Bret’s book brought me to tears. His life completely unravels over a short period of time - Owen’s death, the concussion, Davey Boy’a death, the stroke. It’s heartbreaking.
It’s heartbreaking if not Hartbreaking, but in recent years seeing Warrior and Hitman make peace with everybody is a lesson in forgiveness and moving on.
With all of that going on he had a shitty last few years of his career, an early retirement, and im sure seeing how wwf skyrocketed after he left didn’t do his conscience much good either
The poor guy got hit with several devastating blows in quick succession. It's a testament to his character that he managed to recuperate and write a bestselling book, return to WWE and make peace with Vince and HBK, and has since worked on lots of cool projects and continued to make appearances for his fans.
From a red-hot storyline with Steve Austin who was about to be the biggest star ever and the Montreal Screwjob to………being a guest referee in a gimmick match that wasn’t even a main event. Possibly the most WCW thing ever.
Bret Hart is guy who has gone through tragedy after tragedy, in both his business and personal life, that he's completely justified in never wanting to be a part of wrestling again.
The MAJOR problem here would be Hulk "That doesn't work for me, brother" Hogan and his Cliq clotting up the shows in general and the main event in particular. Before Vince Russo there was simply not enough space on top of the mountain next to Hogan's ego
WCW had so much of its budget tied up in assured contracts that they couldn’t give Brett proper matches had they wanted to. Hogan and the rest would have just flexed creative control.
It was a damn crime. I don't agree with everything Cornette says, especially when it comes to politics, but when it comes to his opinion of Russo, even he is probably going easy on that gigantic douchebag.
i mean you can say that for alot of people in wcw, hogan going to wcw is still the worst thing to ever happen to it, sure it gave some big highs, but it ultimately changed and destroyed it
Finished reading Bret's autobiography last week and it's an incredible book, absolutely must-read and highly recommended for any wrestling fan. The last third of the book especially is really sad and difficult to get through at points, but he writes about such tough subjects (Montreal, Owen, the collapse of the Hart family, his concussion, Stu's death, his stroke) with real heart and you really have to feel sympy for him.
My interpretation was very different than yours. I do feel sympathy for Owen and the fallout. But the wrestling side, the autobiography seemed like a love letter to himself. I also had difficulty stomaching how he constantly pointed out flaws/drug use/divorces, etc., that other wrestlers were going through, but he always had a way of justifying his own faults, especially his infidelity.
@@StuUngar there is some truth in that comment. I am a Bret fan but I do think he laid it on a bit thick at times in terms of praising himself. That being said still found it a good read and say what you want about but he is a good storyteller.
I'm about to order it, thanks for the recommendation but i see 2 different books, one that says international best seller and another that says "with Perry Lefko" which should I get? i bought both, it was only £10 for the pair
wcw couldn't even boil water correctly in those days. Their level of incompetence was so high that they couldn't book Bret Hart. This would be like being dealt a royal flush and folding.
If you played pee wee football in the 90s for a couple years you would have 5 concussions. I think it’s funny hart pretends a concussion. From a kick to the forehead ended his career. When it’s his divorce brothers death that were bothering I mean the guy drones on and on about things that happened 30 years ago. I can’t imagine he’s in a good spot when he’s going through it.
@Samuel Wells Unfortunately, this is not possible, especially after suffering multiple ones in a short span. Had Bret realized he had these, likely would had went to a doctor sooner. He thought that it was his neck, pinched nerves maybe. The way Bret described driving back to the hotel, was unreal & should had told him something was badly wrong. Yet he thought he could go on, unlike many, manned up rather than puss out. Best of luck to a true all time Great of Wrestling!💖
@@oldironsides4107 he openly talks that most of his wrestling memories are good ones and he has very few regrets. People call him bitter, but I don’t see it that way…he’s just honest about his feelings and those feelings can go both ways. He likes Goldberg the man, but not the wrestler. On top of all of the personal things going on, WCW is ruining the business that he (and his whole family) spent his entire life trying to build.
Yeah my exact thought and honestly this was the saddest video I've seen here lol. Imagining what he thinks his brother went through and thinking hes next just sad
The worst part about my first head injury was that I stayed in the lacrosse game I was playing, unaware I was dazed off pure adrenaline I guess, and got hit again later. Second-impact-syndrome is what I believe it is called. Bret Hart took three hard hits, right? The elbow, the on the outside, and the kick to the head. Possibly even the spear. It's not hard to see why Hart was so out of it after his match.
I've had 3 concussions myself. One of them was very serious. They are no joke, and anyone that has never experienced it, has no idea the pain you suffer, not to mention the regular head aches and pain throughout my later life.
I've met Bret personally many times between 1994-2020. I still remember when my friend and I met him shortly after he came to WCW--though it was obvious that he was upset about what happened with the then-WWF, Bret made it clear that he was happy to see us and gave us big hugs. Back then, I think Bret tried to be hopeful about his future with WCW but that was impossible--WCW had no clue what they were doing, period. To this day, I say that Bret's name in syonymous with the word legend.
The thing is you dont really have clarity. My most serious one i remember lying dazed almost asleep but not and apparently the teacher was yelling at me to get to my desk.
@@chrisortiz8072 it’s more of an old school wrestling thing. Bret took wrestling as seriously as a religion. They had the expectation that even if you were injured, so long as you could still work, you had to the job. A notable example was Curt Henning working injured against Bret at SummerSlam.
You know, this kind of thing is why I completely understand why Bret Hart is so bitter. He’s had a lot of success in the wrestling business, but the wrestling business also shat on him too.
Alot of the problem I'm having with Bret Hart story that he wrote in his book is, he didn't bother to tell the head office specialty Vince Russo, that he might have a serious injury. Vince and a lot of the guys probably thought that he was just working with a couple of minor injuries. Why would they think this because Bret Hart himself didn't tell them how serious it was. I get it being angry but you also have to take your own very responsibility on giving information to others about your Medical Health
@@WillsonT011 Hart didn't go to Russo because he wasn't sure if he had a serious concussion or not. Hart just knew he was in a lot of pain and thought that the pain would eventually go away by taking Advil. Also, Hart was suffering from short term memory lost and he didn't want to be complainer since the top bosses needed him badly to sit in for Kevin Nash
the WWE was moving towards the brash attitude era, like WCW was w/ NWO and Wolfpack.. Brett was no longer going to headline and be WWE champ on the daily.. but he could have great angles w/ the likes of Angle (pun intended) and take breaks, and come back every so often, to fight great angles. He was a giant killer, and anyone that needed to be taken down a notch (belt or not) could have called for Brett to step up, or even b) return as a tag team champion. You're right - he and Angle as technical wrestlers would've been a great tag team setup :D
I know that it's been said, but Wrestling Bios' remixes are really just incredible. Every single episode, you get treated to something that would be a normal content creator's entire channel. That's why I joined the Patreon and why YOU SHOULD TOO!
Name one wrestler that had an overwhelming end to their career....without being an ass I’m serious. Name one. Flair? Hogan? Andre? Taker? Austin? Rock? Race? Funk? Michaels? I completely understand Bret but if you think about it he had a biggest “outride” of any wrestler ever. Brets retirement has lasted Like 20 years. Did anyone else have that? And Bret made money every single day and Bret makes money to this day 2022. Give me a break.
Geez...that's really hard to hear that he was going through all that pain. It's actually eye opening to hear all the preparation he went through for his matches. With all the tape and pads, icy hot, etc...here I never thought he was ever affected by anything other than that kick. Like he was a freaking superhero.
The Hitman was the coolest and most talented wrestler in the business, they should have made him the guy who defeated Goldberg, he would have been the best guy to do it.
I always felt DDP should of best Goldberg at Halloween Havok when he countered the jackhammer into the diamond cutter BUT! Goldberg sucks in the ring and I would of much rather seen Bret and DDP feud over the belt. Brawler style DDP and Bret could of had matches similar to how he worked with Stone Cold in the WWF
That's a great point! With Bischoff as Hogan's lackey, Hall and Nash stirring things up, Steiner cutting shoot promos and others going wild, WCW was a toxic work environment with no clear leader or direction in '98 and '99.
Too many other grasping chiefs and their clout with WCW didn't help the situation either, like Goldlberg, Hogan, Flair and Sting. All of them have expectations to be near to the title in that time period. Of course, the company screwed this up way worse with stupid untimely gimmicks and stuff as well as Russo's input
@@uberneanderthal here's my question... if that kick to the head ended his career due to concussion, but Bret never went to the doctor until months later and plenty of abuse post Goldberg, how can you be certain it was Goldberg that ended his career? Bret should have seen a doctor immediately after the match. Instead he continued getting busted up and knocked in the head until January 10th 2000. Had Bret seen the doctor after the Goldberg match, who's to say he doesn't make a full recovery after some time off?
@@RobGamesOn No one took concussions seriously back in the 90s. It was actually cases like Bret Hart's that made people more aware of their severity and the need for proper recovery.
This is very sad. I have read the book, I have met and spoken with Bret Hart and have a lot of respect for him and his work. The bitterness he seems to hold onto is definitely put into perspective when you know these facts.
@@DannyBZ9 that doesn't matter in the overall message of my comment. He got injured during a match walked to the back and was handed pills, because that's all they had. Thats horrible.
Agreed, and especially in the case of a concussion, where the injured party is possibly unable to realize they need help, you gotta have a medic nearby to make those calls on behalf of the victim.
To think of all of the most legendary wrestlers last matches in history... Bret's last match had to be one of the worst. I always imagined Bret's last match being an absolute clinic... but I guess not.
@@arthurmorgan7086 triggered? for replying? Not really, I just so happened to reply to as many comments I see in my notifications. I type my comment & move on with my day lol.
As a kid Bret Hart was larger than life. And even as the WWF transitioned into the attitude era and Bret turned heel I still enjoyed everything he was involved with. Knowing that his last days in wrestling were filled with trauma and pain just breaks my heart. Bret deserved better.
Bret’s opinion on Goldberg changes for two primary reasons. 1. He was gaslit by interviewers into believing that Goldberg didn’t take the injury seriously, which prompted anger and one that he stuck by because the man knows how to hold certain convictions, and conversely, certain grudges. This was largely down to people overplaying some statement by Goldberg and provoking Bret into stating certain hard truths that he then had to stick by. 2. Speaking of hard truths. His views on the business also evolved over the years. He came to realise that injuries, especially head injustices, are no joke and that they carry seriously consequences. Wrestlers end up with long term health problems and substance addictions as a result. As such, he was right about Goldberg not being safe and making it a task to call out wrestlers when safety isn’t considered. However, the level to which he turned that criticism into a grudge goes back to the first reason. His book is fine. Morons don’t like it because they simply see wrestling as a self-indulgent soap/circus act and cannot comprehend why someone would have pride in their work and what they lost in the process of giving to the business.
@jpssteveshanahan9572 Yeah, among other things like stroking his mark ego, and letting him slide on a lack of mic skills. They should have taken Scott’s advice and ended the streak earlier
You hear so many people talking about how unprofessional Goldberg was, but this really puts it on display moreso than anything else. WCW was also at fault for pushing such a dangerous wrestler to the moon. It’s no wonder Time Warner decided to shut it down. They must have been thinking this wrestling business is nothing but a giant lawsuit waiting to happen.
@Energetic Coach I agree. They took him out of the Power Plant before the end of his training. Didn't have any time to properly learn the art of pro wrestling.
@@AlexYBITW That dumbass Sarge being a trainer at the Power Plant won't have helped. According to Batista in his 2007 book Batista Unleashed he went to train there with his friend Lance but Sarge kept putting them down because he had a Napoleon complex and hated them for being bigger than him.
Honestly, Bret should have just left WCW and gone home to recover from the concussion. I understand being a professional, but his health was more important than taking part in stupid angles and hardcore matches
@@filmbuff2777 Goldberg gave him at least two concussions back to back. I honestly think that what really got Bret wasn't the kick, but the figure four spot. He banged his head on the floor after Goldberg let go of him during the spot, and he was too dazed to react to the kick in time.
Taking a bump with the figure 4 leg lock on the post did a lot more damage than the kick, if you watch it you can see. Didn't Bret also wrestle after that goldberg match including taking a chair shot? Goldberg ended Brets career is an interesting narrative albeit completely false
Imagine the matches we would of gotten from Bret and Lance Storm who was just around the corner at this point. Had WCW of let Bret legitimize the world title scene it could of been a breath of fresh air for the company
Pretty much everything about Bret's WCW run sucked, but the one positive was that when Russo came on board, Bret finally got the push he should've had a long time before. And then he got kicked in the head by someone who didn't really know what he was doing.
That was a hard watch. So sad that a career as truly exceptional as Brets, came to an end in such a horrible fashion. The man will always be regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. His dedication and passion for the business was unparalleled in my opinion.
I don’t think Bret contradicted himself about Goldberg at all. Goldberg was a good guy who certainly didn’t mean to end Bret’s career. He just happened to be a shitty wrestler.
An absolutely wonderful video you did here. Bret's not so greatest hits and last days of a wrestler is a sad story indeed, and this was a Fantastically put together account of it all. I loved how you narrated Bret's words out of the book, calling the action over the footage of the matches. Excellently executed and crafted with class.
You can be both a good-hearted nice guy who isn't safe to work with in the ring. Goldberg has always struck me as a stand-up type who wouldn't intentionally injure someone he was working with, but that doesn't mean you have the skills, ability, or judgement to do some of the things these men and women do in the ring. Sometimes, you have all those things, and something still goes wrong. Brett can feel all those things towards Goldberg at the same time, and they are all equally true.
I'm going to tell you this right now, if Bret Hart had a problem with the stiffness of Goldberg then he would have never have survived any type of match with Brock Lesnar. Now that's a guy that works you stiff
I don't buy Goldberg being too stiff. Vader is by consensus much more stiff and Bret worked with him fine. When reading Bret's book tbh, he only has himself to blame. He didn't protect himself properly when taking some bumps/Goldberg could have done better to cushion some BUT by the time it gets to the infamous kick, Goldberg calls it. Hart should have slowed himself down and just backed off but he was the type of guy who was hell bent on making it look "real". His fault as much as Goldies tbh.
@24:45 I actually was at one of the shows of this WCW tour and met Bret Hart backstage. He was really kind and a true gentleman. I must have been 12 years old at the time. Great job with documentary of his final wrestling days. Bret Hart is a legend of the sport.
I watch all of your videos because it takes me back to a time of my life that was carefree and simpler, this my friend was one of your best pieces of work. I thank you so much for helping me relive so many childhood memories.
@@lt.danicecream Put him in a more high profile feud to kick off his run for a start. Booking him as a referee for Bischoff is not the way you kick off Bret's wcw run
WCW never knew how to use Bret properly, he went from the hottest star to a chump literally overnight thanks to the shitty Booking he received in almost his entire WCW run.
Bret Hart has never been inconsistent about Bill Goldberg. He thinks he is a good guy but terrible wrestler and dangerous worker in the ring. They aren't mutually exclusive.
That may be true, but what's also true is that as Bret aged, he emphasized Goldberg being a good guy less and less, and being dangerous a lot more. I won't say A&E Bios are perfect, but if there was anything in that most recent one about Goldberg being a good guy, I didn't hear it. And rather than blaming the people who did or didn't train the man, more recently he blames the man. I tend to think that it's either due to Bret having suffered more lingering negative effects from the injury as time went on, or, and how ironic would this be, the part of his head that Goldberg kicked was the area dealing with sympathy and forgiveness, which made it much more difficult to remember that he once felt sorry for the guy.
@@samoanjoseph1457 I do think the negative effects being the stroke later on and all also doesn’t help the possibly at one point Bret/Goldberg friendship.
That was an incredible video my friend. I feel like Bret should be paying you royalties, I just ordered his autobiography on the back of watching this video. Keep up the great work, thanks again!
Bret Hart was absolutely wasted in WCW and a legend of his stature should have been used properly, he deserved so much better and it's such a shame that his epic career ended so prematurely
His heel turn in April 98 was when I knew they were wasting him. For weeks he talks about putting an end to Hollywood Hogan, only to join him out of nowhere. There was no reason to turn him heel.
@@derekazyan9942 plus, even if he didn’t get injured by Goldberg, after Owen, no one was in the mood to boo Bret. WCW just never let him be himself. To this day I still think 1997 was his greatest year creatively, and it sucks that McMahon was not financially able to keep him under contract, because Austin vs Bret at WM 14 would have been a classic. Or even Austin vs Bret vs Shawn
So after all this he receives a termination letter because of his incapacity… 🙈 Only good thing is that he got out of it alive and is still with us today.
Yep He was the exact opposite of a Mr. Perfect or Jake the Snake, two men who were known to take extra care not to hurt other wrestlers, and true professionals. Just one of the myriad of poor decisions from WCW.
Undertaker doesn’t belong in the same category. They were both old. Plus, Undertaker screwed up too when he dropped Goldberg on his head. Against Bret, that was just carelessness.
@ItsStillRealToMe DamnIt You need to remember he was working concussed. He was having constant headaches, memory loss, blurred vision, etc (as mentioned in the video), which are normal affects of a traumatic brain injury. With that in mind, it's needless to say that it doesn't take a highlight reel worthy bump or shot for it to ring his bell.
You probably couldn't, mostly because Bret was an awesome seller and a physical wrestler, so even those hard irish whips into the buckle that would shake the whole ring (and my friend he TOOK those ones) would seem "usual" in a Bret Hart match. His style was very physical and very intense throughout a 20+ year career, so it's more a combination of everything than one particular spot, if I make myself clear.
Man, just you narrating the book and showing what goes through the match between Bill and Bret, you can just wince at the car wreck that is about to happen. It is sad how his career ended on a way no one saw.
During this time my Grampa died and they'd repeat Nitro like at midnight. I'd try watching it but it was so boring and non sensisical I couldn't pay too much attention. My whole family would be awake at night.
@@StuUngar it was more than just a headache. He thought his neck was hurt. You would use pain pills for a hurt enough neck. I never even mentioned a headache, I said a concussion.
First video I've seen on your channel. The way you put this video together was magnificent. I wasn't the biggest Bret fan, but always respected the hell out of him. He really was what he said he was. The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. My best friend was a massive fan of his and I can see why. This video also makes me sad as now I know his final WCW match was in my hometown. Anyway here's a sub for you.
Bret’s book brought me to tears. His life completely unravels over a short period of time - Owen’s death, the concussion, Davey Boy’a death, the stroke. It’s heartbreaking.
It’s heartbreaking if not Hartbreaking, but in recent years seeing Warrior and Hitman make peace with everybody is a lesson in forgiveness and moving on.
With all of that going on he had a shitty last few years of his career, an early retirement, and im sure seeing how wwf skyrocketed after he left didn’t do his conscience much good either
The poor guy got hit with several devastating blows in quick succession. It's a testament to his character that he managed to recuperate and write a bestselling book, return to WWE and make peace with Vince and HBK, and has since worked on lots of cool projects and continued to make appearances for his fans.
Don't forget the goof Goldberg hurting him
@@AzulQueso_not his fault
From a red-hot storyline with Steve Austin who was about to be the biggest star ever and the Montreal Screwjob to………being a guest referee in a gimmick match that wasn’t even a main event. Possibly the most WCW thing ever.
It's a torch passing moment of building new stars at that time.
Tbf how many wcw stars were used well in WWE. It’s a shame Brets had a tough late 90s.
Bret should of been punting people like Randy Orton did ! Putting them on the shelf for six months !
@@lexkanyima2195it was a waste of a great talent coming off a huge story
Bret Hart is guy who has gone through tragedy after tragedy, in both his business and personal life, that he's completely justified in never wanting to be a part of wrestling again.
he's a millionaire, he'll be fine
@@fwef7445 For whatever time he has left, at least.
That goes for all of us though
Bret's one of the greats. He's given us plenty of good matches. I never knew he was in this kind of danger.
@@fwef7445 That's the dumbest thing your could say dude.
WCW was so dependent on the NWO that they forgot that they had Bret Hart
Exactly!
The MAJOR problem here would be Hulk "That doesn't work for me, brother" Hogan and his Cliq clotting up the shows in general and the main event in particular. Before Vince Russo there was simply not enough space on top of the mountain next to Hogan's ego
@@emmanueleferrarotto2986 Yep, the fact WCW started tanking the time the NWO was going stale pretty much sums it all up.
They forgot so many talents Brett Hart was at the top of the list then you had Guerrero Benoit melinko and so on too many to count
WCW had so much of its budget tied up in assured contracts that they couldn’t give Brett proper matches had they wanted to. Hogan and the rest would have just flexed creative control.
The way WCW misused Bret Hart was a complete and utter sin.
It was a damn crime.
I don't agree with everything Cornette says, especially when it comes to politics, but when it comes to his opinion of Russo, even he is probably going easy on that gigantic douchebag.
@@kevinlee9929 look at the harm he caused Bret in those two months though.
@@RobGamesOn What harm did Russo cause Bret?
@@arthurmorgan7086
He flat out stated to Russo that he was not a stunt man. Then Russo again had him do another stupid car thing.
@@irvinmorales1409 exactly
WCW didn’t know what to do with Bret Hart. Stone Cold Steve Austin even told him not to go down there.
@Ultra Instinct 94 And that's the stone cold truth!
When did he told him ?
@Ultra Instinct 94 ?
When it comes to the run Bret Hart had in WCW, “dropped the ball” is an understatement.
But why utilize Bret Hart when you can rely on superstars like David Arquette?
@@CHIIIEEEEEEEEFFFFSSS lol
They threw the ball into a cranky old man’s lawn, and never bothered to get it back.
simply just WCW “dropping the ball” is an understatement
i mean you can say that for alot of people in wcw, hogan going to wcw is still the worst thing to ever happen to it, sure it gave some big highs, but it ultimately changed and destroyed it
Finished reading Bret's autobiography last week and it's an incredible book, absolutely must-read and highly recommended for any wrestling fan. The last third of the book especially is really sad and difficult to get through at points, but he writes about such tough subjects (Montreal, Owen, the collapse of the Hart family, his concussion, Stu's death, his stroke) with real heart and you really have to feel sympy for him.
My interpretation was very different than yours. I do feel sympathy for Owen and the fallout.
But the wrestling side, the autobiography seemed like a love letter to himself. I also had difficulty stomaching how he constantly pointed out flaws/drug use/divorces, etc., that other wrestlers were going through, but he always had a way of justifying his own faults, especially his infidelity.
@@StuUngar there is some truth in that comment. I am a Bret fan but I do think he laid it on a bit thick at times in terms of praising himself. That being said still found it a good read and say what you want about but he is a good storyteller.
I'm about to order it, thanks for the recommendation but i see 2 different books, one that says international best seller and another that says "with Perry Lefko" which should I get?
i bought both, it was only £10 for the pair
@@Daniel-Marson were they worth buying
Does he say “needless to say, I had the last laugh” in it a lot? Haven’t read it but that’s what they say on OSW.
wcw couldn't even boil water correctly in those days.
Their level of incompetence was so high that they couldn't book Bret Hart.
This would be like being dealt a royal flush and folding.
Nice
Russo: Bro, we gonna have the boiling water on a pole match!
They used Bret much better than how WWE used Owen.
@@DojoVII Also Russo, lets boiling water go cold.
Man, as someone who has suffered 5 concussions, Bret's descriptions are spot on! This took me back to a place I tried to forget.
How are you doing today?
If you played pee wee football in the 90s for a couple years you would have 5 concussions.
I think it’s funny hart pretends a concussion. From a kick to the forehead ended his career. When it’s his divorce brothers death that were bothering
I mean the guy drones on and on about things that happened 30 years ago. I can’t imagine he’s in a good spot when he’s going through it.
@Samuel Wells Unfortunately, this is not possible, especially after suffering multiple ones in a short span. Had Bret realized he had these, likely would had went to a doctor sooner. He thought that it was his neck, pinched nerves maybe. The way Bret described driving back to the hotel, was unreal & should had told him something was badly wrong. Yet he thought he could go on, unlike many, manned up rather than puss out.
Best of luck to a true all time Great of Wrestling!💖
@@fightermma a@@
@@oldironsides4107 he openly talks that most of his wrestling memories are good ones and he has very few regrets. People call him bitter, but I don’t see it that way…he’s just honest about his feelings and those feelings can go both ways. He likes Goldberg the man, but not the wrestler.
On top of all of the personal things going on, WCW is ruining the business that he (and his whole family) spent his entire life trying to build.
So sad when he mentions thinking of Owen, can't even imagine what that must have felt like, amazing video as always mate
Not sure how he's able to maintain composure during that time. I read his entire book, it's really gut wrenching after he retires.
Yeah my exact thought and honestly this was the saddest video I've seen here lol. Imagining what he thinks his brother went through and thinking hes next just sad
@@stucazzo2000 7
I've had three serious concussions and people who have never had one have no idea how much they effect you.
I've had two you speak the absolute truth
You two holdin out on us?...
Come on, did you see Kenny or not dude....
The worst part about my first head injury was that I stayed in the lacrosse game I was playing, unaware I was dazed off pure adrenaline I guess, and got hit again later. Second-impact-syndrome is what I believe it is called. Bret Hart took three hard hits, right? The elbow, the on the outside, and the kick to the head. Possibly even the spear. It's not hard to see why Hart was so out of it after his match.
I've had 3 concussions myself. One of them was very serious. They are no joke, and anyone that has never experienced it, has no idea the pain you suffer, not to mention the regular head aches and pain throughout my later life.
Had one and it’s not an experience I’d like to repeat
I've met Bret personally many times between 1994-2020. I still remember when my friend and I met him shortly after he came to WCW--though it was obvious that he was upset about what happened with the then-WWF, Bret made it clear that he was happy to see us and gave us big hugs. Back then, I think Bret tried to be hopeful about his future with WCW but that was impossible--WCW had no clue what they were doing, period. To this day, I say that Bret's name in syonymous with the word legend.
Really wish Bret would've got himself checked out immediately from the jump instead of blindly thinking that Advil would do the trick.
Yeah but it's a guy thing you think well I'll either sleep it off or be hurt for a week because I'm immortal lol
The thing is you dont really have clarity.
My most serious one i remember lying dazed almost asleep but not and apparently the teacher was yelling at me to get to my desk.
@@chrisortiz8072 it’s more of an old school wrestling thing. Bret took wrestling as seriously as a religion. They had the expectation that even if you were injured, so long as you could still work, you had to the job. A notable example was Curt Henning working injured against Bret at SummerSlam.
Just blame Bill Goldberg for not getting his health checked. He does.
@@filmbuff2777 goldberg failed to protect him, go away mark
Bret deserved so much more for his career.
I think he did pretty well. Really well. There are a lot of guys that had his level of talent that never got the push they deserved.
Look nothing at the end will be nice. Thats why its the end.
God, Bret Hart was SO GOOD. Even some of his WCW stuff was pure art.
Easily the saddest upload on this channel this year. Thanks for this upload and the reading directly from Bret’s book
You know, this kind of thing is why I completely understand why Bret Hart is so bitter. He’s had a lot of success in the wrestling business, but the wrestling business also shat on him too.
Alot of the problem I'm having with Bret Hart story that he wrote in his book is, he didn't bother to tell the head office specialty Vince Russo, that he might have a serious injury. Vince and a lot of the guys probably thought that he was just working with a couple of minor injuries. Why would they think this because Bret Hart himself didn't tell them how serious it was. I get it being angry but you also have to take your own very responsibility on giving information to others about your Medical Health
@@WillsonT011 what kind of risk ?
@@WillsonT011 Hart didn't go to Russo because he wasn't sure if he had a serious concussion or not. Hart just knew he was in a lot of pain and thought that the pain would eventually go away by taking Advil. Also, Hart was suffering from short term memory lost and he didn't want to be complainer since the top bosses needed him badly to sit in for Kevin Nash
@@WillsonT011 same coin Vince or a WCW doctor could have said Bret get your self check out to be safe.
Man how I wish we could’ve had a bret hart vs Kurt angle match at Wrestlemania
the WWE was moving towards the brash attitude era, like WCW was w/ NWO and Wolfpack.. Brett was no longer going to headline and be WWE champ on the daily.. but he could have great angles w/ the likes of Angle (pun intended) and take breaks, and come back every so often, to fight great angles. He was a giant killer, and anyone that needed to be taken down a notch (belt or not) could have called for Brett to step up, or even b) return as a tag team champion. You're right - he and Angle as technical wrestlers would've been a great tag team setup :D
That would have been epic!
Epicness
I know that it's been said, but Wrestling Bios' remixes are really just incredible. Every single episode, you get treated to something that would be a normal content creator's entire channel. That's why I joined the Patreon and why YOU SHOULD TOO!
How bout those CHIIIIEEEEEEEEEEFFFFFSS
@Trollking2988 thats why your the Trollking bro..lol..or your just super poor and cant afford something like £5 a month...lol..
Always hated Bret's entrance themes in WCW. His WWF one from 94 was right on the money.
1996 too
Bro his second WCW theme was the best one it fit him almost perfectly
His last wcw theme was cool...but none was better that his wwf hart attack guitar riff theme..
His last theme rocked
His last theme is really awesome. It fit him perfectly
Bret Hart may not of had a good run in WCW but at least he got to hold the WCW world title and main event Starrcade.
He may not have had, but still a wrestling god 👍
It's like i always say, if you have to retire due to injury...if you do so as world champ...you forever have that as a silver lining
@@gst013 112111111Now Available...
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Yeah he certainly did but so did Russo and maybe another 30 guys that year
The title was completely worthless
And get paid millions of dollars doing it
Sad that one of the greatest wrestlers of all time had such an underwhelming end to his career.
his brother had a worse end to his career. oof.
Name one wrestler that had an overwhelming end to their career....without being an ass I’m serious. Name one. Flair? Hogan? Andre? Taker? Austin? Rock? Race? Funk? Michaels? I completely understand Bret but if you think about it he had a biggest “outride” of any wrestler ever. Brets retirement has lasted Like 20 years. Did anyone else have that? And Bret made money every single day and Bret makes money to this day 2022. Give me a break.
Taken out by a loser, same old story
@@Maradala HBK's reitrement match against Undertaker was pretty good
@@MaradalaTrish Stratus in Unforgiven 2006.
Geez...that's really hard to hear that he was going through all that pain. It's actually eye opening to hear all the preparation he went through for his matches. With all the tape and pads, icy hot, etc...here I never thought he was ever affected by anything other than that kick. Like he was a freaking superhero.
That Goldberg stuff was tough to watch next to brets commentary wow
The Hitman was the coolest and most talented wrestler in the business, they should have made him the guy who defeated Goldberg, he would have been the best guy to do it.
Yeah. That would have been good.
Hogan wouldn’t have liked that though. There’s a reason Bret hates Hogan.
I always felt DDP should of best Goldberg at Halloween Havok when he countered the jackhammer into the diamond cutter
BUT! Goldberg sucks in the ring and I would of much rather seen Bret and DDP feud over the belt. Brawler style DDP and Bret could of had matches similar to how he worked with Stone Cold in the WWF
That's a great point! With Bischoff as Hogan's lackey, Hall and Nash stirring things up, Steiner cutting shoot promos and others going wild, WCW was a toxic work environment with no clear leader or direction in '98 and '99.
@@panagenesis2695 it's Bischoff huge erection of ratings
How can you not have a clue what to do with Bret Hart? Guy came at the perfect time on the back of Montreal and they booked him shockingly
Too many other grasping chiefs and their clout with WCW didn't help the situation either, like Goldlberg, Hogan, Flair and Sting. All of them have expectations to be near to the title in that time period. Of course, the company screwed this up way worse with stupid untimely gimmicks and stuff as well as Russo's input
"Who are you to doubt el dandy?"
Indeed...Who is ANYONE to doubt El Dandy?!
He's a jam-up guy.
Bret was never gonna be the main guy with Hogan having Eric in his back pocket...
Not a surprise. Hogan wouldn’t even shake his hand after wrestlemania 9. When Brett won the wwf championship, and Hogan was “going to retire”.
There’s a reason Bret hates both of them
Great point!
@@uberneanderthal here's my question... if that kick to the head ended his career due to concussion, but Bret never went to the doctor until months later and plenty of abuse post Goldberg, how can you be certain it was Goldberg that ended his career? Bret should have seen a doctor immediately after the match. Instead he continued getting busted up and knocked in the head until January 10th 2000. Had Bret seen the doctor after the Goldberg match, who's to say he doesn't make a full recovery after some time off?
@@RobGamesOn No one took concussions seriously back in the 90s. It was actually cases like Bret Hart's that made people more aware of their severity and the need for proper recovery.
This is very sad. I have read the book, I have met and spoken with Bret Hart and have a lot of respect for him and his work. The bitterness he seems to hold onto is definitely put into perspective when you know these facts.
Billion dollar industry couldn't have a medic on standby for their talent? Handed the man aspirin? Wow
Ibuprofen.
He was the one who refused to get himself treated
@@DannyBZ9 that doesn't matter in the overall message of my comment. He got injured during a match walked to the back and was handed pills, because that's all they had. Thats horrible.
Agreed, and especially in the case of a concussion, where the injured party is possibly unable to realize they need help, you gotta have a medic nearby to make those calls on behalf of the victim.
Sounds like everything was packed up as they were last ones in building.. his medical stuff was packed up and moving out too I'm thinking?
Bret's autobiography is one of the best wrestling books in the history of the business.
To think of all of the most legendary wrestlers last matches in history... Bret's last match had to be one of the worst.
I always imagined Bret's last match being an absolute clinic... but I guess not.
@@Scarizza and yet here I am still going by the name lol
@@Scarizza and yet... here I am.
@@Scarizza can't wait! Maybe you can call me an uber!
@@ChiseledAdonis he’s got you triggered
@@arthurmorgan7086 triggered? for replying? Not really, I just so happened to reply to as many comments I see in my notifications. I type my comment & move on with my day lol.
I remember meeting Bret on his book tour he was not the man I remembered from my childhood...wrestling wrecked this man and he never let us down
WCW made some terrible decisions during this Era and their misuse of Bret Hart was at the top of the list … 🕳
@n\a A Rabbit Hole that WCW placed themselves in …
WWE did far worse when their negligence killed Owen.
As a kid Bret Hart was larger than life. And even as the WWF transitioned into the attitude era and Bret turned heel I still enjoyed everything he was involved with. Knowing that his last days in wrestling were filled with trauma and pain just breaks my heart. Bret deserved better.
Yes!!!! Just got off work driving home and my notifications go off!!!!!! My day just got way better!
Bret’s opinion on Goldberg changes for two primary reasons.
1. He was gaslit by interviewers into believing that Goldberg didn’t take the injury seriously, which prompted anger and one that he stuck by because the man knows how to hold certain convictions, and conversely, certain grudges. This was largely down to people overplaying some statement by Goldberg and provoking Bret into stating certain hard truths that he then had to stick by.
2. Speaking of hard truths. His views on the business also evolved over the years. He came to realise that injuries, especially head injustices, are no joke and that they carry seriously consequences. Wrestlers end up with long term health problems and substance addictions as a result. As such, he was right about Goldberg not being safe and making it a task to call out wrestlers when safety isn’t considered. However, the level to which he turned that criticism into a grudge goes back to the first reason.
His book is fine. Morons don’t like it because they simply see wrestling as a self-indulgent soap/circus act and cannot comprehend why someone would have pride in their work and what they lost in the process of giving to the business.
@jpssteveshanahan9572
Yeah, among other things like stroking his mark ego, and letting him slide on a lack of mic skills. They should have taken Scott’s advice and ended the streak earlier
A sad way to end a legend’s career
And a domino effect of losing guys who live in that era. Espacially with his family
You hear so many people talking about how unprofessional Goldberg was, but this really puts it on display moreso than anything else. WCW was also at fault for pushing such a dangerous wrestler to the moon. It’s no wonder Time Warner decided to shut it down. They must have been thinking this wrestling business is nothing but a giant lawsuit waiting to happen.
WCW was Going out of business
@Energetic Coach I agree. They took him out of the Power Plant before the end of his training. Didn't have any time to properly learn the art of pro wrestling.
@@AlexYBITW That dumbass Sarge being a trainer at the Power Plant won't have helped. According to Batista in his 2007 book Batista Unleashed he went to train there with his friend Lance but Sarge kept putting them down because he had a Napoleon complex and hated them for being bigger than him.
Came to watch it again after your Starrcade 99 video
wcw: we want to book bret vs hogan
hogan: that doesnt work for me brother 🤣
Honestly, Bret should have just left WCW and gone home to recover from the concussion. I understand being a professional, but his health was more important than taking part in stupid angles and hardcore matches
I’m sure he regrets it also
@@derekazyan9942 He just blames it all on Goldberg.
@@filmbuff2777 well, because Goldberg did hurt him
@@filmbuff2777 Goldberg gave him at least two concussions back to back. I honestly think that what really got Bret wasn't the kick, but the figure four spot. He banged his head on the floor after Goldberg let go of him during the spot, and he was too dazed to react to the kick in time.
Bringing that Hitman heat 🔥 on a very hot & humid day in Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦 thanks for another great upload sir
Perfect vid to fill time on the last day of lockdown
It’s not that hot in Hamilton Ontario
Hot in jersey to. We hit 99°f tommorrow will be 100 or higher. Stay safe brother
@@chrisdelaurier7102 Its 100°f in Calgary today. Crazy hot for us
Thanks for the content man.
You’re the best
Truly is these videos are dope
Bret Hart vs. DDP, Macho Man, Curt Hennig, Booker T, and Sting were the highlights.
Bret vs Benoit, surely.
As far as Bret's opinion of Goldberg. it seems to me that two things can be true at once. Goldberg was a good guy, but also incredibly unsafe.
Goldberg is safer than continuing to keep taking blows to the head after getting a stiff kick from Goldberg and knowing you're hurt.
Taking a bump with the figure 4 leg lock on the post did a lot more damage than the kick, if you watch it you can see.
Didn't Bret also wrestle after that goldberg match including taking a chair shot? Goldberg ended Brets career is an interesting narrative albeit completely false
@@Hollow9444 I think according to Bret, he had repeated problems after Goldbergs kick to the head. And that was what ended his career.
His matches against Chris Benoit were awesome and on one of those matches Harley Race was the special guest ring announcer
Some best performances in wrestling history in any company happen WCW.Remember mallcome in middle intro the sharpshooter
Imagine the matches we would of gotten from Bret and Lance Storm who was just around the corner at this point.
Had WCW of let Bret legitimize the world title scene it could of been a breath of fresh air for the company
People trash Russo but alt least he put belt on Bret
Harley Race was the announcer for the Owen match
No no he wasn't
Thank you, Wrestling Bios!
He's very lucky. Recovery is very important post-concussion. Second impact syndrome could have been lethal.
Pretty much everything about Bret's WCW run sucked, but the one positive was that when Russo came on board, Bret finally got the push he should've had a long time before. And then he got kicked in the head by someone who didn't really know what he was doing.
@@kevinlee9929 That's exactly why Bret Hart resents Bischoff. Bischoff is an AIDS booker to the wrestlers. I hope AEW doesn't hire him full time
Bret has always been my favorite wrestler..... But this channel alone has made me love/appreciate the Hitman more than ever!
I see Wrestling Bios, I click like.
I see a video about Bret Hart... wait there's no double like button....
Just create another account
That was a hard watch. So sad that a career as truly exceptional as Brets, came to an end in such a horrible fashion. The man will always be regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. His dedication and passion for the business was unparalleled in my opinion.
This was such a emotional video. Great work on this video.
I don’t think Bret contradicted himself about Goldberg at all. Goldberg was a good guy who certainly didn’t mean to end Bret’s career. He just happened to be a shitty wrestler.
But he is stiff
TOP-NOTCH VIDEO. Amazing stuff.
You've truly found your calling, Wrestling Bios!
Hogan had to be Hogan and Eric wouldn't put his foot down its was their own doing. WCW should still be a thing today.
An absolutely wonderful video you did here. Bret's not so greatest hits and last days of a wrestler is a sad story indeed, and this was a Fantastically put together account of it all. I loved how you narrated Bret's words out of the book, calling the action over the footage of the matches. Excellently executed and crafted with class.
I hate what happened for the fact that we were never able to get a Bret Hart vs Kurt Angle program.
Wrestling Bios by far the best Wrestling TH-cam channel.
when ppl say "wrestling isnt real" I laugh because real injuries happen just like in any other sport or extreme activity.
This is easily one of your best videos. I'd like to check out Bret's book now too haha
You can be both a good-hearted nice guy who isn't safe to work with in the ring. Goldberg has always struck me as a stand-up type who wouldn't intentionally injure someone he was working with, but that doesn't mean you have the skills, ability, or judgement to do some of the things these men and women do in the ring. Sometimes, you have all those things, and something still goes wrong. Brett can feel all those things towards Goldberg at the same time, and they are all equally true.
I'm going to tell you this right now, if Bret Hart had a problem with the stiffness of Goldberg then he would have never have survived any type of match with Brock Lesnar. Now that's a guy that works you stiff
I don't buy Goldberg being too stiff. Vader is by consensus much more stiff and Bret worked with him fine. When reading Bret's book tbh, he only has himself to blame. He didn't protect himself properly when taking some bumps/Goldberg could have done better to cushion some BUT by the time it gets to the infamous kick, Goldberg calls it. Hart should have slowed himself down and just backed off but he was the type of guy who was hell bent on making it look "real". His fault as much as Goldies tbh.
@@riazuddin4920tell us all about your matches with Goldberg and Vader
This is fascinating- you did an amazing job.
Highly recommend reading Bret's autobiography...really good, and brutally honest.
It sucks that Brett Harts wrestling career ended they way it did.
Atleast it didn't end like Chris Benoits
@@truthwooph4083 True
I think Eddie's ended worse tbh. Eddie's career and life ended right before he was scheduled to continue it.
@@woobgamer5210 People blame chris benoot for overuse of steroids while eddie also died because of steroids at the age of 38
Your videos are mustard. Thank you sir.
This is just sad. One of the biggest superstars wrestling-wise wasted, sacrificed for a bunch of middle-aged alcoholics.
???
Pretty much
@24:45 I actually was at one of the shows of this WCW tour and met Bret Hart backstage. He was really kind and a true gentleman. I must have been 12 years old at the time.
Great job with documentary of his final wrestling days. Bret Hart is a legend of the sport.
Bret's quite the storyteller. I beat the full autobiography is a great read.
It is. A read worth experiencing.
I applaud your dedication to the channel but also to you being a Hitman fan, like many of us. Your best video yet.
Bret Hart in 1997 was at his peak
Heel 97 Bret was the best year run any wrestler ever had, IMO
@Max so obvious why 1997 was on a bubbling big bang
Thanks!
WCW dropped the ball by not booking the greatest dream match ever....Bret Hart vs El Dandy...WHO ARE YOU TO DOUBT EL DANDY???!!!!
Bret vs El Dandy. The angle that Bret tried to start. It would have been gold
You bring The Hitman back to life. Great job on his bios.
I watch all of your videos because it takes me back to a time of my life that was carefree and simpler, this my friend was one of your best pieces of work. I thank you so much for helping me relive so many childhood memories.
Bret Hart should’ve been utilized properly in WCW
In other news, the sun rose in the east today.
It was WCW in the late 90s. The fact they wasted Bret should not have come as a surprise to anyone
that's not news...that's the name of the newspaper
What should they have done? I always hear how they didnt utilize him right.
@@lt.danicecream Put him in a more high profile feud to kick off his run for a start. Booking him as a referee for Bischoff is not the way you kick off Bret's wcw run
This was a really compelling video, thanks for putting it all together. Another great watch from a solid channel.
WCW never knew how to use Bret properly, he went from the hottest star to a chump literally overnight thanks to the shitty Booking he received in almost his entire WCW run.
A missed opportunity for the how to book him
Damn, those blurry effects hit home. You're doing too good of a job on this man.
Wrestling Bios is the Bret Hart of TH-cam. The Best There is, The Best There Was & The Best There Ever Will Be..
I second that!!
Great video man, thank you so much!
Bret Hart has never been inconsistent about Bill Goldberg. He thinks he is a good guy but terrible wrestler and dangerous worker in the ring. They aren't mutually exclusive.
That may be true, but what's also true is that as Bret aged, he emphasized Goldberg being a good guy less and less, and being dangerous a lot more. I won't say A&E Bios are perfect, but if there was anything in that most recent one about Goldberg being a good guy, I didn't hear it. And rather than blaming the people who did or didn't train the man, more recently he blames the man.
I tend to think that it's either due to Bret having suffered more lingering negative effects from the injury as time went on, or, and how ironic would this be, the part of his head that Goldberg kicked was the area dealing with sympathy and forgiveness, which made it much more difficult to remember that he once felt sorry for the guy.
@@samoanjoseph1457 I do think the negative effects being the stroke later on and all also doesn’t help the possibly at one point Bret/Goldberg friendship.
This is my favorite wrestling memorabilia channel on TH-cam.
England beat Germany and then Wrestling Bios releases a new video. . . . Best Tuesday ever!!
I didn’t know they were at war again…God Save the Queen.
That was an incredible video my friend. I feel like Bret should be paying you royalties, I just ordered his autobiography on the back of watching this video. Keep up the great work, thanks again!
Bret Hart was absolutely wasted in WCW and a legend of his stature should have been used properly, he deserved so much better and it's such a shame that his epic career ended so prematurely
His heel turn in April 98 was when I knew they were wasting him. For weeks he talks about putting an end to Hollywood Hogan, only to join him out of nowhere. There was no reason to turn him heel.
@@johnepants yeah it made no sense story wise
@@derekazyan9942 plus, even if he didn’t get injured by Goldberg, after Owen, no one was in the mood to boo Bret. WCW just never let him be himself. To this day I still think 1997 was his greatest year creatively, and it sucks that McMahon was not financially able to keep him under contract, because Austin vs Bret at WM 14 would have been a classic. Or even Austin vs Bret vs Shawn
@@johnepants 1997 Bret was top 3 of in the business
@@johnepants Bret would have remained in the WWE for his entire career
Another wonderful video thank you for all your hard work
So after all this he receives a termination letter because of his incapacity… 🙈 Only good thing is that he got out of it alive and is still with us today.
Goldberg almost killing Brett and the Undertaker, dude should have never been allowed to wrestle.
Yep
He was the exact opposite of a Mr. Perfect or Jake the Snake, two men who were known to take extra care not to hurt other wrestlers, and true professionals.
Just one of the myriad of poor decisions from WCW.
Undertaker doesn’t belong in the same category.
They were both old. Plus, Undertaker screwed up too when he dropped Goldberg on his head. Against Bret, that was just carelessness.
@ItsStillRealToMe DamnIt You need to remember he was working concussed. He was having constant headaches, memory loss, blurred vision, etc (as mentioned in the video), which are normal affects of a traumatic brain injury. With that in mind, it's needless to say that it doesn't take a highlight reel worthy bump or shot for it to ring his bell.
You probably couldn't, mostly because Bret was an awesome seller and a physical wrestler, so even those hard irish whips into the buckle that would shake the whole ring (and my friend he TOOK those ones) would seem "usual" in a Bret Hart match. His style was very physical and very intense throughout a 20+ year career, so it's more a combination of everything than one particular spot, if I make myself clear.
@@smarkdownsblog and it's a shame
Man, just you narrating the book and showing what goes through the match between Bill and Bret, you can just wince at the car wreck that is about to happen. It is sad how his career ended on a way no one saw.
During this time my Grampa died and they'd repeat Nitro like at midnight. I'd try watching it but it was so boring and non sensisical I couldn't pay too much attention. My whole family would be awake at night.
The video editing to the story with perfectly timed video shots is some good editing!
Man. I was always more of a Shawn Michaels fan growing up, but damn if hearing Bret talk about his last match didn't make me tear up.
Props to Bret sticking to Advil's and not diving head first into pain pills. Especially since Advil is useless against a concussion.
Pain pills arent going to do anything for a headache anyways.
@@StuUngar it was more than just a headache. He thought his neck was hurt. You would use pain pills for a hurt enough neck. I never even mentioned a headache, I said a concussion.
@@TheDesertNomad602 Wanna guess the main symptom of concussions???
Give you a hint, starts with an H and ends with an E.
I just remembered he was in WCW vs NWO Revenge, feels weird for some reason.
I love wcw vs nwo revenge wrestling video games is my favorite wrestling video game all time i love it’s
That game had an awesome roster
He was also in WWF War Zone, which was weird because it came out in the summer of 98….9 months after he had left the WWF.
Yes, thank you, knew there was something else, When I think Bret video game wise, I think of wwf wrestlemania the arcade game, good sprites.
First video I've seen on your channel. The way you put this video together was magnificent. I wasn't the biggest Bret fan, but always respected the hell out of him. He really was what he said he was. The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. My best friend was a massive fan of his and I can see why. This video also makes me sad as now I know his final WCW match was in my hometown. Anyway here's a sub for you.
Bret was so fire. The way they brought him in to WCW was so low key. They flushed him down the WCW 🚽🧻
I'm here after the starcade 1999 video
He will always be my favorite wrestler ever
Jeff hardy,bret hart,stone cold Steve Austin,and the undertaker are my favorite wrestlers