Bret Hart buries Hulk Hogan in legacy...

Bret Hart is one the greatest wrestlers of all time for a reason. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

(WWE via Getty Images)

Bret Hart will let today’s wrestlers decide where he falls on the list of all-time greats. Names like Hart or Hulk Hogan are generally among the quickest to come up in professional wrestling Mt. Rushmore discussions. While both former WWE stars have plenty of accolades strewn across their Hall of Fame careers, Hart is a legend often mentioned as an idol for wrestling’s modern-era athletes.

Hart responded to comments from current WWE star CM Punk, a massive fan of Hart’s, Tuesday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” Punk explained in the clip why Hart is wrestling’s equivalent of Wayne Gretzky in hockey or what Michael Jordan was to basketball – which elicited a comparison from Hart between himself and Hogan. “I heard something a few months ago where Hulk Hogan was talking about me, and he said, ‘The problem with Bret Hart is that he really does think he was the greatest wrestler of all time,’” Hart said. “I remember thinking about that, and going, ‘Hmm. Yeah, maybe.’ That might be the most truthful thing he’s ever said. “Then I think when you watch a lot of the wrestlers today, you don’t see anybody imitating Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior. You see a lot of wrestlers today really trying their best to capture my style, or some of the guys that I worked with, like Dynamite Kid, or Curt Hennig, my brother Owen [Hart] and stuff like them. Yeah, they’re wrestling my style, and that’s the biggest compliment I can get from today’s generation is that.”

Hart, 67, makes history later this month when he’s inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for the third time. In 2006, Hart was inducted individually as a singles wrestler. In 2019, his stable The Hart Foundation entered the WWE Hall of Fame as well. For 2025, WWE is adding specific matches to the Hall of Fame, starting with Hart’s WrestleMania 13 classic No-DQ submission match against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1997. The match is famously known as “the double turn,” when Hart entered as the babyface (good guy) and defeated the heel (bad guy) Austin, swapping roles by the match’s end. These days, Hart makes the occasional wrestling appearance with no strings attached. He still watches the product whenever he can and does the best he can to keep up with all the happenings.

Still, the legend can’t help but see the stark differences between his era and today’s. “I watch certain guys, and I try to watch the pay-per-views,” Hart said. “I find in a lot of wrestlers, and I won’t necessarily name anybody, but I find that the wrestlers are more actors pretending to be wrestlers today than actual wrestlers. I miss the ruggedness of the characters. Guys like Curt Hennig and myself, or Dynamite Kid, or that whole era of wrestlers that broke into the business in the ’70s or late ’70s and early ’80s. We were still from the Harley Race, Terry Funk kind of generation, trying to be them or mimic them, top them. “I think that’s why I still think the ’90s was the best era of wrestling. When I watch old ’90s wrestling, it was really good stuff. I find that today’s wrestling, it’s a little bit more about promos and your character on TV, and not so much your work rate. I like guys that throw back a little bit more to the work rate. Roman Reigns is a guy, for example, that I think tries really hard to earn the respect of my generation, and be more realistic and just more credible – more believable. Not so much of an actor. “I find that, especially AEW, I find that they’re mostly actors trying to pretend to be wrestlers,” he concluded. “Get on with the real wrestling and just quit acting so much.“Bret Hart buries Hulk Hogan in legacy debate: ‘You don’t see anybody imitating Hulk’ these days

Bret Hart is one the greatest wrestlers of all time for a reason. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

(WWE via Getty Images)

Bret Hart will let today’s wrestlers decide where he falls on the list of all-time greats. Names like Hart or Hulk Hogan are generally among the quickest to come up in professional wrestling Mt. Rushmore discussions. While both former WWE stars have plenty of accolades strewn across their Hall of Fame careers, Hart is a legend often mentioned as an idol for wrestling’s modern-era athletes.

Hart responded to comments from current WWE star CM Punk, a massive fan of Hart’s, Tuesday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” Punk explained in the clip why Hart is wrestling’s equivalent of Wayne Gretzky in hockey or what Michael Jordan was to basketball – which elicited a comparison from Hart between himself and Hogan. “I heard something a few months ago where Hulk Hogan was talking about me, and he said, ‘The problem with Bret Hart is that he really does think he was the greatest wrestler of all time,’” Hart said. “I remember thinking about that, and going, ‘Hmm. Yeah, maybe.’ That might be the most truthful thing he’s ever said. “Then I think when you watch a lot of the wrestlers today, you don’t see anybody imitating Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior. You see a lot of wrestlers today really trying their best to capture my style, or some of the guys that I worked with, like Dynamite Kid, or Curt Hennig, my brother Owen [Hart] and stuff like them. Yeah, they’re wrestling my style, and that’s the biggest compliment I can get from today’s generation is that.”

Hart, 67, makes history later this month when he’s inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for the third time. In 2006, Hart was inducted individually as a singles wrestler. In 2019, his stable The Hart Foundation entered the WWE Hall of Fame as well. For 2025, WWE is adding specific matches to the Hall of Fame, starting with Hart’s WrestleMania 13 classic No-DQ submission match against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1997. The match is famously known as “the double turn,” when Hart entered as the babyface (good guy) and defeated the heel (bad guy) Austin, swapping roles by the match’s end. These days, Hart makes the occasional wrestling appearance with no strings attached. He still watches the product whenever he can and does the best he can to keep up with all the happenings.

Still, the legend can’t help but see the stark differences between his era and today’s. “I watch certain guys, and I try to watch the pay-per-views,” Hart said. “I find in a lot of wrestlers, and I won’t necessarily name anybody, but I find that the wrestlers are more actors pretending to be wrestlers today than actual wrestlers. I miss the ruggedness of the characters. Guys like Curt Hennig and myself, or Dynamite Kid, or that whole era of wrestlers that broke into the business in the ’70s or late ’70s and early ’80s. We were still from the Harley Race, Terry Funk kind of generation, trying to be them or mimic them, top them. “I think that’s why I still think the ’90s was the best era of wrestling. When I watch old ’90s wrestling, it was really good stuff. I find that today’s wrestling, it’s a little bit more about promos and your character on TV, and not so much your work rate. I like guys that throw back a little bit more to the work rate. Roman Reigns is a guy, for example, that I think tries really hard to earn the respect of my generation, and be more realistic and just more credible – more believable. Not so much of an actor. “I find that, especially AEW, I find that they’re mostly actors trying to pretend to be wrestlers,” he concluded. “Get on with the real wrestling and just quit acting so much.“Bret Hart buries Hulk Hogan in legacy debate: ‘You don’t see anybody imitating Hulk’ these days

Bret Hart is one the greatest wrestlers of all time for a reason. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

(WWE via Getty Images)

Bret Hart will let today’s wrestlers decide where he falls on the list of all-time greats. Names like Hart or Hulk Hogan are generally among the quickest to come up in professional wrestling Mt. Rushmore discussions. While both former WWE stars have plenty of accolades strewn across their Hall of Fame careers, Hart is a legend often mentioned as an idol for wrestling’s modern-era athletes.

Hart responded to comments from current WWE star CM Punk, a massive fan of Hart’s, Tuesday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” Punk explained in the clip why Hart is wrestling’s equivalent of Wayne Gretzky in hockey or what Michael Jordan was to basketball – which elicited a comparison from Hart between himself and Hogan. “I heard something a few months ago where Hulk Hogan was talking about me, and he said, ‘The problem with Bret Hart is that he really does think he was the greatest wrestler of all time,’” Hart said. “I remember thinking about that, and going, ‘Hmm. Yeah, maybe.’ That might be the most truthful thing he’s ever said. “Then I think when you watch a lot of the wrestlers today, you don’t see anybody imitating Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior. You see a lot of wrestlers today really trying their best to capture my style, or some of the guys that I worked with, like Dynamite Kid, or Curt Hennig, my brother Owen [Hart] and stuff like them. Yeah, they’re wrestling my style, and that’s the biggest compliment I can get from today’s generation is that.”

Hart, 67, makes history later this month when he’s inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for the third time. In 2006, Hart was inducted individually as a singles wrestler. In 2019, his stable The Hart Foundation entered the WWE Hall of Fame as well. For 2025, WWE is adding specific matches to the Hall of Fame, starting with Hart’s WrestleMania 13 classic No-DQ submission match against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1997. The match is famously known as “the double turn,” when Hart entered as the babyface (good guy) and defeated the heel (bad guy) Austin, swapping roles by the match’s end. These days, Hart makes the occasional wrestling appearance with no strings attached. He still watches the product whenever he can and does the best he can to keep up with all the happenings.

Still, the legend can’t help but see the stark differences between his era and today’s. “I watch certain guys, and I try to watch the pay-per-views,” Hart said. “I find in a lot of wrestlers, and I won’t necessarily name anybody, but I find that the wrestlers are more actors pretending to be wrestlers today than actual wrestlers. I miss the ruggedness of the characters. Guys like Curt Hennig and myself, or Dynamite Kid, or that whole era of wrestlers that broke into the business in the ’70s or late ’70s and early ’80s. We were still from the Harley Race, Terry Funk kind of generation, trying to be them or mimic them, top them. “I think that’s why I still think the ’90s was the best era of wrestling. When I watch old ’90s wrestling, it was really good stuff. I find that today’s wrestling, it’s a little bit more about promos and your character on TV, and not so much your work rate. I like guys that throw back a little bit more to the work rate. Roman Reigns is a guy, for example, that I think tries really hard to earn the respect of my generation, and be more realistic and just more credible – more believable. Not so much of an actor. “I find that, especially AEW, I find that they’re mostly actors trying to pretend to be wrestlers,” he concluded. “Get on with the real wrestling and just quit acting so much.“Bret Hart buries Hulk Hogan in legacy debate: ‘You don’t see anybody imitating Hulk’ these days

Bret Hart is one the greatest wrestlers of all time for a reason. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

(WWE via Getty Images)

Bret Hart will let today’s wrestlers decide where he falls on the list of all-time greats. Names like Hart or Hulk Hogan are generally among the quickest to come up in professional wrestling Mt. Rushmore discussions. While both former WWE stars have plenty of accolades strewn across their Hall of Fame careers, Hart is a legend often mentioned as an idol for wrestling’s modern-era athletes.

Hart responded to comments from current WWE star CM Punk, a massive fan of Hart’s, Tuesday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” Punk explained in the clip why Hart is wrestling’s equivalent of Wayne Gretzky in hockey or what Michael Jordan was to basketball – which elicited a comparison from Hart between himself and Hogan. “I heard something a few months ago where Hulk Hogan was talking about me, and he said, ‘The problem with Bret Hart is that he really does think he was the greatest wrestler of all time,’” Hart said. “I remember thinking about that, and going, ‘Hmm. Yeah, maybe.’ That might be the most truthful thing he’s ever said. “Then I think when you watch a lot of the wrestlers today, you don’t see anybody imitating Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior. You see a lot of wrestlers today really trying their best to capture my style, or some of the guys that I worked with, like Dynamite Kid, or Curt Hennig, my brother Owen [Hart] and stuff like them. Yeah, they’re wrestling my style, and that’s the biggest compliment I can get from today’s generation is that.”

Hart, 67, makes history later this month when he’s inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for the third time. In 2006, Hart was inducted individually as a singles wrestler. In 2019, his stable The Hart Foundation entered the WWE Hall of Fame as well. For 2025, WWE is adding specific matches to the Hall of Fame, starting with Hart’s WrestleMania 13 classic No-DQ submission match against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1997. The match is famously known as “the double turn,” when Hart entered as the babyface (good guy) and defeated the heel (bad guy) Austin, swapping roles by the match’s end. These days, Hart makes the occasional wrestling appearance with no strings attached. He still watches the product whenever he can and does the best he can to keep up with all the happenings.

Still, the legend can’t help but see the stark differences between his era and today’s. “I watch certain guys, and I try to watch the pay-per-views,” Hart said. “I find in a lot of wrestlers, and I won’t necessarily name anybody, but I find that the wrestlers are more actors pretending to be wrestlers today than actual wrestlers. I miss the ruggedness of the characters. Guys like Curt Hennig and myself, or Dynamite Kid, or that whole era of wrestlers that broke into the business in the ’70s or late ’70s and early ’80s. We were still from the Harley Race, Terry Funk kind of generation, trying to be them or mimic them, top them. “I think that’s why I still think the ’90s was the best era of wrestling. When I watch old ’90s wrestling, it was really good stuff. I find that today’s wrestling, it’s a little bit more about promos and your character on TV, and not so much your work rate. I like guys that throw back a little bit more to the work rate. Roman Reigns is a guy, for example, that I think tries really hard to earn the respect of my generation, and be more realistic and just more credible – more believable. Not so much of an actor. “I find that, especially AEW, I find that they’re mostly actors trying to pretend to be wrestlers,” he concluded. “Get on with the real wrestling and just quit acting so much.“Bret Hart buries Hulk Hogan in legacy debate: ‘You don’t see anybody imitating Hulk’ these days

Bret Hart is one the greatest wrestlers of all time for a reason. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

(WWE via Getty Images)

Bret Hart will let today’s wrestlers decide where he falls on the list of all-time greats. Names like Hart or Hulk Hogan are generally among the quickest to come up in professional wrestling Mt. Rushmore discussions. While both former WWE stars have plenty of accolades strewn across their Hall of Fame careers, Hart is a legend often mentioned as an idol for wrestling’s modern-era athletes.

Hart responded to comments from current WWE star CM Punk, a massive fan of Hart’s, Tuesday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” Punk explained in the clip why Hart is wrestling’s equivalent of Wayne Gretzky in hockey or what Michael Jordan was to basketball – which elicited a comparison from Hart between himself and Hogan. “I heard something a few months ago where Hulk Hogan was talking about me, and he said, ‘The problem with Bret Hart is that he really does think he was the greatest wrestler of all time,’” Hart said. “I remember thinking about that, and going, ‘Hmm. Yeah, maybe.’ That might be the most truthful thing he’s ever said. “Then I think when you watch a lot of the wrestlers today, you don’t see anybody imitating Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior. You see a lot of wrestlers today really trying their best to capture my style, or some of the guys that I worked with, like Dynamite Kid, or Curt Hennig, my brother Owen [Hart] and stuff like them. Yeah, they’re wrestling my style, and that’s the biggest compliment I can get from today’s generation is that.”

Hart, 67, makes history later this month when he’s inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for the third time. In 2006, Hart was inducted individually as a singles wrestler. In 2019, his stable The Hart Foundation entered the WWE Hall of Fame as well. For 2025, WWE is adding specific matches to the Hall of Fame, starting with Hart’s WrestleMania 13 classic No-DQ submission match against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1997. The match is famously known as “the double turn,” when Hart entered as the babyface (good guy) and defeated the heel (bad guy) Austin, swapping roles by the match’s end. These days, Hart makes the occasional wrestling appearance with no strings attached. He still watches the product whenever he can and does the best he can to keep up with all the happenings.

Still, the legend can’t help but see the stark differences between his era and today’s. “I watch certain guys, and I try to watch the pay-per-views,” Hart said. “I find in a lot of wrestlers, and I won’t necessarily name anybody, but I find that the wrestlers are more actors pretending to be wrestlers today than actual wrestlers. I miss the ruggedness of the characters. Guys like Curt Hennig and myself, or Dynamite Kid, or that whole era of wrestlers that broke into the business in the ’70s or late ’70s and early ’80s. We were still from the Harley Race, Terry Funk kind of generation, trying to be them or mimic them, top them. “I think that’s why I still think the ’90s was the best era of wrestling. When I watch old ’90s wrestling, it was really good stuff. I find that today’s wrestling, it’s a little bit more about promos and your character on TV, and not so much your work rate. I like guys that throw back a little bit more to the work rate. Roman Reigns is a guy, for example, that I think tries really hard to earn the respect of my generation, and be more realistic and just more credible – more believable. Not so much of an actor. “I find that, especially AEW, I find that they’re mostly actors trying to pretend to be wrestlers,” he concluded. “Get on with the real wrestling and just quit acting so much.”