Years after ending his professional wrestling career, Bret Hart continues to study the industry and closely monitors modern-day wrestling. As a result, the WWE Hall of Famer never holds back when he speaks, particularly when it comes to Goldberg, with whom he has a history of dislike.
Following a poorly executed kick to Hart’s head during the main event of WCW Starrcade 1999 for the WCW World Heavyweight Title, Goldberg hurt Hart. Hart’s career came to an end due to a severe concussion he sustained from the kick.
In a recent interview, Hart spoke with FOX Sports Australia about a variety of subjects, including the current status of pro wrestling.
Hart claimed that because of the recent growth in the sport, it is difficult to criticize wrestling. He put over CM Punk and FTR for bringing him up and bringing him back to prominence among younger fans. He claimed that Punk had reminded fans to consider how excellent his previous matches were.
“And I think it’s starting to stand out now where it’s like – in my honest opinion, without trying to sound too boastful, they’ve pulled the curtain back on wrestling so much. So now we know the whole thing’s a show, and they’re just really good physical actors, and that is what it is. But you watch my wrestling and you go, jeez, he was the best. I think I made it look more real than anybody all the time. I made your stuff look good, I made my own stuff look good, nothing looked rehearsed. There’s so much I think in today’s wrestling that’s so badly rehearsed, over and over.”
According to Hart, the best wrestling has to always act like it’s real and enjoyable, but the fun ends when it’s realized that a match is a performance. He was proud of the way his moves appeared and that he had not hurt anyone in the ring. He claimed that it detracts from the realism and doesn’t look realistic to dive to the floor with 20 people trying to catch you. He also believes that wrestling has an excessive number of chops.
“In my understanding of pro wrestling, anytime anyone does anything to you that hurts for real – chopping, putting blisters on your chest when you go to your room or bed. Anytime anyone does things to you for real, they’re in the wrong business. They’re doing it wrong. Because you’re not supposed to get hurt. You’re not supposed to come back to your dressing room that night, or to your hotel room and have a big lump on your head and a black eye and your teeth are knocked out. That’s Bill Goldberg wrestling. That’s not how it’s done.”
