Bret Hart has looked back on a scrapped plan for his WWE Championship reign before things got changed, which The Hitman blames Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon for.
Heading into WrestleMania 9, Hart was the World Champion and put the title on the line against Yokozuna in what was supposed to be the main event of the show. During an appearance on The Ringer Wrestling Podcast, Hart first spoke about winning the championship in late 1992, noting that the ring boy scandal and steroid scandals came to light at that time:
“My memory of it is that things were like an elevator falling. Business was plummeting every week, down, down. Vince was being investigated. A lot of dark, gloomy things… It was almost like, ‘Who can we put the belt on that’s not going to screw everything up’, and it’s like, ‘Oh, let’s put it on Bret Hart.’”
Continuing, Hart recalled a conversation with Vince McMahon where he was assured that his reign as champion would last years. McMahon also assured the Hall of Famer not to worry about Hogan’s return to the company:
“I remember when I won the title. Vince told me that I would be champion for, they were looking long term, kind of like Bruno [Sammartino]. He brought up Bruno and [Bob] Backlund, and he said, ‘You’re going to be champion for six years. You’re going to be champion for a long time, so don’t worry about your position. When Hogan came in, he goes, ‘Don’t worry about Hogan. He’s got nothing to do with you. He’s here to promote a movie. He’s short term.’”
“It was always Vince telling me these things, so I was very confident. The reason I became the champion that I did was because I believed that I was going to be champion for a long time, and I’m going to be like Bruno… I think I’m the best guy to carry it going forward.”
Foreshadowing the infamous events that took place at WrestleMania 9, Hart noted that there was already tension with Hogan ahead of time along with a lack of respect:
“I could tell when Hogan came back, he wouldn’t even shake my hand in the dressing room. I always thought, if Hulk Hogan saw me, he would come up and shake my hand and be like, really proud of me… I always thought he would be an advocate for me. When he came back, I saw right away that I had what he wanted. He had no respect for me. He couldn’t believe that I was the champion. I remember going in my heart, ‘He doesn’t matter because Vince already told me I’m not gonna even worry about him.’”
Bret Hart Talks Infamous Finish To WrestleMania 9
The main event of WrestleMania 9 seemingly saw Yokozuna defeat Hart and win the WWE Championship for the first time in his career. However, in one of the most criticised moves in Mania history, Hogan made his way to the ring, challenged Yokozuna and won the title in just 22 seconds. Speaking about the lead-up to the event, Hart recalled how betrayed he was by the sudden change in plans:
“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. He [Vince] goes, ‘Well, that’s not what we’re doing.’ He 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.”
Hart also noted that Hogan was “happy to return the favour”, which The Hitman struggled to believe:
Hart vividly recalled Hogan’s words just before the impromptu title match: “‘Happy to return the favor.’ I remember I looked at him and said, ‘I’m going to remember that’, and he wouldn’t return to favor.” Hart felt disillusioned: “I remember going, this guy’s was not the good guy that I always thought he was. I starting to see through him.”
Concluding, Hart admitted that his relationship with McMahon was never the same after that night. In regards to his views on Hogan, the Hall of Famer noted that their respective legacies are very different today:
“I’ll be honest. My whole relationship with Vince was never the same. I could never really take him at his word anymore. 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. Hogan never had any respect for me. I think words speak for themselves. They’re not talking about Hulk Hogan today.”
Additionally, Bret Hart explained why a WWE Hall of Famer was not a great heel.
H/t to Wrestling News.co