WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart once again shared candid reflections on his career and peers during a recent live Q&A event in Germersheim, Germany, offering high praise for two legends — and harsh criticism for another.
Speaking about the wrestlers who helped elevate his career, Hart credited Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig) and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as instrumental in establishing him as a main event star. “Everything for me started with the wrestlers that loved working with me like Mr. Perfect and Roddy Piper, and certain guys wanted to help me and prove to the office and the promotion that I could be a big star,” Hart said. “And so I owe a lot to Mr. Perfect. He was the first guy to really go in there and just show everybody how good I was. Curt was one of my favorite guys to ever wrestle. Roddy Piper was probably the second.”
However, Hart drew a sharp contrast when discussing Hulk Hogan, accusing the WWE icon of refusing to help younger talent after his time at the top had passed. “When I look back on my career and I look back on wrestling, the industry, and I look back on what Roddy and Mr. Perfect did for me, I can tell you that Hulk Hogan never did that for anybody,” Hart stated. “He never helped anybody else after his time was being the top guy. He would rather see the company sink than actually come back and help make the next star, which in wrestling — that’s kind of how it always works. The next guy builds the next guy after. It’s like everybody helps each other kind of thing.”
Hart has a long, complicated history with Hogan dating back to the early 1990s, and this is far from the first time he has publicly criticized “The Hulkster.” Still, his remarks underscore the collaborative spirit Hart believes is essential to professional wrestling — and highlight the gratitude he still holds for Hennig and Piper, who he credits with shaping his rise to superstardom.
