The HBK-Hit Man Rivalry: Taking Bret’s Side

I’ve always been the first (and loudest) to proclaim my allegiance to Bret Hart in his renowned rivalry with Shawn Michaels. And I’m not even Canadian.

As a youth witnessing WWE’s attitudinal evolution in 1997, I thought I was the only American left who still wanted to see The “Hit Man” not just prevail but also thoroughly pummel Shawn Michaels’ face at Survivor Series in Montreal. Roughly 14 years and a full screening of “Shawn vs. Bret: WWE’s Greatest Rivalries” later, I still look at the sports-entertainment world through electric pink tinted sunglasses.

Of course, like everyone else in the late 1990s, I found entertainment in HBK and D-Generation X’s irreverent treatment of Sgt. Slaughter, their oversized deli meat gag and the rest of their uncouth rebellious acts. I even (shamefully) acquired a liking for the DX entrance music.

Despite all this, I was with Bret. To me, he was a pink and black beacon of virtue. He reinforced the values of “right versus wrong” with a functioning moral compass and I agreed with his crusade. I simply couldn’t fathom how anyone watching Monday Night Raw could’ve ignored the fact that Hart was, for lack of a better term, shafted at every turn while Michaels – lawless and smug – gained the support of millions. It was as if the entire world had suddenly turned on the guy who’d proudly championed them for so many years all because it became cool to crotch-chop.

I’ve had the rare and incredible opportunity to shadow both ring legends in 2010 and 2011 in WWE.com’s WrestleMania Diary. Firsthand, I’ve witnessed Hart and HBK interact as men who’ve moved past their much chronicled dispute, now more than a decade after the most personal ring rivalry culminated in sports-entertainment’s most infamous betrayal: the “Montreal Screwjob.” (WATCH)

But as the blemish of one cold night up north begins to at least fade in comparison to two laudable careers, looking back, I’m still a staunch Hit Man supporter – especially at Survivor Series ’97 – for a few good reasons.

Alternative paths could’ve been taken
With The Excellence of Execution bound south for WCW, WWE’s Chairman was faced with the dilemma of needing an individual to take the WWE Title off the departing Hit Man. As he cites in the “Greatest Rivalries” DVD, Hart was open and amenable to alternative options or other successors who weren’t named Shawn Michaels.

There was a litany of routes to take with a countless different outcomes, several of which, according to Bret, were considered yet abandoned at Survivor Series in lieu of the controversial climax. It could’ve been Hart against “Stone Cold” in a rematch from the previous year’s Survivor Series. Maybe Bret’s final match took place the next night on Raw. Frankly, it could’ve been anyone but Michaels, anywhere but on pay-per-view, any place but Canada. Alter any of these factors and it’s likely the Montreal incident would never have happened, thus leaving the legacies of Hart and HBK untarnished.

It was a matter of respect
At the time, the source of Bret’s frustration in WWE happened to be the same individual with whom Hart shared heated contention for the company’s mountaintop. There was something innately wrong, something amiss with Shawn Michaels’ behavior and Bret recognized it. That something was rooted in respect … or a lack of it.

As he admits today, The Showstopper knowingly pressed the limits of Hart’s signature composure and arrogantly dismissed the few olive branches extended by his adversary. It was as if while gleefully accepting his rise and laud in WWE, Michaels wouldn’t reciprocate even the minimum display of professional respect. This truth behind the curtain and the fiery rivalry on worldwide television made it understandably impossible for Bret to swallow, departure or not. Hart’s resistance was on principle.

A Superstar’s core concern is to entertain, sure. It just happened that Bret Hart recognized his role as a globally respected figure. The Hit Man who performed in the ring was the same real life person with the same strong convictions. In this case, doing what was right was not letting Michaels just skate on by.

Championing the locker room
The WWE Championship is a symbolic key to the WWE kingdom, including all those who perform in it. Bret’s refusal to simply allow HBK to take the WWE Title in Hart’s final WWE match was in defense of not just himself but also a full locker room of Superstars.

Michaels’ ascent was historically at the expense of other competitors, even his own best friend, Triple H. Following the infamous “Curtain Call,” The Game was penalized for his public display of kinship with a departing Scott Hall and Kevin Nash (WATCH) – and it was alongside HBK, who not only emerged from the situation unscathed but also managed to soar to even greater heights.

Given his history, someone had to stand in Michaels’ way. The Hit Man was in the position to do so before leaving and he tried his damndest to serve Shawn a healthy, much needed dose of humility.

After watching the “Shawn vs. Bret” DVD, an appreciation of the two-sided story makes way to empathy for each competitor and their viewpoint. As the fan who witnessed a tainted end to Bret Hart’s in-ring career in WWE in ‘97, there comes acceptance, closure and, most importantly from my perspective, justification of my support of "The Best There Is, Best There Was and Best There Ever Will Be."

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