GUEST BOOK REVIEW
By Rick Gardner from Manchester England
PWTorch Subscriber since 2003
One surprise about last month’s 15th Anniversary Raw was the lack of footage of Bret Hart. The Hitman was regularly the centrepiece of WWE storylines from 1992 all the way through to his acrimonious departure in 1997, a man who Vince McMahon regularly went back to after failed experiments such as pushing Lex Luger as an American hero and mediocre title reigns of Hulk Hogan, Diesel and Shawn Michaels. "Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling" provides a fascinating insight into the glory and sacrifice that was associated with being a wrestler in the '80s and '90s.
Part One: Stampede Days
Bret Hart was born into wrestling, his father Stu running the Stampede territory in Calgary Canada. However, Bret was pushed towards competing in amateur wrestling by his father, who is portrayed as a man who loved his family but would not think twice about dishing out physical punishment to his twelve children. Bret tells numerous stories of the lengths that Stu would go to keep Stampede Wrestling afloat during times of desperation, including borrowing money, only allowing the children to have hand-me-down clothes and putting the Hart family home up for sale. Though Stu had always tried his best to provide for his family, according to Bret it was not until Bret won the Canadian National Amatuer wrestling championships that the two of them began to bond.
Whilst Bret speaks positively about his parents, as well as Owen, he does not protect the rest of his family in the same way. The Hitman states that although the majority of his brothers tried their hand at wrestling, Owen and he were the only two who were decent workers. He also tells stories of the darker side of the Hart family, such as Smith fathering numerous illegitimate children, Bruce’s mismanagement of his father’s promotion and Dean’s willingness to cheat his own brother out of $1,500. Stories of tension within the family appear in all four sections of the book.
After trying his hand at numerous menial jobs, Bret decides that he will attempt to get a job with his father and pursue a career in professional wrestling. Bret tells stories of paying his dues, being trained by Katsuji Adachi and Kasuo Sakurada in the dungeon, going to Puerto Rico with Smith, working for his father as a referee, driving the other wrestlers to shows and being taken advantage of by other wrestlers in the ring. It was while Bret was establishing himself in Stampede Wrestling that Bret met Tom “Dynamite Kid” Billington, the most talented wrestler that the United Kingdom ever produced. His relationship with the Dynamite Kid makes for fascinating reading, with the animosity between the two, due to Billington believing that Hart was receiving preferential treatment from his father, subsiding into friendship and mutual respect. Also during his time in Stampede, Bret met Jim Neidhart a young Davey Boy Smith and his future wife Julie.
Part Two: The Foundation
Bret arrives in the WWF in 1984, alongside Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid. Whist Vince McMahon has big plans for Smith and Billington, teaming them up as the British Bulldogs, it is not until Bret suggests that he is turned heel and teamed with Jim Neidhart that he receives anything even resembling a push. Bret talks openly about the failings of his marriage, as well as his numerous affairs against the backdrop of the Hart Foundation’s ascent to the WWF Tag Team Titles. As well as offering a unique incite into life on the road for a wrestler of this era, there is plenty of detail on the deteriorating health of the Dynamite Kid, steroids and painkillers in wrestling and wrestlers, including Bret Hart, queuing up to buy medication from the later convicted Dr Zahorian. Bret certainly has no problem naming people who he has seen abusing drugs.
A worry I had before reading this book is that Bret’s conflict with Vince McMahon would cloud his judgement when writing about their earlier dealings. However, this is not the case. Bret effectively describes the development of their relationship; going from intimidation, to mutual respect, to friendship, to betrayal and ultimately forgiveness. He also tells a story of Vince taking the finishing moves of the Legion of Doom and the Hart Foundation in a bar, which has been a longstanding rumour but never discussed in detail.
Part Three: Steal My Crown
The previous sections of the book mixed road stories with descriptions of Bret Hart biggest matches, and Part Three continues in this vein. By this point, Bret clearly believes that he is the best worker in North America, and clearly has more power that in the past. His political dealings with Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan are described in detail, with both of them portrayed as being less than trustworthy.
However, it is Shawn Michaels who emerges as Bret’s greatest opponent politically. Their relationship is initially friendly, as Bret describes Shawn complimenting him on his match with the British Bulldog at SummerSlam 92, as well as making respectful comments about Stu. However, by 1997 their relationship had deteriorated to the point where they had a real fight in the locker room. It is obvious that Bret did not appreciate Shawn’s attitude during and after their match at Wrestlemania 12, and that he feels that Shawn did his best to avoid putting him over in return. The situation is intensified by unauthorised comments made by HBK on Raw, which he compounded by publicly stating that he would not do jobs anymore.
Bret negotiated with WCW during 1996, but ultimately signed a long term deal with the WWF for far less money. However, the contract did not afford Bret piece of mind, and he does an excellent job of conveying the feeling on uncertainty throughout 1997. This is not helped by his marriage falling apart at the same time, as Bret and Julie were not right for each other from the very beginning. Part Three culminates in the infamous Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997. This is one of the most reported on events in the history of wrestling journalism, and while Bret provides no major revelations it is interesting to read the full story from his perspective.
Part Four - Pink into Black
There is no doubt that Part Four is the saddest part of the book. WCW had no idea what to do with Bret Hart, and it seems that the screwjob has all but stripped Bret of the passion he had for wrestling. He was willing to just do his job and go home, and became a victim of the politics that plagued the WCW dressing room. Bret speaks of his frustration at the lengths he had to go to get any of his ideas approved, and how he was misused by being turned on a regular basis. It is at this time when Owen Hart has his unfortunate accident.
Owen’s wife Martha requested that noone talk to the press about Owen’s accident, and Bret describes coming into conflict with family members that do not respect this wish. This conflict between the Hart siblings is intensified by their dealings with Vince McMahon, and the subsequent death of Helen and Stu Hart. Bret also provides detail on his career ending concussion, which he does not resent Goldberg for, and the alarming amount of bumps that WCW allowed him to take whilst knowing that he was injured. Bret seems philosophical about his retirement. However, the worst was yet to come, when Bret suffered a stroke when cycling. He describes the his recovery, and the sense of accomplishment he felt when stepping into the ring again for the WWA in Australia.
"Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling" is a fascinating look at life in the WWF in the '80s and '90s. Bret comments on numerous wrestlers, too many to mention here, and does an excellent job of conveying the camaraderie in the locker room, and the fun they had partying. However, Bret pulls no punches and is willing to expose those who abused drugs, those who were less than professional with him whilst also confessing his own failings. He does not come across as bitter, except when discussing Shawn Michaels who it seems he has not forgiven. This is a must-buy for any wrestling fan with an interest in the WWF circa 1983-'97, and surpasses Mick Foley’s "Have a Nice Day" in terms of providing insight into being a wrestler in the modern era.
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