WWE News: Bret Hart Issues First Statement After Being Attacked At Hall Of Fame Ceremony
On Saturday night, Bret Hart’s WWE Hall of Fame induction as one-half of the original Hart Foundation tag team was marred when a fan jumped into the ring and attacked the wrestling legend, interrupting his speech for a few minutes as WWE wrestlers and officials tried to restore order. While “The Hitman” was apparently unharmed and was able to continue his speech, it was only on Monday when he took to social media to publicly comment on the incident.
In an Instagram post published on Monday night, Hart broke his silence on the “wild weekend” that recently took place. After thanking WWE for recognizing him and his fellow Hart Foundation member, the late Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, as part of this year’s Hall of Fame class, the 61-year-old icon assured his fans and followers that he was unharmed following the unexpected interruption at Saturday’s induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“Regarding the ceremony, firstly I want to let everyone know that I am okay and was not injured,” Hart wrote.
“If there’s one thing I want everyone to take away from the Hall of Fame ceremony is not so much what happened, but how I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from completing my tribute to my best friend and our team.”
A man rushed the stage and tackled pro wrestler Bret Hart during WWE Hall of Fame speech Saturday night https://t.co/YZPrPHPik7 pic.twitter.com/yGcoop5g4c
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 7, 2019
As recalled by ABC News, Hart was making his Hall of Fame induction speech alongside Neidhart’s daughter, Monday Night Raw superstar Natalya, when a man identified as Lincoln, Nebraska, resident Zachary Madsen allegedly rushed into the ring and attacked him. The 26-year-old Madsen was then subdued by several people, including a number of wrestlers and security officials, though his attack also resulted in a WWE security guard, Thaddeus Jones, suffering injuries while trying to break up the melee.
“An over-exuberant fan surpassed our security at ringside and made his way briefly into the ring,” read WWE’s official statement on the matter. “The individual has been turned over to the proper authorities.”
Madsen, who was previously accused of stalking mixed martial artist Haris Talundzic, reportedly said in court that he “just felt it was the right moment” to assault Hart. He was charged with assault and criminal trespassing for his alleged role in Saturday’s Hall of Fame incident, with bail set at $1,500.
Prior to his induction on Saturday as part of the Hart Foundation, Bret Hart was previously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a singles competitor in 2006, per USA Today blog For The Win. This made him the fourth two-time inductee in Hall of Fame history, joining Shawn Michaels (D-Generation X), Ric Flair (Four Horsemen), and Booker T (Harlem Heat), who have also been recognized by WWE for their contributions as singles wrestlers and tag team/faction members alike.
