
Man’s entire legacy is now reduced to talking shit about backstage politics from 30 years ago and making sure to drag Shawn even though Shawn’s been sober and a better person for like 20.
If the wwe executed Bret's ideas/plans, i think we could've had even more memorable Hitman moments. Still the best "wrestler" of the 90s in my opinion
amazing how the match he did not want to do, became his best match ever.
Right, else where he praises the match and this is The match that Wrestlemania XIII is remembered for, the rest of the ppv stunk. I'm surprised Bret was like of just "meh" about this match, I guess that's because his heart was set on regaining the title back from Shawn, something he didn't say here, which is in his book is about them promising Shawn a long title reign, much like they did Diesel and Hart before him, sadly he didn't draw, and alot of that wasn't even on Shawn, he didn't have alot of strong opponents to work with, and the whole thing with Vader (Who he didn't want to work with) would have been a great opponent for him but it didn't work out. Nash had the same problem in 1995, he didn't have enough strong heels to work against, which is part of the reason why his WWF title reign didn't go so well, not to mention business being down all around in 1995.
Bret can hold a grudge.
Better than CM Punk can. That's for sure 😂
If Shawn never lost his smile Steve would of never gotten that big turning match that made him Stone Cold. Many say he became Stone cold when he did the 3:16 promo, but me, I remember the Ironman match with Brett that made him Stone Cold.
"I wanted to make him tap, break his arm, then make him look like a loser by giving him the finger. They got mad I wanted to completely bury their top guy." Typical Bret Hart delusional nonsense.
You haven't watched the part of their conclusion of rivalry, have you ?? That sounds like Shawn was the ultimate winner in the end.
@@Shiva-Kumar138Sure. When Shawn getting completely buried by Bret pushed him back down the card, Bret would've backed out of the third match, too. He's an egomaniac, just like Shawn. They're exactly the same, and that's why they hate each other. They'd both fuck over their mother to be the top guy. Difference is, Bret acts like he's some kind of role model. Shawn admits to his shit.
All due respect to Bret, him being paired with Steve that first half of the year was the right decision. It was bloody Iconic. Better than his and Shawns Ironman match.
That match with Steve was the best!! I remember it! I’m pretty sure that match took Steve to the next level & he never looked back.. amazing match & loved all the storyline around it to.. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👌
WM13 yes, SS96 was awesome too though.
@@mecha2001 💯 agree… wrestling was different back then… I felt more connected to the wrestlers & storylines… sadly don’t watch it now… but it is what it is…
@@niksingh6995 they're more concerned about planned contract signings than engaging angles. I think the only thing WWE has going for it that's lasted multiple years is the Roman Reigns thing. which I don't even watch the TVs and I'm overwhelmed and exhausted by it.
@@mecha2001 I did tune in when the SHIELD was active.. & the WYATT family it reminded me of the days when DX, Hart foundation, nation of domination, the corporation etc all these cool groups… even the NWO.. then you had all your solo wrestlers too that where amazing… yeh all about contract signing & making money…. At least we can say we watched wrestling when it was actually cool 👌
Bret and Austin blood match is one of the greatest of ALL time.
Bret saying Shawn didn't draw, is him conveniently forgetting that from Survivor Series '96 (November, when he returned) to June/July '97 (HBK returning after a 6 month absence ) and up till November '97 (Survivor Series again), he was either there without Shawn (Jan to June/July '97) OR he was there as Champion (primarily August to November '97) - AND RAW WAS STILL LOSING IN THE RATINGS. So you didn't draw either Bret. No one had the answer to the NWO, and that's a fact.
At least in '97 there was a good roster. In '96 Shawn had to pretty much hold it together all by himself. Austin, despite what people think, wasn't a thing until late '96, and not from right after KOTR - it was a slow build. HHH was irrelevant, and so was the Rock until mid/late '97. Taker and Mankind feud was ok. Only Vader and Sid brought hype - albeit periodically, and also, can't believe I'm going to say this, Ahmed. Additionally, in '95 you had Diesel, Razor, Luger, and Bret was there as well. Michael's (with the those mentioned above and the level of help they brought), had to pretty much go against the juggernaut that was the NWO.
Why do people always conveniently forget the above narrative when talking about '96? Yes, it was a terrible year - probably the worst of the 90's, but lets not pretend we don't know why that was so, and further lets not forget what kept the WWF from totally tanking.
Yeah exactly, nobody was beating the nWo. The roster was so thin in WWE, yet WCW's roster kept introducing stars practically every single week. Nobody could draw during that era.
Dude he said Diesel didn't draw to start with, take it easy we all know wwf wasn't drawing at all.
emotional dude why are u crying?
@immabarbiegirl2227they actually started booing Shawn in 96 after 5 months sid was already over by survivor series so u don't know what you are talking about
Feel better?😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
USA vs. Canada could have went for years.
No way would top babyface HBK ever lose by submission in the Sharpshooter during that time. In other shoot interviews Bret also claimed he was going to beat (at their peak) Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan with the Sharpshooter as well which the fans would never buy that either. I don't know what Bret's obsession is with him thinking he's going to beat the Top Faces of the company by submission with the Sharpshooter when it's never going to happen that way.
Shawn wasn't a big draw and was a cry baby. Bret was the man at the time.
@@KB-hh8rt You calling Shawn a crybaby while Bret is crying THIRTY YEARS LATER is quite ironic
In fairness, another match with Shawn for the belt would have been just another match. The match with Steve Austin was a classic and one of the best of all time. People still talk about his match with Steve. 25+ years later, who cares if he won the belt back? Bret got screwed in other ways, but not working with Shawn at WM13 turned out to be the best thing possible. Those who know wrestling will remember the I Quit Match as an instant classic.
Put Steve on the road to main event properly.
if you look at shawn's early days in wrestling he was around a lot of top guys who vacated the belt off not wanting to put anyone over, that's where he got that from.. there is a video about it somewhere maybe its still on yt i dunno
Sure, that doesn't make it good business though. I like Shawn he's one of my favorite wrestlers. Still he was almost Hogan level on that kind of BS.
Most bitter dude in wrestling history
Has he legit ever said a nice word about anyone ever
I just saw a video where he put Macho Man over .
Roddy Piper, Curtis Hennig, Yokozuna, never heard him say anything bad about Undertaker.
Either you are Shawn on a dummy account, or you haven't seen Bret Hart videos about other wrestlers.
@@Shiva-Kumar138 Shawn hasn’t spoken bad of Bret in years.
@chuckbuskee I think he is honest about how he feels but he is less than honest about his own mistakes and mishaps. Little to no accountability.
You can’t be a saint in every story!
No Brett Slander will be tolerated although I think Shawn is the greatest performer of all time .
Had Bret stayed, Owen would still be around
How do you know that?
pretty sure he wouldnt be doing that stupid blue blazer gimmick @@Director2024
Wow did you just say that?
Just pulled up, ready when you are, but no rush!
I’m pretty sure Bruce Prichard debunked Bret’s theory here
I trust Bruce and his word about as far as I can throw him.
Hearing Bret shit on all the wrestlers from the past tickles my fancy
Shawn Michaels always seemed me first. Never a team player. Never cared for him
Brett Hart is the epitome of a GREAT Professional Wrestler in the world of sports entertainment. The Hart family is one of the most RESPECTED wrestling families in wrestling. Right up there with the Anoa’i family. Not only bcuz of his talent, but bcuz of the respect he had in what it takes to be a pro wrestler entertaining athlete. He understood how much the fans mean to it. The HBK might be one of the most talented entertainers, but what puts Brett Hart higher than the HBK on the list of greatest professional wrestlers is the heart and soul he had for it. Brett Hart is one of the reasons for the legacy of the WWE, the HBK was just a chapter in the WWE.
Bret is so funny. The reason why he lost the belt to Shawn was because he wasn’t drawing and to think he should get paid Hogan money proves he is the most over in his own head.
I also doubt he wanted to be a hell but I know, I know…..Bret tells no lies, right?
Brent was an international superstar. Even if he didn't always draw the highest in the US, he still drew huge in Canada and throughout Europe.
@@signoresantinoburnett1169 That wasn’t enough.
I don’t even think that was English….
Bret had every right to ask for watever he wanted , he and Shawn didn’t draw because of the opponent’s they were given to tangle with . Perfect was done , razor was gone , rude was shelved Jake was washed , bulldog was struggling , hunter wasn’t a thing , there literally was no dance partners to put on a show with .
@@signoresantinoburnett1169he wasn't
Bret"The Hitman" Hart
Those three matches would have been a great idea. They should have went with it.
It would have put Shawn over for sure. I know Shawn was paranoid as champ because he couldn't handle the pressure. He had his issues for sure but what the heck? Bret himself said Shawn was gonna win two of the three matches. That's one sweet deal right there.
It's two of three and it would have put Shawn more over than he ever was.
He should have took that offer. He would have come out on top on that feud. It was the biggest win-win he ever got thrown in his face, literally and he still didn't do it.
One has to wonder what could have been. They had such a great chemestry and such great matches together. I'm pretty sure that as great as that Bret VS Austin match was, the one with Shawn would have been even better. If only..
The only match that matters is the big blow off match, and guess who was going to win that... Bret... You're a wrestling fan, you should know this.
The big blow off match? He would still lose two out of three matches. But I guess that doesn't count? Of course it doesn't. Even though Shawn would have won the feud and went over even more than he was before. But nope. Somehow that is a bad idea. Nobody can explain why it's a bad idea but it's a bad idea still. Funny how that works.@@Maggot39967
Edit. Oh and the blow off match is the last match of the feud which Shawn was going to win.
@@Maggot39967So tell me how many big matches against Bret did Austin win? Still who came out of that feud bigger than ever? Not Bret. There is a way to do this. Brets idea would have shot Shawn into the next level. Bret sure knew how to make somebody over.
Bret was the best of all time
I work night shift and I have a lot of ass time at work and it gets pretty boring. I love pulling Bret hart interviews and I can listen to him talk and tell stories all night long. It’s amazing how down to earth and fan interactive he is. He truly loves wrestling. A genuinely good guy!
Is this not from a few years ago?