WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was interviewed by FOX Sports Australia where he spoke about a wide range of topics.
During it, he talked about the state of today’s pro wrestling and he took a shot at Goldberg in the process as Goldberg ended Hart’s career after suffering a severe concussion following a kick by Goldberg in a match in WCW.
“It’s hard to criticize something that seems to be going through the roof. Wrestling has had a surge in the last little while, the last few years. And even in my case, I seem to be as revered or popular as I’ve ever been – and it’s maybe because of the salutes I’ve been getting from guys like (CM) Punk, and FTR, different wrestlers have mentioned my name, or do something that I did in the ring as a nod or a salute to me, and I appreciate all that. I think CM Punk alone has done a lot to remind wrestling fans to take a look back at some of the stuff that I was doing, and how good it was. And I think it’s starting to stand out now where it’s like – in my honest opinion, without trying to sound too boastful, they’ve pulled the curtain back on wrestling so much. So now we know the whole thing’s a show, and they’re just really good physical actors, and that is what it is. But you watch my wrestling and you go, jeez, he was the best. I think I made it look more real than anybody all the time. I made your stuff look good, I made my own stuff look good, nothing looked rehearsed. There’s so much I think in today’s wrestling that’s so badly rehearsed, over and over. I saw something just a few days ago in a wrestling match where all the girls were lying in the middle of the ring together and they were doing the big belly flops on all of them. And you think they would get away from that kind of phony rehearsed kind of wrestling. Who wants to watch that? I don’t want to watch that, I know my kids don’t want to watch that. The best pro wrestling has to always pretend to be real, and that way it’s fun – but when you basically say it’s not real, and it’s all just a performance, it loses some of that what I think was in my style. My punches, my kicks, my dropkicks – if I dropkicked somebody, I hit him right in the face, but I didn’t hurt him, but both feet pushed his face hard enough to know, jeez, I’m guessing that might’ve hurt. And the thing I take so much pride in is every wrestler I ever worked, every single one came back and he shook my hand to say thanks for the match. I was a technical wrestler that made you, you know — when I put a headlock on, it (looked) 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, 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.”
WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart recently sat down for an interview with FOX Sports Australia, where he discussed various topics related to professional wrestling. One of the subjects he touched upon was the current state of pro wrestling and his thoughts on its authenticity.
During the interview, Hart took a shot at former wrestler Goldberg, who infamously ended Hart’s career after delivering a kick that resulted in a severe concussion. Hart’s comments shed light on his perspective on the industry and how it has evolved over the years.
Hart began by acknowledging the recent surge in popularity that wrestling has experienced, attributing part of it to the recognition he has received from current wrestlers like CM Punk and FTR. He expressed his appreciation for their nods to his past work and how it has reminded fans of the quality of wrestling during his era.
However, Hart also voiced his concerns about the current state of wrestling, stating that the industry has pulled back the curtain too far, revealing that it is all a show. According to Hart, today’s wrestlers are excellent physical actors, but he believes that his style of wrestling made it look more real than anyone else’s.
Hart emphasized the importance of making wrestling appear authentic and not overly rehearsed. He criticized a recent match he witnessed where female wrestlers were lying in the middle of the ring, waiting for their opponents to perform belly flops on them. He questioned why wrestlers would engage in such phony and rehearsed moves, suggesting that it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the sport.
The former champion also highlighted the significance of delivering moves that look real without causing actual harm to opponents. Hart prided himself on being a technical wrestler who made every move, such as a headlock, appear genuine. He contrasted this with wrestlers like John Cena, whose headlocks seemed less impactful.
Furthermore, Hart expressed disappointment in the current trend of wrestlers realizing they are in the wrong position after landing and then awkwardly readjusting themselves. He believed that this lack of precision and awareness in the ring reflects poorly on the wrestlers’ training and professionalism.
Hart also criticized the excessive use of chops, a move where wrestlers strike their opponents’ chests with an open hand. He viewed this as a cheap tactic to elicit a reaction from the crowd, rather than showcasing true wrestling skill. Hart argued that wrestlers should focus on delivering great matches instead of relying on such gimmicks.
In conclusion, Bret Hart’s interview shed light on his views regarding the current state of professional wrestling. While he acknowledged the recent surge in popularity, he expressed concerns about the industry’s emphasis on showmanship over authenticity. Hart emphasized the importance of making wrestling look real while ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants.