Is Bret Hart worthy of Wrestlemania?

[CJ The Pirate]

To start as all Bret Hart related pieces, seemingly by law, have to start; at Survivor Series 1997 Bret Hart was screwed by Vince McMahon. Now I don't know about you but I'm already sick of seeing that footage. Hearing the words 'Bret screwed Bret' and that's without mentioning the apparent fact that Bret Hart has forgotten how to perform.

There is an old saying for people in Bret's position: 'It's just like riding a bike' which means that you can learn to ride when your 4 years old and then never again until you are 52 but you will still be able to do it. But it seems that Bret would fall over repeatedly if he were to try.

I get it, he was injured. He suffered a stroke. He was in a wheelchair. And I also get that he was never truly confident on the mic but those are excuses, not reasons and that just isn't good enough.

Bret Hart was not my favourite wrestler. In fact, I didn't get to see him in the WWF. I started watching one month after that night in Montreal, more fool me. But I was hooked on the product and as I've grown over the years, I have looked back at the times I missed. I watched the attitude era begin after it had already ended. And it was great and I saw Bret there and I liked him but I just didn't see him as the best as so many did. But I understood and realised what a major thing it was on January 4th 2010 to sit down, hear that music and see Bret Hart walk down the ramp. I understood how to feel. I expected how I'd feel and I was left amazingly underwhelmed.

I was bored. He didn't look like a superstar. He looked like a junkie. He looked old. Roddy Piper has just had to overcome cancer and he looks better than Bret. I see Steamboat, I see Rhodes, I see DiBiase, I see Flair, I see Snuka, I see Hogan... Hell, even Kevin Nash... They all look better than Bret and there is no reason for that.

It was last year when Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, Roddy Piper and Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka were in a upper midcard spot against Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 25. That's the same spot Bret Hart takes this year. That same spot will be heavily advertised as a selling point. Steamboat was worthy of being there that night. The other two weren't their old selves but they made the crowd respond to them for nostalgic reasons. Steamboat electrified us... he impressed so much he wrestled again at Backlash. He still does the occasional house show.

Can you really see Bret Hart doing that? Watch Raw's final moments. If you didn't manage to see it, watch it on WWE.com. It was sad. I assume the plan was for Bret to just be in an angry rage and want to destroy anything he could find. What actually transpired was a 50 year old man struggling to remember what he needed to do next and wondering how exactly he should do it. Without conveying any emotion at all. It was the worst end to Raw in years.

I'm not saying the Jericho Vs The Legends match was a classic bout by any stretch of the imagination. It was only well received because we expected less than we got. What are we all expecting from Bret Hart Vs Vince McMahon? If your answer is solely to see Bret slap the Sharpshooter on Vince... you might be unfulfilled even in that. Bret went for it two weeks ago and although he wasn't scripted to lock it in, he hesitated for far too long and, again, it looked like he'd forgot how to ply his trade. Nostalgia itself isn't enough for Bret Hart. He was more popular and successful than Steamboat ever was which was why he was given the chance to ride that wave. Bret has to shine and he can't do that.

Billing this match as The Best There Is, Was and Ever will be Bret Hart Vs Vince McMahon will be the ultimate false advertisement. In my eyes, Vince McMahon is better than Bret Hart. And as the fairy tale is to unfold, there is a 100% likelyhood that Bret is going to win. How they'll make that happen convincingly will be the biggest surprise... in fact, no, scratch that... IF they make that happen, THAT would be the biggest surprise.

The storyline is good and for all the right reasons, Wrestlemania is the stage for the end to this chapter. But Bret just isn't worthy of it. They should have waited in my eyes, made sure Bret got himself in shape and took this feud to Survivor Series instead. Make it end where it started.

 

[jellmoo]

Seriously? I'm sorry, but this is, while well written, one of the most idiotic statements I have read on these forums.

Bret Hart doesn't look like a million bucks. He looks like a man in his fifties that has had to deal with a lot of personal tragedy, a career ending concussion, and a massive stroke. The man doesn't look amazing, but he certainly looks no worse than Piper, Superfly, or DiBiase (and I am a *massive DiBiase mark saying this).

A few points:

- Bret didn't "forget" how to put on the Sharpshooter. Batista was a little late in hitting the ring. They are going to put off Vinni Mac being put into the move until Mania.

- McMahon is better than Bret in what way? As a wrestler? As a promoter? As a jacked up genetic freak?

- I agree that the finish with Bret trashing things was silly. But was that on Bret? Or is that on the people writing such an ending to a show?

Bret has been away from the WWF since 1997. You admit to not having watched the show at the time. You are not the target audience here. Nor is a good chunk of the audience. This is a sendoff to one of the best the business has ever seen. I was there at Survivor Series in 97. This match is for those of us that want to see Bret again. That want to see one of the best go one on one with the villain. No it won't be a masterpiece of a match. It doesn't have to be. But to say that it doesn't belong at Mania is beyond idiotic. One of the biggest feuds in the history of the business belongs nowhere else other than Mania.

It is exactly what it needs to be, it isn't promoting itself as the greatest technical match of all time because they know full well it won't be. It will be a ride of nostalgia for a lot of older WWE fans. And quite frankly if you are too young to understand it, or just weren't watching wrestling back in the day, just shut up and deal with it. It's one match at one event. Just because you don't understand, doesn't make it not good.

 

[kc2788x]

than you need to go back and watch all of his amazing matches, he put on one heck of a show, he doesn't injure his opponents, and works hard to put on matches of a life time, heck he made Austin who Austin is today! Austin wouldn't be anywhere near where Austin is if it wasn't for bret! He put on a great feud with, Bob Backlund, and the British Bulldog in England, he put a heck of a match with Owen in the cage match and at WM, Not only that his feud with Lawler was also awesome! The main difference with Bret is that he doesn't play politics, like hhh, shawn, hogan, ric flair! Lets take hhh for instance, married and bang the bosses daughter while she was dating test, POLITICS
how about shawn, insisted he never knew about the montreal screw job, but he did, and he's friend with hhh POLITICS, Hogan, didn't want to pass the torch to bret or ricky steamboat back then (In bret's book, which I have and read constantly) POLITICS than there's ric flair, still talking crap on bret saying he never sells stadiums, he doesn't draw! are you kidding me, Flair is still bitter about having to drop the title to hitman, who earn his first title reign, now it's just like hey, hhh marries Steph, give him the belt cause he says so, or give the title to SHAME-US cause he's friends with hhh, not to mention hhh's obsession over winning ric flairs world title reign, DX didn't need the tag team straps from jericho and show, they made a mockery out of it, they only want it because of saying that they got it to their creditability! Bret hart is the best there is, was and always, will be, he's the only reason I watch raw!! I am a smackdown fan!

 

[Palange420]

CJ, could u tell me who the hell u r to judge? U have absolutely no idea what it takes to be a wrestler let alone any kind of sports star or entertainment. Obviously u know that bret had a serious stroke so how could u be so hard on someone? U either dont realize how serious a stroke is, or u dont respect the fact that most people r vegetables afterwards, let alone being able to walk. We all knew coming in that Bret wasnt going to be his old self, and if u had any hopes that he would be the same old bret u r a complete moron. This man deserves one more go round in the spotlight, he is worthy of wrestlemania, whether hes wrestling or just sitting in the crowd, that man deserves the respect of every superstar that came after him and the respect of snotty little punk know it all smarks like u. Give the man some credit, for christ sakes alot of people even consider him the "babe ruth" of wrestling, (i wont necessarily go that far). All im really trying to say is u have no credibility or the right to determine who is worthy of wrestlemania, Raw, or even ECW. Just because bret wont put on a "shelton benjamin" performance doesnt mean that he shouldnt be there. Millions of people have been dying to see this man in the squared circle for over 10 years, as a life long wrestling fan i am very satisfied to this point with what bret has done (because i didnt expect perfection) and it brings back a piece of my childhood to see my rolemodel as a youngster walk down that ramp. The name Bret Hart still draws whether u like it or not. And unless u know what it takes to make it in sports entertainment, u have no right to judge someone like bret hart or even someone like Festus. This man has given his life to us the fans, and even now, he is risking his life to give us one last curtain call, and i appreciate and love that man for what he has done for this industry, past and present.

 

[InterestingDrug]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with everything you just said. This is a huge disappointment. Bret Hart doesnt looks disinterested, confused at times. I wanted this to be so much more than it actually became, but it's just not working. He's not showing much emotion at all. I'm not sure if it's due to his stroke, but he has the same blank expression regardless of what's happening. He fell down pulling down a box. Sad. McMahon knows it's not working. He added Cena to the mix, because he knows Bret's promo is not going to receive the reaction it should. I hope they can fix the WM match and make it very short. I have tickets for the first time this year and I'm not sure I want to see this happen live.

I hate to say it, but this is more disappointing than Matt Hardy returning to get Edge.

 

[FutureChamp328]

I don't think that Bret will have a problem when it comes to actually wrestling at Wrestlemania. I do agree when you say that Bret has not lived up to the hype he was given leading up the the 1/4 RAW when he came out looking like someones grandpa when I think a lot of us were expecting the classic Hitman to come down the ramp. We all lost sight in all the hype that Bret was back that despite our expectations he is still a 53 year old stroke survivor. Whatever level he was at before it will take him quite awhile to get back there if he ever does. As far as Wrestlemania goes Bret the wrestler at this point does not merit a main event match which I'm sure he'll get because he's going to be a drawing factor which brings me to my other point that as a draw Bret is still huge no matter how far he has fallen. Not one of us would ever pass up the opportunity to see the Hitman lace em' up one last time especially at Vince's expense. As a draw he will always be huge and going into this possible Monday Night War with TNA it is necessary to have as many draws as possible without looking lame like TNA for hiring every former WWE superstar in Hogan's address book.

 

[LongHessa]

This is absolutly ridiculous. Your a complete douchbag. Is Bret worthy of WM? What a joke of a question. Bret Hart is one of the biggest superstars in the history of the WWE, he is arguably the 4th or 5th biggest draw in company history. He is known by many as the GREATEST WRESTLER EVER...You may think looks like a junkie and doesnt look like a superstar but unfortuantly for your in the minority. Bret is legend amongst fans and beloved by the wrestling community worldwide. Bret looked amazing on RAW for a guy in his position and he's showing great courage coming back to find closure and please his fans. These Bret Hart Bashing threads are getting plain stupid, obviously there are a few peeople hell bent on trying to destroy what so many people have waited for since 1997. So to answer you question...NO, certainly he isnt WM worthy....He only had some the greatest matches in WWE history at WM 8, 10, 12, and 13.....Idiot.

 

[Emmet]

What a moronic thread, seriously, one of the worst opening posts I've ever read on this forum in my time here. Bret isnt worthy of WM? Who you trying to kid? He should be on the show just for the fact that he put on so many great matches at WrestleMania's.

What do you expect a 52 year old stroke victim to look like? a million bucks? Don't be stupid. Some victims of a stroke cant even talk, walk or lift their fingers, nevermind walk and be able to address a crowd like Bret has done thus far. Give the man a fucking break. He did superbly last night in regard to previous weeks. None of them names you mentioned has went through what Bret has had to go through since the turn of this century. His concussions from Goldberg, the fallout from Owen's death, his family turning against him and putting alot of blame on him with regard to the lawsuit Owen wife filed against the WWF, his parents dying, Davey Boy dying, then his stroke to top it all off. Do you expect him to comeback and start doing shooting star presses?

Bret is doing all his true fans proud at the minute, hes the only reason I will be buying WM this year, because I couldn't care less for the rest of the card.

 

[hellod245]

It happens with every person. When he gets old he should not try to do thing he cud'nt do. I agree witj you on Bret not being able to fight anymore. and this was clear even before the came back to wwe. If Jimmy snuka and piper could fight at Wrestlemania then why not Bret. Bret is a man who is known for his work more than his talking or anything. Just on the basis of his poor performance on raw you can not say that he does not deserve to have a match at Wrestlemania. Bret was the biggest thing in wwe before 1997. He had a huge fan following , similar to what Taker and HBK has today. Every match he produced at that time was worthy to called the best. He was knod of like what Kurt angle is today. If you dont think that Bret is not one of the best of all time then my friend you need to study more about wrestling business. He was a rare overall package with in ring ability, mic skills, charisma and great personality. He probly understand the business more than HHH, Cena, Orton, Hogan will ever understand. He was not afraid of putting opponents over. He refused to put shawn over because shawn refused to put Bret over in United states. He was the first wrestler i became fan of. I know he looked really miserable on raw last week specially when he fell down trying to destroy the pyro thing. It made me emotional, i almost cried on my childhood hero's condition. But i will still say he is fully deserves to kick Vince's ass at gradest stage of'm all. Nobody has the right to criticise Bret hart. He already paid his dues and is not same as he was 12 years ago.Even we should be thankful because he is giving the fans what we thought we never see.
And yes i am really disappointed with wwe's creative team. They made the biggest deal look really bad storyline wise. That was the only biggest dream for the wrestling fans that they wanted to see before anything else but look what wwe creative did.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I get it, he was injured. He suffered a stroke. He was in a wheelchair. And I also get that he was never truly confident on the mic but those are excuses, not reasons and that just isn't good enough.

I'm not trying to make excuses for Bret Hart but the way you can so casually just brush off something like a stroke and being confined to a wheelchair seems to indicate that you reall have no clue exactly how much of a toll that can take on the body. Bret Hart is someone that spent roughly 25 years wrestling and accumulated a lot of wear and tear on the road, as a lot of wrestler tend to do. He's made a remarkable recovery overall, but he still has lasting effects such as limited mobility and that's going to naturally restrict him when it comes to exercise.

He didn't look like a superstar. He looked like a junkie. He looked old. Roddy Piper has just had to overcome cancer and he looks better than Bret. I see Steamboat, I see Rhodes, I see DiBiase, I see Flair, I see Snuka, I see Hogan... Hell, even Kevin Nash... They all look better than Bret and there is no reason for that.

Rhodes is still the big chubby guy he always was, Flair looks like a piece of beef jerky that someone's sat on for 6 months and Snuka looks like a week old corpse. I don't know exactly why Bret Hart's looks are all that important given what his role is going to be at WM. It's the WWE, not America's Next Top Model and he's going to be in a match against Vince McMahon, not Kurt Angle.

It was last year when Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, Roddy Piper and Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka were in a upper midcard spot against Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 25. That's the same spot Bret Hart takes this year. That same spot will be heavily advertised as a selling point. Steamboat was worthy of being there that night. The other two weren't their old selves but they made the crowd respond to them for nostalgic reasons. Steamboat electrified us... he impressed so much he wrestled again at Backlash. He still does the occasional house show.

You're overemphasizing the role those three played in WrestleMania last year. Yes, we were all pleasantly surprised to see Steamboat do as well as he did. Steamboat is one of those few that, like Jericho has been thus far, that's managed to scrap through his career and life in general without suffering really severe injuries. Do you honestly think the crowd isn't going to respond to Bret Hart at WM? He's gotten some pretty big pops at all of his appearances on Raw over the past month or so. Fans are happy to see him and never expected him to show up looking the way he did 12 years ago.

Can you really see Bret Hart doing that?

[/B]

Bret Hart isn't coming back to the WWE to mount some sort of comeback. He's not like Hogan and Nash and Flair and some others that simply can't leave it all behind. Bret Hart knows that his best days are behind him and we're not going to see him wrestling John Cena or Triple H anytime. After his feud with Vince, if he signs a longer term deal with the WWE, he's not gonna try being a wrestler again. He's in a match with Vince McMahon. Nobody is expecting this to be some sort of classic confrontational match. It's an excuse to see Vince get beaten up and people have always eaten that up.

 

[Fansince84]

Ok you're very wrong about Bret and Wrestlemania, first off to have Bret back on wwe programming period is the greatest thing to happen to wwe in a long time and has caused many including myself to tune into raw again for the first time in ages.
Second even in his prime Bret was never great on the mic he was good but not great. So to expect him after 10yrs to come back and knock you off your seat with promos and in ring action is just ridiculous
Third you minimize his stroke as if he should be back to what he used to be. You should do some research on strokes bud, for him to even be walking without a cane and to have the type of balance he has in the short period of time since his stroke is a miracle in itself.


STOP COMPLAINING OR GO WATCH TNA

 

[JenksIX]

No way is Bret worthy! He's over 43 yrs old, he hobbles around because of knee and back problems, he has a receding hair line and not to mention what a joke would it be to hear a wrestle's theme song that was played in Wrestlemania 8, being played in WM 26.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

My uncle had a stroke. He never regained the ability to speak and was never able to use the right side of his body properly again. Heres a little info from wikipedia on strokes: "Some of the physical disabilities that can result from stroke include paralysis, numbness, pressure sores, pneumonia, incontinence, apraxia (inability to perform learned movements), difficulties carrying out daily activities, appetite loss, speech loss, vision loss, and pain". Bret was paralyzed on one side of his body for a time, and while he's recovered he hasn't regained all of his mobility, and probably never will.

You really don't have a clue what you are talking about, to argue that Bret's medical issues are an 'excuse' for him to not be in ring shape. Prior to the stroke, Bret suffered a major concussion (which likely triggered the later events) at the hands of Bill Goldberg, something which could have happened to any wrestler in his position in that match. Up until that point, Bret had been pretty successful at not injuring anyone else or himself. Bret than hit his head riding his bicycle, triggering the stroke. 'Little' concussions happen far too often in pro wrestling, and fans seem to forget just how dangerous they are. Bret's concussion would have ended the career of just about any athlete in any sport. Given what he's been through, the fact that he's able to walk to the ring and cut a promo impresses the hell out of me.

You can't compare Piper or Steamboat or anyone to Bret. You can't compare cancer to the neurological damage caused by a stroke, because it's just not the same thing. And for the record, Bret has kept himself in a lot better physical condition than most of the retired veterans that the WWE has brought out over the years.

As for whether he 'deserves' the spot at Wrestlemania, of course he does. Far more than Donald Trump or Lawrence Taylor or Mr. T or Floyd Mayweather. And just as much as Ricky Steamboat or Roddy Piper or whoever you can name. The guy broke his body in the ring entertaining fans like you, so show a little respect.

 

[johnnyblaze3:16]

i dont know where to start first things first, bret a draw? are u kidding? he doesnt evan need to be with all the other classics on the card. nobody excpected him to ever come back. he got burned by vince for a contract and the belt so he does deserve to fight vince( i personally have wanted to see this fight since 97) its not like there match is the main event we also got possibly edge vs jericho taker vs hbk the wwe title match hhh vs hhhjr(shamus) as well as mitb so if thats not enough to order wrestlemania then you should go watch tna or somthing else. if you admit that you never watched bret then why evan coment? a stroke is not a joke, he's lucky to evan walk and personally i think he's making it a work, so everyone thinks he's week he shows up in greatshape and whoops vinnie and batista (when he runs in). do you think stu hart the dungeon master is gonna let his star puil/son go out there and get worked? ok sure pal

 

[bigevil83]

How can you honestly think that bret hart doesn't deserve to be at wrestlemania? If it weren't for bret hart and people like him there wouldn't be a wrestlemania! I just dont understand how you never seeing bret compete in the wwe can make this assumption. Sure you would be underwhelmed seeing him come down the ramp. You missed almost his entire career. Just watching old dvds and clips of him wont do his career justice. And to downplay the fact that the man had a stroke is idiotic. Seriously do you expect a fifty something year old stroke victim to look like fucking batista? Come on

 

[Kliq]

Not only is Bret Hart "worthy" of a match at Wrestlemania 26, he is the only other reason besides Shawn Michaels - Undertaker to watch the PPV. What else are we going to get? Another MitB? After seeing three of these the rest have fallen short. You can no longer top yourself, and the match always falls belows the expectations we set for it. Cena - Batista? Ha. Sheamus - HHH? They should just hand Trips the title, that would be much more interesting. Any other midcard match? Blah, just watch Smackdown. Bret Hart in a match is more interesting than any of that. As far as I'm concerned, WM 26 is all about HBK - Taker and Bret Hart, and I'm prepared to pay up the ass for that and be satisfied.

 

[Fansince84]

No way is Bret worthy! He's over 43 yrs old, he hobbles around because of knee and back problems, he has a receding hair line and not to mention what a joke would it be to hear a wrestle's theme song that was played in Wrestlemania 8, being played in WM 26.

1.) Bret Hart is 52 not 43


2.) He hasn't been in a ring for over 10yrs and yes probably has many nagging injuries over the years not to mention his stroke yet he still has decent mobility.


3. You forgot to mention Shawn Michaels who opened up wrestlemania 8 with the heartbreak kid theme but you wouldn't know that since your probably 15 and had to youtube Bret. Shawn is one of wwe's top stars right now he was at wrestlemania 8 and is over 43 yrs old.


FIND A BETTER WAY TO BASH OR GO WATCH TNA

 

[AMH]

I don't know, perhaps I'm wrong, but what this seems to come down to is the fact of age. And by referring to age, I mean those who were there to see Bret in his glory days, and those that weren't. Those who "looked back" and saw footage. Well, I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that Bret Hart was by far and away one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Now, I know you've probably heard this thousands of times, but it's true. And I know this because I was there. I was the age that a lot of Cena fans are today. And he was what he says. He's the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Now it OFFENDS me greatly when someone posts a thread questioning Bret Hart when you weren't EVEN there so see him. Because if you had, you would have NEVER posted a thread like this. A thread disrespecting a man who has done so much for this business. Who has sacrificed his body literally, to entertain his fans. I'm sorry, I don't mean to rant, but it PISSES me off when these idiotic threads are put out questioning one of the greatest of all time. For the past month now, I have been on cloud nine, seeing something that I always wanted to see, but thought I never could. And that's Bret Hart back in a WWE ring.

This has been a great storyline thus far, especially after last night. And it's only going to get better from here on in. He looked GOOD last night. I'm sick of reading some posts claiming he looks out of shape, or as what was stated earlier "a junkie." He may not be his old Hitman self, but I think he's getting there. And last night proved just that. These threads are getting repetitive. He's back, it's the biggest storyline in all of wrestling, so just deal with it. Enjoy it. Stop nit-picking and take in the history of this situation. Because honestly, instead of slamming The Hitman, you should feel honored to be watching him one last time.

 

[Nav316]

Bret was brought back to counter TNA bringing in Hogan. TNA tried to steal some of WWEs fans by targetting the demographic that Hogans presence would draw, and WWE is simply stealing those fans back.

anyone who didnt watch wwf back in the day shouldnt have any input on how brets return is going because they are simply missing the entire point of it all. its an AMAZING treat for us 90s fans and wwe KNOWS no matter how shitty he might look, he will draw bigger than Hogan, so it eliminates any threat TNA might have posed.

Amazing business move by WWE. All you little kid punk bitch cena fans can suck it. Bret rules.

 

[TheGame2029]

No way is Bret worthy! He's over 43 yrs old, he hobbles around because of knee and back problems, he has a receding hair line and not to mention what a joke would it be to hear a wrestle's theme song that was played in Wrestlemania 8, being played in WM 26.

To say Bret is not worthy to be in Wrestlemania is a joke. Enough said.

So, in your world, being over 43 with a receding hairline, back and knee problems, and an old theme song disqualifies you from being on Wrestlemania? Then that also disqualifies HBK and Taker. And I'll bet you're foaming at the mouth to see HBK/Taker II at WM26.

I don't usually get aggressive here, but before you open your mouth and make yourself look stupid, do your research. If you're not a Hitman fan, or if you're too young to even remember him, that's fine. But do the rest of us a favor and keep your ignorance to yourself and let us enjoy this moment.

 

[CJ The Pirate]

First of all, Thank you to Jellmoo for at least having the decency to compliment my writing style and, above all else, not completely berating me for having an opinion.

As for the rest of you... that's all this is. My opinion.

I wasn't there at Survivor Series. I threw that towel into the ring myself. So I know I'm not going to get Bret Hart just by watching DVD's... I understand that completely and also understand that because I never saw him in the early and mid nineties I'm not gonna feel the electricity this storyline has as the rest of you seem to.

But here is the big thing. In no way am I bashing Bret Hart. Not what he was. Not what he is. The man is courageous and when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame, I'll be clapping along with all his 'True' fans because he has my respect.

A question was asked of what I wrote: "McMahon is better than Bret in what way? As a wrestler? As a promoter? As a jacked up genetic freak?" - I mean this in the most basic sense. Right now, if this were real and Vince and Bret came to blows. Vince would win. Vince would stand tall. Vince would be the better man.

I'm not being a dick for the sake of it. The man had a stroke. No, I do not need to learn about strokes thank you, they have had impact on my life, I know enough about them to know I never want to experience one.
Palange420, This one is for you. I know enough about making it in the sports entertainment business to know that you should only do it if you can. And from what I can tell, Bret Hart cannot.

I play Tennis, Water Polo and Soccer. If I am unlucky enough to suffer a stroke, even if by some miracle I manage to rehab myself to the level Bret Hart has admirably fought to achieve. I would still not be able to play at the same level. I play Tennis regionally. That would have to be given up. It just wouldn't work. Not tomorrow. Not 5 years later. And yes, it would devastate me but that is the hand I'd have been dealt. And then I'd move on.

Sure, it's great to get closure and see your childhood hero again, and please, ensure you read this without a sarcastic tone as I mean it sincerely. I'm a Austin and Rock boy. It's my era. I'm frothing at the mouth at the prospect of The Rock doing a programme in the summer. Stone Cold is gonna be hosting Raw. I can't wait for it and I'm sure that you guys were thinking the same thing when the Bret Hart Raw was announced. But The Rock can still work a microphone. I'm sure he'll be able to drop a Rock Bottom, The People's Elbow and raise that Eyebrow. Stone Cold can still drink a Steveweiser. Hit a Stunner on Vince no doubt and you're a fool if you think he can't raise hell. But neither one is in the condition to have a match and they have both said, The Rock as early as this week, They don't intend to either.

My feeling as of this moment is that if The Rock or Austin came back when they are 51 or so and wanted a match at Wrestlemania and all we got was a shadow of their former selves, a man who moves slow, throws weak punches, doesn't sell in the ring or on the mic. The nostalgia wouldn't be enough for me. I'd want the whole shebang. I'd be majorly disappointed. I'd stick on the Rock's DVD's and get my nostalgia that way.

FutureChamp328, you're line is perfect. 'We all lost sight in the hype that Bret was back that, despite our expectations, he is still a 53 year old...' and a 53 year old who hasn't wrestled since 2000.

LongHessa, you chose to call me a douchbag over this opinion, but you move on to suggest that Bret is simply worthy of an appearance at Wrestlemania 26 (Note the number. Not 8, 10, 12 or 13) because of his legacy in the business? History doesn't count for 'right now'. What about Kingston, Masters, Carlito, Morrison, Benjamin, Christian, Gallows, DiBiase, Rhodes and McIntyre and all the other guys who either won't be on the bill at Wrestlemania 26 or be billed underneath Bret Hart. Talented, young, exciting, current superstars who work every day of their lives for a shot. Yet you don't care about that, you just want to see a retired, unprepared bright light from another decade Vs a 65 year old, non wrestler who just happens to own the company. You'd pay money for that but not Money in the Bank? Not for Cena Vs Batista? You go ahead and do that. The word douchbag is tossed around far to easily. And so is Moron, Emmet!

That brings me to Jack-Hammer, who has actually given me food for thought with one of the most intelligent posts I've seen in a while. Not littered with insults. You debated me and this was my favourite part:

"Bret Hart isn't coming back to the WWE to mount some sort of comeback. He's not like Hogan and Nash and Flair and some others that simply can't leave it all behind. Bret Hart knows that his best days are behind him and we're not going to see him wrestling John Cena or Triple H anytime. After his feud with Vince, if he signs a longer term deal with the WWE, he's not gonna try being a wrestler again. He's in a match with Vince McMahon. Nobody is expecting this to be some sort of classic confrontational match. It's an excuse to see Vince get beaten up and people have always eaten that up."

You're right. And I had been blind to that. I completely understand how important it is that this story play out and be resolved however I have to say it still doesn't have to be at Wrestlemania.

This time of year is my favourite in the WWE. I love the Royal Rumble and then the Road... starts. It's exciting. It's interesting and I always look forward to Wrestlemania. Call it clichéd or boring, but Wrestlemania is my favourite PPV. You get more out of it than you do any other show. It's special. It is sometimes called the Superbowl of the WWE. Now, me not being American, I may be confused... but doesn't the Superbowl consist of the two teams that have earnt that right that season? Bret hasn't earnt anything this season. Only in his past. The list of young superstars I made earlier in this post is who I want to see at Wrestlemania but Bret Hart is taking their place. A gimmick above the future. Because that's all Bret is right now. A gimmick. A sideshow. An additional attraction. A marketing ploy. And it is working.

People are going to flock to Wrestlemania to see their hero. I expect people who haven't watch Wrestling since he retired or maybe before might be interested to see what is going down. They will be disappointed. This PPV will cost me around £15. I don't want to be disappointed for that money.

So this storyline, as I said in my first post, could happen at another time. Summerslam, Survivor Series. Again to go back to using The Rock or Austin when they are 51 years old and giving us their lap of honor. I'd much rather them be prepared than give me a Wrestlemania moment.

Would you really feel about the match any differently if it weren't at Wrestlemania? If this same scenario took place in June, July and August... would it hurt you to see the word SummerSlam rather than Wrestlemania? Probably not. As long as it was good. Wrestlemania moments are supposed to be things that we look back upon with fondness. Andre being slammed. Shawn jumping from the ladder. Stone Cold winning his first title. Eddie and Benoit celebrating together in the ring. Fond memories. Bret Hart and Vince McMahon? I can't see anything in that match I'll look back on with fondness.

Finally, if you truly want to believe that I'm callous enough to launch an attack on a stroke sufferer and then look past it as if it were a head cold then you go right on ahead and believe that. Would you like me to cry about it whenever I mention it? I refuse to do that. All I ever need to say on that subject is that Bret Hart had a stroke. It happened. It's the reason for how he is today. No need to dwell on it. I feel for the man, as I said earlier, my family has suffered due to strokes as well. My point still remains that stroke or no stroke, right now, he doesn't deserve to be in that spot.

I'm not trying to stomp on anyones memories of your hero. I'm not trying to disrespect Bret Hart, I'm just throwing out my opinion. Do not be offended as there is nothing to be offended about.

 

[Fansince84]

FutureChamp328, you're line is perfect. 'We all lost sight in the hype that Bret was back that, despite our expectations, he is still a 53 year old...' and a 53 year old who hasn't wrestled since 2000.

The hype we have had has been waiting the past 12 yrs to see him on wwe tv again as an on-screen character. You have to understand it isn't about his wrestling anymore and everyone is excited just to see him back.



I understand you don't realize the significance of his return because you never used to watch him although you act like he was years before you started to watch. You said you watched when the Rock and Austin came up well Bret was around when Rock and austin were getting big. In fact Bret made Austin over at wrestlemania 13 in an epic match. I believe the Rock was with the Nation of Domination at the time which is what caused him to get big as a heel once he dropped the Rocky Maivia good guy gimmick. So Bret was around with them also just a fyi

 

[CaptainZaltan]

The criteria you propose for who 'deserves' to be at Wrestlemania is completely subjective. Wrestlemania has always been more about spectacle and guest appearances than any other ppv of the year, dating back to the very first WM. As I said, if it's alright for Mr. T, Floyd Mayweather, Donald Trump, etc to wrestle at WM, than why not Bret Hart? The same goes for Piper, Steamboat, Snuka, etc. They didn't make any significant contributions throughout the year, they were simply given a WM match because the WWE knew it would entertain the fans and put butts in the seats. They earned their places at Wrestlemania by having stellar careers that made them legends with enough drawing power to get attention years after retirement. That's not to say they should be headlining WM every year or filling the card top to bottom. But one WM legends match a year is nothing to get upset about, in the grand scheme of things.

Performing at WM isn't a right that every wrestler in the WWE gets to partake of. The card is reserved for the top draws and programs and the individuals that the fans most want to see, whether they are wrestlers or entertainers or legends. Kingston, Masters, Carlito, Morrison, Benjamin, Christian, Gallows, DiBiase, Rhodes and McIntyre are all talented, but if either were as much of a draw as the Hitman than they would be taking his place on the card. As it stands, none of the names you mention have the drawing power or the status of the Hitman. In a few years? Probably. And they have 11 or so ppv's and plenty of shows a year to build that status and to earn their spots. But at this point, they simply aren't at that level. Neither is as big a draw, and neither has given as much to the industry.
What it boils down to is that Vince is a businessman above all else, and if he didn't feel that Bret had earned his place at Wrestlemania, than Bret wouldn't be on the card. There's enough interest in a Bret Hart ring-return to warrant Vince going through with it, and the timetable to pull it off somewhat successfully is very slim. It's basically now or never for the Hitman, whereas Rhodes and Kofi have the rest of their careers.

If Bret were fighting for a title, I could understand your objections. If he were making a full-time comeback, I could understand your objections. If you were saying that Bret shouldn't wrestle because he might injure himself, I could understand your objections. But what's wrong with a one-off match at a ppv event that's traditionally been about spectacle and grandiosity as much as wrestling? Especially when the fans want to see it?

 

[CJ The Pirate]

I think, after reading the above post, I just don't like spectacle so much. I didn't approve of Mayweather fighting in WWE either. I have no time for Donald Trump so I'd rather have him off TV alltogether, never mind Wrestlemania.

FanSince84... Read what I wrote. I began watching one month after Bret left. That is why I know of Rock and Austin's work but wasn't there to see Bret do his thing. It might as well have been years because whether it was one month or 12 years, I still never got to see him in a WWE ring until I watched a DVD.

I'm glad that this thread got this response for the most part. Sure, some of you have flew off the handle saying I'm disrespecting Bret and overlooking his stroke. I'm not. I just don't get it and for me, I see it as a waste of my time and money. Lets look at it in another sense, Ironman 2 is due for release this summer. Lets just say you didn't like or didn't see the first one. You won't really be as excited for it as I am because I loved the first one. That's where I am with Bret. I don't get it. Even after watching his greatest hits on DVD or YouTube, it still doesn't mean as much as it does to the rest of you. And I'm glad you guys have something like that, FanSince84... that makes me think you must be around the age of 30 (sorry if I overestimate) so in a way it's nice to see you can still get excited over this stuff even though you're at least 5 years older than me.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Is Bret Hart WORTHY of Wrestlemania? Bret Hart is as worthy of wrestlemania as you are of air. He has put on AMAZING matches at wrestlemania with Steve Austin, Roddy Piper, his brother Owen, and let's not forget the 60 minute Iron Man match with HBK.

I see all of these new-age fans showing ZERO respect for a guy that has done so much for this business. It makes me sick. If you didn't like Bret, or in your case, didn't watch him, then don't watch him now. I don't care, and neither does he. Don't buy the PPV. If Bret Hart being on the card is honestly enough for you to NOT buy the PPV, have fun that night. Watch Americas Funniest Home Videos, you moron. There will 8 or 9 other matches for someone like you to enjoy, so if you do buy the ppv, you can just go take a dump or make some popcorn while Bret is on.

I just can't understand this disrespect for a guy like Bret. You try and downplay his stroke? Most people NEVER WALK AGAIN after a stroke, you dope. The only thing I might enjoy more than Bret whipping Vinces A** would be for Bret to drag YOU out of the crowd and put you in the sharpshooter for about 35 minutes. That would be entertaining.