Jim Ross isn’t big on gossip, but when something’s true, he’ll say it. On a recent episode of Grilling JR, the Hall of Fame commentator confirmed a long-talked-about story: in 2005, WWE really did set out to paint Bret Hart in a bad light. The plan was for a DVD that would make The Hitman look weak, bitter, and past his prime.
That was the same year Hart finally opened the door to working with WWE again after the bitter split of 1997. Ross says Bret didn’t just sign off and smile he pushed back. “It’s real. That’s real,” JR told Conrad Thompson. “You exert the leverage you’ve got… Bret cooperated as much as his conscience would allow.”
From Smear Piece to Something Different
If you’ve seen The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, which came out that same year, you know WWE wasn’t shy about going negative. Insiders tore into Warrior on camera, making the whole thing feel like a hit job. Bret’s DVD was shaping up to be the same until he stepped in.
By all accounts, Hart negotiated hard. He knew the Montreal Screwjob still left him looking bad in some fans’ eyes, and he wasn’t about to give Vince McMahon the last word on his career. Because he had leverage his name, his footage, and his story he was able to soften the edges of what could have been a public character assassination.
Ross’s comments don’t just settle an old rumor; they show how much control wrestlers can have if they’re willing to stand their ground. In the scripted world of WWE, the way your career is framed can last longer than any title reign.