Bret Hart Recalls How His Iconic 1991 WWE SummerSlam Match Almost Didn’t Happen

Bret Hart shared an emotional story about Curt Hennig, famously known as Mr. Perfect, and his extraordinary dedication to their iconic match at the 1991 SummerSlam event.

Speaking at a live show hosted by Johnny I Pro Show, Bret Hart recounted how Hennig pushed through immense physical pain to deliver an unforgettable performance. Hart explained that Hennig was dealing with a severe back injury at the time, which necessitated immediate surgery. However, despite the excruciating condition, Hennig postponed the operation to honour his commitment to their Intercontinental Title bout.

Well, the backstory to the match with Curt (Hennig) was that he had hurt his back really badly, that’s why I think they were trying to take the belt off him because his back was really bad.

What made Hennig’s decision even more remarkable was the personal connection he felt to his opponent. According to Hart, once Hennig learned he would be facing him at SummerSlam, he vowed to step into the ring no matter what.

They told him they were gonna make the decision that they were gonna change the belt at SummerSlam and he was getting his back — at that time, he was gonna get surgery on his back. But when he found out that it was me that he was gonna drop the belt to, he said, ‘I will be there no matter what.’

The match, held on August 26th, 1991, at Madison Square Garden, is widely celebrated as one of the greatest Intercontinental Title matches in WWE history. Hennig’s unwavering commitment not only solidified his legacy but also underscored the deep respect he held for Bret Hart.

How Did Bret Hart’s Final Match In WWE Come To Be?

Former WWE manager Ricardo Rodriguez spoke about how Bret Hart’s final WWE match, where he teamed with John Cena to face Rodriguez and Alberto Del Rio, came to be and said that he and Del Rio were training in a gym when Del Rio received a text from WWE agent Road Dogg informing him that the match would be taking place on the September 12th 2011 episode of Raw. Rodriguez said that he initially thought that it was a joke but when they never received a punchline they knew that the match would definitely be taking place.

H/t to POSTWrestling.com