Looking Back #1 - Bret Hart's return to WWE

[Rammsteinmad]

So here's the second series of threads I was thinking about doing. As with Pick Only One, I feel like this one has been done before, but a quick search didn't find anything, and if it was done, it was many years ago, so what the hell, let's get to it.

Welcome to a new series of thread I'm starting, titled "Looking Back". The title pretty much says it all. I'll choose random things from the past for us to look back on; angles, matches, wrestlers, incidents, anything at all, and we basically look back and discuss it. What we liked, didn't like, any personal memories or how we'd have done things differently.

This thread series will cover a wide range of wrestling topics, and hopefully will take off well. Pick Only One seems to have done alright, and after the first edition I've received some encouraging rep messages, so let's see how this goes.

Kicking things off, let's get to a topic that was a hot issue at the time, and was something that had been stewing for many, many years: Bret 'The Hitman' Hart's return to the WWE.

We all know the story. We all know what went down. So looking back, did Bret's return live up to its expectations? Did Bret and Shawn hugging in the ring leave you feeling like you'd witnessed something special? Did the match with Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 26 entertain you? Let's look back at the early months of 2010, when Bret Hart finally came back to WWE.

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<iframe frameborder="0" width="480" height="270" src="//www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xf886h" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xf886h_bret-hart-vs-vince-mcmahon-wrestlem_sport" target="_blank">Bret Hart Vs. Vince McMahon [WrestleMania 26]</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/MercuryIsGod" target="_blank">MercuryIsGod</a></i>

[whiteyford]

The match was fucking dire, both guys involved had no place being in a match and the fact it went on as long as it did was just an ego stroke.

[Nicky Fives]

I think it was booked pretty good, only difference would be having Bret's initial appearance been in a better market than Dayton, Ohio.....No disrespect to the people of Dayton, but how much better the response would it have been in Canada, Chicago or NYC?

[Innovator]

Vince vs. Bret would've been big enough, they didn't need to do the whole car/leg injury angle.

[JimmyMess]

it happened too late. circumstances, injuries, etc. but it would have been bigger years before.

[The MAC]

bret had better house show matches after his return. The booking of it was not thought out well.

firstly - they should have booked raw anywhere in canada

shawn didn't even apologise to bret he just told him he doesn't regret doing it but the match at m12 was great. ..the fuck ?


this is obviously the fault of the writers who probably never watched wwf in 97

[NoyaPerez20]

Probably most unnecessary match they added to WrestleMania. It was obviously Vince letting Bret hart beat him up as a way to make up for the Screwjob.

[The Condor]

It was useless and only served a purpose to anyone who actually cared, which I believe to be a minority of fans by that point.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I love Bret. My favorite ever.

That said, outside of a sorta OK moment with Bret and Shawn, the WM match was one of the shittiest things of all time.

[NoyaPerez20]

I love Bret. My favorite ever.

That said, outside of a sorta OK moment with Bret and Shawn, the WM match was one of the shittiest things of all time.

Even Stone Cold was like

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQU2RMs2rV6PqVlhI_oVdU6PwW_WaDMV8XYKRlHxjxCwvdr_PLGnA

[Lock Jaw]

Happened too late, and happened in the wrong spot (I believe there wasn't a single show in Canada?).

Not Bret's fault, though.... he was never really great on the mic, and his various health issues have just killed his ability to express emotions. So being there in the ring with HBK and Vince did nothing but just expose him as unable to keep up with them.

[screech]

The thing that sticks out to me is Shawn wearing his DX gear and how dumb it looked. I get that he was "breaking it down" (to prime factors) at that time, but he could have come out in regular clothes.

[Simple Fan]

Bret screwed Bret

[Lock Jaw]

Most awkward hug ever

http://www.wwe.com/f/wysiwyg/image/2012/02/hitman_hbk.jpg

[Razzamajazz]

i remember the night in des moines when he "broke" his leg, and fans were calling the hospital after the show to wish him well

[Maluco]

I actually think it was a really cool moment. When you think about how much they hated each other, to get to that stage and hug gave closure to everyone involved (sort of). The match was what it was, but I think it was cool of Vince to do it and end one of the most shocking "angles" in wrestling and everything that came with it.

HBK and Bret are without a doubt my two favourites of all time. I think the reality of the story was cool and pretty intense. These were two small guys who started off wrestling cartoon giants and worked their way up to be the two best in the world, nearly killing each other to try to be number one. For people who lived through and followed their whole history, it was def a cool moment.

[NoyaPerez20]

Most awkward hug ever

http://www.wwe.com/f/wysiwyg/image/2012/02/hitman_hbk.jpg

It's the "I can't believe I'm actually hugging this assh*le" type of huge... :lol:

[XL]

Didn't Bret win the US Title at one point during this run? Then vacated it?

[NoyaPerez20]

Didn't Bret win the US Title at one point during this run? Then vacated it?

Probably the worst decision ever made, and made The Miz look like a fool. It looked like the WCW booking of Bret Hart all over agian.:wtf:

[SNLfunnyguy]

I think it was booked pretty good, only difference would be having Bret's initial appearance been in a better market than Dayton, Ohio.....No disrespect to the people of Dayton, but how much better the response would it have been in Canada, Chicago or NYC?

I've always thought this too. It's where they brought Batista back too. Makes you wonder.

The match at Mania was such a cluster. Booked way too long and the psycology of the 70 year old man being gang attacked for 3 hours (or so it seemed) was just awkward. The best bet would have been Cena and Bret vs Vince and Batista where Bret could have got the hot tag, run through some cool attack arsenals and send the fans home happy with a sharpshooter. Could have been a classic Wrestlemania match, rather than dross.

[McLegend]

Lol I love that hug. Bret's face is priceless.

That initial night was cool though seeing Bret Hart return. Even if the match and angle didn't go well it was all worth for that one night for me. I remember being so excited for that Raw.