Bret Hart may be WWE’s first and only three-time Hall of Famer, but his career with the company had an uncertain beginning. Speaking at an Inside The Ropes event in Manchester, Hart recalled his first WWE match, which he wrestled while injured.
Determined not to miss the opportunity, he competed despite having a bad knee—a decision he quickly regretted.
He totally ignored me... I knew then they I'd failed my audition... It was a big mistake wrestling with a bad knee.
What made the experience worse was seeing McMahon praise Dynamite Kid Tom Billington, who was also trying out that night. Fortunately, Hart’s second WWE match went much better, setting the stage for his legendary career as a multi-time World Champion.
After establishing himself in WWE, Hart was turned heel and paired with Jim Neidhart. While Hart embraced the change—since heels typically called the matches for their babyface opponents—his father Stu wasn’t pleased.
He thought they'd turn me into a heel in a way to p*ss him off.
Despite Stu’s reservations, Hart enjoyed showing a more villainous side in the ring. His mother, meanwhile, loved the new persona and had fun watching her son play dirty when she and Stu were able to see their son in action in person.
[I'd say] You shut your face you old b***h... She had so much fun watching me cheat the whole match.
Today, Hart is remembered as “the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be,” having excelled for decades as both a hero and a villain in WWE.