If you don't like it tough shit! Seriously though, the older I get the more I appreciate things and see them for what they are on a deeper level. There is just something about Bret Hart wrestling a match that I can't even put into words why I love it so much. The dude was just pure fucking bad ass. It's crazy how much I loved this dude when I was a little boy and how I feel like he somehow had some huge impact on shaping who I am, things you absorb when you grow up that just become a part of your DNA without you even realizing it. 

Never drew a dime.

Jan 30, 2023 18:50:13 GMT NATH45 said:

Never drew a dime.

It's funny how money turns friends into foes 

Don't overlook overseas, Bret puts asses in those seats!

The 1994 Royal Rumble VHS tape is something I seen so many times growing up that it has been internalized in full form in the hard drive of my memory, I can just pull it up and watch it in my head on demand.

Fought his way back after just getting completely fucking screwed at Mania 9 and got his title back a year later. The walk out to the 94 Rumble is maybe my favorite Bret moment. 

"The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be."

It's not arrogance if it's true.

He's my GOAT.

The Excellence of Execution moniker was perfect. Every move Bret did was with purpose, had a singular style to how he did it, and is in the running for best version. Even moves that he only did once in a while, like a Piledriver, one of the best piledrivers. Or his jumping vertical suplex, it's aesthetically the most beautiful vertical suplex. Every one his moves of doom is the GOAT version. Anyone do a Russian Leg Sweep better than Bret? Or his backbreaker. Or his pointed elbow drop. Even the way he stepped into the ring, that little dip he'd do sitting on the second rope, eyes fixed on his opponent, not wanting to bend at the waist, head down in a vulnerable position, so much style and purpose. Every move, every movement, singular and perfect.

Yet to describe Bret as a "technical wrestler" is kind of wrong. His ultimate gift was in construction of matches, these multiple act epics always with the perfect finish (The SummerSlam '91 finish reversing a Mr. Perfect leg drop into a Sharpshooter on his back is his most underrated and why I'm in the minority preferring that match to their KOTR rematch). Whether he knows it or not, Bret is a total Chekhov's Gun disciple, often introducing things early in matches only to be be used later (The ring bell at WrestleMania 13 is the definitive example). All the small things adding up to be bigger than the sum of its parts. Just thinking of more finishes (Piper hesitating with the killshot at WM8, going with the sleeper instead and getting reversed into a pin, the playing possum finish on Diesel at Survivor Series, the shock finish of Owen's victory at WMX, the GOAT finish of WrestleMania 13), he's really the best there ever was.

Every wrestler around during Bret's single's run in the WWF, you look at the greatest matches they ever had, and a match against Bret is in their Top 3 if not #1 (Piper, Hennig, Shawn, Owen, Bulldog, 123 Kid, Austin, Diesel, Taker (as of 1997), Doink(!), Hakushi, JP Lafitte, Backlund's comeback, countless jabronis, list goes one). And, he stacked this resume in a relatively short period of time (1991-1997) where only three of those years had gone to the monthly PPV model, so he spent the majority of his career in old model of squash matches on television saving competitive matches for house shows, in the worst workrate territory. 

The best in-ring wrestler I ever saw. Totally underrated as a character and his ability to connect with the audience. That's a major reason most "technical wrestlers" of that era remained midcard wrestling robots while Bret went to the top. 

He won PW's favorite/best/whatever countdown TWICE. Did Baker run both? Cuz I could buy him kayfabing a 3rd if Bret loses. But he prob wouldn't.

As great as Shawn was... Bret was on the Simpsons and bought old man stink house.

Jericho been telling people for 20+ he beat Rock and Austin in the same night.

Bret be like, what is that hard?

MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE via wCw. Wore those jorts better than Cena ever did.

His only fault is stealing the move Owen invented, but the fact he eventually made it his own is why he's the goat.

And all his time as a main eventer feels like it's done begrudgingly. And you cannot tell me he didn't put Saskatoon on the map with the title win "caught with your pants down" house scrup match or not.

Jan 31, 2023 0:18:35 GMT @ness said:

He won PW's favorite/best/whatever countdown TWICE. Did Baker run both? Cuz I could buy him kayfabing a 3rd if Bret loses. But he prob wouldn't.

I didn't run the first one. Think UT did. I'd never kayfabe it. This is wrestling. The only thing worth taking seriously. And if I were to theoretically kayfabe it I'd make sure the true GOAT Ric Flair came out on top. Bret is maybe Top 5. Definitely Top 10. 

I just learned something today...

Trivia: What do the four hearts on Bret's tights symbolise?

Feb 7, 2023 18:02:42 GMT Big Pete said:

I just learned something today...

Trivia: What do the four hearts on Bret's tights symbolise?

His four children

Also personalises each signature with four dots for the same reason.

I feel like that's something I've ought to have known.

Feb 7, 2023 20:15:51 GMT Big Pete said:

I feel like that's something I've ought to have known.

Remember reading it in a WWF magazine around 1996.

Pink tights. What the hell is that all about Bret?

Feb 10, 2023 1:58:58 GMT @ness said:

Pink tights. What the hell is that all about Bret?

Always loved this little tidbit about the pink tights debut from Bret's book:

Judy, the seamstress who made our wrestling gear for us, had mentioned to me that she had a nice new color she wanted Jim and me to try: neon bubblegum pink. After careful consideration we realized wearing pink would get us instant heat and give us a new look for our SNME debut. Still, in the dressing room in San Diego where we were doing pre-tapes for SNME, Jim and I felt funny pulling on those pink tights.

I was dressed and picking up my tray in the cafeteria when Vince, who was sitting with Dick Ebersol, head of NBC sports, yelled at me, “Stop! Don’t move!” Heads turned. It got suddenly quiet. I thought we were in some sort of trouble, and I couldn’t imagine why. Vince stood up and circled around Jim and me grinning, “Don’t ever change that color! That color is you! It’s what you guys have been missing all along! From now on I don’t want you to wear anything but pink!”

Feb 10, 2023 1:56:06 GMT Baker said:

Feb 7, 2023 20:15:51 GMT Big Pete said:

I feel like that's something I've ought to have known.

Remember reading it in a WWF magazine around 1996.

I came across it from a WCW magazine from 1999.

Those old magazines are actually well worth revisiting. They really capture the vibe of what was going on, some of the guys who were getting pushed (that WWF mag that covered a developmental camp also had a feature on Tom Brandi) and just the general tone of the show. The WCW mag was surprisingly just as good and had monthly features from Bret, Heenan and Tenay. I'm not sure if the latter two had ghost writers, but only Bret could come up with the dry sense of humour he had as he talked about the struggles of cleaning up his office so he could find his car keys.

WAY better than that brat that lost his smile & got his ass kicked for mouthing off to 10 marines at a bar. [allegedly]