Tony Khan definitively clarified whether or not to expect Bret Hart in AEW any time soon.
With AEW putting on both a men’s and women’s version of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, fans have begun to wonder whether Bret “The Hitman” Hart will make another AEW appearance. Speculation is fueled as Hart is set to manage AEW tag team FTR at an upcoming independent show.
However, speaking to TSN, AEW President Tony Khan made it clear that fans shouldn’t expect to see Hart on AEW television any time soon.
“Not right now. I think Bret himself said that. First of all, we have a great respect for Bret Hart as a company and as individuals. A lot of the wrestlers here and myself respect Bret Hart as a great person and a great wrestler. He would always be somebody we would treasure whenever he’s around. He was involved in the first Double or Nothing [in 2019, when he unveiled the AEW World Championship for the first time].
“He said he’s happy at home right now. It’s a great thing he’s got going and we’ve just got so much respect for Bret Hart. It’s an honor to pay respect to Bret Hart and, of course, and it’s something that Dax and Cash and CM Punk in particular have bonded over and had great matches with each other and with other people along the way – Dustin Rhodes had a great match with CM Punk, also, that I think reminded some people of the matches he had himself with Bret in the past. Now there’s opportunities ahead for big matches with all of those people.”
Hart himself recently addressed these rumors, saying that while he would love to help out people he knows in AEW, he’s “happy at home.” It was recently reported that the WWE Hall of Famer had quietly signed a merchandising deal with the WWE.