Bret Hart is a five-time WWE World Champion, two-time WCW World Champion, and WWE Hall of Fame inductee. His career is lauded by many of today’s top stars, like CM Punk, as influencing their in-ring style and overall presentation. Unfortunately, at the 1999 WCW Starcade, Hart’s career was cut short when he was leveled with a stiff thrust kick to the head from Goldberg. The severe concussion he suffered during the match is ultimately what led to his retirement.
In an interview with Fox Sports, Hart had the following to say about his in-ring style and what kind of work he does not enjoy watching in the ring.
“I was a technical wrestler that made you, you know when I put a headlock on, it looks like a real headlock. Not like John Cena or somebody that’s got a headlock that looks like he has it on a tire. The headlock has to be tightened – real. You know, I that’s what I pride myself on. And I also pride myself on the fact that I never injured anybody, ever.
“I find a lot of the wrestlers today are like, when they land where they land, they realize 30 seconds later that they’re in the wrong spot, and they start wiggling all the way across the ring to get in the right position. That’s a fail. You get an F in my wrestling academy when you do stuff like that.
“And when these guys dive over the top rope onto the 20 wrestlers on the floor – they’ve gotta stop doing that. It’s just not real … and with the chops and everybody chopping themselves. What a bunch of baloney. Nobody ever won a match with a chop. All the wooing. It’s really taking away from the beauty and the art of great wrestling.
“There’s a lot of great wrestlers out there that can deliver great matches. But there’s so many wrestlers out there that are subpar in my opinion, that don’t know what they’re doing out there. And they allow themselves to rely on things like chops, which I think is sort of like cheap heat – you get a reaction, but what’s your reaction? You’re whipping a guy across the chest with your hand? Okay, so you’re hurting some guy for real, for some stupid reason. And the crowd sort of reacts to it.
“In my understanding of pro wrestling, anytime anyone does anything to you that hurts, for real – chopping, putting blisters on your chest when you go to your room or bed, anytime anyone does things to you for real, they’re in the wrong business. They’re doing it wrong. Because you’re not supposed to get hurt. You’re not supposed to come back to your dressing room that night or to your hotel room and have a big lump on your head and a black eye, and your teeth are knocked out. That’s Bill Goldberg wrestling. That’s not how it’s done.”
Hart will host the Australian Stampede on April 14 as part of Starcast Down Under in Australia. For more information, please click HERE.