Bret Hart on Off the Record with Michael Landsberg
April 3, 2006
By Steve Khan
email: sh2k3@yahoo.com
One on one segment:
Bret said it wasn’t hard agreeing to do the Hall of Fame, but it was tough to do actually do it. He said there was a lot of emotion and was hard coming up with what to say given the time frame. Bret says a few days after the Screwjob, he still would’ve agreed to do it because he earned it. Although, when they called him to be inducted, he tried to convince himself that he wouldn’t go.
Landsberg asked what it was like being around the guys again. Hart said the WWE didn’t keep their promise about keeping Michaels away. Bret doesn’t forgive Michaels for anything. He said it was Michaels who brought him down in a lot of ways.
Bret was honoured to have Stone Cold induct him and was having a great conversation with him. Landsberg asked what it was like when Hogan congratulated him. Bret said he and Austin didn’t even look at Hogan and just brushed him off. Bret said Hogan did that to him in the 90s when Bret won his first title. He went up to Hulk to shake his hand and Hogan ignored him for five minutes until Bret walked away. He said it felt good doing it back, like saying “Kiss my ass.” Hogan walked away with his tale between his legs with a puppy dog look on his face.
Bret said his speech wasn’t as emotional as he thought it would be but the Eddie Guerrero induction before his sapped the emotion out of the crowd. Right before he walked through the curtain a lot of memories came back, and he wished he had more time. Bret tried to take the high road and keep it light.
Landsberg asked what Bret’s legacy would be. Bret called himself an artist. Michaels may have worked a little harder, Hogan may have drawn bigger crowds, and maybe Flair lasted longer than he did, but Hart was better than all of them. He said it wasn’t a night off working with Flair or Michaels, but it was a night off when people fought Bret. Steve Austin even told him that a few days ago. When Austin saw Bret’s name next to his, he knew it was a night off. Bret called himself the perfect guy to work with and wishes he could’ve wrestled himself.
Landsberg asked if he would ever sit down with Michaels and work things out. Bret said no. Years ago before they had their fallout, they would shake hands thinking they were square, but it never accomplished anything. Michaels never gave a sincere effort to even be honest, let alone apologize. He doesn’t know why Michaels claims to have ever apologized to Bret because he never has.
The panel joins the show. Paul Godfrey (CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays), Will Strickland (writer), Paul Hamilton (Buffalo Radio personality):
Topic: Who should be in charge for the Maple Leafs next season, Ferguson or Quinn? Are the younger players the answer?
Bret didn’t say a word during this segment, except when Strickland said they would sell out the Air Canada Centre no matter what they do, Landsberg said Bret Hart would sell out by himself.
Quirky Fact: Bret Hart became the first wrestler to win the WWE and WCW Triple Crown. The second was also trained by Stu Hart, fellow Canadian Chris Benoit.
Topic: Should MLB leave Bonds alone?
Bret thinks it’s a bit of a witch hunt and its overkill now. Paul Godfrey immediately disagreed. The rest of them argued as Bret watched again.
An emailer asked Bret which hair product he used back in the day, which Bret found funny. Answer after the commercial break…
Next Question with Bret Hart (paraphrased):
Landsberg: Best illegal object; the briefcase, the steel chair, the cane, or Mad Dog Vachon’s prosthetic leg?
Hart: The leg for sure.
Landsberg: One punch on any individual; Vince, Earl Hebner or Shawn Michaels.
Hart: Shawn for sure.
Landsberg: You going to make it count?
Hart: You won’t hear about him anymore.
Landsberg: Better evil laugh; Jim Neidhart or Vince McMahon.
Hart: Jim was evil, but nothing like Vince. Vince was the best.
Landsberg: Does Vince deserve and Academy Award for acting?
Hart: Not that I’ve seen.
Landsberg: You’re not giving him any awards are you.
Hart: Not for acting.
Landsberg: Why do so many wrestlers have mullets?
Hart: I don’t know, they all come from the same wrestling school?
Landsberg: Hulk Hogan, what year should he have retired?
Hart: Ten years ago.
Landsberg: Favourite Hebner; Dave or Earl?
Hart: Dave.
Landsberg: Easy one right?
Hart: Yeah.
Landsberg: How mad were you at Bad News Brown double cross at WrestleMania.
Hart: I lost a lot of sleep that one night…but I got over it pretty fast.
Landsberg: Were you afraid of Yokozuna squashing you?
Hart: Yeah I was. He did squash me a couple times.
Landsberg: Was Bob Backlund’s crazy face the best ever?
Hart: Pretty close.
Landsberg: Who’s the biggest ass kisser in the history of pro
wrestling?
Hart: That’s a tough one…The best ass kisser I remember is Terry
Taylor. He could pucker up pretty fast.
Landsberg: What hair product did you use back in the day?
Hart: Sebastian Wet.
Landsberg: How many sunglasses did you give away and who paid for them?
Hart: WWE paid for them. I gave away thousands.
Landsberg: Do you know how much the OTR and Canadian audience loves you?
Hart: Uh, no I don’t.
Landsberg: Not enough time to talk about it. Thanks Bret.
