Bret Hart – “I Never Lie, I Just Tell The Truth”
Bret Hart has gained something of a reputation for his fairly outspoken views on the wrestling world and for his dislike of just about everything to do with Goldberg but according to The Hitman, he simply tells the truth.
Different narratives have been painted of Bret Hart over the years with the five-time WWE Champion unable to escape the stigma of the Montreal Screwjob to some and is seen as bitter. To others, Hart is a forthright authority on the wrestling business to be listened to and cherished for his and his family’s accomplishments in the industry.
Speaking on Sunday Night’s Main Event, Bret Hart spoke about some of the perceptions of him and why some people might be riled up by him, but he’s only telling the truth:
“I’ve been happy a lot of times. I had a great career, I think back to some of my happiest memories, some of my hardest memories with Jim Neidhart when we were slugging it out. I’m blessed with so many Jim Neidhart stories, more than anyone else ever. Even my sister Ellie [Jim’s wife] doesn’t have as many Jim Neidhart stories. I have a lot of great memories, I’ve had a great career.”
“I’ve always been, contrary to what people may think, I’ve always been a pretty satisfied and content person. I speak the truth, sometimes I rile people up by being a little direct and outspoken, but in the end, I tell the truth. If you don’t like the truth, you probably don’t like what I’m saying sometimes. I never lie, I never exaggerate, I just tell the truth.
“Sometimes it’s not necessary to be so honest, but sometimes it’s important to put things into the proper perspective. Wrestling is a very ill-defined business that people don’t understand and people form opinions and people don’t always have all the information. Sometimes, you have to speak up for yourself.
“WWE, for example, is a big machine that promotes their side of things and when the screw job happened, I was suddenly just a wrestler out of business having to tell his side of the story. If you look back on it, I told my side of the story. I’ve always been a guy…my story has never changed. That’s the thing about me, I tell the truth. Sometimes, the truth hurts, and that’s unfortunate.”
Bret Hart earned five WWE Championships, two WWE Tag Team Championships, and two Intercontinental Championships, and even added a run with the US Title years after he retired from the ring during his career. After moving to WCW, The Hitman captured the WCW World Title twice on his way to becoming a Triple Crown winner in that company as well.
Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a solo star in 2006 – four years before he returned to WWE on Monday Night Raw – and as part of The Hart Foundation tag team with Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart in 2019. For years Hart called himself ‘The Best There Is, The Best There Was, And The Best There Ever Will Be,’ given his achievements and legacy in the wrestling business, it doesn’t look like The Hitman was lying when he said that either.