Bret Hart Talks About The Montreal Screwjob And WrestleMania

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart recently spoke with The Metro to promote WWE 2K14. Here are some highlights:

The new game features a ‘30 years of WrestleMania’ mode. What are your greatest memories of the ones in which you fought?
WrestleMania was a very special event for me, a bit like an American footballer playing in the Superbowl. I was there from the second one in 1986 to WrestleMania XIII in 1997. Facing The Nasty Boys at WrestleMania VII was one of my best tag-team matches and solidified my solo career, which virtually commenced the next day. Then Rowdy Roddy Piper at WrestleMania VIII established that my style and storylines were always going to be a little different to Hulk Hogan or Sycho Sid [Sid Vicious].

So many wrestlers with whom you shared a ring died young in controversial circumstances. Who do miss the most?
I miss my brother Owen more than anybody but I shake my head in anger that so many of them are not around when they should be. Ravishing Rick Rude was a good friend and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t still be alive. Mr Perfect is another I wish I could call up. You could name one after another who have gone and I’ve missed them all.

Who was your greatest rival?
There was a happy rivalry with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin in that he was a lot of fun to wrestle with, and I think I helped launch his career. But on the not so happy, the brilliant work I did with Shawn Michaels. You can never underestimate what we did at WrestleMania XII, even though it was the last match we had and part of the infamous Montreal Screwjob, it was still a fine match. I could have wrestled the Undertaker a few more hundred times as well.

The Montreal Screwjob was extremely controversial because of the outcome. How do you look back on it?
I’ve calmed down a lot. There were a lot of things I did to escalate that whole thing with [opponent] Shawn Michaels and [now WWE owner] Vince McMahon. I wouldn’t change anything I did in terms of my own conduct but I regret all of it. I wish I had never left the WWE but I’ve moved on. I went back and shook Shawn’s hand and it was good for everyone to bury the hatchet.

Will we ever see a British WWE world champion?
Oh I think so, there are a lot of good wrestlers coming out of the UK. Also, Swiss wrestler Antonio Cesaro is one of the best wrestlers going, if you ask me