WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart declared he no longer watches pro wrestling in a recent interview at the Vaughan Comic Con. Hart was critical of the current generation of talent, stating, “the wrestlers today are mostly – for the most part – are actors pretending to be wrestlers.” He elaborated that wrestling holds and psychology seem to be a thing of the past.
During the interview, Hart also reaffirmed his belief in his own status as the industry’s best, referencing a recent comment from Hulk Hogan. “‘The problem with Bret Hart is he really thinks he’s the greatest wrestler of all time.’ And he’s right,” Hart stated. “I really do think that I’m the best wrestler of all time, or at least so far.” He concluded his thoughts on the current era by saying, “I don’t watch it anymore.”
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Hart’s latest comments align with a consistent critique he has maintained for years, centered on his philosophy that wrestling must “pretend to be real.” He has previously described the modern product from major promotions as “pathetic” and “phony” for failing to meet this standard.
A key issue for Hart is a lack of believability in the ring. He has criticized spots where a wrestler dives onto a large group of opponents as resembling “bowling pins” and has referred to the contemporary style as a “scripted ballet,” pointing to “leaping, twirling, and dancing” and the use of leg slapping on kicks as elements that break immersion.
Hart has also been vocal about what he considers unprofessional and “lazy” in-ring work, specifically moves that cause legitimate pain without advancing a match’s story. He has singled out the overuse of chops, a move associated with performers like Gunther, arguing, “Who ever won a fight with a chop? What a waste of time.” While he directs this criticism broadly, he has specified that promotions like AEW have gone too far with “violence and gore,” citing an instance where Jon Moxley used a fork on an opponent as a reason he found it unwatchable.
According to Hart, the decline in quality is also due to a lack of knowledgeable agents to guide younger talent, contrasting the current environment with his time working with figures like Pat Patterson. He believes wrestlers would be “a lot better off if they copied me more,” a statement he frames as a call to return to fundamentals of in-ring psychology and prioritizing opponent safety.
Source: Wrestlinginc
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