Eric Bischoff had his hands full managing Bret Hart and ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan when the pair worked together in WCW during the late 1990s.
Hart joined the promotion in 1997 after the Montreal Screwjob and despite being two of the company’s top stars, the pair would only face off one time on WCW TV.
The pair would have two non-TV matches and on his “83 Weeks” podcast, Bischoff recalled the issues between Hogan and Hart that would cause problems. He said,
“There were issues obviously between Hogan and Bret. Managing them both, based on their own strongly held beliefs and perspectives, was a challenge. It was a compromise. Every one of those no-contest finishes was a compromise. They were both deeply embedded in their positions, and it was hard to get him off of it. It was one of the reasons why we never really had the ultimate match with them that we wanted to have. And the buildup is the chemistry between them.
“Now, they could be around each other. They could work together in the same ring as you’ve outlined many times. But when it came to being in the main event for the title, man that was just tough chemistry. So it’s the only way I can say it, really.”
Hogan allegedly promised Hart that he would ‘pass the torch’ to the Hitman in the WWF but would leave the promotion in 1993 before a match could happen.
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During their time in WCW in the late 1990s, Eric Bischoff had the challenging task of managing two of the company’s top stars, Bret Hart and ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan. Despite their popularity and status, the two wrestlers only faced off once on WCW TV.
Bret Hart joined WCW in 1997 following the infamous Montreal Screwjob incident in the WWF. Hogan, on the other hand, was already a well-established star in WCW. The clash between these two wrestling icons created a lot of anticipation among fans, but unfortunately, they never had the ultimate match that was hoped for.
According to Bischoff, there were issues and conflicts between Hogan and Hart that made managing them a challenge. Both wrestlers had strongly held beliefs and perspectives, which made it difficult to find common ground. Every no-contest finish in their matches was a compromise due to their entrenched positions. The chemistry required for a main event title match was hard to achieve, despite their ability to work together in the same ring.
One of the reasons for the lack of a definitive match between Hogan and Hart could be traced back to their history in the WWF. Hogan allegedly promised Hart that he would “pass the torch” to him in the WWF, but Hogan left the promotion before that match could take place in 1993.
The buildup and anticipation for a clash between Hogan and Hart were immense, but due to their conflicting beliefs and perspectives, it never materialized in the way fans had hoped. The chemistry required for a main event title match proved to be a significant obstacle.
Despite their differences, both Hogan and Hart had successful careers in WCW. Hogan continued to be a prominent figure in the company, while Hart became a multi-time World Heavyweight Champion. Their contributions to WCW and professional wrestling as a whole cannot be overlooked.
In conclusion, the clash between Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan in WCW during the late 1990s was highly anticipated by fans. However, due to their conflicting beliefs and perspectives, the ultimate match between them never happened. Despite this, both wrestlers had successful careers in WCW and left a lasting impact on the world of professional wrestling.