"An arrogant and unskilled nobody" – When Bret Hart gave his candid thoughts on 2-time WWE IC Champion
Bret Hart has never shied away from giving his opinion on wrestling's biggest names. The WWE icon says exactly what he thinks of his former co-workers, as the likes of Goldberg and Hulk Hogan can attest.
In his 2007 book, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, Hart pulled no punches when discussing The Ultimate Warrior. The two-time Intercontinental Champion was notoriously difficult to deal with behind the scenes. He also had a reputation as an unsafe in-ring performer.
The Hitman recalled how the "arrogant and unskilled nobody" defeated an unhappy Andre the Giant in several live event matches in 1989:
"For most of the summer Andre had been main-eventing the house shows with Warrior, and he was disgusted at having to lose every night to an arrogant and unskilled nobody who hadn't paid his dues."
Hart added:
"Andre insisted on jobbing out in less than fifteen seconds, taking a series of, you guessed it, clotheslines. Grim-faced, Andre would roll out of the ring and lumber back to the dressing room as sell out crowds chanted, 'Bulls**t,' with some fans even demanding refunds."
The Ultimate Warrior confronts Andre the Giant on a episode of The Brother Love Show,back in 1989 https://t.co/HezZFJ3Djt
According to wrestling stats database Cagematch.net, Bret Hart and The Ultimate Warrior participated in six multi-man matches together between 1988 and 1998. However, they never met in a one-on-one contest.
Bret Hart explained why The Ultimate Warrior was favored over Andre the Giant
The short matches between Andre the Giant and The Ultimate Warrior took place a year before the latter's win over Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI. Around that time, then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon limited Andre's appearances and revolved his television shows around younger, more athletic stars.
Andre The Giant vs. Ultimate Warrior! https://t.co/2zojx5az65
Frustrated with his bouts against Warrior, Andre opened up to Bret Hart about the way McMahon booked him compared to his predecessor, Vince McMahon Sr.:
"Andre's deal was a promise written in stone by Vince's dad, and Andre was just starting to realize that Junior might not feel compelled to honor it in perpetuity," Hart wrote. "In Anchorage [Alaska], Andre told me with a sour look on his face, 'Vince is nothing like his father. When his father gave me his word that was all I needed.' Andre was like an old circus elephant, and I sensed that if Vince had his way, this circus was moving on without him."
Andre the Giant and Bret Hart are not the only people to take issue with Warrior's in-ring performances. In 2021, legendary commentator Jim Ross said he had "never met or seen a wrestler with less ability" than the 2014 WWE Hall of Famer.
What did you make of The Ultimate Warrior as a wrestler? Let us know in the comments section below.