• “I don’t think Bret Hart was a great wrestler. I was a better sports entertainer than him” – DX Member
On a recent episode of his weekly ‘Oh You Didn’t Know’ podcast, Old School WWF Legend & DX member The Road Dogg Jesse James (aka Brian Armstrong) was asked about the backstage morale in the World Wrestling Federation when Bret Hart left the promotion after the infamous Montreal Screwjob in 1997.
Here’s what the 2019 WWE Hall of Famer had to say about The Hitman:
“For me, personally, and that’s all you’re gonna get from me ever is because that’s all I got. It’s my only reference point. I never saw what the big deal was with Bret Hart as a performer. I never understood it.
He was a great worker, and I thought about saying good, but he was a great worker. He worked better than me, 10-fold. Worked circles around me. Don’t ever think that I’ve told anybody I was a good wrestler, because I haven’t, and if you’ve listened to my podcast, you know that’s true.
I don’t think I was a good wrestler. I don’t think Bret was a great wrestler. I think I was a better sports entertainer than Bret was and I think that’s where the money is.
So I always thought that he should have done business and done what was right. You know what I mean? But I never looked at him like if we lose this guy, we lose the war. I never thought that for one moment.
Now I can understand people who are huge Bret Hart fans going, screw you Road Dogg. You suck. Okay, screw me and I suck. Okay, like now what? We still get to my feelings, which is I never thought he was that great to begin with so it wasn’t that great a loss when we lost him for me personally.
That’s professionally, really, not personally, because I didn’t have any personal feelings about it one way or the other. I just didn’t think we were sunk because he left. I thought we got a lot more to offer than that. I didn’t think we were sunk. I thought now we can catch our breath and move forward.
I apologize, but I want everybody to understand. I don’t dislike Bret Hart. I just don’t think he’s that great of a wrestler and I’m sorry if that hurts anybody’s feelings, his especially, because I’m not trying to do that.
I always thought Shawn (Michaels) was the better sports entertainer and I still believe that to this day. I mean, that’s controversial to some, but I don’t know why. It’s how I feel. You know what I mean? I don’t know why my feelings are so controversial. You know what I mean? The person who has the opposite side of the argument, you’re allowed to have that side.
One of my great friends was a huge Bret Hart fan, and yet, I’m not going to tell him Bret sucks. You know what I mean? I’m not gonna tell him I don’t like Bret. He loves Bret. I’m just saying cool, love Bret. But you’re asking me about my feelings and they’re asking me questions about how I perceive things.
I told the truth, and I will do it again. I agree that if you think he’s on the side of great wrestlers, okay. I’m not gonna debate that because he is a really great wrestler. But where I draw the line is there ain’t a dime in wrestling and that’s how I feel.
We’re gonna get a lot of questions and comments about this just because of the stuff I said about Bret. Again, I don’t dislike the guy. I respect him a lot. I have a ton of respect for him and his whole family and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
We have a difference of opinion when it comes to professional wrestling. I say there isn’t a dime in wrestling and that’s a lie. There’s money in wrestling. I just feel there’s more money in sports entertainment and that’s why I think the way I think.”
Bret Hart wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation from 1984 until he got screwed in Montreal at the end of the Survivor Series 1997 pay-per-view.
During his time in the WWF, The Hitman won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship (5x), the WWF Intercontinental Championship (1x) and the WWF World Tag Team Championship (2x), but is also the only 2-time King of the Ring winner in history.
He was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 and again as part of The Hart Foundation in 2019.
Also Read: Bret Hart Names 3 Wrestlers He Wishes He Could’ve Wrestled, Takes A Shot At Goldberg Again
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• ON THIS DAY IN WWF HISTORY (November 12, 2000) – WWF Sunday Night HEAT
On this day in 2000, the World Wrestling Federation aired an episode of their weekly TV show ‘WWF Sunday Night HEAT’.
It was broadcasted from the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas and featured pre-taped matches, interviews & storyline segments on the road to the ‘WWF Survivor Series 2000’ PPV.
The card can be found right here:
– WWF European Title: William Regal vs. Al Snow
– Edge & Christian vs. Too Cool
– WWF World Heavyweight Title: Kurt Angle vs. Crash Holly
