Original subtitles

[MUSIC]

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, MONDAY

NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIMETIME

BATTLEFIELD THAT TRANSFORMED

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING INTO

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE FOR RATING

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

[MUSIC]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HE IS

BRET THE HITMAN HART.

BRET HART, WWE'S PIKE KNIGHT

IN THE BATTLE AGAINST WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I TAKE PRIDE IN BEING THE

CHAMPION.

BUT ONE INFAMOUS KNIGHT ON

MONTREAL TURNED THE CAREER OF

TRIUMPH INTO ONE SCARRED BY

CONTROVERSY.

THERE'S A TIME-HONORED

TRADITION.

I'M THE BEST THERE IS.

AND BRET HART DIDN'T WANNA

HONOR THAT TRADITION.

THE BEST THERE WAS.

BRET SCREWED BRET.

AND THE BEST THERE EVER WILL

BE.

AND IT WOULD FOREVER CHANGE

THE COURSE OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

BRET.

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

[MUSIC]

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

WHAT IN THE--WHAT IS HE DOING

HERE?

...TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

MONDAY NITRO.

GUYS [INDISTINCT]

IS BROKEN IN HALF.

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR ASS.

BRET SCREWED BRET.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

LET'S GET THIS STARTED.

WE ARE AT WAR.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

WE ARE LIVE FROM NEW YORK CITY'S

MANHATTAN...

IN JANUARY OF 1993, VINCE

MCMAHON MADE HISTORY BY

LAUNCHING MONDAY NIGHT RAW LIVE

IN PRIMETIME.

WITH RAW AS THE BACKDROP, WWE

TRANSITIONED FROM THE LARGER

THAN LIFE CHARACTERS THAT

DEFINED THE 1980S TO A MORE

ATHLETIC BRAND OF IN-RING

PERFORMERS.

THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPION,

THE HITMAN BRET HART.

WRESTLERS WERE REALLY LIKE

CARTOON CHARACTERS.

THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WHERE

THAT WORKED REALLY WELL.

AND I DO LIKE TO THINK THAT

I--BRET SET OFF AFTER I BECAME A

CHAMPION WHERE I MADE THE

WRESTLING MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.

THE EXCELLENCE OF EXECUTION,

THE MOST SCIENTIFIC WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPION

PERHAPS OF ALL TIME.

YOU CANNOT WATCH A BRET HART

MATCH AND FIND ANY HOLES IN IT.

THE EXCELLENCE OF EXECUTION,

THAT'S NO JOKE.

EVERY BRET HART MATCH THAT YOU

WATCH, EVERY MOVE MEANS

SOMETHING.

OH!

DOWN TO THE CANVAS.

WHAT A DROPKICK.

BRET HART IS A PERFORMER, A

PERFORMER.

THE LONGER THE MATCH WENT, THE

MORE THE AUDIENCE GOT INTO IT.

AND THE QUALITY OF WORK WAS

ALWAYS GOOD.

BRET HART WAS THE FACE OF THE

COMPANY.

HE CERTAINLY WAS A WHOLESOME

FACE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY YOU

COULD SIT YOUR KIDS IN FRONT OF

THE TELEVISION AND WATCH BRET

HART.

AND HE TOOK HIS ROLE AS THE

NUMBER ONE GUY IN THIS COMPANY

VERY SERIOUSLY.

YOU KNOW, ALL BUSINESS ALL THE

TIME.

I TAKE PRIDE IN BEING THE

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

CHAMPION.

NOT ONLY DID THE FANS BUY

INTO IT, BUT BRET HART HIMSELF

BOUGHT INTO THAT.

BRET REALLY MORPHED INTO A

DEPENDABLE, RESPONSIBLE STAR.

WE'RE WITNESSING THE BLAST

OFF OF THE NEXT DECADE IN THE

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.

WHILE HART AND WWE WERE

USHERING IN A NEW ERA OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, THEIR CHIEF

COMPETITOR, TED TURNER'S WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, WAS

ASSEMBLING A STAR-STUDDED ROSTER

OF FORMER WWE MAIN EVENTERS.

THE FACT THAT HULK HOGAN IS

HERE IN THE WCW, THIS IS THE

BIGGEST DAY IN MY LIFE, THE

BIGGEST DAY IN MY CAREER.

WE WERE STARTING TO GET

MOMENTUM.

I THINK THERE WAS MORE MONEY

BEING OFFERED THAN HAD TO OFFER

BEFORE TO GUYS.

HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN.

HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN.

THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT

REASONS THE GUYS CAME OVER.

BUT ONCE THEY STARTED COMING

OVER, THE MOMENTUM STARTED

MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.

THE NASTY BOYS WCW TAG TEAM

CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD.

WITH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING'S MOMENTUM ON THE

RISE, TED TURNER AND WCW

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, ERIC

BISCHOFF WERE READY TO LAUNCH

THEIR OWN PRIMETIME SHOW DOING

SO DIRECTLY OPPOSITE MONDAY

NIGHT RAW IN SEPTEMBER OF 1995.

THROWING A WRESTLING SHOW ON

PRIMETIME ON MONDAY NIGHTS HEAD

TO HEAD AGAINST A COMPANY THAT'S

BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR 20

YEARS, ONLY A LUNATIC WOULD

THINK THAT WE COULD COMPETE.

THAT TOOK A LOT OF GUTS, TOOK A

LOT OF BALLS ON THE PART OF TED

TURNER.

I WANTED TO GO ON MONDAY

NIGHT BECAUSE I WANTED TO GO

HEAD TO HEAD WITH VINCE.

I WANTED TO COMPETE AND SEE HOW

WE DID.

THE DEBUT EDITION OF WCW

MONDAY NITRO, WE ARE COMING TO

YOU LIVE HERE ON TNT.

THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A LIVE

EVENT SHOW LIKE THIS THAT WOULD

COMPETE AGAINST A LIVE EVENT

SHOW.

I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY STUPID

WHEN HE FIRST CAME TO HEAD TO

HEAD WITH US.

AND WE'VE BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR A

LONG TIME.

WHY WOULD YOU WANNA DO THAT?

AS WCW WAS PROSPERING WITH

OLDER ESTABLISHED STARS, VINCE

MCMAHON COUNTER-PROGRAMMED WITH

FRESH YOUNG TALENT DUBBED THE

NEW GENERATION.

WHEN I STEP IN THE RING IN

THE SURVIVOR SERIES, I'M GONNA

BE CARRYING THE FLAG FOR THE NEW

GENERATION.

BRET.

LED BY BRET HART AND

FEATURING THE HOST OF UP AND

COMING SUPERSTARS, WWE SHOWCASED

ATHLETICISM AND YOUTH TO COMBAT

WCW'S GROWING POPULARITY.

WE HAD YOUNGER BETTER

ATHLETES AND WE WERE GONNA BE

THE GUYS THAT WENT OUT THERE AND

GAVE MORE QUALITY PERFORMANCES.

[CROWD CHEERING]

UNBELIEVABLE.

AND VERY QUICKLY BRET HART

AND SHAWN MICHAELS EMERGED AS

THE TWO MOST POPULAR STARS OF

THE NEW GENERATION.

WE WERE KIND OF TRYING TO

REBUILD THE ENTERTAINMENT AND I

THINK THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, KIND

OF COMRADES.

BRET REALLY RESPECTED SHAWN

AND THOUGHT THAT SHAWN WAS LIKE

SOMEBODY THAT--YOU KNOW WHAT,

THIS COMPANY CAN INVEST IN YOU.

THEY'RE BOTH GUYS THAT YOU

GENUINELY LIKE AND BOTH GUYS

THAT YOU SEE AS TOP GUYS WHO

HAVE GONE THROUGH HELL JUST TO

GET INTO THIS POSITION.

THE GREAT THING ABOUT BOTH OF

THOSE GUYS, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT

THE BEST IN EACH OTHER.

THEY KNEW THEY WERE COMPETING

AGAINST EACH OTHER EVERY NIGHT

WHETHER THEY'RE TAKING EACH

OTHER ON OR NOT.

I CONSIDER SHAWN MICHAELS A

FRIEND, NOT A GREAT FRIEND, BUT

I DON'T CONSIDER HIM AN ENEMY OF

MINE.

SEEKING TO CAPITALIZE ON THE

SUPERSTARS' POPULARITY AND

IN-RING PERFORMANCES, WWE WOULD

PIT MICHAELS AND HART AGAINST

ONE ANOTHER IN A 60-MINUTE IRON

MAN MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA XII.

THERE WASN'T A LOT OF

FRICTION BETWEEN US.

WE WERE MORE GENUINELY EXCITED

ABOUT GETTING TO DO THIS

MARATHON MATCH THE FIRST TIME.

IF YOU GUYS CAN DO IT, SHAWN AND

BRET OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.

BUT AS THEY PREPARED TO

COMPETE FOR THE TOP SPOT OF THE

COMPANY, A MUTUAL RESPECT WOULD

BEGIN TO MORPH INTO PALPABLE

TENSION.

THOSE WERE THE TWO TOP GUYS.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE TWO GUYS LIKE

TWO ALPHA PERSONALITY TYPES LIKE

THAT THAT THINK THEY'RE THE

BEST, THAT JUST MAKES FOR THE

PERFECT RIVALRY.

AND PEOPLE ACTUALLY BELIEVE

THAT SHAWN MICHAELS IS THE BEST

WRESTLER IN THE WHOLE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT AND HE'S

THE TOP ONE BETTER THAN I AM.

AND THAT JUST DRIVES ME NUTS.

IT JUST DRIVES ME NUTS.

WELL, ANYBODY WHO'S

SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT LEVEL, I

THINK ONE OF THE CORE

INGREDIENTS IS A--IS A

COMPETITIVE FIRE.

AND THEY BOTH HAD IT.

WITH YOUR LEGS TWISTED UP

LIKE THIS IN THE SHARPSHOOTER...

WHY DON'T YOU ADDRESS ME FOR

ONCE, HUH?

YOU KNOW, I'M SO SICK OF YOU...

THERE WAS PROFESSIONAL

JEALOUSY BETWEEN THE TWO OF

THEM.

AND TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

PERSONALITIES, SO THAT WOULD

CLASH.

SHAWN MICHAELS ENTERTAINING

THIS CAPACITY CROWD.

ENTERTAINING?

CELEBRATING...

BUT I DON'T RESPECT WHERE HE

STANDS IN CONTRAST TO MYSELF.

I DON'T LIKE THE DANCING, THIS

IS NOT DANCING.

THIS IS NOT GONNA BE A DANCE

MARATHON.

THIS 60-MINUTE MATCH IS GONNA BE

THE BIGGEST FIGHT THAT HE'S EVER

HAD.

AND I THINK IF YOU HAD TO LOOK

UP TO SOMEBODY LIKE SHAWN

MICHAELS OR YOU CAN LOOK UP AT

SOMEONE LIKE ME, I THINK YOU'RE

BETTER OFF LOOKING UP TO SOMEONE

LIKE ME THAT'S SOMEONE THAT HAS

A LITTLE RESPECT.

THAT'S WHERE THINGS STARTED

TO KIND OF GO OFF THE RAILS WITH

ME AND SHAWN.

THERE WAS A HUGE COMPETITION

BETWEEN US.

FROM THE TIME I WON THE TITLE, I

THOUGHT I DELIVERED SOME OF MY

GREATEST MATCHES I EVER HAD IN

THE MONTH'S FOLLOWING

AND IT JUST SEEMED NOBODY

CARED.

NO, VINCE DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE,

THE COMPANY DIDN'T CARE.

BUT SHAWN, WHO WAS BEING SORT OF

PUSHED IN THE DIRECTION FOR THE

MAIN EVENT IN WRESTLEMANIA, I

FELT LIKE SHAWN WAS JUST PUSHING

ME OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

LEAST I FELT LIKE I WAS JUST

CARRYING THE BELT TO GET TO

WRESTLEMANIA AND GO, "HERE'S

YOUR BELT, SHAWN.

YOU KNOW, I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU

LET ME JUST BE THE ONE THAT

HANDS THIS TO YOU.

GET READY, LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN, FOR A ONE SOLID HOUR

OF NONSTOP WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT ACTION BETWEEN

PERHAPS THE TWO GREATEST

ATHLETES WHO HAVE EVER WORN THE

TIGHTS.

TWO VERY DIFFERENT SUPERSTARS

BOTH WITH THE CHIP ON THEIR

SHOULDER TO BE THE BEST WENT OUT

TO PUT ON A CLINIC AND

AN HOUR LONG MATCH THAT NO ONE

COULD TOP.

WAIT A MINUTE.

MICHAELS IS GOING UPSTAIRS.

LOOK OUT.

LOOK AT THAT.

THAT WAS A REAL BATTLE, THAT

WAS A REAL CONTEST.

I THINK IT WAS DEFINITELY THE

HARDEST MATCH I EVER HAD.

MICHAELS MOVING IN.

NO, NO, NO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT ABOUT THAT?

BRET DROPPED OVER THE TOP

ROPE.

I WAS EDGING MY SEAT THE

WHOLE TIME.

THAT MATCH IS JUST MY FAVORITE

MATCH BY FAR.

IT'S AN ABSOLUTE WORK OF ART

FROM BEGINNING TO END.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HE'S GOT A HOLD OF IT.

MICHAELS GOT A HOLD OF IT.

MICHAELS IN A COVER.

ONE, TWO--YEAH.

NO.

[BELL RINGING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

THE IRON MAN MATCH CEMENTED

MICHAELS AS THE NEW FACE OF THE

WWE.

AND BRET HART TOOK A HIATUS

FOLLOWING THE MATCH TO RECOVER

FROM PREVIOUS INJURIES.

THOUGH HART'S DEPARTURE WAS

PLANNED, WWE WAS CAUGHT

FLATFOOTED BY THE DEFECTION OF

TWO OF THEIR TOP STARS, SCOTT

HALL AND KEVIN NASH TO WCW.

THE THING THAT ATTRACTED ME

MOST TO ERIC BISCHOFF'S OFFER

WASN'T SO MUCH ABOUT THE MONEY.

IT WAS LIKE YOU GET DAYS OFF.

YOU GET DAYS OFF?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

HUNDRED AND TWENTY DAYS FOR 1.2

MILLION DOLLARS.

AT THAT POINT GUYS WERE MAKING

THAT MONEY MAYBE EVENTS BUT

YOU'RE WORKING 300 DAYS FOR IT.

SCOTT WAS APPROACHED FIRST

AND SAID, "I GOT AN OFFER FROM,

YOU KNOW, FROM TED TURNER," AND

I SAID, "HOW MUCH?"

AND HE TOLD ME.

I WENT, "WHAT?"

IT WAS HUGE MONEY AND IT WAS

GUARANTEED MONEY.

I TALKED TO VINCE, I SAID, "THIS

IS THE OFFER THEY GAVE ME.

MAYBE YOU CAN MATCH THE OFFER,

I'LL STAY."

AND HE JUST LOOKED TO ME AND HE

JUST SAID, "YOU KNOW, I CAN'T."

AND THEN I WENT TO WORK WITH

WCW.

THE MEASURING STICK JUST

CHANGED AROUND HERE, BUDDY.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT.

PAUL AND NASH WERE IMMEDIATE

DIFFERENCE MAKERS AS NITRO

SURGED AHEAD IN THE RATINGS

DURING THE SUMMER OF 1996.

YOU CAN CALL THIS THE NEW

WORLD ORDER OF WRESTLING,

BROTHER.

WHEN THE DUO JOINED PHOTOS

WITH HULK HOGAN TO FORM THE

REBELLIOUS NEW WORLD ORDER

FACTION, WCW WOULD EXPERIENCE

UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF SUCCESS.

BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THE

NWO IS THE REASON FOR THE

SUCCESS OF MONDAY NITRO.

THE NWO WAS TO HIT BRAND.

AND I CREATED THE VERY HIP COOL

BRAND THAT WAS ACTUALLY HIPPER

THAN EITHER WWE OR WCW.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

UH-OH.

THE GIANT AND HALL ARE HERE

TO DESTROY HIS CAR.

THE STORYLINES, THE

CHARACTERS, EVERYTHING WE DID

WAS PROCURED MORE TOWARDS

COLLEGE STUDENTS THAN IT WAS

TOWARDS TEENS AND PRETEENS.

AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY CAUGHT

ON.

THE MOMENTUM WAS BUILDING ON

THE OTHER SIDE.

SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING OVER

THERE THAT YOU HAD TO SORT OF

TAKE NOTICE OF.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

HAD BOTH MOMENTUM AND FINANCES

ON THEIR SIDE.

AND ERIC BISCHOFF WAS HUNGRY TO

ADD ANOTHER WWE STALWART TO HIS

ROSTER.

THE TRUTH IS I DIDN'T GO

LOOKING FOR IT, TO GET HIRED BY

WCW.

I WASN'T IN SEARCH FOR THAT.

I HAD A BUSINESS MANAGER BACK

THAT MADE THE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME

TO MEET BISCHOFF WITHOUT ME

KNOWING IT.

BISCHOFF, AND I THINK BEING SORT

OF THE COCKY KIND OF FOR SURE

GUY THAT HE WAS, HE'S DECIDED TO

THROW ME A, "WHAT WOULD IT TAKE

FOR BRET HART BECOME THE WCW?"

MY ANSWER TO HIM WAS MOSTLY TO

GET HIM OFF OF MY BACK OR TO

KIND OF END THE CONVERSATION.

AND I SAID, "THREE MILLION RIGHT

HERE."

AND HE CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY

AND SAID, "YEAH, WE'LL MEET

THAT."

MY CONTRACT IS UP AND I'M

FREE TO GO ANYWHERE I WANT TO.

AND THEY'VE OFFERED ME NINE

MILLION DOLLARS WORTH THREE

YEARS.

AND THIS MAN CAME TO ME AND HE

OFFERED ME A, YOU KNOW, FOR A

LOT LESS MONEY, BUT HE OFFERED

ME A 20-YEAR CONTRACT.

AND SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I

GO?

AND FOR ME, NINE MILLION DOLLARS

IS A LOT OF MONEY.

[MUSIC]

WE ALL WANNA KNOW WHAT BRET

HART THE HITMAN HART IS GOING TO

SAY.

WILL HE DROP A BOMB ON THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT?

THAT WAS THE LAST BIG STAR WE

HAD LEFT THAT WCW DIDN'T BUY.

SO I'M THINKING, I'M LIKE,

"WELL, YOU CAN'T LET THIS ONE

GO."

I SIGNED BRET FOR WHAT WAS AN

EXORBITANT SUM OF MONEY FOR US

AT THE TIME.

BUT WHEN IT COMES RIGHT DOWN

IT, TO EVERYTHING I'VE EVER

DONE, I OWE IT AT ALL TO MY WWE

FANS, AND I WON'T BE GOING

ANYWHERE.

I'LL BE WITH THE WWE FOREVER.

WHOA.

ALL RIGHT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ALL RIGHT.

RESIGNING WITH A HEFTY

CONTRACT EXTENSION, HART'S

RETURN COULD NOT HAVE COME TOO

SOON FOR WWE.

RAW'S RATINGS WERE SAGGING AND

THE COMPANY'S CHAMPION, SHAWN

MICHAELS, WAS FEELING THE

PRESSURES AS A CAPTAIN OF A

SINKING SHIP.

GREATER ON THE TIME SHAWN HAD

THE BELT WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF

IT WAS NECESSARILY FAIR TO FOR

SHAWN.

[CROWD CHEERING]

YOU COULD SEE THE MOMENTUM

CHANGE.

THEY TOOK OVER THE RATINGS BACK

THEN.

AND SHAWN'S PROBLEMS WERE

STARTING TO KIND OF GET OUT OF

CONTROL.

I WAS NOT A GOOD PLACE IN '96

WINNING THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP.

I WASN'T HANDLING MYSELF WELL

PROFESSIONALLY.

I WAS IN PAIN, I WAS ON PILLS, I

WAS A PRETTY DECENT KID WHICH

WAS LOST.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WWE LOOKED TO TURN THINGS

AROUND BY REIGNITING TO

MICHAELS-HART ONSCREEN

STORYLINE.

LOOK OUT.

OH, MY.

LOOK OUT, BRET.

NO, DON'T DO THAT.

BUT THE TWO MEN'S PERSONAL

AND PROFESSIONAL DISDAIN FOR ONE

ANOTHER ONLY GREW AS A RESULT.

THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT NEEDS A HERO, THEY

NEED A ROLE MODEL, THEY NEED

SOMEBODY THEY CAN LOOK UP TO,

NOT SOMEBODY THAT POSES FOR

GIRLY MAGAZINES.

EVERYBODY KNEW THAT BRET AND

SHAWN DIDN'T LIKE EACH OTHER.

BUT WE WERE NOT HAVING TO DO

STORYLINES WITH EACH OTHER.

IT WAS A POWDER KEG WAITING TO

HAPPEN.

HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS IN

THAT GIRLY MAGAZINE?

[CROWD CHEERING]

YOU'RE COULDN'T HELP--YOU

COULDN'T HELP YOURSELF, COULD

YOU?

YOU HAD TO FLIP THROUGH THE

PAGES JUST A LITTLE BIT.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO COOK THIS

VERY MUCH BECAUSE THIS WAS

COOKING ALREADY.

JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF MY

FACE.

THIS HAD BEEN COOKING FOR A

LONG TIME.

UH-OH.

THEY HAD DEFINITE WAYS THAT

THEY THOUGHT THAT CHAMPIONS

SHOULD HOLD THEMSELVES AND IT

WAS A MAJOR SOURCE OF CONFLICT.

AND YOU MAY PRIDE YOURSELF ON

BEING ABLE TO BE A COMPLETE

TOTAL -- .

VINCE LAID OUT TO ME WHERE HE

SAW ME GOING.

IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT

WE'RE WORKING FOR THE TITLE

MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA.

AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY

ELSE, I DON'T WANT ANY EXCUSES.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO INJURE

YOURSELF.

I WANT YOU AT 100%.

AND THEN BY FEBRUARY, IT GOT

SWITCHED.

[CROWD CHEERING]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE ONE

AND THE ONLY SHAWN MICHAELS.

[MUSIC]

IN ADDITION TO BATTLING

PERSONAL DEMONS, SHAWN MICHAELS

HAD SUFFERED A LEG INJURY THAT

ALLEGEDLY THREATENED HIS CAREER.

BUT RATHER THAN GIVING BRET THE

OPPORTUNITY TO WIN THE

CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE RING,

MICHAELS INSTEAD VACATED THE

TITLE TO VINCE MCMAHON FURTHER

SOURING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

WWE'S TWO TOP STARS.

HERE'S YOUR BELTS AND WHAT

I'M GONNA DO IS GO BACK HOME.

I'VE LOST A LOT OF THINGS AND

ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN MY SMILE.

AND I KNOW IT DOESN'T MEAN A

WHOLE LOT TO EVERYBODY ELSE BUT

IT MEANS A LOT TO ME.

[MUSIC]

YOU HAD THIS MATCH THAT

EVERYBODY WANTED TO SEE, BRET

HART AND SHAWN MICHAELS 2 AT THE

WRESTLEMANIA REMATCH TO ALL OF A

SUDDEN BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A

CHAMPIONSHIP RUN.

AND TO SAY, "I LOST MY SMILE,"

LIKE I THINK IT ADDED FUEL TO

THE FIRE OF THE BRET HART-SHAWN

MICHAELS FEUD.

MANY WERE SKEPTICAL AS TO THE

LEGITIMACY OF SHAWN MICHAEL'S

INJURY, MOST NOTABLY BRET HART.

YOU PHONY LITTLE FAKER, WHY

DON'T YOU TAKE YOUR LITTLE --

FOOT INJURY...

[CROWD CHEERING]

...AND GO BACK AND FIND YOUR

SMILE.

I DIDN'T BUY HIS INJURY.

STAY OUT OF THIS MATCH.

I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT HE WAS

HURT, THAT IT SEEMED TO COME OUT

OF NOWHERE.

PART OF ME WAS GOING THAT HE'S

KIND OF QUITTING ON THE TEAM

RIGHT NOW WHEN WE NEED EVERYONE

TO PULL TOGETHER.

AND I--TO ME I MEAN, IT WAS

AN NO-BRAINER.

THERE WAS THINGS THAT SHAWN DID

THAT MAYBE GO, "THERE'S NOTHING

WRONG WITH THIS."

I THINK HE GOT IN THE RING ONE

NIGHT AND DID THE BACK FLIP AND

RUN IRATE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE

RING.

MY LIFE WAS A CAR WRECK.

I WAS KILLING MYSELF BOTH

PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.

BUT I KNEW OF ALL THE TALK

GOING ON ABOUT HOW IT WASN'T

REAL AND I DID IT TO GET OUT AND

DROP, AND THE BELT TO BRET.

SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID

WAS WENT AROUND AND JUMP AROUND

LIKE IT DIDN'T HURT.

I WAS JUST ALWAYS WANTING TO--IF

THERE WAS A FLAME THEN I THREW A

GASOLINE ON IT.

THE SITUATION WOULD ESCALATE

ON A LIVE EPISODE OF RAW WHEN

MICHAELS INSINUATED BRET HART

WAS HAVING AN EXTRA MARITAL

AFFAIR WITH WWE DIVA, SUNNY.

LISTEN HERE, SHAWN MICHAELS.

EVEN THOUGH--EVEN THOUGH

LATELY YOU'VE HAD SOME SUNNY

DAYS, MY FRIEND, YOU STILL CAN'T

GET THE JOB DONE.

I CAN SAY WITH ALL HONESTY

THAT I NEVER HAD ANYTHING

WITH SUNNY.

WHEN I GOT HOME I WAS REALLY

OFFENDED WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY

KIDS AND MY FATHER CAME UP AND

ASKED ME IF WHAT WAS GOING ON

WITH SUNNY.

THAT'S CROSSING THE LINE.

SO, I WAS A SINGLE GUY THAT

TIME.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU WANNA PLAY DIRTY?

BETTER WATCH OUT BECAUSE I GOT

MORE GUNS THAN YOU DO.

YOU GOT A LOT MORE TO LOSE.

DO YOU WANT TO GO TO WAR?

BAM.

WE'RE AT WAR.

SUNNY DAYS PROMO WAS ONE OF

THOSE TIMES WHERE SHAWN WAS JUST

NOT SHAWN.

HOW DO YOU NOT BLAME BRET FOR

GETTING HOT WITH THAT?

THAT WAS CROSSING THE LINE.

I MEAN IF THE GUY DID THAT TO ME

TODAY, HE BROUGHT IT BACKSTAGE

AND PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE.

JUST AS IT WAS ON CAMERA, THE

BAD BLOOD BETWEEN BRET HART AND

SHAWN MICHAELS CONTINUED TO

INTENSIFY BEHIND THE SCENES.

IT WAS REALLY TENSE.

POOR PAT PATTERSON WAS IN-CHARGE

ON BOTH OF THEM.

HE HAD SET WITH HIM EACH NIGHT.

WE'RE IN HARTFORD,

CONNECTICUT AND I WALKED INTO

ONE OF THE LOCKER ROOMS.

AND I SEE BRET THERE AND I SEE

SHAWN THERE.

I COULDN'T BELIEVE THEY WERE IN

THE SAME ROOM.

AS SOON AS I GET OUT OF THE

BATHROOM, THESE TWO WENT OUT TO

HOLY -- AND NOW I'M IN BETWEEN

THEM TRYING TO SEPARATE THEM.

WE WENT THROUGH A WALL.

AND SUDDENLY, THE WALL BUSTS

THROUGH.

AND IT'S SHAWN MICHAELS AND BRET

HART.

VINCE ALWAYS GAVE ME THE GOOD

STUFF TO WORK WITH.

BY JUNE OF 1997, SHAWN

MICHAELS HAD RECOVERED FROM HIS

KNEE INJURY AND RETURNED TO

IN-RING COMPETITION.

HOWEVER, RAW WAS STILL TRAILING

NITRO IN THE RATINGS AND VINCE

MCMAHON NEEDED A NEW BATTLE

PLAN.

AT THE BEHEST OF MICHAELS AND

OTHERS, WWE SHIFTED THEIR

PRODUCT TO AN EDGIER, MORE

CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DIRECTION

WHICH LATER BECAME KNOWN AS THE

ATTITUDE ERA.

WHATEVER IT WAS WE WERE DOING

WASN'T WORKING.

[INDISTINCT]

VINCE [INDISTINCT]

ALL RIGHT.

I MEAN, AND WE JUST WENT OUT

THERE AND HUNTER AND I,

WE JUST, WE SAID EVERYTHING

UNDER THE SUN.

WE ARE THE D-GENERATION X.

D-GENERATION.

YOU MADE YOUR RULES AND WE

WILL BREAK THEM.

SUCK IT.

X MARKS THE SPOT.

ALL OF THAT STUFF ON TV

SHOCKED RADIO, SHOCKED

TELEVISION.

THAT'S WHERE THE WORLD WAS AT

THE TIME.

WE JUST STARTED BEING US.

WE GOT A REACTION THERE, IT JUST

TOOK ON.

ONE OF THE KEYS, I THINK, TO

WWE SUCCESS WAS WE ALWAYS LISTEN

TO OUR AUDIENCE.

AND IN THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR,

THERE STARTED TO BE MORE OF AN

ADULT FOLLOWING, MORE OF AN

ADULT VOICE.

WCW HAD MORE EDGY ADULT

PROGRAMMING.

WE HAD TO COMPETITIVE IN THE

SPACE.

WHETHER IT'S LEGAL OR

ILLEGAL, SOMEBODY IS GONNA GET

THEIR -- WHIPPED.

BUT THIS NEW DIRECTION WAS

NOT WITHOUT ITS CRITICS,

PARTICULARLY WWE CHAMPION, BRET

HART.

AS THE ATTITUDE ERA WAS ASSURING

IN MORE TRUE TO LIFE CHARACTERS,

BRET HART'S ON-SCREEN PERSONA

WOULD INCORPORATE HIS BACKSTAGE

BELIEFS, PORTRAYING A PROUD

CANADIAN HERO AND DECRYING THE

MORAL COMPASS OF WWE'S AMERICAN

FAN BASE.

YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY GETS ME

IS HOW THE AMERICAN FANS CAN

JUSTIFY PEOPLE LIKE SHAWN

MICHAELS JUST TELLS YOU RIGHT

THERE THAT THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT AND THE AMERICAN

WRESTLING FANS ARE GOING

STRAIGHT DOWN THE TOILET.

I THINK BRET WAS A CANADIAN

HERO.

THE WAY HE CARRIED HIMSELF, THE

WAY HE SPOKE TO YOU, JUST BRET'S

WHOLE PRESENTATION WAS LIKE BRET

WAS A HERO.

BRET ALWAYS LIKED TO REALLY

FOCUS ON HIS WORK.

HE PRIDED HIMSELF ON KIND OF A

WHOLESOME FAMILY IMAGE.

BUT HE DIDN'T WANNA DO ANYTHING

THAT WOULD LOWER HIS STANDARDS.

AND HE DIDN'T WANNA DO ANYTHING

HIS KIDS COULDN'T WATCH.

THINGS WERE KIND OF SWAYING

AT THE TIME.

THE DIRECTION OF THE COMPANY

JUST DIDN'T SIT WELL WITH HIM

AND YOU COULD TELL.

IT SORT OF RESONATED AT

TELEVISION.

AND I MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY FANS

HERE IN AMERICA ANYMORE, BUT

THAT'S BECAUSE AMERICAN

WRESTLING FANS DON'T KNOW WHAT A

HERO IS.

IT WAS A BEGINNING OF

CHANGING ATTITUDES FROM THE WAY

THINGS WERE TRADITIONALLY DONE

WHICH BRET REPRESENTED.

THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A MORE

FLASHING, MORE FLAMBOYANT, SHAWN

MICHAELS WAS THAT.

BRET NEVER SAW HIMSELF AS AN

ENTERTAINER.

BRET WAS A WRESTLER.

SHAWN ALWAYS EMBRACED THE

ENTERTAINMENT ASPECT OF IT.

THE ATTITUDE OF THE COMPANY

WAS CHANGING.

SHAWN MICHAELS FIT THAT ATTITUDE

A LOT BETTER THAN BRET HART DID.

TWO MEN, ONE GUY IS REPLACING

ANOTHER GUY.

THERE WAS GONNA BE RESENTMENT.

AS THEY WERE BOTH ALWAYS

GOING BACK AND FORTH WHO THE

BEST PERFORMER IN THE COMPANY

WAS, DX, TOOK THIS RADICAL TURN

TO DO STUFF THAT NOBODY HAD EVER

DONE BEFORE.

AND THEY'RE DOING STUFF LIKE

WIPING THEIR NOSE AT THE

CANADIAN FLAG.

WELL, I LOVE CANADA.

HUNTER AND I ARE DOING THE DX

STUFF, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S

OBNOXIOUS AND OVER THE TOP.

ANYWAY, HE DOESN'T LIKE FROM A

TRADITIONAL STANDPOINT.

OUR GIMMICK IS SO DISRESPECTFUL,

HE'S GONNA TAKE OFFENSE TO IT.

UNDERSTANDABLY SO.

THEN AGAIN, IN SOME RESPECT FROM

A BUSINESS STANDPOINT ON THE

ROAD, THAT WAS A BAD THING.

WELL, THAT'S CLASSY.

OH, I CAN, BUT THIS IS GOING TOO

FAR.

SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THE

D-GENERATION X DID, IT ALIENATED

ME.

I KNOW IT ALIENATED MY BROTHER,

OWEN, TOO.

AND THEY ALIENATED A LOT OF

WRESTLERS IN DRESSING ROOM THAT

THEY DIDN'T LIKE AND SOME OF THE

STUFF THEY WERE DOING.

I WAS IN THAT TOUGH TIME WHERE

THEY BROUGHT OUT THE NEW SHIP

AND IT WAS D-GENERATION X KIND

OF THING.

AND I WAS KIND OF ANGERED AND

[INDISTINCT]

I'LL NEVER FORGET THE NIGHT

WHEN BRET APPROACHED VINCE AT

THE ANNOUNCE TABLE, GOTTEN A

HUGE ARGUMENT WITH VINCE AT THE

ANNOUNCE TABLE WHILE VINCE WAS

ANNOUNCING.

NOBODY EVERY APPROACHED THE BOSS

OF THE COMPANY AND DID THAT TO

HIM BEFORE.

IT WORKED BECAUSE IT WAS REAL.

BRET WAS MAD, BRET WAS UPSET

THAT VINCE WAS ALLOWING THIS

REBEL GROUP TO DO WHAT THEY WERE

DOING.

WAIT A MINUTE.

OH, GOD.

AND THEN SHAWN AND HUNTER ARE

LIKE, "IT'S ENTERTAINMENT, GET

OVER IT."

WWE'S ATTITUDE ERA HAD BEGUN

A SHIFT IN SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

BUT THEIR TRADITIONALIST

CHAMPION WAS OUT OF PLACE.

WITH RAW STILL TRAILING NITRO IN

THE RATINGS, VINCE MCMAHON WAS

RECONSIDERING HIS INVESTMENT IN

BRET HART.

I REALIZED THAT I HAD MADE A

BAD DEAL.

THERE WAS BRET AND I SAID, "I

CAN'T PAY YOU THIS, YOU KNOW,

WHERE I DON'T WANNA PAY YOU

THIS.

YOU'RE NOT WORTH THIS.

DEAL IS A DEAL, I'LL LIVE UP TO

IT.

YOU KNOW, BUT WHAT I WOULD

PREFER TO DO IS THAT TO ENGINEER

AWAY IN WHICH YOU'RE BEING QUOTE

STOLEN IN WHICH TURNER'S GROUP

WILL PAY YOU A LOT MORE MONEY.

SO BRET AND I GOT TOGETHER AND

HE'S, "WELL, IF YOU CAN SWING

THAT, GREAT."

JUST TALKED TO VINCE.

DID YOU?

YEAH.

WHAT DID HE SAY?

HE GOES, "NOBODY WANTS BRET

HART MORE THAN VINCE MCMAHON."

THEN WHY IS HE LETTING YOU

GO?

HE CAN'T AFFORD TO COMPETE

WITH TURNER.

HE GOES, TURNER'S

PUT HIM OUT OF BUSINESS.

I GOT TO THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING.

I GOT TO THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING

TO SEE WHAT MAKE SENSE.

I'VE CALLED [INDISTINCT]

I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT VINCE

COULD AFFORD IT.

I FOUND MYSELF IN A REALLY TOUGH

SPOT.

I DIDN'T WANT ANY CHANGES TO THE

DEAL.

I WAS GONNA TURN DOWN DOUBLE THE

MONEY AGAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T

WANNA GO THERE.

BUT IN THE END, IT'S LIKE WHAT

VINCE LAID OUT FOR ME WHERE HE

HAD ME GOING OR WE'RE GONNA LOSE

EVERY MATCH AGAINST SHAWN.

AND I HAD TOO MUCH PRIDE IN MY

WORK AT THE TIME AND I JUST--I

DIDN'T WANNA GO OUT LIKE THAT

EITHER.

THE IDEA OF BRINGING BRET

OVER TO THE WCW QUITE FRANKLY

WAS DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT TED

TURNER WANTED TO LAUNCH THUNDER

ON TBS.

I NEEDED A WHOLE ANOTHER POOL OF

TALENT.

AND BRET HART WAS REALLY THE

ONLY BIG NAME THAT WAS OUT THERE

THAT WAS AVAILABLE THAT COULD

KIND OF BE AN ANCHOR TALENT.

BETWEEN ME MEETING THAT ANCHOR

PIECE OF TALENT AND BRET BEING

AVAILABLE, THAT'S WHY IT

HAPPENED.

AND I CALLED VINCE AND SAID,

"I DON'T WANNA GO FOR WORK FOR

THESE GUYS.

I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT

THEY OFFERED ME.

AND IT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND I

ONLY GOT SO MANY YEARS LEFT IN

THE BUSINESS."

WE TALKED ABOUT IT.

VINCE HAD MADE UP HIS MIND TO

LET ME GO.

SO I GOT PUSHED TO WHERE I KIND

OF HAD TO GO AND END UP LEAVING.

THE DAY I SIGNED THIS AND I'LL

STAY FOR WHAT I GOT.

I JUST WANTED SOME SECURITY IN

THE SENSE OF WHERE THEY WERE

GONNA GO WITH ME FOR THE NEXT

FIVE YEARS HERE.

SO I KNOW THAT I MADE THE RIGHT

MOVE TO TURN DOWN ALL THIS MONEY

AND STAY HERE.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT CAME

DOWN TO, A SAD REALIZATION THAT

VINCE WASN'T GONNA GO TOO FAR

WITH ME AFTER SURVIVOR SERIES.

AND THE DAY I SIGNED AND WENT TO

WCW WAS ONE OF THE LOUSIEST DAYS

OF MY LIFE.

NOTHING WAS EVER GONNA BE THE

SAME.

I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL REALLY

HEART BROKE AND DISAPPOINTED

THAT I LEFT THIS COMPANY AND I

PUNCHED IN THE NUMBERS AND I

REMEMBER I REALLY HAD TO JUST

WAIT AND HESITATE BEFORE I PUSH

THE SEND BUTTON.

AND I WATCHED MY CAREER ENDING

ABOUT 20 SECONDS, JUST...

BRET HART WAS BOUND FOR WCW

BUT WAS THE CURRENT WWE

CHAMPION.

CREATIVE PLANS CALL FOR HIM TO

LOSE THE CHAMPIONSHIP TO SHAWN

MICHAELS AT SURVIVOR SERIES IN

HIS HOME COUNTRY OF CANADA.

HOWEVER, HART'S PRIDE AND HIS

COUNTRY AND CHARACTER IN

ADDITION TO PERSONAL DISDAIN FOR

SHAWN MICHAELS MADE THE PROPOSAL

INTOLERABLE FOR THE HITMAN.

VINCE CAME UP WITH EVERY

POSSIBLE SCENARIO HE POSSIBLY

COULD AND PRESENTED IT TO BRET.

BRET DIDN'T WANNA DO ANY OF

THEM.

VINCE GOES, "OKAY, BRET.

WE'LL GET WITH THE WRITERS, I'LL

GET BACK TO YOU."

WE GET TOGETHER, WE COME OUT

WITH MORE SCENARIOS, HE CALLS

BRET AGAIN, BRET SHOOTS DOWN

EVERY ONE.

I DESCRIBE VINCE, I JUST

ASSUMED BLOW MY BRAINS OUT WOULD

BE THE SAME.

ABOUT THE SAME WHAT YOU'RE

ASKING ME TO DO AND FROM A

CHARACTER STANDPOINT, THAT'S

WHAT WOULD I BE DOING.

I WOULD TAKING BRET THE HITMAN

HART WOULD BLOW HIS--WILL BLOW

HIS BRAINS OUT.

WWE WAS AT A CROSSROADS IN A

SECRET MEETING THAT WOULD ENSUE.

VINCE MCMAHON'S INNER CIRCLE

DEVISED A SOLUTION TO THEIR

CHAMPIONSHIP DILEMMA.

THE RESULT SET OFF A CHAIN OF

EVENTS THAT WOULD ALTER THE

COURSE OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

HISTORY.

WE'RE ON THAT PHONE CALL

WHERE VINCE JUST SAID HE'S JUST

NOT GONNA DO IT.

WELL, YOU'RE EXPECTED TO BE A

PRO AND NOT JUST WHEN YOU'RE

ASKED TO WIN AND WHEN YOU'RE

ASKED TO LOSE.

WE HE WANTED TO WALK OUT ON TV

THE NEXT NIGHT WHEN HE WAS NO

LONGER UNDER CONTRACT AND HAND

THE BELT OVER AND SAY, "I CAN'T

WORK ANYMORE."

AND JUST WALK OUT.

AND THERE WAS NO GUARANTEES HE

WOULDN'T HAVE SHOWN UP ON WCW

WITH THAT TITLE IN HIS HAND,

THAT WOULD HAVE KILLED OUR

BUSINESS, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

WE CAN'T DO THAT -- HIM.

IF HE WON'T DO BUSINESS, YOU DO

BUSINESS FOR HIM.

AND THEN IT KIND OF GREW FROM

THERE.

THE MONTREAL SCREWJOB, THERE

WAS A DEAL CONCOCTED IN MONTREAL

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE

PAY-PER-VIEW HOW WE'RE GONNA DO

THIS, HOW WE'RE GONNA PULL IT

OFF.

VERY FEW PEOPLE WERE IN ON IT.

YOU KNOW, I SIMPLY WANTED

WHAT WAS THE RIGHT THING FOR THE

BUSINESS.

BRET HART AND I TO THIS DAY

DISAGREE AS TO WHAT WAS RIGHT

FOR THE BUSINESS.

AND CERTAINLY, BRET HAS ENTITLED

HIS OPINION.

BUT SHAWN WAS A PART OF WHAT I

WANTED THAT NIGHT.

I FELT LIKE A SOLDIER DOING

WHAT I WAS TOLD TO DO.

MY JOB WAS TO DO MY PART, DO IT

WELL, AND THAT'S THAT.

AND THIS HERE IS WHAT IT'S

ALL ABOUT.

AND UNTIL YOU HAVE THIS, I DON'T

CARE WHAT YOU SAY OR WHAT YOU

THINK.

BUT YOU WILL NEVER EVER, EVER BE

THE SHOWSTOPPER UNTIL YOU TAKE

THIS THING AWAY FROM ME.

IMAGINE THAT, WE'RE GONNA

HAVE HIM WRESTLE THE GUY HE

HATES AND NOW WE'VE DECIDED

WE'RE GONNA SCREW HIM OUT OF THE

TITLE.

I KNEW IT WAS BIG, BUT I

WASN'T SURE THAT I WAS GONNA

TALK ABOUT IT IN EVERY INTERVIEW

THAT I EVER DID FOR THE REST OF

MY LIFE.

WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE

11TH ANNUAL SURVIVOR SERIES.

SURVIVOR SERIES HAD FINALLY

ARRIVED BRINGING WITH IT THE

COMBINATION OF ONE OF THE

INDUSTRY'S MOST BITTER

RIVALRIES.

BUT HOURS BEFORE THEIR FINAL

MATCH AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, BRET

HART AND SHAWN MICHAELS HAD A

MOMENT OF REFLECTION AND

RESOLUTION.

I HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH

SHAWN BUT I ALWAYS HAD A LOT OF

RESPECT FOR HIM.

THERE WAS NO REASON WHY WE

COULDN'T WORK IT OUT.

I DIDN'T EVEN WANNA GO.

I WANNA STAY HERE.

BOTH OF US WERE UNCOMFORTABLE

WITH WHERE THINGS HAD GONE.

HE AND I WERE VERY CLOSE ONCE.

WELL, WE HAD THIS LONG TALK

AND WE SHOOK HANDS AFTERWARDS,

LIKE, "OH, GOD.

I HATE THIS.

I'M ABOUT TO DO THE

UNTHINKABLE."

IT'S GONNA GO DOWN, IT'S

GONNA HAPPEN.

IT'S LIKE, "OH, THAT IS--THAT IS

SO GONNA SUCK."

AND I WAS TOLD NO MATTER WHAT

YOU SAY, DENY IT.

NO MATTER WHAT.

IF A SITUATION COULD SUCK MORE,

I'D LIKE TO SEE IT.

A BOISTEROUS CANADIAN CROWD

CHEERED THEIR HERO AS HE

DEFENDED HIS COVETED

CHAMPIONSHIP.

BRET HITMAN HART.

BUT NEITHER HART NOR HIS FANS

HAD ANY IDEA THAT HISTORY WAS

ABOUT TO UNFOLD.

I WAS STANDING BACKSTAGE

LOOKING AT THE MATCH THROUGH THE

CURTAIN AND TO ONE SIDE, THERE

WAS OWEN HART AND THE OTHER SIDE

WAS BRITISH BULLDOG.

THEY'RE WATCHING THE MATCH WITH

ME.

AND THEN, I LOOKED AROUND AND

NORMALLY THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF

PEOPLE AND THERE'S NOBODY THERE.

I WAS WONDERING WHERE

EVERYBODY'S GONE.

I DON'T CARE.

I'M IN TO THE MATCH NOW.

THE MATCH IS GOING GOOD.

I SORT OF PUT MY SWORD ON THE

SAND KIND OF THING.

IT WASN'T GONNA GOING FURTHER

THAN THE COMPROMISES.

AND THAT I ALREADY HAD PUT

EMOTION.

VINCE BASICALLY TOLD ME IT'S

SUPPOSED TO BE DISQUALIFICATION

KIND OF A RUN-IN WITH BUNCH OF

GUYS COMING IN AND WOULD DO

SOMETHING THAT WAS--WOULD

APPEASE EVERYBODY.

AND I REMEMBER BEING QUITE

RELIEVED THAT FINALLY IT WAS

RESOLVED.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

MICHAELS, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

ARE YOU GONNA TRY AND BEAT

BRET HART WITH THE SHARPSHOOTER?

YES.

HE IS.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

[BELL RINGING]

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

AND BRITISH BULLDOG SAID, "WHAT

KIND OF --

IS THAT?"

YOU KNOW.

AND OWEN WAS, "OH, YEAH."

I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW."

[MUSIC]

WHAT HAPPENED?

BRET HART GAVE UP WITH THE

SHARPSHOOTER.

I KNEW IT WAS GOING DOWN

MAYBE 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE

MATCH WAS SUPPOSED TO GO ON.

AND AFTER EVERYTHING WAS SAID

AND DONE, I WAS GONE, OUT OF THE

BUILDING COMPLETELY PROBABLY

WHEN THE BELL WAS STILL RINGING.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?

LIKE THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN

THE WWE WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN,

THE REFEREE AND EVERYONE IS LOST

AND YOU SEE SHAWN MICHAELS JUST

BEING LIKE [MAKES NOISE]

VINCE MCMAHON GETTING SPIT ON

LIKE, "WHAT?"

WHILE YOU TALK ABOUT

CONTROVERSY.

IT HAPPENS, ITS HUGE, THE

NIGHTMARE THAT YOU IMAGINED THAT

COULD BE, IT IS AND, YOU KNOW,

AND THEN SOME.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING

ON EXCEPT FOR THIS GUY WHO HAD

GIVEN SO MUCH, IT SEEM LIKE HE'S

GOT SCREWED OVER.

MICHAELS WITH THE

SHARPSHOOTER AND BECOME THE WWE

CHAMPION.

AND BRET HART IS STANDING IN

DISBELIEF.

I ALWAYS HAD A FATHER-SON

RELATIONSHIP WITH VINCE.

VINCE WAS MY BIGGEST FAN AND

ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL THAT I'D

HELP TURN THE TIDE FOR HIM.

AND I FELT SO BETRAYED, ALL THE

TIMES I WRESTLED SICK AND HURT

FOR 14 YEARS.

HE MIGHT AS WELL JUST CUT MY

HEART OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE

RING AND JUST THROW IT DOWN TO

THE CROWD.

A LITTLE PART OF HIM DIED

WHEN THE SCREW UP HAPPENED.

ANYBODY FOR A FEW WEEKS.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU DON'T

KNOW BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY AND

WE ALSO KNOW THAT BRET CAN BE

VERY SENSITIVE AND SOMETIMES A

LITTLE TEMPERAMENTAL AND

EMOTIONS GO WILD.

FEELING BETRAYED BY THE

COMPANY HE CALLED FAMILY, BRET

HART UNLOADED HIS FRUSTRATIONS

BEFORE HIS ADORING FAN BASE.

I THINK THE WAY HE REACTED

TELLS THE WHOLE STORY THAT YOU

CAN'T PUT IT IN ANY OTHER WAY.

HE WAS PISSED.

HART'S DISPLEASURE WAS

MIRRORED BACKSTAGE AS OTHER

SUPERSTARS QUESTIONED THE

CONTROVERSIAL EVENTS THAT HAD

JUST TAKEN PLACE.

BACKSTAGE, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS

JUST MORBID, YOU KNOW.

I REMEMBER SAYING LIKE, "HOW CAN

YOU DO THAT TO BRET HART?"

IN THEIR MIND, VINCE TOTALLY

CUT OFF ALL THEIR TRUST.

BUT BRET LEFT VINCE NO CHOICE.

THE LOCKER ROOM WAS REALLY ON

BRET'S SIDE IN IT.

AND I DON'T THINK THERE IS A

SIDE TO IT WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT

IT.

IT'S LIKE WHO'S RIGHT, WHO'S

WRONG, THERE ISN'T.

IT FALLS SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BEING

OWNER OF A COMPANY, ABSOLUTELY,

I AGREE WITH VINCE MCMAHON.

"WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE TITLE

TONIGHT."

"NO, WE'RE NOT."

"NO, WE'RE NOT?

-- YOU.

YES, WE ARE.

MY SHOW, MY MONEY, MY

INVESTMENT, MY --.

YOU'RE DROPPING THE TITLE."

TITLE."

"OKAY.

NO PROBLEM.

YOU'RE GONNA DROP THE TITLE

ANYWAY."

IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE HART'S

EXIT FOR WCW WAS WITHOUT THE WWE

CHAMPIONSHIP.

VINCE MCMAHON HAD TAKEN MATTERS

INTO HIS OWN HANDS.

BRET HART WOULD DO THE SAME.

THAT NIGHT, THE WWE SLAPPED

HIM IN THE FACE.

SO WHEN HE WENT WCW, THAT WAS A

SLAP TO WWE'S FACE.

IT WAS ALL VERY SPONTANEOUS.

THE REACTION FROM THE CROWD WAS

LIKE, "DAMN, WHAT'S GOING ON?"

I SWITCHED COMPANIES AND

EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING HERE

KNOWS WHO JUST GOT SCREWED.

I JUST WANTED TO WALK BACK TO

THE DRESSING ROOM, LET IT DIE

OUT.

LIKE IN HIS HOME.

THERE'S NOTHING I COULD DO WITH

THAT ANYMORE.

YOU THINK THAT ANYWAY, BUT THE

TRUTH IS IT'S JUST OPENING UP.

SHAWN, YOU WERE IN ON THAT?

-- NO IDEA [INDISTINCT] GOD'S

MY -- WITNESS.

MY HANDS ARE CLEAN.

THIS MUCH, I SWEAR TO GOD.

HE'S YELLING AT ME FOR HELP

I GAVE HIM HELP.

I CAME BACK HERE.

I DON'T HAVE ANY PART OF--AT THE

END OF THE DAY, I DO KNOW THAT I

WAS A PART OF IT.

NOTHING I CAN SAY NOW, ALL THESE

YEARS LATER, COULD DO JUSTICE

FOR CAPTURING THE DISCOMFORT

KNOWING THAT YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK

SOMEBODY IN THE EYE AND STRAIGHT

OUT LIE TO THEM.

I KNEW SHAWN WAS IN ON IT BUT

THERE WAS A PART OF ME THAT

SAID, "WHAT IF HE IS INNOCENT?

WHAT IF HE HAD NOTHING TO DO

WITH IT?"

I'M NOT GONNA FIGHT A GUY THAT

DIDN'T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING TO

ME, HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,

AND WAS JUST A VICTIM OF

CIRCUMSTANCE.

FOLLOWING THEIR ENCOUNTER IN

THE MONTREAL LOCKER ROOM, THE

TWO RIVALS WOULD PART WAYS

WITHOUT INCIDENT.

BUT THERE WAS STILL ONE MORE

PERSON BRET HART WOULD CONFRONT.

VINCE SAYS, "BRET, I DID WHAT

I HAD TO DO, NOT ONLY FOR

MYSELF, BUT FOR MY COMPANY, AND

MY FAMILY, AND EVERYBODY THAT'S

IN THIS LOCKER ROOM AND I

COULDN'T TAKE A CHANCE.

IF YOU WANNA PUNCH ME, NOW IS

THE TIME TO DO IT."

SO, BRET WALKED OVER TO VINCE,

FULL TUGGED HIM, KNOCKED VINCE

FOR A LOOP.

DRILL THEM.

ALL RIGHT.

[INDISTINCT]

THAT'S HARD AS I COULD.

I KNOCKED THE MAN OUT.

YOU KNOCKED OFF VINCE MCMAHON

WITH A PUNCH?

AND I TOLD HIM TO GET OUT.

THAT NIGHT OF THE SCREWJOB, I

REMEMBER TWO MEN ENTERING A

LOCKER ROOM AND I REMEMBER ONE

MAN COMING OUT WITH A BATTERED

FACE.

VINCE WAS A PRETTY BIG MAN TO

GIVE HIM A SWING AND BRET MADE

IT COUNT BECAUSE HE HAD THAT

SHINER FOR ABOUT A MONTH.

SO, HE DOTTED HIS EYE PRETTY

GOOD.

VINCE MCMAHON HAD SACRIFICED

HIMSELF, HIS PERCEPTION, AND THE

TRUST OF HIS ROSTER IN ORDER TO

PRESERVE HIS COMPANY'S FUTURE.

BUT THE QUESTION STILL LOOMED.

COULD HE WITHSTAND WCW'S

ACQUISITION OF ONE OF WWE'S MAIN

ATTRACTIONS?

I THOUGHT IT WAS THE DEATH

NOW IF WWE AND BRET HART WENT TO

WCW.

BRET HART LEAVING TO ME WAS

SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT

BE INSURMOUNTABLE.

IT'D HAD BEEN MORE THAN A

YEAR SINCE RAW HAD RECORDED A

RATING'S WIN OVER MONDAY NITRO.

AND WITH BRET HART HEADING

SOUTH, IT APPEARED THAT WCW WAS

ONE STEP CLOSER TO VICTORY IN

THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

AND NOW, THE ANNOUNCEMENT I

KNEW I'VE BEEN WAITING TO MAKE

BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WORKING ON

THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

THE NEWEST EDITION OF THE NWO

AND BRET HART BECAUSE YOU ARE

SUCH A KNOCK OUT KIND OF GUY...

[MUSIC]

HE WAS A GLOBAL STAR, A

GLOBAL COMMODITY FOR WCW, AND I

DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT THEY PAID

HIM.

HE WAS WORTH EVERY NICKEL.

OH, MY GOSH, YES.

BRET HART, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE

CAREER, WHAT A GREAT TALENT.

WE WERE VERY EXCITED OBVIOUSLY.

THE FALL OUT FROM THE

MONTREAL SCREWJOB AFFECTED BOTH

LOCKER ROOMS.

WCW ANTICIPATED A BIG BOOST FROM

BRET HART'S IMPENDING ARRIVAL.

HELLO AGAIN, EVERYBODY, AND

WELCOME TO RAW IS WAR.

WE ARE IN CANADA'S CAPITAL

WHILE WWE WAS ON THE VERGE OF

A MUTINY...

HALF OF THE ROSTER STAGED A

WALKOUT AND NOBODY WANTED TO

WORK FOR VINCE BECAUSE THEY SAID

THEY COULDN'T TRUST HIM.

NO, THE GUY DID NOT LIKE WHAT

HAPPENED.

VINCE SAYS, "LISTEN, I HAD TO DO

THAT TO PROTECT MY COMPANY.

PROTECTING MY COMPANY IS

PROTECTING YOU.

I KNOW IT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING

TO DO, BUT SOME TIME YOU HAVE TO

MAKE A DECISION."

THERE'S A REASON HE'D BEEN

DOING THIS FOR SO LONG.

AS MUCH AS I DISAGREED WITH HIM

OVER THE YEARS, I AGREE WITH HIM

WITH THEM BEGRUDGINGLY

ON THINGS.

MAN, HE HAS IT FIGURED OUT.

IT'S A CONSPIRACY BY VINCE

MCMAHON AND THE WWE.

IT'S A...

HE SHOULD HAVE NEVER LOST.

IT'S HORRIBLE.

BRET HART IS THE BEST THERE IS,

THE BEST THERE WAS, THE BEST

THERE EVER WILL BE.

WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, BRET.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

I DON'T--I'M UPSET.

HAVING EXPLAINED HIS ACTIONS

TO THOSE BACKSTAGE, VINCE

MCMAHON, NEEDED TO DO THE SAME

TO A CONFUSED MONDAY NIGHT RAW

AUDIENCE.

DID YOU OR DID YOU NOT SCREW

BRET HART?

VINCE MCMAHON CAME OUT

LOOKING REALLY, REALLY BAD FROM

DOING WHAT HE DID.

AND HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THAT

ANIMOSITY FROM THE PUBLIC AND

CREATE A CHARACTER OUT OF IT.

HE BECAME MR. MCMAHON THAT

NIGHT.

THERE'S A TIME-HONORED

TRADITION IN THE WRESTLING

BUSINESS.

AND BRET HART DIDN'T WANNA HONOR

THAT TRADITION.

YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE

AUDIENCE MORE THAN ANYTHING

ELSE.

AND THE WWE AUDIENCE WAS --

AT MR. MCMAHON FOR WHAT HAD

HAPPENED.

OKAY.

HOW DO I DEAL WITH THAT NOW?

I KNOW.

I'LL BE WHO THEY WANT ME TO BE.

TOO DAMN BAD THAT IN THE END,

BRET REALLY WASN'T THE BEST

THERE IS, THE BEST THERE WAS,

AND THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE.

ALTHOUGH, THE MR. MCMAHON

CHARACTER WAS A FICTIONAL

EXTENSION OF THE WWE CHAIRMAN,

HIS EXPLANATIONS FOR HIS ACTIONS

WERE VERY REAL.

I HAVE MO SYMPATHY FOR

SOMEONE NOT DOING THE RIGHT

THING FOR THE BUSINESS THAT MADE

HIM, NOT DOING THE RIGHT THING

FOR THE FANS, AND THE

PERFORMERS, AND THE ORGANIZATION

WHO HELPED MAKE HIM WHAT HE IS

TODAY.

BRET MADE A VERY, VERY SELFISH

DECISION.

BRET'S GONNA HAVE TO LIVE WITH

THAT FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

BRET SCREWED BRET.

I HAVE NO SYMPATHY WHATSOEVER

FOR BRET.

BUT IS THIS THE FINAL NAIL, SO

TO SPEAK, IN THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT?

AU CONTRAIRE, WE'RE JUST GETTING

STARTED.

A LOT OF PEOPLE TOOK A STEP

BACK AND SAID, "HOLY COW.

VINCE IS CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN

HIMSELF AND IN HIS COMPANY, AND

HIS PRODUCT TO LET HOSPITAL TOP

STAR GO.

MAN, HE'S GOT TO HAVE SOMETHING

UP HIS SLEEVE."

AND PEOPLE JUST STARTED TO

GRAVITATE.

VINCE WAS SO SMART.

I KNEW HE WOULD SOMEHOW FIND A

WAY TO TURN ALL OF THIS INTO A

POSITIVE.

DON'T SCREW ME.

THIS IS NOT WHAT WE TALKED

ABOUT.

THIS IS NOT THE WAY THINGS WERE

SUPPOSED TO GO DOWN.

YOU SAW THE MATCH.

WHY AREN'T I THE CONTENDER?

PUT THAT CAMERA OFF.

ARE YOU TRYING TO SCREW HIM?

I SHOULD HAVE THE BELT.

SHOULDN'T WE--SHOULDN'T WE...

CUT THAT DAMN--GET THAT MIC

OUT OF FACE.

I OWN THAT MIC.

I OWN THAT CAMERA.

WELL, WHAT HAPPENED IN THE

AFTERMATH OF THE MONTREAL

SCREWJOB DEFINITELY MADE ONE OF

TWO MEN MONDAY NIGHT TO SEE

WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT I WAS

FLIPPING TO NITRO TO SEE WHAT

WAS GOING ON OVER THERE, TOO.

BRET HART ABANDONED THE

TITANIC AND SWIM TO THE REFUGE

OF THE NWO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IT WAS RIGHT FOR BUSINESS.

IT STIRRED CONTROVERSY AND SOME

THINGS YOU CAN SCRIPT AND SOME

THINGS YOU CANNOT SCRIPT, AND I

DON'T THINK YOU CAN SCRIPT THE

CONTROVERSY THAT WAS THAT GOOD.

THE BUZZ SURROUNDING THE

COMINGS AND GOINGS OF BRET HART

ADDED INJURY TO BOTH MONDAY

NIGHT PROGRAMS.

TONIGHT, THE CONTROVERSY

COMES TO AN END.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BRET THE

HITMAN HART.

[MUSIC]

WHAT?

WHAT IN THE HELL?

DESPITE LOSING THEIR MOST

RECOGNIZABLE SUPERSTAR, WWE

MAINTAINED THEIR CREATIVE

RESURGENCE AS RAW AND THE

ATTITUDE OF IT CONTINUED TO GAIN

MOMENTUM.

WAS THAT A SHARPSHOOTER OR A

SHARPSHOOTER?

LOOK AT THAT.

ONCE THE INCIDENT WITH BRET

HAPPENED, THE TIDE STARTED TO

SHIFT.

AND NOW THE MOMENTUM STARTS

TO BUILD.

WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO TONIGHT?

WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT WEEK?

BUT WHILE VINCE MCMAHON

QUICKLY CAPITALIZED ON THE

AFTERMATH OF THE SCREWJOB, WCW

WAS UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

BRET HART'S ADDED PUBLICITY.

THAT WHEN I PUNCHED VINCE, I

BROKE MY KNUCKLE.

SO, I COULDN'T WORK FOR A WHILE.

WHEN THAT MONTREAL SCREWJOB

HAPPENED, YOU GOT TO CHANGE.

HOW COULD YOU NOT SAY, "WE GOT

TO GRAB ALL THIS NOTORIETY YOU

HAVE RIGHT NOW, PUT YOU ON THE

SHOW TOMORROW NIGHT."

I WANNA KICK IN THE DOORS OF

WCW.

AND I FELT I HAD A TON OF

MOMENTUM.

I WAS LIKE, "WOW, I CAN WRITE A

BETTER ENTRY."

AND SO, THEN THEY BROUGHT ME

BACK TO REFEREE.

I CAN REMEMBER IT

AND THEY SAID, "THIS IS HOW

WE'RE GONNA BRING YOU IN.

WE'RE GONNA BRING YOU OUT WITH

ALL THESE REFEREES."

I WAS LIKE, "OH.

WELCOME TO WCW."

[CROWD CHEERING]

LOOK, THERE HE IS.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...

THERE HE IS.

BRET THE HITMAN HART HAS

ARRIVED TO NITRO.

THEY WAITED TO ACTUALLY BRING

BRET IN.

WHEN HE DID, IT WAS KIND OF THIS

UNDEFINED ROLE.

HE DIDN'T LOOK LIKE HE WAS AT

HOME.

I WOULD BE HONORED TO BE THE

REFEREE FOR THIS MATCH.

BRET ALWAYS LOOKED LIKE HE

WAS TAKING PART IN AN

EXPERIMENT, YOU KNOW.

LIKE HE WAS A GUY WHO HAD

ALREADY GRADUATED WITH A

DOCTORATE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN

HE'S TAKING, YOU KNOW, REMEDIAL

WRESTLING IN WCW.

AND HE'S GONNA GO FOR THE

SHARPSHOOTER.

YES, HE IS.

I THOUGHT HE WAS.

WELL, HE HAD HIM IN POSITION.

HE HAD PROBLEMS FROM THE

START.

HE CERTAINLY DIDN'T GET THE

DIRECTION IN WCW THAT HE GOT

FROM THE CREATIVE TEAM FROM THE

WWE.

A LITTLE LATER TONIGHT, IT'S

GONNA BE MY PLEASURE TO WATCH

THE EXCELLENCE OF EXECUTION TEAR

THE MACHO MAN AND ROWDY PIPER'S

LIMBS RIGHT OUT OF SOCKET.

I THINK THEY JUST EXPECTED

HIS MAGIC TO COME WITH HIM.

WE RESTED ON THE FACT IT WAS

BRET HART AND HE WAS GONNA CARRY

THE BALL.

THEY HANDED THE HOPE DIAMOND

TO BRET HART LIKE THEY LITERALLY

JUST GO, "HUH, YEAH, IT'S A NICE

DIAMOND.

WELL, LET'S JUST PUT IT OVER

THERE."

BIG MISTAKE.

BIG MISTAKE.

CRIMINAL.

IT WAS SOME KIND OF BADGE OF

HONOR, "HEY, WE GOT A GUY FROM

VINCE," YOU KNOW.

AND I'M JUST SAYING TO MYSELF,

"YEAH, WELL, VINCE AIN'T STUPID.

IF YOU GOT A GUY FROM VINCE,

IT'S ONLY BECAUSE HE'S DONE WITH

HIM.

HE AIN'T DRAWING.

OTHERWISE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE

VINCE'S GUY."

WHILE BRET HART MAY HAVE

LACKED DIRECTION IN WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, WWE HAD

PLENTY AND IT WAS ALL POINTING

UP.

THE AWESOME ERA HAS BEGUN.

BY APRIL OF 1998, AN INJURED

SHAWN MICHAELS HAD RETIRED FROM

WWE, GIVING WAY TO THE RISE OF A

RATTLESNAKE.

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN WAS

READY TO TAKE SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT TO NEW HEIGHTS.

AND HIS BUDDING RIVALRY WITH MR.

MCMAHON WAS THE PERFECT

CATALYST.

STEVE AUSTIN BECAME THE MAN

AND HE HAD THAT AWESOME FOIL

VERSUS EVIL MR. MCMAHON.

NOW, WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO IS

BOW DOWN FOR STONE COLD.

OH...

WCW WAS IN CONTROL AND THEN

THEY JUST WENT INTO NEUTRAL

RATHER THAN TRYING TO GO FORWARD

AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WWE

CAME AND ENDED UP TAKING THEM

OVER.

ONCE I WENT TO WCW AND I

STOPPED TO [INDISTINCT]

STUFF IN THE OTHER CHANNEL, I

COULD SEE IT, AND I KNEW RIGHT

AWAY.

I SAID, "THESE GUYS ARE GONNA

TURN EVERYTHING AROUND.

AND I'M WITH THE LOSERS."

WILL I FIGHT STONE COLD STEVE

AUSTIN IN THIS RING?

OH, HELL, YEAH.

[CROWD CHEERING]

BEHIND AUSTIN AND MCMAHON,

RAW REGISTERED ITS FIRST WIN

OVER NITRO IN 84 HEAD TO HEAD

MATCHUPS.

FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, BOTH

SHOWS WOULD TRADE RATINGS

VICTORIES.

BUT BRET HART WAS FAR FROM THE

MAIN EVENT SYMPATHIES.

HE HAD BEEN JUST A YEAR EARLIER.

BRET HART, ONE OF THE MORE

DISAPPOINTING ATHLETES IN WCW AS

FAR AS HIS MENTALITY AND WHAT

HE'S BEEN DOING AS OF LATE IN

THE RING.

ARTISTICALLY, I WAS

HANDCUFFED STRAIGHT FROM DAY

ONE.

THE RAPPORT THAT I HAD WITH

VINCE WAS SO SOLID.

VINCE REALLY GOT ME IN AND

UNDERSTOOD THAT I WAS REALLY

PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ART.

IN WCW, IT WAS SO FLAT RIGHT OFF

THE BAT.

AND YOU DON'T WANNA BE NEGATIVE

AND YOU DON'T WANNA SHOOT

EVERYTHING DOWN.

BUT YOU WOULD KNOW RIGHT AWAY

LIKE THESE GUYS DON'T HAVE A

CLUE.

IT WAS--IT WAS A GIFT ON A

PLATTER.

BUT BECAUSE OF ALL THE POLITICS

IN WCW AND JUST THE LACK OF

KNOWLEDGE, HE WAS DEAD.

HE WAS PICASSO TRYING TO

PAINT ON A POSTAGE STAMP.

AND IT WAS MAYHEM.

NOBODY WAS ORGANIZED.

IT WAS LIKE ONE NIGHT YOU'RE

GONNA WRESTLE DEAN MALENKO AND

THE NEXT NIGHT YOU'RE GONNA

WRESTLE, YOU KNOW, GOLDBERG.

IT WAS JUST CHAOS.

WOW.

OH, HE NAILED HIM.

WHAT A TERRIBLE WAY TO

UTILIZE ONE OF THE GREATEST

EVER.

HE HAD THIS PLATE UNDER HIS

SHIRT OR WHATEVER.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HOW ABOUT THAT?

I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE THE MOST

MEMORABLE THING ABOUT HIS WCW

RUN.

IN MARCH OF 1999, AN INJURY

FORCED BRET HART TO THE

SIDELINES.

WWE WAS IN THE MIDST OF

FIVE-MONTH RATINGS WIN STREAK

CONTINUING TO CAPITALIZE ON THE

FALLOUT FROM MONTREAL.

IT WAS CERTAINLY AN EVENT

THAT HAD EVERYBODY TALKING.

VINCE MCMAHON BECAME EVIL MR.

MCMAHON AND ANOTHER STAR IS

BORN.

VINCE MCMAHON WAS THRIVING AS

TELEVISION'S MUST SEE VILLAIN.

I WILL FIRE YOUR ASS.

AND RAW, AS THE INDUSTRY'S

HOTTEST SHOW.

BRET HART LEAVING AND WITH

THE WHOLE VINCE MCMAHON, THE

MONTREAL CONSPIRACY, IT JUST

KIND OF PUSHED VIEWERS TOWARDS

WWE.

WCW WAS ABLE TO LAST EXTRA

MONTHS ON TOP BECAUSE IT WAS

JUST A HABIT.

AND THEN WHEN THE HABIT STARTED

DYING OFF, WE'RE LIKE, "WHY

DON'T--WE HEARD THIS OTHER

SHOW'S GOOD.

LET'S CHECK THIS ONE OUT."

AND THEN WHEN THEY GOT HOOKED TO

WWE, THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE WERE

JUST LEAVING AND ROWS WERE

COMING OVER TO WATCH RAW.

FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC DEATH OF

HIS BROTHER OWEN IN MAY OF 1999,

BRET HART WOULD CONTEMPLATE HIS

FUTURE IN THE INDUSTRY THAT

BROUGHT HIM INCREDIBLE HIGHS AND

UNIMAGINABLE LOWS.

BUT THE TRUTH IS IS THAT I'M

REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME

DECIDING ON WHAT I WANNA DO WITH

MY CAREER AND PROBABLY MY LIFE.

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1999, BRET

HART WILL RETURN TO WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

AND LOOK WHO'S WALKING OUT.

MY GOD.

BRET THE HITMAN HART.

WELL, WE HAVEN'T SEEN HIM FOR A

WHILE.

HE WAS THERE AND EVERYONE WAS

LIKE, "OH, OKAY.

I MEAN, WE GOT A LITTLE BREATH

OF FRESH AIR.

MAYBE HE'LL SHOCK THE SYSTEM A

LITTLE BIT BACK HERE."

AND THEN HE GOT HURT.

AND I WAS LIKE, "GOD -- HERE WE

GO AGAIN."

ON DECEMBER THE 19TH OF

STARRCADE, THE TWO OF YOU ARE

GONNA BE FACING EACH OTHER FOR

THE WCW HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE.

THE LAST WORDS I SAID TO BILL

GOLDBERG BEFORE I WRESTLED WAS,

"DON'T HURT ME.

WHATEVER YOU DO AFTER THE BELL,

DON'T HURT ME."

AND I WALKED UP IN THE MATCH.

AND HE HURT ME ABOUT 10 SECONDS

INTO THE MATCH.

STANDING SIDE KICK.

AND GOLDBERG ENDED UP HURTING

BRET PRETTY SEVERELY ENOUGH TO

END HIS CAREER.

DURING HIS MATCH WITH

GOLDBERG, HART WOULD SUSTAIN A

SEVERE CONCUSSION.

THE HITMAN WOULD ONLY PERFORM IN

A HANDFUL OF MATCHES BEFORE

OFFICIALLY RETIRING IN OCTOBER

OF 2000.

WHEN BRET CAME TO WCW, HE WAS

NOT THE SAME BRET HART.

HE HAD NO FIRE AND HE HAD NO

PASSION.

FOR ANYONE TO SAY THAT I

DIDN'T GIVE A HUNDRED PERCENT

WHEN I WAS THERE IS WRONG.

I TOOK EVERY LOUSY IDEA THEY

GAVE ME AND BASICALLY ORDERED ME

TO DO IT AND DID IT TO THE BEST

OF MY ABILITY, AND THERE'S

NOTHING TO BE SAID ABOUT THAT I

CAME THERE WITH A BROKEN HEART.

I HAD NO WILL TO WRESTLE ANYMORE

AND ALL THAT.

THAT IS A BUNCH OF CRAP.

NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY PUSHED

ME OR WHOEVER THEY HAD THAT THEY

WOULD HAVE GONE THE DIRECTION

THEY WENT.

WCW'S MISMANAGEMENT OF HART

AND OTHERS WOULD PROVE TO BE THE

COMPANY'S DOWNFALL.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING WAS

PURCHASED BY VINCE MCMAHON IN

MARCH OF 2001.

IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED,

SEVERAL OF WCW'S TOP TALENTS

WOULD APPEAR ON WWE PROGRAMMING.

HOWEVER, FOR BRET HART, IT WOULD

TAKE MUCH LONGER FOR HIS WOUNDS

TO HEAL.

[CROWD CHATTER]

IT ALL COMES BACK.

ON JANUARY 4TH, 2010, BRET

HART ENTERED THE WWE ARENA FOR

THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 12 YEARS.

HE HELD OUT ON WWE FOR OVER A

DECADE.

LIKE IT REALLY BROKE HIS HEART

FOR A LONG TIME.

IT'S NICE TO SEE HE FINALLY HAD

A LITTLE CLOSURE ON IT.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BRET

THE HITMAN HART.

[MUSIC]

OH, MY GOD.

THIS IS AMAZING.

AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE OF

BITTER ANIMOSITY, HE FINALLY

MADE PEACE IN THE PLACE HE HAD

CALLED HOME.

WELL, I GUESS HELL FROZE

OVER.

IT WAS GREAT TO SEE BRET THE

HITMAN HART.

WWE FANS WANTED TO SEE HIM BURY

THE HATCHET.

AND THE VERY FIRST THING I

WANNA DO IS I WANNA CALL BACK

THERE AND ASK SHAWN MICHAELS TO

COME OUT HERE.

WHEN HE CAME OUT, HE PUT HIS

HAND OUT AND SAID, "WE'RE COOL."

SHOOK MY HAND AND THAT WAS THAT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

BOTH OF US WERE BETTER PEOPLE

FOR HAVING TAKEN THAT STEP TO

ACTUALLY REPAIR OUR FRIENDSHIP

AND MOVE ON AND NOT TO CARRY

AROUND THE BAD BLOOD.

IT WAS VERY GENUINE.

YOU CAN'T MAKE PEACE HALFWAY.

IT'S EITHER MAKE PEACE OR YOU

DON'T.

I'M GLAD.

I WAS LIKE, "IT WAS LIKE IT ALL

WORKED OUT."

BUT WHILE BRET HART

RECONCILED WITH SHAWN MICHAELS,

THERE WAS STILL ONE FINAL PIECE

OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

AND I CAME HERE TONIGHT TO

BURY THE HATCHET AND FIND

CLOSURE TO THIS WHOLE THING THAT

EVER HAPPENED.

[CROWD CHATTER]

[CROWD CHEERING]

I WAS REALLY HAPPY FOR BRET

AND OUR AUDIENCE BECAUSE THEY

WANTED TO SEE ALL OF THAT SMOOTH

OVER.

WHAT A HISTORIC NIGHT.

FIRST, SHAWN MICHAELS AND NOW,

MR. MCMAHON BURY THE HATCHET.

I DIDN'T WANNA END MY CAREER

IN WCW.

I BELIEVED IN AUSTIN, I BELIEVED

IN SHAWN.

I WAS A LOYAL WWE GUY.

I WANTED TO BE ON THAT SIDE.

I WANTED TO BE IN WHAT

ULTIMATELY WAS THE WINNING SIDE.

[CROWD CHEERING]