Recent Bret Hart interview - slams Bischoff, Hogan / praises TNA:

[Montague]

WWE Hall Of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart recently took a few digs at some of TNA's top dogs in a recent interview with AOL Fanhouse. Hart said of Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan and Vince Russo, "After being in WCW and being around them, you start to realize that these guys -- Bischoff in particular -- never understood or knew anything about wrestling."

"They just struck me as guys that didn't understand wrestling. To see them working with another company now, to me, I think you'll eventually see that they don't know anything. They didn't know anything then and they don't know anything now. They're not going to make a difference anywhere they go."

"The Hitman" did show respect to some of TNA's top dogs that are active in the ring right now, such as AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Samoa Joe and Abyss. Hart commented, "I have a lot of respect for the young wrestlers there like AJ Styles and Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, Abyss, different guys. I know they've got a lot of talent there and guys that I consider good friends of mine including RVD [Rob Van Dam]."

Hart concluded on the subject, again praising the young guys by mixing in an extra dig or two at the guys behind the shows. "I wish them all the best and I hope the younger stars get a chance to show what they've got rather than coming back to the old dinosaurs like Hulk Hogan or Eric Bischoff with the same old certain babble that he's been doing for 10 years when he'll babble about nothing. He somehow positions himself to be a star on the show and I think there's real stars that need to get that light and not him."


read the full interview here: http://www.fanhouse.com/2010/10/19/bret-hart-back-in-action-in-new-wwe-video-game/

[Hulkster]

Bret sounds very jealous of Hogan.

probably because Hogan is known world wide, and he is only really well known up here in Canada.

[Montague]

Good possibility.

I think there may also be some leftover animosity from when Hogan refused to put Bret over for the h/w championship back around ‘92/‘93.
And, I think that's been a sore spot more than once over the years.

[leaky_frog]

I agree on the Hogan thing- I've never gotten the vibe that they got along too well.

  As for Bischoff, Bret's gone on record in the past saying Bischoff treated him well, but it's clear that Bret thinks Bischoff should remain behind the scenes, and let the wrestlers be the stars.  I have to agree.  Bischoff just doesn't draw heat for me- I only want him to go away, not throw things and curse at him.

[Montague]

Bischoff just doesn't draw heat for me- I only want him to go away, not throw things and curse at him.

"X-Pac heat."

 

[Playboy]

Bret sounds very jealous of Hogan.

probably because Hogan is known world wide, and he is only really well known up here in Canada.

Not at all. He's pissed at Hogan because when Hogan returned from his sabbatical at WM9 in Ceasar's Palace, He won the title in 10 seconds off Yokozuna but was supposed to lose it back to Bret at King of the Ring so he could leave and film Thunder in Paradise. The suck Hogan refused and used his "creative control." I would be pissed too. 

[Montague]

LOL!!!
Hogan claimed that the "Hulk Hogan" character was in a different league than the "Bret Hart" character.

Bret should have told him, "You're right. They want the belt on me."

[Playboy]

LOL!!!
Hogan claimed that the "Hulk Hogan" character was in a different league than the "Bret Hart" character.

Bret should have told him, "You're right. They want the belt on me."

Hogan had his time in the WWE and should have passed the torch as everyone else did before. He didn't. Neither did Michaels when he was supposed to return the belt back to Hart.

[Playboy]

Nothing against Bret. He's not even close to Hulksters league. F Bret and the Foundation. I still don't understand why Hulkster ever put Warrior over? Phenom is Phenom. I'm a Hulkamaniac for life. But this Undertaker is the real deal. He's gonna retire 20-zip at WM. No one will ever do that ever again.

Its even hard to believe that Undertaker has been around for 20 years. Feels like only yesterday it was 1991 and he beat Hogan at Survivor Series for the title. Unbelievable.

IMO they should have never put the title on Warrior at WM6. I was there for that event and let me tell you, there was almost a riot when Warrior won. 80% of the Skydome was for Hogan. 20% was for Warrior...not like they lead you to believe it was a 50/50 split. When Hogan left the ring on the little cart, People were watching him leave and chanting "Hogan, Hogan!" instead of watching Warrior, the new champ in the ring. Says alot. I was pissed and still to this day have a hard time watching that particular match.

[The Showstoppa]

Anytime Hogan jobbed, I considered it a victory for mankind. 

[Playboy]

Anytime Hogan jobbed, I considered it a victory for mankind. 

There were times when he jobbed and did it with no problems but there were plenty of times when he flat out refused.

[The Showstoppa]

There were times when he jobbed and did it with no problems but there were plenty of times when he flat out refused.

i think it was always a case of his ego, rather than what was best for the company.....except for rare occasions, like goldberg.

[Montague]

Hogan had his time in the WWE and should have passed the torch as everyone else did before. He didn't. Neither did Michaels when he was supposed to return the belt back to Hart.

And, neither did Bret.
They're all a bunch of egotistical assholes!

I don't care how nice you are/have been throughout your entire career.
Once they put the big belt on you, it changes you.
It doesn't affect everyone the same way or to the same degree, but it does affect them.

[The Showstoppa]

And, neither did Bret.
They're all a bunch of egotistical assholes!

I don't care how nice you are/have been throughout your entire career.
Once they put the big belt on you, it changes you.
It doesn't affect everyone the same way or to the same degree, but it does affect them.

Compare those two asshats to how many times Flair and Race jobbed to put people over.....

[Montague]

Compare those two asshats to how many times Flair and Race jobbed to put people over.....

I think part of it was because they understood the value of building up the other talent.
You come back down the road and do a big program with them and make lots of money.

Vince's simplistic formula saw them feed Hogan monster heel after monster heel.
They built up these guys to become, essentially, main-event jobbers.
Once Hogan beat them, they were nothing.
Bundy was one-half of the main card at WMII...at Mania III he worked a mixed tag match with the midgets.

Hogan seldom revisited a feud.
If you systematically extinguish every bad guy in the territory, who's left to work with?

[The Showstoppa]

I think part of it was because they understood the value of building up the other talent.
You come back down the road and do a big program with them and make lots of money.

Vince's simplistic formula saw them feed Hogan monster heel after monster heel.
They built up these guys to become, essentially, main-event jobbers.
Once Hogan beat them, they were nothing.
Bundy was one-half of the main card at WMII...at Mania III he worked a mixed tag match with the midgets.

Hogan seldom revisited a feud.
If you systematically extinguish every bad guy in the territory, who's left to work with?

Excellent point and spot on. 

[Montague]

Brian Fritz recently conducted an interview with WWE star Bret Hart for Fanhouse.com. The following are highlights from the interview which can be found in its entirety at http://www.fanhouse.com/2010/10/19/bret-hart-back-in-action-in-new-wwe-video-game/

Hart on participating in WrestleMania 26: "I kept thinking I was dreaming or it wasn't real. As you're doing it, you're going this is real, this is really happening. It was actually quite a rush. Maybe one of the biggest rushes I've had in my career and I've had a lot of them."

On his WWE future: "I have every intention of working with them for the next couple of years. They've been pretty good to me and I've been pretty happy with how they're treating me. We're kind of just waiting for the next step in the steady progression of Bret "The Hitman" Hart returning to the WWE. I'm not quite sure where they go from here but I still expect to be part of things for quite a while."

[Playboy]

And, neither did Bret.
They're all a bunch of egotistical assholes!

I don't care how nice you are/have been throughout your entire career.
Once they put the big belt on you, it changes you.
It doesn't affect everyone the same way or to the same degree, but it does affect them.

Except on person....

Rick Flair  Flair never once had a problem losing the title to someone. He did it to Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race back in 1983-1984, Sting, Steamboat, Hogan, Savage, etc. 

[Montague]

Except on person....

Rick Flair  Flair never once had a problem losing the title to someone. He did it to Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race back in 1983-1984, Sting, Steamboat, Hogan, Savage, etc. 

That’s because Flair got it, was never a puppet, he understood the big picture, and the Crockett’s were smart enough to give him that creative latitude.

Personally, the reason I think Flair never spent any substantial time in the Fed (during his glory years) is simply because he didn’t need to.
A lot of guys “needed” the WWF to make it big; Flair did not.

Flair could draw good money with anyone and great money with the best.
And, he never needed to be bottle-fed like Hulkster.
Hogan had an incredible run at the top of the industry, but it seemed that Vince took care of the arrangements to make most of that happen.

Flair did his own thing.
Frankly, I have my doubts that “Nature Boy” would have been as happy with more success, but under VKM’s thumb.

[Playboy]

That’s because Flair got it, was never a puppet, he understood the big picture, and the Crockett’s were smart enough to give him that creative latitude.

Personally, the reason I think Flair never spent any substantial time in the Fed (during his glory years) is simply because he didn’t need to.
A lot of guys “needed” the WWF to make it big; Flair did not.

Flair could draw good money with anyone and great money with the best.
And, he never needed to be bottle-fed like Hulkster.
Hogan had an incredible run at the top of the industry, but it seemed that Vince took care of the arrangements to make most of that happen.

Flair did his own thing.
Frankly, I have my doubts that “Nature Boy” would have been as happy with more success, but under VKM’s thumb.

To me, Flair is the BEST. His DVD says it all.

Under Vince's thumb, he would have went no where. Jim Crockett let Flair be Flair and it paid off bigtime.

[Montague]

Yeah, I think Flair excelled in his environment & Hogan excelled in his.
And, they were definitely different environments.

Hogan worked the top of every territory he was in, but without Vince, the top was very limited.

Ric was left more to his own device.
He had freedom, which paid off tremendously - but he didn't get the "mega-machine push" that the commercial WWF gave Hogan.

[Playboy]

Yeah, I think Flair excelled in his environment & Hogan excelled in his.
And, they were definitely different environments.

Hogan worked the top of every territory he was in, but without Vince, the top was very limited.

Ric was left more to his own device.
He had freedom, which paid off tremendously - but he didn't get the "mega-machine push" that the commercial WWF gave Hogan.

Flair & Hogan are both the two top guys that the busniess has ever seen. Just two different types of characters. I enjoy watching both of them.

[mass 04]

Brian Fritz recently conducted an interview with WWE star Bret Hart for Fanhouse.com. The following are highlights from the interview which can be found in its entirety at http://www.fanhouse.com/2010/10/19/bret-hart-back-in-action-in-new-wwe-video-game/

Hart on participating in WrestleMania 26: "I kept thinking I was dreaming or it wasn't real. As you're doing it, you're going this is real, this is really happening. It was actually quite a rush. Maybe one of the biggest rushes I've had in my career and I've had a lot of them."

On his WWE future: "I have every intention of working with them for the next couple of years. They've been pretty good to me and I've been pretty happy with how they're treating me. We're kind of just waiting for the next step in the steady progression of Bret "The Hitman" Hart returning to the WWE. I'm not quite sure where they go from here but I still expect to be part of things for quite a while."

Glad to hear the guy is happy and at peace. He's been through hell the past 15 or so years.

[Hulkster]

IMO they should have never put the title on Warrior at WM6. I was there for that event and let me tell you, there was almost a riot when Warrior won. 80% of the Skydome was for Hogan. 20% was for Warrior...not like they lead you to believe it was a 50/50 split. When Hogan left the ring on the little cart, People were watching him leave and chanting "Hogan, Hogan!" instead of watching Warrior, the new champ in the ring. Says alot. I was pissed and still to this day have a hard time watching that particular match.

you must have been sitting in a different skydome than I was.

the fans went CRAZY when warrior won. and almost all stuck around for the whole celebration including the fireworks at the end (except those sitting under the fireworks under the jumbotron lol). Although I agree that Hogan did get a louder entrance ovation, during the match it was pretty much even in terms of crowd noise for both guys.

personally, I think warrior could have been a great champion.

I think the WWE fucked up his reign, not warrior.

I mean really, Ravishing rick? after he got destroyed a few months earlier? Mr. Perfect? come on.

they had no one decent for him to face.

[Montague]

you must have been sitting in a different skydome than I was.

the fans went CRAZY when warrior won. and almost all stuck around for the whole celebration including the fireworks at the end (except those sitting under the fireworks under the jumbotron lol). Although I agree that Hogan did get a louder entrance ovation, during the match it was pretty much even in terms of crowd noise for both guys.

personally, I think warrior could have been a great champion.

I think the WWE fucked up his reign, not warrior.

I mean really, Ravishing rick? after he got destroyed a few months earlier? Mr. Perfect? come on.

they had no one decent for him to face.

I agree with the above on one level, but remember that a good champion (worker) can make chicken salad out of chicken shit - i.e., the old saying, “He can wrestle a broom and make it look good.”

Rude & Hennig were upper card performers who worked good main-event programs with (and as) other champions.
Inside the ring, UW was only as good as his opponent on any given night.

Warrior quickly developed a bad backstage attitude.
He came in shaking everyone’s hands, but once he got the big belt, he became very conceded.

His in ring ability was severely limited at best.
He missed shows and pissed off management & fans.

Yeah, he could pop a crowd, but so did Scotty 2 Hottie’s “the worm.”