Bret Hart signed with WCW in late 1997 in a move which resulted in the Montreal Screwjob
A day after the famous incident at Survivor Series which saw Shawn Michaels become WWF Champion, and Hart punch Vince McMahon backstage, Eric Bischoff announced the signing on The Hitman on Nitro. Hart made his long-awaited debut with the company on the December 15th episode of Nitro although he was still unable to wrestle due to a 60-day non-compete clause.
When Hart did eventually step into the ring he defeated Ric Flair in January 1998 and went on to win the World heavyweight Championship twice, United States Title four times, and Tag Team Championship once. Despite the accolades, by the time Hart’s in-ring career came to a premature end in early 2000 his time with the company was considered a failure. Although the star joined the company when it’s popularity was still high and he was also still a huge star, by the time his career was over the company was in sharp decline.
Why Is Bret Hart’s WWE Run Considered A Failure?
Another man who was there to witness Hart in WCW and the company’s dramatic fall was announcer Tony Schiavone. Speaking on his podcast, What Happened When, the AEW commentator has given his thoughts on why Hart’s time in WCW didn’t hit the heights it could have done. Schiavone explained that Hart’s “hatred of the WWF was greater than his love for what he was doing”
“I’m pretty sure I am right about this … He was just really pissed off,”
At Starrcade 1999, Bret Hart’s career was effectively brought to an end by a poorly executed thrust kick from Goldberg. Despite suffering a severe concussion as a result, Hart finished the match, and it has been suggested that he sustained even more damage in the process.
While it was initially unclear as to just how serious Hart’s injuries were, he appeared in nine more matches before finally bringing his career to an end.
H/t to Wrestling Inc