Bret Hart Says He Was Originally Planned For 6-Year WWE Title Reign Before Hulk Hogan & Vince McMahon's 'Betrayal' At WrestleMania 9

In addition to being one of the best pro wrestlers of all time, Bret Hart is arguably the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be at holding a grudge, particularly when Hulk Hogan is involved.

Hart has once again taken aim at The Hulkster, this time over Hogan winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania IX when Hart, according to himself, had originally been planned for a six-year title reign after winning the belt from Ric Flair in 1992.

"My memory of it is that things were like an elevator falling. Business was plummeting every week, down, down. Vince was being investigated. A lot of dark, gloomy things…It was almost like, ‘Who can we put the belt on that’s not going to screw everything up?’ And it's like, 'Oh, let's put it on Bret Hart,'" Bret said on The Masked Man Show.

"I remember when I won the title, Vince told me that I would be champion for, they were looking long term, kind of like Bruno [Sammartino]. He brought up Bruno and [Bob] Backlund, and he said, 'You’re going to be champion for six years. You're going to be champion for a long time, so don't worry about your position. When Hogan came in, he goes, 'Don't worry about Hogan. He's got nothing to do with you. He's here to promote a movie. He's short-term,'" Bret continued.

"It was always Vince telling me these things, so I was very confident. The reason I became the champion that I did was because I believed that I was going to be champion for a long time, and I'm going to be like Bruno… I think I'm the best guy to carry it going forward."

Hart immediately sensed there were issues with Hulk Hogan, however, particularly when Hogan didn't shake his hand in the locker room.

"I could tell when Hogan came back, he wouldn't even shake my hand in the dressing room. I always thought, if Hulk Hogan saw me, he would come up and shake my hand and be like, really proud of me…I always thought he would be an advocate for me. When he came back, I saw right away that I had what he wanted. He had no respect for me. He couldn't believe that I was the champion. I remember going in my heart, 'He doesn't matter because Vince already told me I'm not gonna even worry about him,'" Hart added.

This all ultimately led to WrestleMania IX in 1993, an event which saw Hart drop the WWE Championship to Yokozuna before Hogan defeated the new champion within seconds to end WrestleMania standing tall.

"When that night happened, I didn't find out until the night before I lost the belt. I couldn't believe it. I was stunned...He was almost shocked that I thought I was going to beat Yoko. I'm like, 'Well, you're the one that told me I'd be champion for six years, so I just assumed.' He laid out that whole thing with Hogan, and I felt so betrayed. I think that's when I went, this guy's a total liar. Vince is a liar. Hogan’s a liar. I was really mad," Bret recounted.

"I made a promise to myself that whatever happened…when the day came and they walked in and said, 'Hey, you're dropping the belt to so and so' that I would do whatever was asked of me. I was more honoured by the fact that they made me champion in the first place…I kind of bit my tongue, and it's like, alright, whatever you want."

Hart then recalled Hogan telling him at WrestleMania that he was "happy to return the favour", something that ultimately never happened as Hogan dropped the belt to Yokozuna at King of the Ring 1993.

Hart noted his relationship with Vince McMahon wasn't the same after WrestleMania IX, before taking another shot at Hogan.

"I'll be honest. My whole relationship with Vince was never the same. I could never really take him at his word anymore. As far as integrity and honesty, I never felt that Vince was honest with me after that. It's all about trust and respect, and Vince broke that trust. Hogan never had any respect for me. I think words speak for themselves. They're not talking about Hulk Hogan today."

Bret Hart buried Hogan earlier this year while comparing their legacies, while Hart said Vince McMahon could "rot in hell" during a 2024 interview.

H/T WrestlingNews.co

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