Bret Hart Played Key Role In Shaping Ex-WWE Star’s Character

Bret Hart did his best to guide a former WWE star.

By the mid-1990s, Bret Hart was already considered a veteran, having begun training as an amateur wrestler at just nine years old. Throw in the fact that everyone around him was a pro wrestler, and he trained at the famous “Dungeon” under the guidance of his father, Hart was better placed than most to offer advice.

Although he began training as a professional wrestler in 1988, Ken Shamrock initially found fame as part of the fledgling Ultimate Fighting Championship MMA promotion in 1993.

Shamrock quickly established himself as one of the stars of the burgeoning MMA scene and began working with the WWF in 1997 with the nickname “The World’s Most Dangerous Man.”

Over the next two years, Shamrock won the King of the Ring tournament and the Intercontinental and World Tag Team Titles. However, frustrated with creative, the star left the company in late 1999. He went on to wrestle for ROH, NJPW, and TNA, among others, as well as returning to MMA.

Bret Hart Provided Guidance

During a new interview with Wrestling Life Online, Shamrock looked back on his time working for WWE and how he made the transition from MMA fighter to pro wrestler.

While recalling his early days with the sports entertainment giant, Shamrock opened up about working with Bret Hart. He revealed that it was Hart who helped him build his character and understand how to become successful in the ring.

Yeah, and I credit a lot of my understanding of the character in which I was supposed to be. I credit a lot of that to Bret helped me understand that I’m not a pro wrestler, and they brought me in as this world’s most dangerous man, and to go out there and do hip tosses and leap frogs and these things. That’s just not me. That’s not who they brought me in for.”

Shamrock added that it was working with Hart that made him feel more comfortable in a new environment, noting that they quickly became friends.

“They brought me in for what I was famous for, and that was submitting guys. And so after I understood that and was able to implement those different types of holds into it, I was able to actually start feeling comfortable. But like said, with the friendship I had with Bret and all the other guys that really bond together to help me.”

In the same conversation, Ken Shamrock revealed that the WWE locker room was wary about his arrival, given his reputation in MMA.

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H/t to WrestlingNews.Co