WWE News: Bret Hart Shoots On The XFL And Martha Hart, Says She Has ‘Done More To Erase’ Owen’s Memory
WWE Hall of Fame inductee and wrestling legend Bret “The Hitman” Hart was recently a guest on the In This Corner CBS Sports podcast. Bret Hart didn’t mince words when it came to the XFL making a return and why Owen Hart deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. Many fans, and even some who know him personally, feel that the former champion has become a bitter individual, and this current interview may be further fodder for that theory.
As heard in the audio below, Bret Hart started off the interview by stating that the WWE doesn’t do enough to take care of the people who helped build their legacy, referring to wrestlers who are dealing with injuries they received while wrestling for the WWE decades ago. He said that instead of spending a $100 million on Donald Trump’s political campaign, they should have taken that money and spent it on the wrestlers or used that money to form a union for them.
Linda McMahon did donate a large sum of money to Trump’s campaign, $7 million according to CBS, but it wasn’t the $100 million that Hart claims. However, Vince McMahon did invest $100 million late last year to form Alpha Entertainment, and in January of 2018, McMahon announced that the XFL will be returning in 2020 under the Alpha Entertainment brand. Bret Hart said that the WWE will be dumping a ton of money into another XFL run, and as heard in the audio below, “The Hitman” isn’t a fan of that.
“We all know that’s being paid for by the wrestlers, by the wrestling industry. But none of that is gonna filter down to any of the wrestlers. That’s gonna filter down to a bunch of football players being padded with football contracts.”
Bret Hart added that the XFL players will get special doctors and treatment that’s head and tails above what the wrestlers will get, and that the wrestlers will get chicken feed at the bottom. If the WWE superstars get injured, “The Hitman” added, they get sent off. It should be noted that the WWE does provide doctors that tour with the company. In an article by the WWE website, the company addressed how they take care of individuals who are injured in-ring.
“WWE pays for all in-ring related injuries and any associated rehabilitation.”
The WWE article also states that the company leads the entertainment industry with its Talent Wellness Program, which is administered autonomously by well-known medical professionals. The Talent Wellness Program includes cardiovascular testing, testing for brain function, and annual physicals, as well as other testing.
The interview then shifted to Owen Hart and the WWE Hall of Fame. It has been well documented that Martha Hart, Owen’s widow, has been involved in numerous lawsuits against the WWE involving her late husband’s death, and she has made it clear that she doesn’t want the company honoring her late husband. As transcribed by CBS Sports, Bret shared his opinion on Martha, and if Owen should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame regardless of her wishes.
“Oh yeah, I think Martha, Owen’s widow, is a very obtuse, square-headed person. I think she has done more to erase my brother Owen’s memory than she ever did to remember him. I think it really bothers me that the fans that love Owen so much don’t get a chance to remember him. You do these kinds of things for the people that are here left to remember them.”
Bret isn’t alone. During his induction ceremony speech, Mark Henry sent an emotional message to Martha Hart, pleading for her to let Owen be honored in the hall of fame.
Mark Henry Pleads with Martha Hart: Let Owen Hart Join WWE Hall of Fame https://t.co/tGKn7d4oY6
— Bleeding Cool (@bleedingcool) April 7, 2018
“The Hitman” also commented on how he won’t lose sleep if his brother is never inducted because the importance of the hall of fame has fallen. He remarked that the WWE caters their choice of inductees to “suck ups” and those who the company owes a favor to. He listed some wrestlers that never even performed in the WWE, like Terry Gordy, yet superstars like Owen and The Dynamite Kid are left out. Most industry insiders feel that as long as Martha doesn’t want her late husband to be inducted, the WWE will respect her wishes.
As CBS Sports documented, Bret Hart hopes that there will be a shift in the hall of fame.
“For WWE, I hope Vince McMahon and all of them will step up from a historical perspective and take care of the wrestlers who really did make the company.”
https://soundcloud.com/cbssportspodcasts/0703-wwe-bret-hart-talks-his-career-owen-hart-summerslam
