Bret Hart is 50+
Maxim.com recently conducted an interview with wrestling legend Bret "Hitman" Hart, here are some highlights:
You used to wrestle in a pink leotard. Please explain…
Originally I was a bad guy, and it made the crowds hate me even more. Then people accepted it as part of my ‘cool’ image. It wasn’t like I was tied into any gay thing. Still, looking back, maybe I should’ve switched to blue or something...
Were you the best wrestler there was?
I’d never say I was better than The Dynamite Kid or Curt Hennig [Mr Perfect]. But I do know I was better than Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan and a lot of the other guys. Mark Calaway [The Undertaker] was a great pro: if you had to dive over the top rope and he said he’d catch you, trust him, he’d catch you. Pro wrestling is about trust and respect.
Did the less skilled wrestlers ever seriously injure others?
Yeah, Bill Goldberg did right at the end of my career. He kicked me in the head the way somebody might kick a crash test dummy. You’re talking big, powerful men here, a lot of them on steroids. And when these guys don’t have the skills or the understanding of the limitations of the human body, you get cases like mine. Bill’s a sweetheart, but he got pushed to the top too quick.
How stupid was the Red Rooster gimmick (Terry Taylor literally dressed as a rooster)?
Yeah, that was terrible. But if anyone deserved to be the Red Rooster it was Terry. He was such a kiss-ass to the boss, always licking Vince McMahon’s boot heels. It was a necessary evil put on him!
The Bushwackers were ridiculous too…
They were quite funny. Actually, one of them – Butch – almost died a couple of years ago with toxic poisoning. The doctors concluded the poison came from licking all those heads: he licked his partner, he licked the fans and even upset a TV host by licking her. He licked everyone’s big, sweaty heads for years and it built up inside him and almost killed him!
Who had the most devastating finishing move?
Dynamite Kid’s headbutt across the ring was very impressive. Mick Foley’s ‘Claw’, where he stuck his hand down an opponent’s throat, looked bullshit but it could really mess somebody up. And if you were lying underneath Randy Savage’s elbow off the top rope, you’d feel it. The Ultimate Warrior’s finish was awful, though – he’d lift the guy above his head and drop him on the mat, then run around about 15 times and jump on him. It didn’t make much sense to me.
Was The Ultimate Warrior as bonkers as he came across in interviews?
I’d dare say he was madder. He had a great look, but that was the only thing going for him. As far as his interviews and his wrestling style went, it was a zero in both categories.
How realistic is The Wrestler movie?
It has many true-to-life parts, but serious pro wrestlers wouldn’t hurt each other like they did. Outlawed wrestling companies may run those shows, but I’d never put a staplegun to another guy’s chest. Wrestling is an art form. To intentionally injure others defeats the purpose.
How does the story compare to the Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts docu, Beyond The Mat?
Jake’s the only one who could write a story that’s scarier, darker and uglier. He had loads of ability and charisma, but he was a victim of his own bad ways. He was a walking tragedy
