Bret Hart speaks about Raw segment

[Guest Loss4Words]

I did not say Vince ended Bret's career, but I did say he ruined it by not doing what he had to do to keep him on the roster.

 

Funny that Vince told Bret he couldn't afford to pay him his contract when pretty much all the top guys are now making as much as he did or more (despite none of them currently being draws at all -- at least Bret was a house show draw and the #1 PPV draw in the company in 1997) and that just a few months after ousting Bret Hart, he was able to pay Mike Tyson $5 million and, for that reason, Wrestlemania XIV didn't turn a large profit, despite being the most bought PPV ever up until that point, simply because the costs of running the show were so high.

 

Yes, getting all that exposure ended up being good for the company in the long run, so not turning a huge profit on that PPV was probably worth it, but that's another argument altogether.

 

Bret was becoming more persona non grata than he had been since 1995 toward the end anyway, despite being the champion. He was turned heel so Austin could be the top face, then Shawn Michaels managed to politically work around Bret and become the top heel. So Shawn v Undertaker was the headlining match at the time while Bret was doing midcard tag matches, despite being the world champion.

 

"I don't need a rinky dink piece of tin to tell me I'm the best." - Shawn Michaels, 1997

 

While Shawn was undoubtedly red hot at that point and drawing a scary amount of heel heat (at lucha levels in some towns), Bret was of equal value, was drawing just as much heat a few months prior, and didn't bring nearly as much baggage as Shawn.

 

So the writing was on the wall prior to Survivor Series. Bret knew that, which is obvious to anyone who has watched Wrestling With Shadows.

[chaosrage 0]

Goldberg wasn't just a stiff worker. He gave him 3 concussions in one match! That would have probably ended anybody's career.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

My God. Bret Hart is basically blaming the 1997 Survivor Series screwjob for messing up his entire life. If the screwjob didn't happen

• Owen would be alive
• Hart family lawsuit wouldn't have happened
• Bret wouldn't have had a concussion
• Bret wouldn't have had a stroke

My goodness...

1)Would Owen be alive today? I don't know. He could have gotten hit by a car, or a plane could have crashed or whatever. Would Owen have died like he did? No.

 

2)The lawsuit was over McMahons (and others) responsiblity in Owens death. This divided the family up into two groups - those who sided with Vince because they wanted a job and those who hated Vince. This is directly related to OTE 99 which wouldn't have happened had Bret been there.

 

3)Bret got his concussion in his match w/ Goldberg in WCW. Besides, Bret would have retired around that time as he was hoping to retire in two years in the WWE. Could Bret have gotten a career ending injury in the WWE?? Sure. Had he gotten the same injury from someone else would the WWE continue to have him wrestle and get hit over the head multiple times? No.

 

4)The stroke is based on two things: Bret's bike ride that day, and his career ending concussion (s). This is related to #3, which wouldn't have happened had Bret stayed in the WWE as he wanted to.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Bret heel, Shawn face

 

Few months pass...

 

Shawn heel, Bret face

 

What the fuck?

[chaosrage 0]

I did not say Vince ended Bret's career, but I did say he ruined it by not doing what he had to do to keep him on the roster.

 

Funny that Vince told Bret he couldn't afford to pay him his contract when pretty much all the top guys are now making as much as he did or more (despite none of them currently being draws at all -- at least Bret was a house show draw and the #1 PPV draw in the company in 1997) and that just a few months after ousting Bret Hart, he was able to pay Mike Tyson $5 million and, for that reason, Wrestlemania XIV didn't turn a large profit, despite being the most bought PPV ever up until that point, simply because the costs of running the show were so high.

 

Yes, getting all that exposure ended up being good for the company in the long run, so not turning a huge profit on that PPV was probably worth it, but that's another argument altogether.

 

Bret was becoming more persona non grata than he had been since 1995 toward the end anyway, despite being the champion. He was turned heel so Austin could be the top face, then Shawn Michaels managed to politically work around Bret and become the top heel. So Shawn v Undertaker was the headlining match at the time while Bret was doing midcard tag matches, despite being the world champion.

 

"I don't need a rinky dink piece of tin to tell me I'm the best." - Shawn Michaels, 1997

 

While Shawn was undoubtedly red hot at that point and drawing a scary amount of heel heat (at lucha levels in some towns), Bret was of equal value, was drawing just as much heat a few months prior, and didn't bring nearly as much baggage as Shawn.

 

So the writing was on the wall prior to Survivor Series. Bret knew that, which is obvious to anyone who has watched Wrestling With Shadows.

He did turn around and say he could afford it though, maybe because business was going up.

 

And Shawn vs UT was just a bigger draw of a match than anything Bret was doing at the time.

 

I think Bret saw he was getting phased out of the WWF. It's nobody's fault, he just wasn't the top guy anymore. The fact that he left and it didn't dent the ratings proves it. He could've stayed, but he would have to start putting more people over and take a lesser role. I think Vince tried to get him to take the WCW deal because he realized there wasn't much left for Bret to do in the WWF, and he would be getting paid twice as much in WCW. Besides, he hated the WWF's new direction they were taking anyway.

[Guest Choken One]

To the IDIOT that said Vince Murdered Owen is an complete and utter fucking jackass.

 

You might as well say that Bill France Jr. Killed Dale Earnhardt just to go along with your IDIOTIC statment.

[Guest Coffey]

Why are you still arguing this? You're arguing over what COULD HAVE HAPPENED!

 

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

 

Arguing over what DIDNT HAPPEN doesn't make any sense!!!!!

[Guest HartFan86]

And Shawn vs UT was just a bigger draw of a match than anything Bret was doing at the time.

Kinda hard when you are feuding with the Patriot.

[Guest Memphis]

To the IDIOT that said Vince Murdered Owen is an complete and utter fucking jackass.

 

You might as well say that Bill France Jr. Killed Dale Earnhardt just to go along with your IDIOTIC statment.

Holy shit, myself and Choken One share the same opinion on something.

 

In other news, Hell freezes over.

 

M

[Guest Loss4Words]

Shawn v Undertaker was a hot feud no doubt. It was receiving all the TV time during a hotly contested ratings war, so it better have been a hot feud.

 

Shawn (and HHH) were getting all the exposure at that point, so expecting Shawn to not be over or not be able to contribute wouldn't make sense.

[Guest Loss4Words]

I could also mention the story that Meltzer reported about Shawn and HHH pushing hard to get Rock to do a clean job to Bret around that time because HHH was supposedly starting to feel threatened by the guy. Bret refused to do the match, saying it wouldn't make sense and would hurt Rock's momentum, which is why Rock considered only Bret and Taker veteran pros in his book. So Bret obviously was being positioned to be the bad guy, despite not really doing anything wrong.

 

Bret finally agreed to do a countout job to the Rock and Shawn had it changed to HHH getting the rub instead.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

"I am responsible for Owen Hart's death."

 

- Vince McMahon.

 

Now, that's not murder... more like Manslaughter.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

So explain "my goodness" and "my god".

[Lil' Bitch 0]

which is why Rock considered only Bret and Taker veteran pros in his book.

 

Which is why Rock does the Sharpshooter?

[Guest Coffey]

So lemme get this straight. Now you don't think that you can believe in God and fate at the same time? You don't think that God could be the reason behind fate?

[Guest Choken One]

Let's not turn this into a Religious Debate fellas...

[Guest Loss4Words]

Which is why Rock does the sharpshooter?

 

What does that have to do with anything?

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Um, no. I just want to know what you mean by those two expressions - which usually connote disbelief.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I thought Rock did the sharpshooter to mock Bret - the first time I can recall him using it is at SS98 - which was to parody SS97. He's been using it ever since.

 

It has been said that he does the B2B (or "Greco-Roman Throw") to 'honour' Owen Hart.

[Guest Choken One]

He does the SS as a Tribute to Hart...

 

Bret needs to call Rock and go "Hey, Man thanks for the tribute but umm...Why dontcha tribute Flair or some else...mmmky?"

[chaosrage 0]

Kinda hard when you are feuding with the Patriot.

Yeah, but what else could he do? A match with Austin would be about the only thing that could draw as much as that and he was out or fighting with Owen.

[Guest Memphis]

Bret's already stated in an interview that Rock cannot perform the SS for shit.

 

It's nice and all that he does it, however it would help if it didn't look like he was trying to shit out a watermelon sideways while doing it.

[Guest Loss4Words]

He could have feuded with Mankind.

[Guest Coffey]

Um, no. I just want to know what you mean by those two expressions - which usually connote disbelief.

The American government is based on Christianity. Hence why it says "In God we Trust" on the back of money, and why you have to "Swear to God" in court. There is nothing to prove that God doesn't exist. There are plenty to prove your "what if" theory incorrect...like what happened.

 

What did I mean by those expressions? Believing in God had nothing to do with it. They were simply figures of speech. Which, I'm sure you already knew. You're just trying to grab for straws now.

[Guest HartFan86]

Kinda hard when you are feuding with the Patriot.

Yeah, but what else could he do? A match with Austin would be about the only thing that could draw as much as that and he was out or fighting with Owen.

Mankind.

 

Loss 4 Words beat me too it.

[Guest godthedog]

Goldberg wasn't just a stiff worker. He gave him 3 concussions in one match! That would have probably ended anybody's career.

bret's head got injured beyond repair because he kept wrestling after the match with goldberg, and when you have a concussion it makes you more liable for more concussions. had bret just immediately taken time off to recover, he probably would've been good to go after getting the proper time to heal. he's recovered from worse before. but he didn't take the time off, and by the time he had his tv match with terry funk (which was, i think, 2 weeks later), his brain was mush and the damage was irreparable.

[Guest Loss4Words]

The turnaround might have happened even sooner than it did had they had Bret programmed with the just-returned Cactus Jack and continued to let Shawn and Undertaker run its course.

[Guest Memphis]

Kinda hard when you are feuding with the Patriot.

Yeah, but what else could he do? A match with Austin would be about the only thing that could draw as much as that and he was out or fighting with Owen.

Mankind.

 

Loss 4 Words beat me too it.

Anyone remember the night Foley fought Bret & Shawn in the same night?

 

Crazy shit. I would of loved to see a Hitman/Mankind feud be given some real build up and forethought.

[Guest Choken One]

Goldberg wasn't just a stiff worker.  He gave him 3 concussions in one match!  That would have probably ended anybody's career.

bret's head got injured beyond repair because he kept wrestling after the match with goldberg, and when you have a concussion it makes you more liable for more concussions. had bret just immediately taken time off to recover, he probably would've been good to go after getting the proper time to heal. he's recovered from worse before. but he didn't take the time off, and by the time he had his tv match with terry funk (which was, i think, 2 weeks later), his brain was mush and the damage was irreparable.

Actually...It was Kevin Nash.

 

On Thunder...

 

Bret's Last Match

[Guest Loss4Words]

Actually, Bret's match with Nash was on Nitro the week before. He wrestled Terry Funk on Thunder the following week.

 

The Nash/Bret match was to set up dissension in the NWO. A few days later on Thunder, they worked an angle where Bret came out with a black eye and his hair tucked into his hat to look like the NWO had attacked him and cut his hair. Funk threw a bucket of water on him and the black eye ran down his face and was obviously makeup. It was a Vince Russo swerve.

 

Bret v Funk happened the next week after this angle.

 

Nash was Bret's next to last match.