The Bret Hart Vs. Hulk Hogan Match That Almost Happened

Jim Ross provided a deep dive into the complexities surrounding Hulk Hogan’s reluctance to drop the WWE title to Bret Hart, shedding light on what could have been a monumental wrestling showdown that never materialised.

Speaking on an episode of Grilling JR, Ross offered valuable insights into Hogan’s mindset and the missed opportunity for a captivating rivalry between two iconic figures in the wrestling world.

Ross delved into Hogan’s hesitance to concede the WWE title to Bret Hart, attributing it to Hogan’s perception of Hart primarily as a tag team specialist. He emphasised Hogan’s adherence to traditional wrestling principles prevalent during his era, influenced by old-school ideologies and territorial mentalities. Ross suggested that Hogan’s reluctance stemmed from a reluctance to lose to a wrestler he perceived as significantly smaller, particularly one associated with tag team competition.

I think that maybe Hogan still perceived Bret as the tag team specialist with the Anvil and the Hart Foundation and he didn’t want to lose to a much smaller tag team guy. I can see old-school guys thinking that, and Hogan was an old-school guy. He was a territory guy. He had a lot of those old-school principles in his mindset.

Reflecting on the hypothetical scenario of a match between Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan, Ross expressed his confidence in the potential for an extraordinary encounter. Drawing parallels to Hogan’s successful match with The Rock at WrestleMania 18, despite physical limitations, Ross envisioned a compelling rivalry filled with dramatic storytelling and nuanced character dynamics that could have captivated audiences worldwide.

I believe that Bret Hart and Hogan could’ve had one hell of a match. We saw what Hogan did with Rock at WrestleMania 18. He’d had back surgeries and he wasn’t the same dude physically because of the wear and tear on his body. But I thought he and Rock had a great match, the people bought it, and that’s what matters.

Which Current Wrestler Does Bret Hart Think Is An “Artist” In The Ring?

Bret Hart stated that he thinks Bryan Danielson is an artist in the ring. Hart went on to say he would love to step in the ring with Danielson and other current wrestlers such as Randy Orton, Edge, and AJ Styles.

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