What If: Bret Hart's 20 year WWE contract

[THTRobtaylor]

This is the DUMBEST thing I've ever heard. First of all 'Taker just lost to HBK at Badd Blood. Why would 'Taker then get the title shot?!? HBK was the #1 heel in the company. It all set for him to face Austin at WM 14. HBK knew it. Austin knew it. Bret knew it and most importantly Vince knew it. Shawn had already threatened to go to WCW before but he was locked in a contract. He can't just up and leave. So your scenario about Shawn leaving is asinine also. And why throw in that part about him dying in a car accident? That was lame and in bad taste. You should be ashamed for saying something like that.

Sorry there is no plausible scenario where Bret stays unless he does EXACTLY what Vince wants and that is to put over Shawn Michaels. You really think Vince would take that kind of blatant disrespect? He let Hogan walk and Hogan was 10x the star Bret was. He suspended Warrior at the prime of his career. Bret was on his way down as a star at that point.

The MONEY at that point was in Austin HBK and 'Taker/Kane and to lesser extent the "new blood" in Rock, HHH, Mick Foley, the Outlaws etc....there was no room for Bret in that situation.

Why should I be ashamed? truth is that Shawn was so messed up at that point that going to WCW would have exacerbated his problems....with the kind of enabling that WCW's system would have allowed him - something would have happened to him had he gone there... it nearly did in real life, but he had the WWF to keep him relatively straight and when he didn't... he had to sort his life out. There's no shame in saying things might not have ended well for him had he gone there, indeed the man himself would probably agree.

Also, you're missing the point entirely... if Bret's 20 year deal is being honored, properly then HE is the guy... he has the power, not Shawn or the Kliq... they might want Austin to get the title but it'd be on a different timeline... Plans would not have been the same from the middle of 96 onwards, so you can't invoke "just lost to Taker at Badd Blood" as a negative...that might never have happened at all.

Things worked out as they did only cos Vince knew Bret was going and was actively trying to make it so... if he wasn't, the WWF was VERY different in how it handles Bret, Shawn, Taker and other talents.

 

[HBKperfect23]

Bret had said he wanted to retire around 2000 and take on pat Patterson role which I see him fitting into very well.

98: I see him having a big part in developing the Rock.

99: Jericho's first feud would be with Bret. Not really sure where I see him fitting in in 99, possibly feuding with triple h early in the year.

2000: Brets final year and one of his best. Feuds with Eddie, Malenko, and Benoit and his major feud for the year with Kurt Angle, trading wins most of the year.

Breif return in 2002 for a best of 3 with Shawn. Oddly enough I see this as possibly the era when they have their best matches. When "new Shawn" comes back in 2002, him and Bret (who never got that bitter from the screw job/ injury/Owen situations) patch things up and have the quality matches we always knew they could have together.

Bret probably has an official farewell match around 2005 with either Cena, Taker, Michaels, or an up and coming star he'd like to put over.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

This is one of the most impossible things to say, it is pure speculation.

For one thing, no one knows for sure exactly when Vince made the decision that he would not be able to honour Bret's contract, and that Bret should discuss terms with WCW. The only thing we can say with any degree of certainty is that is what after Summerslam 1997 (otherwise, why on earth would Vince have Bret win the title back then?)

So much happened, or even MAY have happened, following Vince's decision: would Hell in a Cell have happened? Was the plan always to go with Shawn beating Bret? Remember, HIAC was a number one contender's match, and it seems likely that, given the nature of the match, the winner would then go on to become champion. It's logical, and helps the (admittedly brilliant) concept of Hell in a Cell get over further. It was also an integral part of the Undertaker and Kane storyline, so let's say for arguements sake that HIAC still exists. So the idea then is to have Shawn dethrone Bret at Survivor Series. Anything else really makes HIAC pointless.

So then what? Bret would inevitably get a rematch. Would they book a Bret v Shawn rematch at a throwaway December pay-per-view? Or would they maybe book an injury or even suspension angle, causing him to miss the December ppv (which may or may not be called D-Generation X), but build to his rematch with Michaels at the Royal Rumble? Now this is a crucial point, as Shawn Michaels not being in a casket match at the Royal Rumble means that Shawn Michaels does not suffer his serious back injury at the Royal Rumble. Perhaps he still gets injured, but in all likeliness, he doesn't, meaning he doesn't miss four years of action.

Straight away then, within two months of the Montreal Screwjob, should it not happen and Bret Hart remained a WWE employee, a HUGE part of the segueing into the Attitude Era is void.

After this, who knows what will happen? Maybe Shawn gets injured some other way? Maybe Bret does? Life generally means the older a human gets, the more susceptible they are to illness and injury, and you can amplify that ten-fold for someone in a physically demanding job like that of a professional wrestler.

But for the sake of this thread, let's go through a couple of things that *MAY* not have happened had Bret stayed (and Shawn stayed healthy):

* Mick Foley never gets elevated - Foley was, let's not forget, Steve Austin's first WWE Championship challenger, turning heel as Dude Love. This would likely have not been needed as the top of the card was full. Indeed, as with Bret after Survivor Series, a healthy Shawn Michaels would have had at least one world title rematch on ppv in the aftermath of Wrestlemania XIV (we can all agree that Austin would have still won the title, likely from Michaels, at WM)
* Triple H and the Rock, I believe, WOULD have broken the ceiling, but at a slower pace - especially the Rock (remember, Rocky had never main evented a ppv before he won the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 1998)
* Owen Hart, the British Bulldog and Ken Shamrock all may have had more success, especially in the upper mid-card zone, occasionally dabbing into the main event (much as Davey Boy did in 1995/96) - if Shamrock still wins the King of the Ring, perhaps more is done with him, maybe a title match at Fully Loaded or Summerslam?

And here is one thing that definitely WOULD have happened, regardless: the New Age Outlaws join D-Generation X, possibly sooner than they did, leading to a feud between DX and the Hart Foundation (imagine the No Way Out main event getting switched to Shawn, Hunter, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn v Bret, Owen, Davey and Neidhart, it could even have been a way to cement the Hart Foundation's return to the babyface side of the fence, whilst building a variety of feuds for Wrestlemania, much like they did with Canadian Stampede, one of the most critically acclaimed WWE ppvs in history)

Finally, one thing that Bret Hart staying would have had no bearing on whatsoever would be WCW staying in business - that was purely a result of Turner selling his network and the new owners having no time for wrestling; remember WCW's declining ratings were still higher than most other shows produced by Time Warner.

 

[d_henderson1810]

If you read Martha Hart's book "Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart", it is very apparent that Martha hated wrestling (as one review of the book states, a hate ingrained in her from childhood), had no use for the WWE in particular, had a condescending attitude towards most wrestlers and would have decided to sue them regardless of what Bret thought one way or the other.

I wonder then, how she felt that her own husband was a wrestler, and a pretty dedicated one, meaning he would have put a bit of time into it, and her husband being part of a wrestling family.

Also, she obviously didn't complain about the roof wrestling put over her head, or the food wrestling put on her table, via Owen making a lot of money wrestling.

If she hated wrestling so much, then how could she marry someone who has it as their profession, and then gladly accept all the nice things that Owen's wrestling wage bought her and the children.

I can understand her being upset with WWE for Owen's death (though Owen CHOSE to do the stunt), and possibly even seeing if there is any legal avenues. But to trash the industry that made her husband famous, and meant so much to him, smacks of her being a ballbreaking, bitter, snobbish bitch.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I wonder then, how she felt that her own husband was a wrestler, and a pretty dedicated one, meaning he would have put a bit of time into it, and her husband being part of a wrestling family.

Also, she obviously didn't complain about the roof wrestling put over her head, or the food wrestling put on her table, via Owen making a lot of money wrestling.

If she hated wrestling so much, then how could she marry someone who has it as their profession, and then gladly accept all the nice things that Owen's wrestling wage bought her and the children.

I can understand her being upset with WWE for Owen's death (though Owen CHOSE to do the stunt), and possibly even seeing if there is any legal avenues. But to trash the industry that made her husband famous, and meant so much to him, smacks of her being a ballbreaking, bitter, snobbish bitch.

Uh that's a pretty terrible thing to say. Maybe it's possible Martha loved Owen in-spite of his profession. It's not unheard of plus I understand Owen did have plans to retire so there's that.

As for her bitterness towards the WWE I am pretty sure it had a lot do with the accident and, as I said before, I am not going to judge someone being upset with a company and industry that took someone's loved one away especially, if you look at the circumstances, one that was unnecessary and wreckless (as shown by the WWE getting a quick release mechanism that was not suitable for a human being).

 

[HeenanGorilla]

I wonder then, how she felt that her own husband was a wrestler, and a pretty dedicated one, meaning he would have put a bit of time into it, and her husband being part of a wrestling family.

Also, she obviously didn't complain about the roof wrestling put over her head, or the food wrestling put on her table, via Owen making a lot of money wrestling.

If she hated wrestling so much, then how could she marry someone who has it as their profession, and then gladly accept all the nice things that Owen's wrestling wage bought her and the children.

I can understand her being upset with WWE for Owen's death (though Owen CHOSE to do the stunt), and possibly even seeing if there is any legal avenues. But to trash the industry that made her husband famous, and meant so much to him, smacks of her being a ballbreaking, bitter, snobbish bitch.

By all accounts that I've read, she was never a fan of the wrestling business. Your immature and simple way of looking at her feelings and decisions shows ignorance on your part. As Shooter said, choosing to marry someone you love means accepting all that they are. It doesn't make her a hypocrite. I shouldn't acknowledge your nonsense and filth, but you are so out of line, it's disgusting. Shame on you.

 

[WWEWrestleFest]

I don't blame Martha. I would love for Owen to be included in WWE video games, and obviously he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But the fact is that WWE would make a profit off of those, and she does not want WWE to make any money off her husband, and I don't blame her.

Think about it from her point of view.. Owen did not love wrestling the way Bret does, he simply got into it because it was good money and the family business for the Harts, and it turns out, he was good at it. He did it because it paid the bills and he had a family to feed, and I'm sure he took pride in his work, but he didn't LOVE the business. People are quick to criticize someone like Goldberg when he says it, but not everyone is lucky enough to do what they love and get paid for it. Owen looked at it like a job. And there's nothing wrong with that.

And he wanted out. He had planned on leaving to become a fire fighter. But before he was allowed to, he was under contract and had to finish it out. Vince wanted him to do an angle with Debra where they had an affair. Owen didn't want to do that because he didn't want his kids to think he was fooling around on their mom. Wrestlers refuse angles and storylines all the time. At least they did all the time back then. But Vince made him become the Blue Blazer to punish him. To embarrass him. This is the guy Martha should let profit from her husband's image?

And yes, he could have fought to refuse doing the stunt, but he was already in hot water with Vince, Vince was already making him be a joke of a character. If he refused to do it, Vince would have made Owen's life even more miserable. With is brother Bret and his buddies, the Anvil and the Bulldog, all gone to WCW, and Austin, the top star at time by a large margin, not a big fan of Owen because of the neck injury, Owen was already not having the time of his life on the road at this point. So yes, Owen chose to do the stunt, and no, no one held a gun to his head and forced him to do it. But in reality, Owen had a lot of pressure on him to do it.

So why would Martha want WWE and Vince to make even a single cent of profit from Owen's legacy? If you were in her shoes, you would act any different?

 

[d_henderson1810]

I don't blame Martha. I would love for Owen to be included in WWE video games, and obviously he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But the fact is that WWE would make a profit off of those, and she does not want WWE to make any money off her husband, and I don't blame her.

Think about it from her point of view.. Owen did not love wrestling the way Bret does, he simply got into it because it was good money and the family business for the Harts, and it turns out, he was good at it. He did it because it paid the bills and he had a family to feed, and I'm sure he took pride in his work, but he didn't LOVE the business. People are quick to criticize someone like Goldberg when he says it, but not everyone is lucky enough to do what they love and get paid for it. Owen looked at it like a job. And there's nothing wrong with that.

And he wanted out. He had planned on leaving to become a fire fighter. But before he was allowed to, he was under contract and had to finish it out. Vince wanted him to do an angle with Debra where they had an affair. Owen didn't want to do that because he didn't want his kids to think he was fooling around on their mom. Wrestlers refuse angles and storylines all the time. At least they did all the time back then. But Vince made him become the Blue Blazer to punish him. To embarrass him. This is the guy Martha should let profit from her husband's image?

And yes, he could have fought to refuse doing the stunt, but he was already in hot water with Vince, Vince was already making him be a joke of a character. If he refused to do it, Vince would have made Owen's life even more miserable. With is brother Bret and his buddies, the Anvil and the Bulldog, all gone to WCW, and Austin, the top star at time by a large margin, not a big fan of Owen because of the neck injury, Owen was already not having the time of his life on the road at this point. So yes, Owen chose to do the stunt, and no, no one held a gun to his head and forced him to do it. But in reality, Owen had a lot of pressure on him to do it.

So why would Martha want WWE and Vince to make even a single cent of profit from Owen's legacy? If you were in her shoes, you would act any different?

Owen wanted to be a firefighter? Funny, because I thought one of the things about the stunt was that Owen was afraid of heights, and may have panicked in the harness. Yet firefighters are required to climb ladders and stand on ledges to rescue someone. How would Owen, who is afraid of heights, ever be a fireman?

Owen could have offered an alternative to the storyline. Maybe Owen rescues Debra anyway, not because he is in love with her, but because he is a gentleman, and doesn't like how Jarrett is treating women. This would get him brownie points with the family, as the storyline would show him as chivalrous. Jarrett could take exception to Owen standing up for Debra, and Jarrett and Owen feud, which is probably where the "Owen and Debra fall in love" storyline was going anyway. Vince might accept this, as it might end up with a similar result. Sometimes, you don't refuse to do something, you offer an alternative, which still achieves the same thing, but without you compromising your principles.

For example, maybe Martha should do this. She says that she agrees to allow Owen into the HoF, DVDs etc, if the money goes towards, say, one of Owen's favourite charities. If WWE refuse this, then they look like the bad guys, as the only reason Owen won't go in, is because they are greedy. She should test WWE to see if they want Owen in the HoF etc because he deserves it, or to make money off him. It wouldn't look good for WWE's "charitable" persona to turn down the chance to give to the charity of a deceased superstar.

This way Martha comes out looking good, and either Owen is honored, but without WWE getting the money, or they refuse, and she wins the PR campaign against them, because it should show that WWE only want Owen in to make money off his name.

Also, you talk about the position that Owen found himself in WWE. Then why not ask to be released from his contract, and join WCW. Bret, Neidhart and Bulldog are there, and maybe Owen should set out to get fired, and then jump to WCW. He had options. Maybe if he flat-out refused to do the stunt at "Over The Edge", Vince would have fired him, and he then get Bret to get him into WCW, and I doubt Bischoff would say "No", since it is stealing another popular WWE talent, and he would bring his fanbase from WWE to WCW.

 

[HeenanGorilla]

Owen wanted to be a firefighter? Funny, because I thought one of the things about the stunt was that Owen was afraid of heights, and may have panicked in the harness. Yet firefighters are required to climb ladders and stand on ledges to rescue someone. How would Owen, who is afraid of heights, ever be a fireman?

Owen could have offered an alternative to the storyline. Maybe Owen rescues Debra anyway, not because he is in love with her, but because he is a gentleman, and doesn't like how Jarrett is treating women. This would get him brownie points with the family, as the storyline would show him as chivalrous. Jarrett could take exception to Owen standing up for Debra, and Jarrett and Owen feud, which is probably where the "Owen and Debra fall in love" storyline was going anyway. Vince might accept this, as it might end up with a similar result. Sometimes, you don't refuse to do something, you offer an alternative, which still achieves the same thing, but without you compromising your principles.

For example, maybe Martha should do this. She says that she agrees to allow Owen into the HoF, DVDs etc, if the money goes towards, say, one of Owen's favourite charities. If WWE refuse this, then they look like the bad guys, as the only reason Owen won't go in, is because they are greedy. She should test WWE to see if they want Owen in the HoF etc because he deserves it, or to make money off him. It wouldn't look good for WWE's "charitable" persona to turn down the chance to give to the charity of a deceased superstar.

This way Martha comes out looking good, and either Owen is honored, but without WWE getting the money, or they refuse, and she wins the PR campaign against them, because it should show that WWE only want Owen in to make money off his name.

Also, you talk about the position that Owen found himself in WWE. Then why not ask to be released from his contract, and join WCW. Bret, Neidhart and Bulldog are there, and maybe Owen should set out to get fired, and then jump to WCW. He had options. Maybe if he flat-out refused to do the stunt at "Over The Edge", Vince would have fired him, and he then get Bret to get him into WCW, and I doubt Bischoff would say "No", since it is stealing another popular WWE talent, and he would bring his fanbase from WWE to WCW.

I'm glad you left the horrible attacks out of this post; but, by reading it, I see that you have no knowledge of the situation and the events surrounding it. You continue to write many paragraphs, which show you have interest in the topic. But, your suggestions and opinions show a lack of knowledge. Granted, wrestling fans in general don't "know" what happened. However, asking why Owen didn't simply leave for WCW, etc., it shows you don't have anywhere near the number of facts that have been made public.

I don't mean this as an insult. Like I said, you seem to have interest in this topic and it would probably benefit you to learn more about it. While there is no excuse for the disgusting opinion you shared about Martha earlier, the uninformed position you are currently in would explain some of your bad ideas above. Again, not to insult you. It's just that if you were aware of the stories of that time and Owen's situation, your suggestions would--or at least should--change. Given what many people other than you seem to know, these suggestions sound bad. They also sound naïve with the simplicity of the "give it all to charity" idea. But, for your sake, as an interested person, I would suggest looking into the information that has been made available.

 

[d_henderson1810]

I'm glad you left the horrible attacks out of this post; but, by reading it, I see that you have no knowledge of the situation and the events surrounding it. You continue to write many paragraphs, which show you have interest in the topic. But, your suggestions and opinions show a lack of knowledge. Granted, wrestling fans in general don't "know" what happened. However, asking why Owen didn't simply leave for WCW, etc., it shows you don't have anywhere near the number of facts that have been made public.

I don't mean this as an insult. Like I said, you seem to have interest in this topic and it would probably benefit you to learn more about it. While there is no excuse for the disgusting opinion you shared about Martha earlier, the uninformed position you are currently in would explain some of your bad ideas above. Again, not to insult you. It's just that if you were aware of the stories of that time and Owen's situation, your suggestions would--or at least should--change. Given what many people other than you seem to know, these suggestions sound bad. They also sound naïve with the simplicity of the "give it all to charity" idea. But, for your sake, as an interested person, I would suggest looking into the information that has been made available.

It's a bit hard to find out everything when the internet wasn't readily available in 1999 (well, I didn't have it then), and most columns talking about it are written by anti-WWE smarks like Dave Meltzer and others.

Anyway, reading someone's one-sided story of it won't explain why someone who is afraid of heights aspired to be a fireman. Or the fact is Owen Hart had a choice. Unless WWE carried him, kicking and screaming into the Blue Blazer outfit, and forced him into the harness, then he chose to do the stunt. Maybe he did it in the end to be professional, or avoid being fired (like I said, if he did get fired, how would that hurt, since he could join WCW until he has made enough money to retire, and be a firefighter). Hart had options. He could have just refused to do the stunt. What would Vince have actually done if Owen said "No"? Owen also had stroke, and didn't need WWE. Not when WCW was an option. To be honest, if I were Owen, why would I do anything a company who screwed over my brother asked me to?

I might not know the answers, because I am stating an opinion. You have a different opinion, where you think a widow should deny Owen's fans the joy of seeing him inducted, watching his "best matches" DVD, or playing as him in a 2K WWE video game. It's the fans who miss out ultimately, just like Chyna fans not getting their fave honored. By hurting WWE, she is hurting those who watched her husband, paid him at the gate, which funded the lifestyle she became accustomed to, and the fans had nothing to do with Owen's death. Did the fans demand that Owen do a stunt, like they egg on Shane O' Mac or Jeff Hardy to do a stunt every match? No. Does Vince even care if Owen is in the HoF? The Owen Hart fans miss out a lot more than Vince by not putting out a DVD.

 

[ServantofTwilight]

It's a bit hard to find out everything when the internet wasn't readily available in 1999 (well, I didn't have it then), and most columns talking about it are written by anti-WWE smarks like Dave Meltzer and others.

Anyway, reading someone's one-sided story of it won't explain why someone who is afraid of heights aspired to be a fireman. Or the fact is Owen Hart had a choice. Unless WWE carried him, kicking and screaming into the Blue Blazer outfit, and forced him into the harness, then he chose to do the stunt. Maybe he did it in the end to be professional, or avoid being fired (like I said, if he did get fired, how would that hurt, since he could join WCW until he has made enough money to retire, and be a firefighter). Hart had options. He could have just refused to do the stunt. What would Vince have actually done if Owen said "No"? Owen also had stroke, and didn't need WWE. Not when WCW was an option. To be honest, if I were Owen, why would I do anything a company who screwed over my brother asked me to?

I might not know the answers, because I am stating an opinion. You have a different opinion, where you think a widow should deny Owen's fans the joy of seeing him inducted, watching his "best matches" DVD, or playing as him in a 2K WWE video game. It's the fans who miss out ultimately, just like Chyna fans not getting their fave honored. By hurting WWE, she is hurting those who watched her husband, paid him at the gate, which funded the lifestyle she became accustomed to, and the fans had nothing to do with Owen's death. Did the fans demand that Owen do a stunt, like they egg on Shane O' Mac or Jeff Hardy to do a stunt every match? No. Does Vince even care if Owen is in the HoF? The Owen Hart fans miss out a lot more than Vince by not putting out a DVD.

I don't have any real opinions on this topic and if Owen's wife does not want him in the HoF then I respect her wishes but wasn't there an Owen Hart DVD called OWEN HART: HART OF GOLD, released in 2015?

 

[d_henderson1810]

Who says that Owen's widow gets the final say if he goes into the Hall-Of-Fame anyway? If she refuses, why not then get the Hart family's permission instead.

I ask because, when "Macho Man" Randy Savage was inducted into the HoF, Lanny Poffo, his brother, got the final decision, not Randy's widow. How come she wasn't approached to give permission for her husband to be inducted into the HoF, yet Owen's widow gets the final say so?

Who decides who gets final say if a deceased wrestler is inducted into the HoF? Is it the person who runs the estate, is it the widow, the family? Why is it Randy's brother got the say so, but Owen's brother's don't? How come Owen's widow got the final say-so, but Randy's widow didn't?

 

[Makaveli31]

Who decides who gets final say if a deceased wrestler is inducted into the HoF? Is it the person who runs the estate, is it the widow, the family? Why is it Randy's brother got the say so, but Owen's brother's don't? How come Owen's widow got the final say-so, but Randy's widow didn't?
sendpm.gif

It's usually the person who runs the estate. A person will designate who will handle the public affairs in his or her will. No surprise it was Lanny in Randy's will. I believe Randy's mom was initially against the HOF induction. Obviously Martha is in charge of Owen's estate and public affairs. She gets the final say on where his likeness ends up.

 

[d_henderson1810]

It's usually the person who runs the estate. A person will designate who will handle the public affairs in his or her will. No surprise it was Lanny in Randy's will. I believe Randy's mom was initially against the HOF induction. Obviously Martha is in charge of Owen's estate and public affairs. She gets the final say on where his likeness ends up.

I'm surprised that Randy Savage's widow wasn't put in charge of the estate. I have been through a similar thing, where my brother died and didn't have a will,, and my parents run his estate, since he never married or had children, because, in my countryat least, the wife, partner, de facto, or even girlfriend gets the first rights to the estate, and it then moves to any surviving next of kin, first any surviving parent or stepparent, and then siblings.

Maybe in the U.S. it is different, because I thought the widow would be in charge of the estate, not the brother. Also, apparently, Savage and his wife were only married the year before, so maybe he hadn't updated his will to accomodate her.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

I'm surprised that Randy Savage's widow wasn't put in charge of the estate. I have been through a similar thing, where my brother died and didn't have a will,, and my parents run his estate, since he never married or had children, because, in my countryat least, the wife, partner, de facto, or even girlfriend gets the first rights to the estate, and it then moves to any surviving next of kin, first any surviving parent or stepparent, and then siblings.

Maybe in the U.S. it is different, because I thought the widow would be in charge of the estate, not the brother. Also, apparently, Savage and his wife were only married the year before, so maybe he hadn't updated his will to accomodate her.

It would have been his wife unless he specifically identified someone else - as he did.

Makes sense too. Typically later in life marriages like Savage's last one are done as much for companionship as anything. Two people who don't want to be alone in their later years. There's obviously love of course, but the spouse in this case typically isn't the first choice to control the estate. Especially one like Savage's.

He was incredibly close with his brother, and they looked out for each other their entire lives. It only makes sense that he would have put his brother in charge of that. If he hadn't named anyone though... then yes, it would have been the spouse of 1 year.

 

[WWEWrestleFest]

It would have been his wife unless he specifically identified someone else - as he did.

Makes sense too. Typically later in life marriages like Savage's last one are done as much for companionship as anything. Two people who don't want to be alone in their later years. There's obviously love of course, but the spouse in this case typically isn't the first choice to control the estate. Especially one like Savage's.

He was incredibly close with his brother, and they looked out for each other their entire lives. It only makes sense that he would have put his brother in charge of that. If he hadn't named anyone though... then yes, it would have been the spouse of 1 year.

From what I understand, he didn't just know her at the end of his life. It was someone he dated before he knew Miss Elizabeth, and he reconnected with her later in life. So while we think of him and Elizabeth together, he actually saw this woman as "the one that got away" and now he got a second chance with her.

 

[sikkbones]

From what I understand, he didn't just know her at the end of his life. It was someone he dated before he knew Miss Elizabeth, and he reconnected with her later in life. So while we think of him and Elizabeth together, he actually saw this woman as "the one that got away" and now he got a second chance with her.

Except its doubtful that he had a small estate... Pretty sur he was worth some money when he died.

That sponsorship deal with slim Jim and wcw salary alone probably made him a millionaire multiple times.

He probably set his will in motion years before and named Lanny, because he could trust him.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

From what I understand, he didn't just know her at the end of his life. It was someone he dated before he knew Miss Elizabeth, and he reconnected with her later in life. So while we think of him and Elizabeth together, he actually saw this woman as "the one that got away" and now he got a second chance with her.

Yeah, that's how I understood it too.

Doesn't mean he's going to turn over a multi-million dollar estate from his family that he cared about more than anything, for her.

I'm sure he took care of her very well. If she hadn't 'gotten away' early in life, and had been by his side the entire time, then I'm sure she would have been the one in charge of everything.

But let's face it. Was there another person alive who could have articulated Randy's actual wishes better than Lanny? I don't think so.

 

[thebarber]

If Bret stays in WWE, Montreal doesnt happen the way it did. Bret goes over in Canada, drops the belt at Rumble to HBK, Hart peters off into a feud with Shamrock, puts over Rocky Maivia. Retired form active wrestling in 2000 as he has stated in his book, Owen doesnt don the stupid Blue Blazer gimmick, instead gets an extended push as the final Hart, and his politicking backstage probably gets Owen a few more IC Title runs. Angle baits Hart into coming out of retirement for a classic match in 2002 at Wrestlemania 18 in Canada. Hart leads a stable the of Canadian guys like Edge, Christian, Jericho until DX come back across Harts path and feud into 2003-2004 where Hart hangs them up for good after going over Michaels at Mania 20 in the garden

 

[LBGetBack]

It really was a bummer how it all worked out. WCW never quite used Bret right, and Bret wasn't happy there. However, I don't think Bret wouldve really shined in the WWF Attitude era of 98-00 where things were really over the top and the wrestling largely sucked.

However, I would've LOVED to see a healthy Bret back in the WWF/E in the early 2000s. Maybe one more match/feud with Michaels sometime after he returned. Bret and a prime, heel Jericho would've been phenomenal. Bret and Angle would've been a dream match and feud.

I would've loved to see Bret and Lesnar. I think they could've put on an all time classic. Bret was the ultimate storyteller.....imagine what he could've done as the older underdog vs. Brock?

Bret and Benoit put on a classic in WCW, we know they could've done great stuff together in WWE. Bret and Edge circa 2004/2005? Bret and legend killer Orton around 2004? Bret and prime HHH? He could've done so much great stuff in like 2001-2005. He would've been ages 44-48.....older, but still doable provided he was healthy. Jericho is 47 now and still doing it. Michaels was 44 and 45 when he put on those Wrestlemania classics with Taker. Bret was athletic as hell, but that wasn't why he was great. He likely would've been putting on amazing matches in those years if the concussions and stroke never happened.

 

[Just Do It]

Definitely food for thought. The main thing is that Bret seems happy with his life today. His health is good, his memory is sharp and he can sit down on any given afternoon and reflect on a wonderful life. So good for him. Also, having so much money i nthe bank must be nice

 

[LODemolition]

The main thing is that Bret seems happy with his life today.

Lol that's sarcasm, right? Because in nearly every interview of his I've read in recent years, he sounds like the most bitter person on the face of the planet. He rarely has a kind word to say about anybody or anything in the business. He just can't seem to let the screwjob go and it sounds like it has destroyed him for the past 20 years. He goes out of his way to say negative things about people where it's just not necessary, like Seth Rollins for example when he injured Sting a couple years ago (at Night of Champions, I believe). Bret didn't have to shit all over Seth about that. Accidents happen and I'm sure he felt bad enough already without Bret piling on. It's sad and I've lost a lot of respect for him due to his constant negativity.

 

[GhettoV1]

I agree with the following: See there's one aspect people aren't grasping with all this - some have touched close, but the reality is that Vince really was in last chance saloon financially when he asked Bret to go to WCW. He'd tried everything he knew in his comfort zone to turn the company around and it hadn't work, leaving the raunchy, Attitude direction as in reality, a last throw of the dice. Vince abandoned it and went back to his comfort zone first chance he got... marketing to kids.

As for Bret and the 20 year deal, I think even then Vince knew the writing was on the wall and the deal would never actually be honored in full. Either the company was gonna go under or Bret would eventually throw his toys from the pram and they'd negotiate a settlement.

What Vince did was offer Bret a win/win (in his mind) get pretty much the same money as the 20 year deal in a shorter space of time with WCW and it got the increasingly whiny (Wrestling With Shadows watched today shows Bret in a pretty negative light) and intransigent star who would have eventually caused a Montreal situation regardless.

Had he stayed, I don't think WWE would have been going "under as such" but I think Bret would have inadvertently damaged their success. WWE was able to create at least new main event star EVERY Year for the next decade except for 03 when Goldberg took that slot. Look at the list below... had Bret stayed for any period of that 20 year contract, one or more of those pushes couldn't have happened. He was already protecting his "spot" despite his claims that he'd drop to "anyone but Shawn" in 97... had the issue not been with him it might have been with the greener Rock, or not wanting to lose to Chris Jericho or Triple H who he didn't respect... or he'd have forced them to give Owen that title run at some point.

98 - Austin & Rock
99 - Foley & Trips
00 - Kurt Angle & Big Show
01 - Chris Jericho
02 - Brock Lesnar
04 - Eddie G, Orton, Benoit & JBL
05 - Cena & Batista
06 - Edge, RVD, Rey

There's also the possibility that signings would have been different and people jumping ship would not have done so. Someone like Jericho might have been excited by being able to face Bret in WWE... but they equally might have been wary that they'd be second string and not get the chances if he lived up to his increasing rep.

Remember word would filter through to WCW about how Bret was via the Kliq... they would only have "one side" of the story perhaps, but much of Bret's actions caught on camera on Wrestling With Shadows would have unnerved some talents on the way in. "Is he gonna power play us like The NWO do..." would have been a factor in some guys not going to WCW or leaving.

Would Owen be alive? Who knows - Personally, I think had Bret stayed then Owen would have been a one time WWF champion by May 99 and retired, living as the firefighter he planned to be... perhaps Final Destination style luck sees him killed fighting a fire instead?

SO realistically... it goes like this if Montreal doesn't happen and Bret is staying.

Bret doesn't drop to Shawn at Survivor Series... he chooses to drop to Taker. Shawn gets pissed and leaves for WCW... dying less than a year later in a drug related incident or car accident.

Bret gets the belt back at the Rumble to drop to Austin at 14 - but makes sure there is an "out" for himself via Taker interference, rather than letting Austin get the straight revenge and win for the prior year. That devalues Austin as there was no Mike Tyson/McMahon feud to kick off his run.

The Rock gets held down in the IC division at least another year, and Bret refuses to help elevate him as he feels he hasn't "paid his dues yet". This annoys Vince and the Ano'i/Samoan faction and starts to cause issues between them and the Harts. The Samoans feel Bret owes for Yoko doing him the favor back as Yoko could have legit refused to do so.

Davey Boy is made to put Rock over instead and buried in the match, souring relations further. We see a Hart Family v Samoan feud with Haku coming back to the WWE and legit making clear to Bret that no more of his games will be tolerated.

Bret finally refuses to job to Rocky one last time and it causes a severe altercation backstage with Haku, Afa and other members of the Anoi' family. Rocky stays out of it wisely but it's the final straw for Vince who makes plans for life without Bret.

Screwjob situation occurs at Wrestlemania 15 when Rocky is handed a shock and "screwjob" title win. Bret is without a WCW contract and has to accept reduced terms, but the bad blood with the Samoan/Tongans is even there in WCW with guys like The Barbarian there.

Owen retires rather than face repercussions (although the Samoans never have an issue with him or Davey, only Bret, Bruce and Neidhart who all stick close to Bret) and the Hart family "splinters" in real life. with Davey staying in the WWF and being pushed - with Rocky dropping the title to him as a receipt for putting him over strong at one of their UK Events... Davey gets to lift the title in the UK and top off his career... he never goes to WCW and gets the back injury... away from Neidhart's influence he cleans himself up and becomes a solid WWE main eventer for the later years of his life, helping the burgeoning UK PPV/RAW events and their TV deal with Channel 4 and later ITV although as with real life - a lot of the damage was done already.

The controversy helps make the WWF must see again and with Rock and Austin's "Battle Of THe Badasses" it goes over the top... it takes another year to win the war but it's still won... Foley doesn't get the title but Davey does.

Bret makes it to Mania 15 tops... made REAL enemies that severely limit his options in the business and Shawn is dead...with Davey perhaps still being here, although badly aging. Butterfly Effect perhaps... but VERY likely had he not gone when he did.

If his options were very limited Hart could've went to ECW for a year or two to refresh his image and then try to return to WWE.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

In October of 1996 Bret Hart signed a 20 year contract with the WWE, obviously we all know what happened...Vince pulled out of the deal, screwed Bret, he left for WCW for huge money, Owen died, he was concussed and forced to retire, suffered a stroke, and eventually reconciled with vince about 15 years later. BUT!

What if none of that had played out that way?

October 1996, Bret signs the contract, and everything works out just fine. His contract would've just expired a few months ago. Where do you think Bret would be in his career at this point, how long do you think he would've continued wrestling for? What do you think his role would've been with WWE in his later years? Trainer, agent, manager, producer, Vince's right hand man? Would he have wrestled past his prime like Flair and Hogan?

It's a fun thing to speculate on.

I'd like to think he would've had a good run through the Attitude Era, similar to Undertaker but still would've had a back seat to Austin and Rock. Probably would've retired from active competition around 2003-5, eventually becoming an agent. I think he would've struggled with no longer wrestling, but without the health problems would've been a contributor for sure. Eventually ending up in a role similar to Pat Paterson's now, where he helps to book big matches, acts as an ambassador for the company, etc. Maybe would've become a GM at some point.

A super interesting What If question. There's no question that Brett Hart had a Major ego and strong opinions on what direction wrestling was going in all the time. His contract continues and what happens next.....

The Attitude Era. Could Brett's brain even survive this era at all? You would think he'd be on the constant bitch fest about all the blood, sexual content and non stop hardcore matches going on.

I would think he wouldn't want his character tampered in anyway either but I'd think his act would go stale during his run and something would have changed right through the different eras. Possibly a more bastardly heel version of Bret Hart or a pompous, robe wearing Bret Hart who would want to destroy rookies and keep his spot at the top. Lol.

I think we really missed out on a good opportunity to see some good feuds too with this longer WWE Hart career.
Undertaker, John Cena, HHH, Edge, The Rock, Kurt Angle, Y2J all would have been great. Imagine Brett Hart going after Takers Streak at Wrestlemania or having a last match with Hulkamania Hulk Hogan at Mania? It's too bad really.

 

[HeenanGorilla]

We could have seen an earlier version of the Straight Edge Society, had Bret been on board during the Attitude Era. Given his disgust with the content, his character could have been a hot heel who was trying to ruin the party. Lot of potential there.