Bret Hart, renowned for his technical prowess and captivating in-ring storytelling, earned widespread acclaim as a multiple-time world champion in professional wrestling. However, before embarking on his much-celebrated singles journey, Hart rose to prominence as a pivotal member of The Hart Foundation, a tag team that left an indelible mark on the WWE during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Comprising Bret Hart and his real-life brother-in-law, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, The Hart Foundation stood as a formidable and iconic tag team in the WWE. Their unique charisma and close ties to the legendary Hart wrestling family solidified their status as a revered act within the tag team division. Renowned for their reliability and exceptional performances, facing The Hart Foundation was a coveted opportunity for many teams, as it virtually guaranteed a thrilling match.
Recalling his experience, former WWE Superstar Jim Powers, who formed one half of the Young Stallions tag team alongside Paul Roma, shared an intriguing anecdote about unexpectedly facing The Hart Foundation twice in one night under less-than-desirable circumstances.
“Vince (McMahon) was watching from the monitor or curtain or whatever. He didn’t like the finish. But they beat us. They used their finish. Boom. They beat us! But there was something about it Vince didn’t like. Now this was, I think this was live TV. I’m not sure. It was definitely being taped. But I don’t know if it was going out live. But anyway, Paul and I walked out back through the curtain… Vince goes to me and Paul, “guys, go back out there and do it again.” I said, “Vince, it’s a live audience out there. It’s being taped.” He goes, “just go out there and do the f**king thing over again!” He said, “I just didn’t like this finish.” I go, “well, what finish do you what?” He goes, “do the same finish but do it slightly different.”
The practice of re-doing matches in front of a live audience upon McMahon’s request happened on a few occasions during the taped era. Powers expressed his frustration with this proposal, questioning how he was expected to explain the situation to the fans.
“He said “go out, grab the f**king mike and call them out there!” Simple as that. And now, here you are. You’re handed a mike. You just got beat. You gotta call the Hart Foundation back out and they kick your a** again! In front of, I don’t how many people. Maybe fifteen plus thousand people. Maybe more!”
Despite not winning any major championships during their tenure, the Young Stallions left a lasting impression with many WWE followers of the day as an exciting young tag team. Following their split in the late 80’s, both Powers and Roma would be known as both singles and tag team wrestlers with different partners. Powers’ final WWE television appearances were in 1994.
Ken Shamrock On The Advice Given To Him By Bret Hart In WWE
UFC and WWE legend, Ken Shamrock revealed the advice given to him by Bret Hart. Shamrock famously refereed the memorable bout between Hart and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin before appearing for the company as a full-time wrestler for numerous years.
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