Bruce Prichard confessed his surprise when Bret Hart made a comeback to WWE and took part in the competition in 2010. This return could not have been predicted considering everything that had transpired.
A remarkable moment came in January 2010, 12 years post-Montreal, when Bret Hart reappeared on WWE programming, culminating in a laudable victory over Mr. McMahon at WrestleMania 26 that year.
During a recent segment of his “Something to Wrestle” podcast, Prichard was quizzed on whether he was taken aback by the Hitman’s comeback. His response was,
“I indeed was. My astonishment stemmed more from his health condition than anything else. I believe Bret didn’t desire to diminish his accomplished career or the reputation of his past achievements, if that makes any logical sense. Bret held his body of work in high esteem — he was genuinely proud of what he had accomplished. And Bret was always one of those contestants who didn’t wish to fade away, only to return later and be less than his peak. Him taking such a step? Yes, it floored me.
“However, concurrently, I believe that Bret still viewed himself as one of those exceptional individuals who understood his constraints and yet managed to work around them. As the saying goes, Bret could stage an excellent match with a broomstick, even on his bad days. And that’s what he did with Vince [McMahon]. I’m uncertain about the match’s greatness, but yes. So, observing Bret’s return and participation wasn’t an impossibility. Although, if you had asked me half a decade prior to that, ‘Do you foresee Brett Hart’s return?’ I would have said no.”
Bret’s triumphant return also incorporated his procurement of the United States Championship, his appointment as the WWE RAW General Manager and his participation in the SummerSlam 2010.
Embedded here is Bret Hart against The Miz – United States Championship Match on Raw, May 17, 2010.