Credit: Raj Giri
I managed to catch the latest episode of WrestleMania Rewind on the WWE Network tonight, which looked at the Bret Hart – Owen Hart match at WrestleMania X. While this week’s episode was fairly entertaining, like the previous episodes, I would have liked more insight and behind the scenes details about the match.
In my opinion, the biggest thing that wasn’t mentioned at all was how Bret’s older brother, Bruce, was originally slated to be in Owen’s role in that feud.
Bret talked openly about the original plans for the match on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk Is Jericho. Bret admitted that Owen was originally brought in to the company in 1988 to be a bottom guy. Owen then left the WWF, but Bret convinced him to come back, only for the same thing to happen. Owen came to him around SummerSlam 1993, where Hart faced Jerry Lawler and Doink The Clown (yes, that was an actual WWE PPV main event), and Owen said that he was leaving the business. Bret felt bad and noted that at that time Vince would talk to him about being short on talent. At one point, Bret told Vince that he was about to lose a great talent with Owen, who is quitting to become a fireman. Vince then said that he would try to find something for him.
WWE then came up with a storyline for Bret to feud with Bruce. Bret didn’t think that he could wrestle Bruce, and noted that Bruce had knee surgery, hadn’t wrestled in a while, “and before that, he couldn’t wrestle that well anyway.” Bret noted that Bruce had a pot belly and was about 40 years old, and it was not going to work, but WWE wanted Bruce. Bret would not think about feuding with Bruce, but would consider Owen.
WWE wanted Bruce to challenge Bret like Owen ended up doing. Owen’s role in the hypothetical feud would come in after Bret wouldn’t accept a match with Bruce until Owen stood up to Bruce for being a bully his whole life. Bruce would then annihilate Owen, leading to Bret accepting the match with Bruce at WrestleMania X. Bret later told Owen about the company’s original plans, who said he would have quit if he they would have done that storyline.
You can listen to Bret Hart’s appearance on Talk Is Jericho below:
