Top WWE Superstar's wife was taken by surprise after Shawn Michaels accused him of having an affair
Shawn Michaels is doing a fine job as NXT's boss, but the Heartbreak Kid was a controversial figure during his wrestling heyday. Bruce Prichard has revealed that Bret Hart wasn't even aware of HBK's infamous "Sunny Days" comment until his wife informed him later.
The real-life feud between Hart and Michaels was one of the defining stories of the 1990s in pro wrestling. The two legends' relationship went sour following what Shawn Michaels said on the RAW episode of May 19, 1997.
During a seemingly unscripted promo, Shawn Michaels insinuated that Bret Hart had an affair with Sunny, and as noted by Bruce Prichard, the Hitman didn't even realize what the comment meant until he returned home.
Bret Hart's first wife, Julie Smadu, was caught off guard by Shawn Michael's accusation, and she decided to ask Bret Hart about it, who was oblivious to the line in the promo.
"Bret didn't even know the comment was made when it happened," recalled Bruce Prichard on his podcast. "Bret didn't hear it, or it went right over his head. Bret had no clue at all until he got home, and his wife was like, 'What the hell was that?' So, everybody makes it a big deal. There was no big deal that night at all. It wasn't until the ramifications in other people, you know, like Dave Meltzer, starts talking about it and stirring up s*** that wasn't there." [35:49 - 36:20]
Bruce Prichard on Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart pushing the boundaries of kayfabe
The rivalry between the former world champions was as heated and contentious as they come, as it even featured the Montreal Screwjob.
Bruce Prichard stated that despite their issues, Michaels and Hart wanted to work together and were trying to think of ways to incorporate their real-life problems into their wrestling program.
The WWE Hall of Famers were "work-shooting," as Bruce Prichard termed it, and the 'Sunny Days' comments might have been an instance of Shawn Michaels crossing the lines of what was acceptable.
"Bret and Shawn were working through their differences. It was, 'Hey man, let's get personal, let's get real. Let's say the things that nobody thinks we'll say. Let's get edgy. Let's get out there and say things that are real.' There was a lot of work-shooting if you will, and sometimes it went too far." [35:00 - 35:48]
Throwback to this awesome photo from way back in the day.
Featuring Bret Hart, Tanks, Paul Bearer, The Undertaker, Sean Waltman & Julie Hart, https://t.co/HorsfTFOkY
Where would Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart's feud rank in the all-time list? Sound off in the comments section below.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.