Bret Hart has not held back when discussing modern wrestling.
Many long-time watchers of wrestling can struggle to get into today’s action when used to the older style. Lack of selling, over-choreographed spots and the use of too many finishers can make matches less enjoyable despite the fact that they are filled with more big moves than ever before.
Hart, one of the best technical wrestlers of all time, made everything that he did look real and meaningful. Because of this, The Hitman would earn one of his many monikers The Excellence of Execution and is still held in high regard in the modern era. However, looking at the stars of today, Hart is not a fan of what professional wrestling has become.
Speaking with FOX News Australia, Bret Hart credited his own in-ring style and noted that he made moves look dangerous while always keeping his opponent safe:
“I was a technical wrestler that made you, you know, when I put a headlock on, it look like a real headlock. Not like John Cena or somebody that’s got a headlock that looks like he has it on a tire. The headlock has to be tightened – real. That’s what I pride myself on. And I also pride myself on the fact that I never injured anybody, ever.
Hart continued his critiques, noting how he is not a fan of wrestlers obviously moving to get in position for moments in the match:
“I find a lot of the wrestlers today are like, when they land where they land, they realise 30 seconds later that they’re in the wrong spot, and they start wiggling all the way across the ring to get in the right position. That’s a fail. You get an F in my wrestling academy when you do stuff like that.
“And when these guys dive over the top rope onto the 20 wrestlers on the floor – they’ve gotta stop doing that. It’s just not real … and with the chops, and everybody chopping themselves. What a bunch of baloney. Nobody ever won a match with a chop. All the wooing. It’s really taking away from the beauty and the art of great wrestling.
Referencing the overly physical style of modern wrestling with stiff strikes that leave legitimate welts and bruises, the WWE Hall of Famer believes this is the wrong way to go, comparing it to what Goldberg used to do:
“There’s a lot of great wrestlers out there that can deliver great matches. But there’s so many wrestlers out there that are subpar in my opinion, that don’t know what they’re doing out there. And they allow themselves to rely on things like chops, which I think is sort of like cheap heat – you get a reaction, but what’s your reaction? You’re whipping a guy across the chest with your hand? Okay, so you’re hurting some guy for real, for some stupid reason. And the crowd sort of reacts to it.
“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.”
In a new interview, Goldberg expressed his WWE frustrations.
Bret Hart Praises Modern Wrestling Match
Despite being less than impressed with a lot of modern professional matches, the former World Champion did enjoy a match that took place in 2023. When discussing a particular match that took place on AEW, Bret Hart described it as a masterclass.
This is not the first time that Hart has taken issue with modern wrestling and that he is not a fan of what it has become. Upon hearing previous comments, one top WWE Superstar would fire back at Bret Hart.
Discussing a more serious topic, Bret Hart spoke at length about the Vince McMahon allegations.