Confirmed: Bret Hart Offered WWE 2006 Hall Of Fame

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Santanas WWF career was unremarkable and that stretch of time of releative relevancy was about 1 year. Greg Valentines WWF career actually managed to be even more uneventful. The only thing they had going for them was being in a Wrestlemania and holding a WWF title.

[Promoter 0]

So no one thinks a rematch between HBK and Angle for Mania wouldn't work with Bret Hart being inducted 10 years after the fact of WM 12's match? I agree with the ironman flaws and 2/3 falls though. If they go 60 minutes, it should just end up that way. The problem would be too many false finishes, but that can easily be covered with re-starting the match a couple of times. Now if they have Bret Hart be the special referee I can imagine the heat put on the match automatically. Not gonna happen of course. Now, I kind of see why they were thinking about having Mania at Calgary or Montreal next year.

[King Cucaracha 0]

How could there really be any set standards for hall of fame requirements within a worked sport?

Quoted because it's worth remembering.

 

The WWE Hall Of Fame is never going to be and was never meant to be as prestigious as, for example, the baseball HOF.

[jester 0]

Anyone who wrestled in a Wrestlemania is qualified to be in the WWE HOF.  Owen wrestled in 4 or 5 of em.

Anyone?

 

Cpl. Kirshner?

Buddy Rose?

George Wells?

-=Mike

The Miller Lite Catfight Girls too.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Quote:

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't you the guy who likes to point out that a big reason Diesel's reign tanked because the midcard and undercard programs absolutely sucked during that time period?

 

I don't think so. But those programs definately did have something to do with it, as no credible challengers were built during a YEAR-LONG title reign for a champion whose wrestling ability and interview skills (as a face) were already limited.

 

Bret isn't a draw. So whether its 1995 or 2006, he may be an excellent 7-time world champion, have amazing ring skills, and deserves fully to be in the Hall of Fame. But you can't just make stupid statements like "Bret=Money" when he has never drawn as a main eventer outside of Canada.

[Slickster 0]

More often than not, the HOF is used by Vince to reward loyal workers with long careers, irrespective of their in-ring success. It's *his* HOF, after all.

[NYU 0]

Quote:

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't you the guy who likes to point out that a big reason Diesel's reign tanked because the midcard and undercard programs absolutely sucked during that time period?

 

I don't think so. But those programs definately did have something to do with it, as no credible challengers were built during a YEAR-LONG title reign for a champion whose wrestling ability and interview skills (as a face) were already limited.

 

Bret isn't a draw. So whether its 1995 or 2006, he may be an excellent 7-time world champion, have amazing ring skills, and deserves fully to be in the Hall of Fame. But you can't just make stupid statements like "Bret=Money" when he has never drawn as a main eventer outside of Canada.

You're not getting it.

 

Whether he was a draw in 1995 has no effect on whether he will be a draw in 2006. If Bret Hart appears on WWE television now, he brings an entire load of controversy with him. People are going to want to know what he will say, what Vince will do, what drama will erupt. Survivor Series 1997 may have been the biggest story in wrestling ever, and Bret Hart appearing on WWE programming would finally be the conclusion to that story. People who haven't watched wrestling in years might buy this WrestleMania just to see if the issue is addressed. His past drawing ability does not matter anymore,

[Promoter 0]

Didn't Meltzer's list about the top stars in the company's history prove that Bret wasn't that bad of a draw compared to the total history of the organization? Another thing with Bret Hart was that in 1993 and 1994 Bret was getting the best responses in terms of a babyface. It kind of started in the summer of 1991 just before the steroid stuff starting to pick up. The fans were respecting Bret's in-ring talent. By 1992, the guy was competing with Savage and Warrior as the top babyface. There needs to be some context put into this whole thing with the "dark ages" and WHY Diesel also didn't draw that well. Yes, it's true he sucked as a babyface when they turned him(sound familiar?) and didn't really have a strong list of contenders, but there was a major black eye over wrestling then for numerous reasons.

 

Bret was needed by Vince in those times to help fix the whole mess the company was in. Sports Illustrated was even covering the industry stating that Vince was only pushing muscle men(Lex Luger's name was used) and that guys like Ric Flair with more talent were being held back because of not having the physique of greek gods. When Bret returned in 1996, he basically helped save that organization from looking really horrible in the vien that all the top stars were leaving it. Then take into account the year bret had and how it helped phase the wwe into the attitude era. No foundation for Austin's character to work off being an anti-hero for America. No "I quit" match. No kayfabe breaking backstage rivalry between HBK/Bret. No Montreal and then no Mr. Mcmahon. Bret is VERY important in the annals of the wwe. Now, this legacy has grown and I won't be surprised that Bret will be similar to Hulk Hogan. I'm not saying he will get the same standing ovations as Hogan, but Bret returning to the wwe will have a huge impact just like Hogan did in 2002. I'm sure of it. In some twisted way he is at the root of the company's rebirth during the attitude era. No disrespect to Owen Hart, but that whole incident also raised Bret's stock amongst the mainstream as being the bitter brother of the man who died in Vince's ring. Bret will be a big draw.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

And the ironic thing to that post is that Vince couldn't wait to have Bret gone so he could really go balls out officially ushering the Attitude Era.

[cawthon777 0]

Paul Orndorff, one hot program with the guy everyone had a hot program with does?

Yeah but Hogan / Orndorff was far and above the others in terms of drawing power. 6 weeks after Orndorff turned heel, they sold out CNE in Toronto with 64,000.

 

Their house show run completely changed the business. It was due to the success of their program that the cookie-cutter house show, with the same matches and finishes in every city, came into existance.

[cawthon777 0]

Jim Ross has offered Bret Hart and current TNA booker Dusty Rhodes spots in the 2006 class of hall of fame inductees.

This isn't the first time either man has been asked.

 

I would be surprised if Dusty agreed. What does Vince McMahon's personal endorsement mean to him? Zero, unless he can get something out of it.

[Promoter 0]

In the new RAW mag there is an ad promoting Dusty's biography along with Terry Funk's. Everyone's mentioned Vince, Austin, Jericho, and Benoit as being guys to induct Hart. If they really want drama they should make it Shawn Michaels

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Holy shit.

 

You're the first person to think of that one.

[Toshiaki Koala 0]

Owen was part of the best match in WWF history; if Pete Rose can be in the Hall of Fame, he can.

[cawthon777 0]

"Bret Hart being offered something by the WWE isn't big news - the guy is instant money"

 

:::looks at WWE buyrates go down the toilet with Bret as #1 face:::

 

Okay.

The WWF was slowly going into a downturn beginning in 1990. It just sped up with the absense of Hogan. Neither Hogan / Flair nor Flair / Savage were high drawing programs. So if those don't draw, what will?

 

Anyone else in that position during that time (especially 1992-93) wouldn't have drawn any stronger.

[Guest JMA]

Speaking of drawing, the WWF's worst financial year was 1992 (probably because Hogan didn't have the belt that year). It's very hard to replace the biggest draw in North American history. If I recall, no wrestler really drew very well as champion until Austin got the belt.