Bret Hart: I Took Wrestling In A Different Direction

With mounting scandals coming their way such as the Steroid Scandal, WWE changed focus entirely in the early 90s, eschewing the massive muscle bound types of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior in favour of more ‘natural’ looking performers like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

Bret himself was thrust to the top of the WWE, ushering in the New Generation, and in conversation with CBC radio's Q podcast, ‘The Hitman’ claims he changed wrestling during this period:

“The company was really sinking fast,” Hart said. “And they tried [Ultimate] Warrior and they end up with ‘Macho Man’ [Randy Savage]. They end up with Ric Flair. But nobody was really turning things around and things were getting worse. They were losing all these toy deals and…things within the promotion that I really was unaware of. And I was kinda the guy who pulled the sword out of the stone.

“Vince McMahon, I think, [was] worried that he might actually go to jail over all that stuff,” Hart continued. “[He] decided that he needed to put the title on somebody that was a safe, secure bet, that wouldn’t drop the ball. Wouldn’t mess up. Would have no scandals – impaired driving or anything that could set the company back huge if they’re the wrong guy. And he chose me and I turned out to be a good hero for him and a good hero for the wrestling industry.

“I took wrestling in a different direction, I think,” Hart continued. “When you look back today, they don’t wrestle like Hulk Hogan anymore. They wrestle like Bret Hart. Wrestling’s all about action and speed and telling a story and I think that’s where I came in.”

H/T: Wrestling Inc.