During a recent episode of “The Masked Man Show,” wrestling legend Bret Hart opened up about his infamous 1995 ‘I Quit’ match with Bob Backlund at WrestleMania XI, expressing his dissatisfaction with the bout.
On the podcast, Hart shared,”I have a deep appreciation for Bob Backlund, he’s among my favorite personalities, but my ‘I Quit’ WrestleMania 11 match with him was something I was certain was headed for a debacle. I’ve always felt that it was the low point of my in-ring career. I don’t hold Bob responsible, nor do I blame myself, I point fingers at Vince, the individual who conceptualized the match. It was set up for failure before we even started. It’s regrettable we didn’t deliver a spectacular match. Yet, I am intensely fond of the match I participated in with Bob Backlund at the Survivor Series. Should anyone doubt my abilities, I would have liked to see the likes of Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels or Triple H face off against Bob Backlund the way I did.”
Hart carried on, “Place any wrestler you want in the ring with Bob Backlund, and observe their performance. This isn’t meant to demean Bob. Bob was quintessentially traditional, a master and champion of wrestling, but wrestling him required a delicate balance. I don’t believe a large number of wrestlers could emulate the match I had with Bob Backlund. It was a work of art. I deeply respect Bob and the moment we shared was a treasure. You can pit a host of wrestlers against Bob Backlund, to see what they’re capable of. Figuring out the unique combination and balance needed to tell a story and create an exceptional match against Bob was a fascinating puzzle. I believe we managed just that, and I take great pride in that match.”
The bout, despite Hart’s dissatisfaction, resulted in him being acknowledged the victor against Backlund.