Bret Hart Feels WWE Never Gave Owen A ‘Real Break’

During the first episode of his new Confessions of a Hitman series, Bret Hart reflected on his feud with his brother Owen Hart back in 1993. He also spoke about how Owen never got a big break in WWE despite his in-ring talent.

Hart recalled how when he was first pitched about feuding with his brother, he didn’t want to do it. When WWE told him the planned story, “The Hitman” shared how he needed to think about it as he was reticent over feuding with his brother.

Speaking with his mother on the subject, Hart shared how she began crying down the phone. He argued that Owen needed a break and that this feud could be the very thing that could help:

“I needed to do this for Owen, so he could show everybody that he’s better than they give him credit for. They didn’t understand how good of a talent Owen was.”

Bret Hart had informed Owen of WWE’s plans and told him to think about it too. He reflected on his close relationship with Vince McMahon at the time, noting he had some “leverage” as “they needed me and they had to re-sign me.”

He spoke with WWE and explained that Owen needed to be pushed, adding “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you because he’s too good of a wrestler and he’s going to quit and become a fireman because you guys aren’t using him very [well]!’”

According to Hart, he spoke with his brother the next day to get his thoughts. Owen was apparently all in on the idea. This surprised Bret who had decided he didn’t want to feud with Owen.

“He goes, ‘why can’t I work with you? I’d make’ – because I was the highest paid wrestler with the company at that time and whenever you wrestled me, you got paid the highest – he goes, ‘why can’t I get my break? I can work with you and we’ll have great matches.'”

It was because this conversation that Bret Hart would agree to their sibling rivalry.

Turning his attention to Owen’s time in WWE, Bret Hart believes the company “never gave him a real break.” According to him, WWE just pushed Owen to the side. He noted how by being beaten down enough times, it’s hard to “make your stock rise unless something magical happens.”

He added how if an individual is torn down so many times, you can’t be revived. If that happens, your career is done. This is something he believes was happening to his brother.

“I remember talking to Owen about it. I said, ‘quit, go home, go somewhere else. Go to Japan for a couple of years. Then, come back and you’ll get your break.’ They needed good wrestlers, but they obviously missed the boat with Owen. I think for a long time.”