Kemo
03-29-2022, 06:29 PM
There are few men who know Stone Cold Steve Austin in the ring better than Bret Hart.
The feud between Hart and Austin in 1996 and 1997 is what helped turn business around for the WWE at the start of the Attitude Era. Austin and Hart first worked together at some house shows in 1996; the Hitman then faced Stone Cold at the 1996 Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden.
That Survivor Series match was an all-time classic, but the duo followed it up with arguably the greatest match in WrestleMania history at WrestleMania 13 in Chicago. They continued to feud throughout 1997 until Hart left the company following the “Montreal Screw Job” at Survivor Series.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Hart commented on Austin’s pending “return” to the ring at WrestleMania 38 this weekend with Kevin Owens.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Hart says. “I’m proud of him. It takes a lot of courage to come back and do what he’s trying to do. I’ll be there to cheer him on.”
Hart has been hitting the road again recently as the Covid-19 pandemic has eased up. He’s been appearing at fan festivals and is glad to interact with his fans once again, commenting about how he’s never taken his fans for granted.
“I always appreciate every fan I’ve ever had,” Hart says. “People might laugh, but I remember a time when I didn’t have many fans, so I never take any fan for granted. That’s one of those values I learned from my parents, to treat people the way you want to be treated.
“I remember what it was like to be a fan, and I remember meeting my favorite wrestlers. A lot of fans have special memories, and hearing those mean a lot to me.”
The feud between Hart and Austin in 1996 and 1997 is what helped turn business around for the WWE at the start of the Attitude Era. Austin and Hart first worked together at some house shows in 1996; the Hitman then faced Stone Cold at the 1996 Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden.
That Survivor Series match was an all-time classic, but the duo followed it up with arguably the greatest match in WrestleMania history at WrestleMania 13 in Chicago. They continued to feud throughout 1997 until Hart left the company following the “Montreal Screw Job” at Survivor Series.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Hart commented on Austin’s pending “return” to the ring at WrestleMania 38 this weekend with Kevin Owens.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Hart says. “I’m proud of him. It takes a lot of courage to come back and do what he’s trying to do. I’ll be there to cheer him on.”
Hart has been hitting the road again recently as the Covid-19 pandemic has eased up. He’s been appearing at fan festivals and is glad to interact with his fans once again, commenting about how he’s never taken his fans for granted.
“I always appreciate every fan I’ve ever had,” Hart says. “People might laugh, but I remember a time when I didn’t have many fans, so I never take any fan for granted. That’s one of those values I learned from my parents, to treat people the way you want to be treated.
“I remember what it was like to be a fan, and I remember meeting my favorite wrestlers. A lot of fans have special memories, and hearing those mean a lot to me.”