Official Brett Hart returning to WWE news and discussion thread.

[LionDen]

With alot of news being posted about Brett Hart returning to WWE by different people, I have made a thread that can have all the news and discussion in one place.

UPDATE:
Source: PWI

We have gotten some email concerning an internet story (I don't know where it came from or I would cite the source) saying that Bret Hart has signed a four month contract with WWE, which would make him available to appear on the 1/4 Raw against TNA Impact. I talked to one person in WWE who told me that he heard though company channels that Bret would be in through WrestleMania but couldn't confirm it 100%. I have talked to a few people in WWE that have told me that they are under the impression that after having his name mentioned on Raw this week, they are moving forward as if he is coming in to work with WWE. So, while I can't confirm the story, I can tell you that my gut feeling is that Bret is on his way in to WWE.

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According to a WWE source who would have full knowledge of the situation, Hart, 52, signed a short-term talent contract with WWE this past week covering the period from 1/1 to 4/10, or through WrestleMania and about two weeks after the 3/28 show at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Hart simply told us that he wasn’t going to lie about anything and thus wasn’t going to say anything on the story. It was said that Hart wanted his signing to be kept quiet and his return to be a surprise, but that WWE couldn’t help itself but all but announced it publicly on the first Raw after the ink was dry.

Sources who were let in on the plans for Hart were told he would actually be wrestling, perhaps only once, and had agreed to do an angle based off the Survivor Series of 1997. Keep in mind McMahon told people the same thing in 2006, but the difference is none of the prior talks ever reached the stage where a contract was signed and where an angle aspect of the return was started on television.

It is not confirmed Hart will guest host the Jan. 4 show in Dayton, but we do know he is currently not scheduled to appear prior to that date and the angle made it appear he would debut under the guise of a one-time only guest host appearance.

Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter & Galaxy & UD

According to a WWE source who would have full knowledge of the situation, Bret Hart has indeed signed a short-term talent contract with World Wrestling Entertainment,

The WWE Hall of Famer signed the this past week and it will cover the period from 1/1 to 4/10, or through WrestleMania and about two weeks after the 3/28 show at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ.

Hart simply told a reliable source that he wasn't going to lie about anything and thus wasn't going to comment on this story.

It was said that Hart wanted his signing to be kept quiet and his return to be a surprise, but that WWE couldn't help itself but all but announced it publicly on the first RAW after the ink was dry.

Source: TWO

[Black Widow]

honestly im probably the only one hoping he doesnt return because i hate bret hart.. never liked him never will.. i cant explain how much i enjoyed the montreal screw job.. if he does return to raw its cool ive officially quit watching raw until that guest host crap is over with .. guest host is killing raw week in week out and dennis miller was awful this week

[Bubala]

I just want to see if he can work with Michaels without it turning into a bitch fight. No sir this ain't gone be no train wreck nope!

[Konan]

id dont like guest host idea any more ..its toooo much ,,plz shut this asap..

[hitman12596]

as a huge hitman fan, i think this would be awesome. but on the other hand, i hated how he left wwe and his attitude towards the end. he became a huge prima donna, like hogan and savage towards the end. so i have mixed feelings about this. im a huge 80's hitman fan. i never watched him in wcw because i couldnt stand him then. and his book was so bitter. so i dont know what to think at this point. i guess its all up to him. he can either redeem himself or prove once and for all, he was a huge dick. i guess time will tell

[LionDen]

This will definately be interesting, I am not a big Hitman fan but to see how the crowd reacts, how Hitman and Michaels react to each other will definately be interesting. I would love to see the contract to see if anything was written in it about what he can and can not say, especially about Vince.

[LionDen]

UPDATE:
Source: PWI

We have gotten some email concerning an internet story (I don't know where it came from or I would cite the source) saying that Bret Hart has signed a four month contract with WWE, which would make him available to appear on the 1/4 Raw against TNA Impact. I talked to one person in WWE who told me that he heard though company channels that Bret would be in through WrestleMania but couldn't confirm it 100%. I have talked to a few people in WWE that have told me that they are under the impression that after having his name mentioned on Raw this week, they are moving forward as if he is coming in to work with WWE. So, while I can't confirm the story, I can tell you that my gut feeling is that Bret is on his way in to WWE.

[Slayer_X]

HBK vs Bret Hart one more time would be cool .

[The Mac]

it would never happen bret cant wrestle
and i didnt find brets book all that bitter i think it was a good insight into the life of a pro wrestler
and how it changed from the 80's through to the 90's and 00's

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

Bret Hart is awesome. It would be great to see how he does. I hope the thing with McMahon and HBK doesn't happen again. Also. keep crying but the Guest Host thing will stay for sometime. it's good for business and it was a very good move on WWE's part. Bret v Hogan for ratings would be great on Jan4 and even though Bret isn't as big as The Rock his history with McMahon will ensure that people tune in.

[Black Widow]

Bret Hart/Vince McMahon WWE Storyline?

WWE is expecting a Bret Hart/Vince McMahon storyline going forward, which is why the plan for the Undertaker/Vince McMahon program was changed to Undertaker/Shawn Michaels.

Source: WI

Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels
Undertaker/Vince McMahon

at WM would be alot better

[Shane McMahon's Ass]

Bret Hart/Vince McMahon WWE Storyline?

WWE is expecting a Bret Hart/Vince McMahon storyline going forward, which is why the plan for the Undertaker/Vince McMahon program was changed to Undertaker/Shawn Michaels.

Source: WI

[LionDen]

WWE is expecting a Bret Hart/Vince McMahon storyline going forward, which is why the plan for the Undertaker/Vince McMahon program was changed to Undertaker/Shawn Michaels.

Crap, I would have liked to have seen the McMahon vs Undertaker angle and see where it went and also we would not have to go through another HBK vs Undertaker angle again. I wonder if Vince had plans to take Undertaker on at Wrestlemania and beat him ...

Although, It will be cool to see a McMahon vs Hart storyline and see how that goes. Vince may be remembering that ratings soar when he is on screen as the bad guy and this may be the way he is going to strike back at TNA. I will definately watch this and see how it spans out and how far they will go with it.

[ClayMation]

I personally think its great to see WWE and Hart patching things up fully and him returning to WWE TV. Ratings will improve no doubt about it. Im not marking out for the Hitman but people are gonna tune in to see where his storyline goes, whether or not he reacts with Michaels...etc. it cant be a bad thing to have him back thats for sure.

[Konan]

Very nice, and could potentially lead to more down the line if he likes how things go, perhaps even a semi-perminant or recurring role similar to Flair's before he left completely.

As much as I want it to just be left as what it was, I hope the end of this short-term deal (since it apparently extends ot two weeks after Mania) ends with an in-ring handshake between Hart and Michaels and a (at least on screen) burrying of the hatchet between the two.:hmm:

[LionDen]

I don't see an in-ring handshake at the end of this and even if there was, I don't believe it would be real. There is just to much bad blood there but Bret has to come to terms now that a younger Hart generation is now in the WWE and mending ties even a little bit can not be a bad thiing for them now and in the future. Not to mention him coming to WWE for this short period will make him some good money, including the sales of DVDs on top of what he is paying paid.

[hitman12596]

would love to see hart dynasty move to raw and have bret manage them and bring back hart foundation

[John]

WNW reader Ben Nicoll sent in the following:

WWE Superstar JTG has confirmed Bret Hart is coming back to WWE on his Twitter account. Below is what he said:

"Bret Hart has signed a short-term deal with WWE. I Finally get a chance to meet my hero."

WNW

[Your Olympic Hero]

I don't think Bret was bitter in his book.....he just told the truth. He was naive in thinking that Vince wasn't going to screw him. I think now he's come to the realization that it was just business. Part of the deal of him coming back is a Hart family DVD box set. I think this is the driving force of his return. Not only does Vince have all of the WWF/WWE footage of Bret, Owen, Davey Boy, The Anvil, & The Dynamite Kid, but he has over 20 Years of Calgary Stampede Wrestling footage & that is something that Bret has always wanted. I don't think he'll have much to do with the Hart Dynasty.

[Black Widow]

BRET HART is set to make a sensational return to WWE in the new year.

According to the Wrestling Observer, The Hitman has agreed terms with Vince McMahon's company on a short-term deal.

It will begin at the start of 2010 and run until April 10, which is just after WrestleMania.

The seeds for the controversial comeback were sown on this week's Raw. On Monday, Vince asked guest host Dennis Miller who he thought should be a temporary GM in the future.

Miller — with the backing of the Texas crowd — demanded Hart. This prompted Vince to look uneasy and walk away, but it was clearly a major tease for the Canadian's return.

Rumours are now rife that Bret will make his WWE comeback on January 4, which stands to be one of the biggest days in modern wrestling history.

TNA have announced that they will debut Hulk Hogan on a live three-hour Impact special on this date, running directly up against Raw.

This is a brief rekindling of the famous Monday Night Wars of the late 1990s and, if TNA are successful, it may well spark a permanent switch of their flagship show to Monday nights.

WWE have been expected to seek a major name to host their show on this night, with The Rock and Steve Austin linked with the role. Now, though, Bret is the forerunner, but a three month contract indicates a much more involved role for a sustained period.

The fact that this contract's time frame includes WrestleMania is obviously very important.

It would be very hard to see Bret returning in a wrestling capacity, since he isn't physically in great shape.

However, he has made a marvellous recovery from a crippling stroke suffered in 2002, and told SunSport's WrestleCast in April that he was "the best I've felt in years".

On that WrestleCast, which you can download here,
it is even joked that Bret will be back at WrestleMania 26.

At the time it seemed a ridiculous and unlikely notion, but all of a sudden may be a reality.

A major question has to be who he will work with, and in what capacity.

One theory is that Bret could come in as a more permanent authority figure, in a duelling, antagonistic role opposite Vince McMahon.


Also possible is a feud with Vince in a similar mould to McMahon's tussle with Donald Trump two years ago, where Bret could select a wrestle to fight against someone of Vince's choice.

It is thought unlikely that Hart would want anything to do with real life enemies Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

But then it was unlikely that he would return to WWE.

Bret's nephew David Hart Smith, niece Natalya and her boyfriend, Tyson Kidd, who was trained by the Harts, feature in WWE at the Hart Dynasty. It is highly likely that some interaction with them will take place.

The legendary Hitman, 52, was one of the greatest wrestlers in history, and a multi-time WWF champion.

He was forced to retire in 2000 at the age of 43 while competing for WCW because of a major concussion and has rarely been seen in wrestling since then.

Hart left WWE acrimoniously in 1997 after what became known as the 'Montreal Screwjob', when he lost his title to hated rival Michaels after legitimately not being told the planned finish of the match.

In the twelve years since Survivor Series '97 Bret has, on many occasions, expressed his distain for what happened in Montreal and blasted McMahon, Michaels and WWE in general.

However, there have been a few moments of conciliation.


In late 2005 a Bret Hart DVD was released by WWE with the full co-operation of Hart, who filmed several hours of interview footage for it and met with Vince for the first time in eight years.

The following year Hart was inducted into the Hall of Fame, making a very emotional acceptance speech, but did not appear on the next night's WrestleMania when the inductees made their bow on stage.

In 2007, Vince McMahon Appreciation Night took place on Raw, and featured several wrestling mocking the WWE supremo rather than praising him.

Amazingly Bret appeared, with no fanfare, via a taped interview, to take a few verbal shots at his old boss.

There has been talk that WWE are to produce a Hart Foundation DVD featuring the best from Bret's team with Jim Neidhart, and also the resurrection of the Hart Foundation faction which included Bret's tragic brother Owen, brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith and Brian Pillman.

Bret has admitted in the past that he would be happy to induct Owen into the Hall of Fame, so this may also have a bearing on his decision to return.

Whatever the reason may be, we're absolutely delighted to see Bret back in the fold.

As a wrestling night, January 4 may just be the best there is, best there was, and best there ever will be.


The Sun