Slam! Wrestling has an outstanding interview with Bret Hart in which he discusses why he finally came back to the WWE after so many years of being gone. We all remember the Montreal Screwjob and Hart's subsequent forgettable run with WCW. In 2000 Bill Goldberg ended his career with a kick to the head that gave Hart a concussion. Just a few short years later he would suffer a stroke. We all wondered when and if he would ever make his way back and finally, due to some things at home, he decided that he would make a call to Vince McMahon:
"Vince is getting older, I'm getting older and the whole story line, the whole angle and the whole issue with me and Vince and the screwjob in Montreal is fading from memory a little bit and the only thing that people remember is that I was kind of bitter about it," he said. "I decided this is the time to at least open the door and say let's work something out that would be good for all of us and give me something to do for the next little while.
"I knew there was some money attached to the whole thing and wrestling fans would maybe clamour to get closure to this thing would be a big deal."
It's a bit surprising to hear that Bret was the one who called Vince. Apparently after making the call, the WWE took note of it and didn't get back to him for months.
"I wasn't looking for a handout. I thought it would be good for everybody," he said. "I think they had trouble believing I was serious. I think they thought I was pulling their leg."
Once they learned he wasn't playing games and he really wanted to come back they worked out a deal and started deciding on what to do with him. The WWE is infamous for botching big time angles that could do great business but they actually managed not to drop the ball on this one.
"We wanted to make sure I didn't do anything where I was humiliated or made to look bad or worse than what had happened before," he said. "I didn't want people saying, 'What an idiot. I can't believe he went back and bothered to (have McMahon) do that to him again.'"
There were no big surprises regarding the program he entered into with Vince but it was the right thing to do as far as the character goes. It's easy to forget these things in pro wrestling and the WWE often does but there was nothing to do other than bring him back and work towards a match with Vince at WrestleMania where he could put Vince in the sharpshooter and win the match. It might have been predictable in every way but that's what had to happen. It was the only thing that made sense.
"It's been a great ride for me. I've had so much fun doing it," he said. "I thought the whole thing at Wrestlemania, even though it was just wrestling gaga, was a nice kind of closure for the Hart family. I know my sisters and brothers had a great time playing their parts and watching this whole thing -- one last moment for the Hart family. Who knows there may be more.
Obviously there has been more. Initial reports were that Hart signed a short contract from January on through WreslteMania. After the stroke Bret is extremely limited in what he can do and finding ways to keep him involved in storylines would be difficult but they've done just that. They haven't needed to overbook too many matches with him involved either which has been surprising. We know we won't be getting the Hitman of old but it's nice to have Bret back again.
"I just woke up one day and realized I would be carrying a tag with (the Screwjob) forever. If I leave it the way it is, it will always be an open wound," he said. "Even though we had bridged most of the issues we had and were at least copacetic with each other, I thought if I was ever going to do something like this, I would have start to do it now."
I'm glad that he's made his way back and gotten closure for so many things. In the full interview he talks about forgiving Shawn Michaels and his medical issues along with whatever potential future he may have with the WWE. My hope is that they will know when to bring it to a stop. Don't drag him out there time and again just to do it. His involvement in the Nexus angle adds some intrigue but there is only so much he can do. I hope they quit while they're ahead. Still happy he came back.