Curtis Axel shows no respect to WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.

If Curtis Axel’s goal is to draw comparisons to his WWE Hall of Fame father, Mr. Perfect, en route to in-ring glory, he’s got at least one high-profile believer under his belt.

“I do see Mr. Perfect when I see Curtis Axel,” Bret “Hit Man” Hart told WWE.com after Monday’s “Bret Hart Appreciation Night” ceremony in Calgary, Alberta Canada. “When I watch how he moves, his athletic ability is just like his dad’s and I don’t doubt that he can not only fill his shoes, but make them a little bigger.”

“[He’s] a guy that I don’t have any doubts that he’s going to go to the top,” said The Excellence of Execution.

Axel arrives | Full Match:  Hart vs. Perfect at SummerSlam

And while the WWE Hall of Famer was less-than-supportive of Axel’s association with Paul Heyman on Raw, the former WWE Champion was a bit more pragmatic about the partnership later on.

“When you find yourself backed into a corner, you find someone that can help you get the notoriety that you need and get you to the top,” said Hart. “You can’t underestimate someone like Paul Heyman; he’s a guy who is absolutely capable of getting [Axel] to those top matches, which is exactly what he needs.”

Hart and HBK embrace in Calgary | Photos:  Axel vs. Cena

Besides, it’s not easy for Hart to fault Axel when he took a similar road earlier in his career.

“It’s a bit like when I got mixed up with Jimmy Hart,” continued the Hall of Famer. “A lot of people thought he was a bad influence and maybe he was at the time. But the reality of it is that he got me those big matches and we got the Tag Team Championships and it got the way cleared for me to get to the top.”