WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart recently appeared on The Ringer Wrestling Show podcast and offered a candid reflection on one of the most controversial moments of his career — the end of WrestleMania IX, where he lost the WWE Championship to Yokozuna, only for Hulk Hogan to immediately defeat Yokozuna moments later.
Hart revealed that he didn’t find out about the planned finish until the night before the event, expressing shock at the sudden change and the betrayal he felt from Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan.
“When that night happened, I didn’t find out until the night before I lost the belt. I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned,” Hart said. “He [Vince] was almost shocked that I thought I was going to beat Yoko. I’m like, ‘Well, you’re the one that told me I’d be champion for six years, so I just assumed.’ He laid out that whole thing with Hogan, and I felt so betrayed. I think that’s when I went, this guy’s a total liar. Vince is a liar. Hogan’s a liar. I was really mad.”
Despite the disappointment, Hart remained professional and committed to doing what was asked of him as champion.
“I made a promise to myself that whatever happened… when the day came and they walked in and said, ‘Hey, you’re dropping the belt to so and so,’ that I would do whatever was asked of me,” he said. “I was more honored by the fact that they made me champion in the first place… I kind of bit my tongue, and it’s like, all right, whatever you want.”
However, Hart admitted that his relationship with Vince McMahon was never the same after that night.
“My whole relationship with Vince was never the same. I could never really take him at his word anymore,” Hart explained. “As far as integrity and honesty, I never felt that Vince was honest with me after that. It’s all about trust and respect, and Vince broke that trust.”
Hart also didn’t hold back on his view of Hulk Hogan, stating, “Hogan never had any respect for me. I think words speak for themselves. They’re not talking about Hulk Hogan today.”
The moment remains a polarizing part of WrestleMania history, and Hart’s emotional honesty sheds further light on the backstage dynamics that shaped one of WWE’s most debated finishes.
