Bret Hart

At 66 years old, Bret Hart has this physical status:

Professional wrestling career

Hart started serving in Calgary as a worker for his father's Stampede Wrestling Company. Hart was one of the first people to assist in the promotion by refereeing games. A wrestler was unable to participate in his match at a 1978 tournament in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, causing Stu to request his son to stand in as a replacement. He was a regular contest before long, winning the Stampede International Tag Team Championship four times, then partnering with brother Keith.

Hart also had some of his most memorable encounters with Japanese troops and real-life trainers, including Mr. Hito and Mr. Sakurada. Hart also had high-impact matches against Tom Billington, who was better known by his in-ring name as the Dynamite Kid. Hart made a point not to ride on the shoulders of his elders while assisting him in the midst of their family's struggles. Hart faithfully served as asked of him, taking pride in his believability. "No one could take a shit-kicking like Bret Hart," says the author. Despite dreading participating in interviews and speaking in front of a crowd, Hart went on to win the promotion's top titles, including two British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championships, five International Tag Team Championships, and six North American Heavyweight Championships. In New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Hart defeated Tiger Mask, a sport for those who competed in the 1980s to mid-1980s. He and several wrestlers were among Stampede's most popular performers until the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) acquired him in August 1984.

Hart was supposed to start out in the WWF as a singles wrestler with a cowboy gimmick but refused, saying that "if you're a cowboy, you'd better be one." In 1984, he made his televised WWF debut on August 29, 1984 in a tag team match where he competed with the Dynamite Kid. Hart defeated Aldo Marino in his televised debut singles match, which aired on the September 29 episode of Superstars of Wrestling. He requested to join Jimmy Hart's heel stable, The Hart Foundation, which also included brother-in-law Jim Neidhart in 1985. He went by the name of "Mat Man." Bret began to collaborate with Neidhart in order to develop the promotion's tag team division. Due to the same family names of both team members and manager Jimmy Hart, the "Hart Foundation" name became exclusive to Bret, Neidhart, and manager Jimmy Hart. Bret's flexible, artistic style – which earned him the moniker "The Excellence of Execution) (coined by Gorilla Monsoon) brought a comparison to his partner Neidhart's stamina and brawling skills. Hart began wearing his signature sunglasses in this period, first to mask his anxiety during promos. Hart believes that his microphone work was a weakness throughout his early career.

Hart began his solos with Ricky Steamboat in 1986, and in a singles match originally planned for WrestleMania 2, he defeated Steamboat at the Boston Garden, which would be included on Hart's 2005 DVD as one of his all-time favorites matches. Hart instead participated in a 20-man royal war that was eventually won by André the Giant. On the 1986 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, he lost to Steamboat once more. In the main event of the November 3, 1986 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, Hart defeated Ray Rougeau, of The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, in his first televised WWF card.

On February 7, 1987, the Hart Foundation won their first of two WWF Tag Team Championships as they defeated The British Bulldogs. Danny Davis and the British Bulldogs and Tito Santana later met at WrestleMania III. Davis pinned Davey Boy Smith after beating him with Jimmy Hart's megaphone. They won the match.

Hart's foundation adopted the term "The Pink and Black Attack," which Hart continued to use after the tag team's disbandment. This was in reference to the team's ringing attire, as well as Hart's signature mirrored sunglasses, which he would regularly give away to a young audience member before matches, following his face turn in 1988. Hart's WWF career grew, he increasingly referred to himself as "the best there is, the highest there was, and the best there will be" (as a result of flight delays); and that he never injured an opponent by any fault of his own; and that he never missed a match; and that he only once refused to miss a match, which culminated in the Montreal Screwjob).

On the October 27 episode of Superstars of Wrestling, the Hart Foundation lost the WWF Tag Team Championships to Strike Force. On the November 28, 1987, episode of Saturday Night's Main Event XIII, Hart defeated "Macho Man" Randy Savage in a losing effort. He started 1988 with a decisive victory over Paul Roma of The Young Stallions (who had scored an upset victory over The Hart Foundation the previous year) on the January 11 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, and he was the first man to enter the Royal Rumble match in January 1988. Don Muraco killed him in 25 minutes and 42 seconds before being ruled out by Don Muraco.

Hart was again one of the final two combatants when he was enlisted by former Stampede foe Bad News Brown to eliminate Junkyard Dog before Brown turned on Hart, effectively ending his chances of winning the contest. Hart was transformed into a fan favorite and sparked a feud between the two teams, which culminated in a rivalry. Neidhart's time in the feud soon joined Hart's team, but teammate Jimmy Hart discouraged the rivalry, resulting in a break between the team and manager. Hart was matched against Davis in his first singles championship appearance, as well as his first singles championship appearance in the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the July 18 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, with the match ending in a double countout. Jimmy Hart served in a fruitful defense of their belts against the Harts at SummerSlam in August 1988, before enlisting old rivals the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who had recently turned heel, to restart their rivalry with the Harts.

The Hart Foundation defeated the Rougeaus and Dino Bravo at the Royal Rumble in January 1989. Jim Duggan was a student at the University of Cambridge. André the Giant's praise and admiration after the match, as well as Jimmy Hart's WrestleMania V., was also a part of wrestling's WrestleMania V. On October 10, he wrestled in his first pay-per-view singles match, losing to Dino Bravo in the first British WWF pay-per-view match at the London Arena and streamed on Sky Television (Hart was in fact guaranteed to win the match but suffered from a fractured sternum, resulting in an unplanned countout loss).

The Hart Foundation lost a non-title match against then WWF Tag Team Champions The Brain Busters in August 1989 at SummerSlam. He lost to Mr. Donnell in the first televised match of a rivalry that would stretch Hart's WWF and WCW careers. Perfect on the 1989 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, when Perfect pulled Hart's tights during a roll-up. Shawn Michaels and Hart fought to a double countout on the February 11, 1990 edition of the Wrestling Challenge in their first ever singles match.

The Hart Foundation beat the Bolsheviks in 19 seconds at WrestleMania VI, defeating Demolition, who had just won the WWF Tag Team Championship against The Colossal Connection at WrestleMania VI. The Hart Foundation's second, and possibly final, WWF Tag Team Championship match started in 1990, defeating Demolition members Crush and Smash in a two-out of three fell match with some assistance from Legion of Doom. The Hart Foundation lost the title to The Rockers on October 30, but President Jack Tunney restored it a few days later, and the victory was never announced on television. The Hart Foundation's reign lasted until WrestleMania VII, where the team lost to the Nasty Boys after which the team was split.

Hart defeated Mr. Defendant in his first WWF Intercontinental Championship. At SummerSlam 1991, the Sharpshooter was unstoptable, and the 1991 King of the Ring tournament was held at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Hart's first pay-per-view title defense took place in Texas on Tuesday, where he defeated the undefeated Skinner.

Hart was thrust into a feud with Jacques Rougeau, who by now was battling as "The Mountie" and using the gimmick of a power-hungry, corrupt member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This feud, the first for Hart and Rougeau as singles opponents, came about when Mountie's boss, Jimmy Hart, spat water on Hart, and The Mountie proceeded to shock Hart with a cattle prod. Hart lost the Intercontinental Championship to The Mountie on January 17, 1992. Roddy Piper defeated Mountie with a sleeper hold two days later, and Bret pinned Piper for his second Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania VIII later this year, making him one of the first wrestlers to pin Piper's shoulders to the ground. In the WWF's first ever ladder match, Hart defeated Shawn Michaels with the Intercontinental Championship belt suspended above the ring. In Hart's first WWF pay-per-view main event at Wembley Stadium in August 1992, he gave the Intercontinental Championship to his brother-in-law, Davey Boy Smith. Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers rated it as the "Match of the Year" and WWE rated it as the best in the series's history. Hart referred to the tournament as his favorite game of his career when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006.

Hart won the WWF Championship from Ric Flair in a match that was not originally broadcast on WWF television in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on October 12 of that year – the match was instead shown on a series of Coliseum/WWE Home Video releases. During the game, Hart dislocated one of his left hand's fingers and brought it back in himself, so it would not affect the remainder of the match. On Saturday Night's Main Event XXI, he made his first successful title defense against Papa Shango. With a strong title defense against Shawn Michaels in the 1992 Survivor Series, he would headline his first pay-per-view match as champion, as well as defeating Razor Ramon at the 1993 Royal Rumble. Mr. Fuji will also defend the title against opponents like Papa Shango and former champion Ric Flair before losing the title to Yokozuna in his first WrestleMania main event at WrestleMania IX. Fuji then defeated Hulk Hogan, who had been sent to assist Hart, to represent the title; Hogan then captured his fifth WWF Championship from Yokozuna. Hart defeated Razor Ramon, Mr., in June for the first pay-per-view King of the Ring tournament. Bam Bam Bigelow is the best two-time King of the Ring, making him the only two-time King of the Ring. Hart, 23, was supposed to recover the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam, but Hogan decided not to transfer the title to Yokozuna instead, as King of the Ring. Hart then entered a dispute with Jerry "The King" Lawler, who interrupted Hart's coronation, accused him of being the only king and began a row against Hart and his family members. In 1993, the two met in SummerSlam to determine the "Undisputed King of the World Wrestling Federation." Hart originally won the match by submission by the Sharpshooter, but the decision was changed to a Lawler win by disqualification. During 1993, Hart and his younger brother, Owen Hart, would compete with Lawler, with Lawler notably defeating Owen for the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Best of the Year" was dubbed "Feud of the Year" by Hart's rivalry with Lawler, and readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated named it "Feud of the Year."

Hart received a WrestleMania IX rematch with WWF Champion Yokozuna on the November 20 episode of WWF Superstars after months of dealing with Lawler. Owen came to ringside to congratulate his brother as Bret seemed to have won the match, with Yokozuna trapped in the sharpshooter. Owen's motives were challenged by the referee, who allowed Fuji to assault Bret. Owen then took part in the game, resulting in victory for Yokozuna through disqualification. Hart on the non-televised but now-canon November 22 episode of Monday Night Raw, he again challenged Yokozuna for the WWF Championship but ultimately failed to recover the trophy due to Owen's involvement. The brothers' feuds set the wheels in motion for a family feud that would last the entirety of 1994. The Harts (Bret, Owen, Bruce, and Keith) met Shawn Michaels (a replacement for Lawler, who was facing legal problems) and his knights at Survivor Series. The Harts won the match, with all of the brothers surviving save for Owen, the only Hart family member who was disqualified after being rolled up by Michaels after inadvertently knocking Bret off the apron. Owen was furious over his demise, blamed Bret for this, but Bret was blamed for the delay. Owen pleaded for a one-on-one match with Bret, which Bret refused to accept. Bret and his parents, along with his parents, worked over the Christmas holidays to reunite the family and resolve their rivalry. Fans voted Bret "WWF Superstar of the Year" 1993, as well as Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers' Best wrestler of the year.

For the WWF Tag Team Championship, Bret and Owen took on The Quebecers (Jacques and Pierre) at the Royal Rumble in January. Referee Tim White called off the match after he decided Bret would be unable to recover after suffering a kayfabe knee injury during the match. Owen chastised his brother for losing him a trophy and breaking the injured knee, igniting the feud between the two teams. Hart continued to participate and win the 1994 Royal Rumble match amid controversies. Hart and Lex Luger were the last two participants of the top rope at the same time, and the two were disqualified if both were eliminated at the same time. Both men were named co-winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble match and received championship shots at WrestleMania X. Hart had to wrestle his brother Owen first before receiving his title shot. Hart lost his match against Owen but beat Yokozuna for his second WWF Championship.

Hart and his brother Owen became rivalry, though Diesel and Diesel also feuded. Jim Neidhart, Hart's companion and former tag team member, rejoined the WWF and reunited with Hart. Hart defended the WWF Championship against Diesel at King of the Ring. Shawn Michaels intervened on Diesel's behalf; Diesel came close to victory when he delivered a Jackknife Powerbomb right before he could pin Hart, Neidhart interfered, and Diesel retained his title by disqualification. Following the match, Neidhart was left homeless while Diesel and Michaels assaulted Hart. When Owen defeated the tournament that night, Neidhart's motives were made clear, so he might have a championship shot against his brother. Hart successfully defended the WWF Championship against Owen in a steel cage match at SummerSlam. This match received a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated named the brothers "Feud of the Year" for the year.

Hart eventually lost his WWF Championship in a submission match against Bob Backlund, where either competitor (Davey Boy Smith for Hart, Owen for Backlund) would have to "throw in the towel" for the wrestler they were representing. Owen begged his mother Helen to throw in the towel for Hart while Hart was still wingless, giving Backlund the championship win. Bret and Backlund's feud will persist into the coming year. Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers voted him the best wrestler of 1994, winning the election for the second year in a row.

Diesel defeated Backlund in eight seconds with a jackknife powerbomb three days after Hart's title defeat, becoming the new WWF champion. Hart was already focusing on projects that were outwith the company, such as acting, and by 1995, the firm's number two star, behind Diesel, had risen. At the 1995 Royal Rumble, Hart was battling for the WWF Championship in a match that was often marred by outside interference and adjudged a draw. Following the match, both men took part in a demonstration of sportsmanship. Hart defeated Bob Backlund in a "I Quit" match at WrestleMania XI in a rematch from Survivor Series. Hart was outraged over the match against Backlund, saying it was "probably the worst pay-per-view match I've ever seen." Hart will be the focal point of the inaugural event of the In Your House pay-per-view series, with two matches at In Your House 1. In the first match of the in Your House series, he defeated Hakushi. At the point when Hart was defeated due to Hakushi's (now Lawler's protégé) interference, it was revived. Hart defeated Lawler in a "Kiss My Foot" match at King of the Ring, and then disqualified Lawler's kayfabe dentist Isaac Yankem by disqualification at SummerSlam 1995. Hart shoving his foot into Lawler's mouth and coercing Lawler to kiss his own foot. Although Hart was victorious in their in-ring war, the comedian remained adamantly opposed to Hart as a commentator and would routinely encourage Hart's opponents during matches; it would not be until Over the Limit, 16 years later, that the guys would finally bury the hatchet. Hart became embroiled in a three-month feud with Jean-Pierre Lafitte, who would be looing the mirrored sunglasses from fans and his signature leather jacket after disposing of Lawler. Hart defeated Lafitte to put an end to the feud at In Your House 3. Hart returned to the WWF Championship, defeating Diesel in a no disqualification match at Survivor Series to begin his third reign.

Hart defended his title against now heel Davey Boy Smith in a rematch from their SummerSlam 1992 match. In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings In a rematch of Raw on February 5, he lost to The Undertaker by disqualification at the 1996 Royal Rumble when Diesel interfered, ultimately keeping the WWF Championship, and defeated The Undertaker by disqualification. On the March 4 episode of the series, Hart retained his crown against Diesel in a steel cage match at In Your House 6, defeating Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who was undefeated on Raw. In a 60-minute Iron Man match at the tournament, WWF Commissioner Rowdy Piper determined Hart would meet Shawn Michaels, who had won a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania XII by defeating the Royal Rumble. The wrestler with the most decisions during the 60 minutes would win the match and the WWF Championship.

Michaels jumped from the middle rope at WrestleMania, with less than a minute to spare and the score still 0–0; Hart's legs were catching him by Hart; and Hart locked in his Sharpshooter. Michaels did not respond in the last 30 seconds, resulting in a tie. Gorilla Monsoon, the head of WWF, declared that the match will continue in sudden death overtime. Michaels took the championship with a superkick. In 2004, WWE fans voted it the "Match of the Year"; in 2004, WWE followers rated the match as the best in the history of WrestleMania. Hart went on a European tour over the next two weeks, defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The tour came to an end on April 22, and after that, he took his hiatus from television. His last televised appearance was on a European tour during which he outlined his love for wrestling had been slowed and that, although competing companies' offers were welcome, he might be out of wrestling.

Hart will certainly be competing for jobs from both WWF and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the fall. Hart was offered a three-year, $9 million deal, but the World Wrestling Federation responded with a 20-year contract. Hart returned to action on a tour of South Africa on September 8, 1996, defeating Davey Boy Smith in Durban after finishing up his original WWF contract. Hart decided to re-sign with the World Wrestling Federation on October 21, citing an interview with the World Wrestling Federation. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame Class of 1996.

Stone Cold Steve Austin, the 1996 King of the Ring champion, taunt Hart and ordered him to return and face a match. Hart returned and defeated Austin at Survivor Series in a match for the number one contender spot in the WWF Championship after an eight-month absence from television. In Your House 12: It's Time; Shawn Michaels, who was serving as a guest commentator at ringside, cost Hart the victory when he tried to participate in the game after being attacked by Sid. Hart and Michaels' building tensions climaxed after the match, when Hart assaulted Michaels. Hart's rivalry with Austin erupted at the Royal Rumble, when Hart knocked Austin out of the arena, only for Austin (unknownst to the referees) to return to the ring and win the Royal Rumble match, though the referees were distracted by Mankind. Hart resigned from the WWF on Raw the next night in protest. A Fatal Four-Way between Austin and the participants who were re-entering the contest (Vader, The Undertaker, and Hart) was planned for In Your House 13: Final Four, with the winner crowned the top contender in order to cope with this controversy. Shawn Michaels, the nation's second-champion, relinquished the belt, but the match officially became for the WWF Championship. In the Fatal Four-Way, Hart defeated Austin, Vader, and The Undertaker. However, Austin made sure Hart's fourth reign was short lived, costing him a championship match against Sid next night on Raw. In a steel cage match shortly before WrestleMania 13, Hart's WWF Championship, which Austin actually did win in order to advance to their scheduled match at WrestleMania 13 a championship match. The Undertaker, who had a pending championship match with Sid at WrestleMania, tried to assist Sid in defeating him. Sid was ultimately retained, resulting in a pure grudge match between Hart and Austin. Hart hurled Vince McMahon to the ground when he attempted to conduct a post-match interview and sparked a tense discussion between McMahon and WWF's command. "Mr. McMahon" was cited as one that aided in the establishment of WWF's Attitude Era, as well as the starting point of McMahon's on-air appearance.

Hart and Austin were rematching in a submission match that would later receive a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. Hart pinned the Sharpshooter on a bloody Austin who refused to give up at the end. Austin, actually, did not resign, but the blood loss and pain drove him to. Hart was awarded the match by Ken Shamrock, the special guest referee, after which he began to attack Austin, thus turning heel for the first time since 1988. It was voted "Match of the Year" by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and named "Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers. Hart approached Sycho Sid and The Undertaker later that night, referring to Undertaker's insult of Undertaker and telling Shawn Michaels (who was a guest commentator on the match) not to interfere. The wrestler won the tournament, but Hart hot shot Sid on the ropes, costing him the title.

In the main event of the Raw show on March 31, Hart met Rocky Maivia for the Intercontinental Championship. When Hart refused to reveal a figure-four leglock around the ring post, Rocky Maivia won by disqualification. In Your House 14: A Cold Day in Hell has seen him meet in the main event of In Your House 14: The 'Taker's Revenge of the 'Taker' to determine who will face the WWF Champion Undertaker in a title match the following month. When The British Bulldog interfered on Hart's behalf, the Austin had him locked in his own finishing move, the Sharpshooter, in the middle of the competition, resulting in disqualification and the acceptance of Austin as the champion and title match. On the April 21 episode of Raw Is War, in which Austin broke Hart's ankle with a steel chair, they met again in a street fight. The match was declared a no-contest, and Austin afterward continued to defeat Hart while on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance.

Hart blasted American fans in the ensuing weeks, despite his continuing indignation around the world, and reunited with brother Owen and brothers-in-law Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart. Brian Pillman's family founded a new Hart Foundation, which was a popular anti-American stable in Canada and Europe. Hart, the current head of the family business, carried a Canadian flag to the ring and participated in advertisements in which he proclaimed the enthraging of his home country; audiences in the United States were often disgusted by the fact that they would often throw garbage during his ring entrances, interviews, and matches. In 1997, Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers named him as the "Most Hated Wrestler of the Year" in honor. In a ten-man tag team main event, the Hart Foundation defeated the team of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust, and The Legion of Doom, representing the United States, in In Your House 16: The Canadian Stampede. In a Flag contest, the Canada vs. the United States feud escalated on July 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Bret, Owen, and Davey Boy Smith, representing Canada and the Hart Foundation, defeated Dude Love, Austin, representing the United States, and The Undertaker, representing the United States, escalated. By Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the Hart Foundation's feud with Austin was named "Feud of the Year" and voted "Feud of the Year" by readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, and Pro Wrestling Illustrated's "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" voted "Feud of the Year." Hart vowed that if he did not defeat The Undertaker for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam, he would not wrestle in the United States again. The Undertaker accepted the contest and Hart earned his fifth and last WWF Championship after spitting in guest referee Shawn Michaels' face; Michaels swung a steel chair in retaliation, accidentally hitting the Undertaker. Michaels, who was part of another pre-match stipulation, would be barred from participating in the United States if he did not remain neutral as referee, had no choice but to count the pinfall, giving his competitor Hart the victory.

Michaels was pushed as the top heel in the company, and unsettling fan reactions against Hart in the United States had lessened, as he said, "I'm not so much anti-American as I am just very pro-Canadian." Hart did not like the new Attitude Era in real life, instead favoring traditional values. Since Hart's Attitude Era's popularity, he was used as part of his persona, as he mocked the American citizens. Hart defended his title against the Patriots, despite the fact that Hart had been involved in a feud as part of the Canada vs. U.S. storyline, avenging a loss to him on the July 28 Raw. The Canada-U.S. war will come to an end in Badd Blood: In Your House, where Hart and Davey Boy Smith, representing Canada and The Hart Foundation, defeated The Patriot and Vader, representing the United States, will clash in a Flag contest. The Undertaker met Hart in a rematch at SummerSlam, and the Undertaker put apron on the apron after reversing a Tombstone Piledriver attempt from Hart. Hart's neck was tied in the ropes as a result, and The Undertaker was disqualified. Hart later referred to this as his favorite of all his matches with The Undertaker and his last great match in the WWF.

In September 1997, Hart met Terry Funk at WrestleFest, what was described as Funk's retirement match.

During the Hart Foundation's feud with Shawn Michaels-led D-Generation X (DX), DX framed the Hart Foundation in vandalizing the locker room of the African American stable, Nation of Domination with racial motifs. Hart called Triple H (previously identified as "Hunter Hearst Helmsley") and Shawn Michaels "homos" in retaliation during a D-Generation X promo, as a result. Hart later apologised for his role in the movie and said he had been coerced into it, saying, "I am not a racist in any way or form." And I don't believe it is something to worry about. I also want to apologise for any remarks I made about gay people. "I made a stupid mistake on my part." On the October 20 episode of Raw, Hart defended his title against Nation of Domination leader Faarooq. Hart defeated Ken Shamrock to a no-contest on the October 27 episode of Raw Is War; though the referee was knocked out, Shamrock put Hart in an ankle lock; members of the Hart Foundation then fought Shamrock until Shawn Michaels saved Shamrock and assaulted Hart.

Hart's on-air rivalry with Vince McMahon also grew at this time. Many followers became outraged over McMahon, who at the time was revealed as the WWF's chairman more often on-air. Although Hart had signed a 20-year deal in 1996, the WWF was in a difficult financial situation by late 1997 and could no longer afford to pay the tribute. Although Hart was arguably the best wrestler in the world during the 1990s, McMahon felt that his character was starting to wane, and he encouraged Hart to discuss a new deal, perhaps one like their initial one. Despite Hart's reluctance to leave the WWF and his willingness to re-negotiate, he did not. Hart then began a three-year deal with the WCW. At Survivor Series in Montreal, his last match with the WWF will be a championship match against his real-life rival Shawn Michaels. Hart did not want to end his WWF career with a loss to Michaels in his home country, particularly in the context of their nationality-fueled rivalry, and so he could not lose, forfeit, or otherwise give over the keys to Michaels in any other way McMahon intended. McMahon accepted Hart's offer of forfeiting the championship the next night on Raw Is War or losing it a few weeks later.

Despite Hart's insistence that Hart return the WWF Championship with him to WCW television and fear that McMahon would return to WCW with a "clean slate," McMahon was still worried and tumultuous; later, he became known as the Montreal Screwjob. Despite the fact that Hart did not submit to the Sharpshooter, referee Earl Hebner yelled for the alert on McMahon's orders. Hart "losing" the WWF Championship to Michaels, as a result. The night ended with an angry Hart spitting in McMahon's face, destroying TV equipment, and kicking McMahon backstage in front of Gerald Brisco, Pat Patterson, and McMahon's son Shane. Hart also confronted Michaels backstage about the match's conclusion. Several behind-the-scenes incidents leading up to the Montreal Screwjob were filmed for the documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, which was released in 1998. The Montreal Screwjob has been described as "arguably the most tense, most jarring moment in the annals of sports entertainment."

Hart's likeness will continue to be published in WWF media into 1998, including the title video of Raw (brawling in a warehouse) and the WWF War Zone video game.

Hart's three-year deal with World Championship Wrestling included a salary increase ($2.5 million per year), as well as a map and a measure of creative control over his television appearance. Eric Bischoff, who was with the New World Order (nWo), announced that Hart would be coming to WCW and joining the nWo the day after the WWF's Survivor Series pay-per-view. Hart made his Nitro debut on December 15, 1997. He was also heavily involved in the Starrcade pay-per-view last month. He stepped forward as the special guest referee for Bischoff and Larry Zbyszko's match, naming Sting the winner and the new champion by submission, establishing Hart as the protagonist in the match. His no-compete clause came to an end in January, and Ric Flair was his first feud in WCW, when both wrestlers ranked themselves as the best professional wrestlers of all time. In his first WCW match, Hart defeated Flair at Souled Out. Hart defended the WCW against the nWo, defeating Brian Adams in his first Nitro match on March 2 and Curt Hennig at Uncensored. In April 1998, Hart participated in a Nitro main event involving Hollywood Hogan and Randy Savage, assisting Hogan in recapturing the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, turning heel in the process. He became a member of the nWo but did not join the organization informally.

Hart defeated Chris Benoit in his second Nitro match on June 22, defeating nWo members: Hart had attempted to recruit his long-time friend into the nWo but the invitation was turned down. Hart faced Booker T for the WCW World Television Championships in Bash at the Beach in his first championship match in WCW. After shaming Booker with a steel chair, he was disqualified. On July 20, he headlined his first Nitro card for the vacant United States Heavyweight Championship, with the help of nWo member, The Giant. Hart lost his title to Lex Luger on the episode of Nitro on August 10. The next night on Thunder, he recovered it from Luger. Hart was defeated in a WarGames match for the No. 1 in the main event of Fall Brawl. WCW World Heavyweight Championship is a qualifying tournament for the 1st time.

Hart begged the fans for forgiveness after turning his back on Hogan and the nWo. The September 28 episode of Nitro featured a match between Hart and Hogan. Hart sustained a knee injury during the game, resulting in the loss of the match and a no-contest; Sting came to Hart's rescue and launched a match with Hogan. Hart ruled a no-contest in this bout, with a DDT being delivered. After the match, Sting, a member of the nWo Wolfpact, was assaulted; this betrayal sparked a long feud between Hart and Sting. The Warrior defeated Hart and Hogan by disqualification on the October 12 episode of Nitro, Sting and The Warrior. Hart's rivalry with Sting culminated at Halloween, with Hart defending the United States Heavyweight Championship and (kayfabe) injuring Sting. Hart lost the title to Diamond Dallas Page on the October 26 episode of Nitro. In a title match that Hart lost, the two headlined the following month's World War 3 pay-per-view in a title match. Hart regained the title from Page on a No Disqualification match with support from The Giant.

Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to family friend Roddy Piper on February 8, 1999 on Nitro's episode. Hart appeared in street clothes and chastised that he and Hogan were both criticized for missing a match with him on the upcoming WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, as well as Hogan. He 'punched out "franchise player" Goldberg, claiming he could beat him in five minutes and verbally coerce Goldberg to give him the spear. Hart was wearing a metal breastplate under his Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, resulting in Goldberg's being knocked out. "I'm sorry, I quit," Hart continued to laugh over Goldberg's unconscious body and proclaimed himself on the microphone: "Hey Bischoff, and the WCW, I quit." In reality, he sustained a groin injury at the hands of Dean Malenko in November and needed time off for surgery.

Owen Hart's brother Owen Hart died in a crash on May 23, 1999, the night before Hart was supposed to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote his impending WCW return. Hart took a further four months off from WCW to be with his family.

Hart returned to wrestling on the back of a tag team match against Sting and Lex Luger on September 13, 1999, reestablishing himself as a participant in the process. Hart defeated Chris Benoit in a special "Owen Hart Tribute Match" at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, where Owen had died in May. On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Hart was competing for the Sting's WCW World Heavyweight Championship, but he was disqualified by Luger. Due to controversies surrounding a string of WCW World Heavyweight Championship matches involving Sting, Hogan, and Goldberg at Halloween Havoc, the title was declared vacant. After a tournament involving several episodes of Nitro, it was decided that a tournament was held. Hart's first round match came against Goldberg the night after Halloween Havoc, with the tournament being a tournament match for a berth in the next round, as well as a a match for the United States Heavyweight Championship, which Goldberg had won the night before. Hart defeated Goldberg and took the U.S. Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time thanks to outside interference by Sid Vicious and The Strangers. Hart lost the title to Scott Hall in a ladder match that also featured Sid Vicious and Goldberg on November 8 in a Nickel based competition.

Hart beat Perry Saturn, Billy Kidman, Sting, and Chris Benoit at Mayhem, winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament. Hart and Goldberg won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from Creative Control on December 7, making Hart and Goldberg the WCW World Tag Team Championships, making him the WCW World Tag Team Championship champion and making Hart the double champion. On the December 13 episode of Nitro, Hart and Goldberg lost the tag team titles to The Outsiders. Hart defended his WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg at Starrcade. Hart was struck with a thrust kick to the head during the game, resulting in a serious concussion. Hart later estimated that he may have sustained up to three additional concussions within weeks of the match, as well as the days immediately after Starrcade, having been unaware of the severity of his injuries. For example, Hart stuck Goldberg on the post in a figure four leglock, which resulted in Hart striking his head on the concrete floor when Goldberg struggled to move properly. Hart was left with post-concussion syndrome and eventually barred him from competitive wrestling due to the severity of his injuries. Goldberg "had the ability to hurt everybody he worked with," Hart said later. Hart expressed regret that "someone as compassionate as Bill Goldberg" was responsible for hurting him. When Hart locked Goldberg in the Sharpshooter, referee Roddy Piper rang the bell, but Goldberg did not respond. Piper simply walked away, leaving Goldberg and Hart bewildered.

Hart vacated the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the December 20 episode of Nitro, implying that he, lacking the championship advantage, will face Goldberg that night to determine the true champion. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash arrived in the ring trying to kill Goldberg with baseball bats during the match. Hart pleaded with them to put them to an end, but they returned to Goldberg with one of the bats, turning heel once more. Jeff Jartt was later added to the three guys as they continued to defeat Goldberg and were eventually joined by Jeff Jarrett. Hart recovered the title even though it was Roddy Piper who was covering Goldberg (to try and shield him) when the three counts were announced. The nWo was reformed (now branded "nWo 2000"). On the January 6 episode of Thunder, Hart wrestled Terry Funk to a no contest in a non-title, hardcore rules match. On the January 10 episode of Nitro, he defended the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Nash, resulting in a no match. Hart vacated the title in late January 2000 after being compelled to withdraw from the main event of WCW's Souled Out due to his injury. Hart continued to appear on WCW television, mainly cutting promos. Hart took a shot at Hogan with a chair on the May 3 episode of Thunder. In a promo where he confronted Goldberg on the injury he suffered nine months earlier, his last WCW appearance occurred on the September 6, 2000 episode of Thunder. Hart's deal came to an end via FedEx letter on October 20, 2000, due to his continuing incapacity, and he resigned from professional wrestling soon afterward, in October 26, 2000.

Hart and several commentators thought the plotlines during his time as king were lackingluster. Chris Jericho, a former wrestler on WCW, compared this to backstage politics and creative mayhem. Hart referred to his "steel plate" segment with Goldberg and his tribute to Owen against Chris Benoit as his two most memorable times with the company. He said he was "proud" to have been the WCW World Heavyweight Champion for a short time before suffering injury.

Hart became the on-screen commissioner of World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA), a position that came too early due to a 2002 accident that required him to use a wheelchair. Hart travelled to Auckland, New Zealand, for his first major appearance since recovering, at another WWA event in May 2003.

Hart signed autographs at "The Legends of Wrestling" exhibition at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2007. He appeared at One Pro Wrestling in Doncaster, England, where he did a Q&A and then moved into the ring to address the audience on the weekend. During a Ring of Honor function in New York City on September 27, 2009, Hart appeared in New York City's Manhattan Center to sign autographs. He addressed the audience, recalling some of his most memorable matches in New York.

Bret Hart appeared in a WWE match for the first time since 1998's WWF WarZone, followed by WWE SmackDown. Vs. vs. vs. Raw on PlayStation 2. Hart was with the renamed World Wrestling Entertainment for the first time since 1997, assisting hours of interview filming and selecting matches for his WWE Home Video debut, Bret "Hit Man" Hart: the Best There Ever Was, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Was, the Best There Was, the Best There Is, the Best There Ever Was. On the November 16 episode of the web series Byte This, he returned to WWE wrestling as a guest.

Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006 by Stone Cold Steve Austin on April 1, 2006. The following night, he did not appear alongside his fellow inductees at WrestleMania 22. Hart appeared on Raw on June 11, 2007, his first appearance on Raw since October 27, 1997, when he appeared in a pre-taped interview expressing his thoughts on Vince McMahon as part of "Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night."

In late 2009, Hart re-signed with WWE for the second time. After weeks of rumors surrounding Hart and his appearance in World Wrestling Entertainment, Chairman Vince McMahon announced that Hart would be the special guest host on January 4 Raw. Hart thanked the fans for continuing to help, joked about a long-running 1990s feud, and confronted Shawn Michaels and McMahon about the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series in 1997. Hart and Michaels were able to find a truce, shaking hands and hugging. Though some people are skeptical of the sincerity of their repentance, both men have confirmed that it was indeed genuine and not part of a plot. It was also believed that he buried the hatchet with McMahon later in the night before McMahon stabbed Bret in the crotch, triggering a taleline (this was in fact part of a storyline, as Hart and McMahon had been on speaking terms since 2005).

Hart and McMahon reconstructed events in the following month: McMahon spitting in Hart's face (as Hart did to McMahon), and Hart destroying portions of the mechanical equipment that goes into making Raw (as he did to the Survivor Series units). Hartley gave his goodbyes to WWE on February 15, but another car sped into his limousine and injured his left leg. McMahon challenged Hart to a match at WrestleMania XXVI on March 1st Raw; Hart accepted. The match was later changed to a No Holds Barred match, with Hart assisting him (with the help of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the special guest host that night) the stage of his injuries. Hart and his family inducted his father Stu Hart into the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame class, a contentious decision that aggravated Hart and McMahon's rivalry in 2010. McMahon tried to convince Hart's family to turn against him at WrestleMania; instead, they turned against McMahon and helped Hart defeat McMahon.

Hart was a member of The Hart Dynasty (David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd), a stable that came from the Hart family's rivalry with ShoMiz (Big Show and Miz); they ultimately won the WWE Tag Team Championship on April 26. When the Miz lost a match that had promised a WWE Championship match to a Hart family friend, he selected Bret; with the help of the Dynasty, Hart won his fifth United States Championship on May 17 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hart was named the Raw's new general manager on the May 24 episode. His first orders involved the cancellation of his United States Championship, which R-Truth captured, and arranging qualifying matches for Fatal 4-Way, which the injured Batista refused to and rescheduled. Hart's Next Week is the start of a new season of Raw on Wednesday. On the June 14 episode of Raw, he was assaulted by NXT rookies after firing Wade Barrett and refusing to give them contracts. McMahon fired Hart as the general manager for inability to control the rookies a week later.

Hart recovered five weeks after being told by John Cena that he, The Great Khali, R-Truth, Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, and Hart will meet the NXT rookies, now known as The Nexus, at SummerSlam. Hart and Cena teamed up with Cena to face Edge and Chris Jericho to a no contest this week. In the SummerSlam main event, he was disqualified for using a steel chair on Skip Sheffield, but his team won the match anyway. Hart introduced the Hart Dynasty, the champions, to the new tag team championship belt belts on August 16, episode of Raw. During The Nexus vs. Sing, a late night match was held in the evening. Hart was supposed to face Justin Gabriel, but after the Anonymous Raw General Manager, blaming Hart's disdain for him, the game was called off and replaced him with Randy Orton, he was unable to participate. When Gabriel entered Hart's Sharpshooter, WWE held a tribute event to him in Madison Square Garden, where he and the Hart Dynasty defeated Nexus members Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, and Michael Tarver in a six-man tag team match on September 25. Hart's WWE deal came to an end in November 2010.

Hart came to the rescue of his long-running 1990s rival, Jerry Lawler, causing Michael Cole to kiss Lawler's foot at Over the Limit. The following night, Hart refereed Raw, Hart's main contest, which saw John Cena and Rey Mysterio defeat R-truth and CM Punk with Hart's assistance. Hart appeared on SmackDown's tapings on August 23, 2011 (aired August 26). Hart teamed with John Cena in a match against Alberto Del Rio and Rigoberto Rodriguez, which he won after turning Rodriguez into a sharpshooter on September 12 tapings of Raw in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. This was Hart's last match.

Hart has made infrequent appearances in minor roles, including on the 2011 episode of Tough Enough, April 25, 2011. He appeared on Raw 1000 and on the May 4, 2012 show as guest ring announcer; on September 10, 2012, he talked with John Cena, which culminated in a brawl with Hart. He appeared on backstage segments of the 2013 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 31. Hart was honoured by the city of Calgary and the WWE with a "Bret Hart Appreciation Night" to reflect on his achievements throughout his career. Pat Patterson, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, and Vince McMahon, who each paid their own tributes to Hart, were among those in the ring for this tribute. He has also worked as an expert on panels, including the NXT Arrival pre-show on March 25, 2013 and the NXT Arrival panel. On the second NXT TakeOver event and the 2016 Payback Festival, Hart was in the corner of his niece Natalya on March 27, 2014 episode of NXT. The match came to an end when Charlotte's referee, Charles Robinson, called for the bell. Both Natalya and Hart shot Charlotte and Ric Flair respectively in the Sharpshooter after the match.

When Hart was inducted as a member of The Hart Foundation alongside Jim Neidhart on April 6, 2019, he became a two-time WWE Hall of Famer. During Hart's address, an audience member burst into the ring and tackled Hart and his niece Natalya to the ground, but they were soon rescued by several wrestlers and security, and Hart continued his address after several minutes. The attacker was sent by WWE to the local authorities, according to a tweet later.

Hart wished Seth Rollins good luck in his match against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship in August 2019.

Hart appeared in September 2022 at Ringside for WWE's first UK stadium show in 30 years, WWE Clash at the Castle.

Hart made a surprise appearance at the AEW's (AEW) inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, on May 25, 2019, the AEW World Championships.

Hart was one of many people at Impact Wrestling's 2020 Bound for Glory, a video message from Ken Shamrock to honor his induction into the Impact Hall of Fame on October 24, 2020.

Source