The Hart Break story – The full circle

Once in a lifetime, you get to hear an incredible tale. A story about David and Goliath, or a saga about the unforgettable journey of someone who conquered the world. Most of the times, these tales happen in the real world. It is very rare for such an event to unfold in a world which is made up. Would we sing praises about fables? Would we hail Tintin to have saved the world on numerous occasions? Such a thing was unheard of, but two guys can claim to be a part of something that isn’t just a legend, but something that people would remember even after decades. Some people remember the harsh reality, while some reminisce how it all unfolded in front of their eyes.

Many times when someone goes through hardships, the one thing they look for is redemption, while the others seek salvation. It takes a big man to forgive, and a bigger man to forget. They say the true character of a man lies in his ability to move on, to let things go. In the scripted, painted world of professional wrestling, we have seen rivalries happening and fading away. After all, that’s how the business works. Two guys who have a problem solve it inside the squared circle, and once they’re done with the day’s work, they share stories while having a drink. That is how the industry has always worked. But what if it spills outside the ring? When do you know things are going out of hand? Is it possible that in a world of fantasies, superheroes and entertainment, the grey shades make it harder for the people in the industry to separate personal life from their professional life?

Wrestling has always been fascinating for the true fans, even though people mock them, saying they buy into something that everyone knows is untrue. After all, professional wrestling is like a soap opera. When you talk about Hollywood movies, does anyone make fun of the movie fans for helping the movie achieve millions and billions in profit? Professional wrestling isn’t as clean cut as the soap operas and the Hollywood flicks, which makes it interesting. There is one story in the world of professional wrestling which epitomizes the passion and the hunt for glory in a made up world. A story which isn’t just retold now and again, but something that refuses to leave the minds of wrestling fans. A story that has long divided the fans into two categories; leaving one of the two people involved in search for closure, while the other, burning inside with guilt and remorse.

When a certain youngster made his way through the ranks in Stampede Wrestling, people stood up and took notice. The young man had phenomenal wrestling skills, and was still improving. He was going toe to toe with the legendary Dynamite Kid, and it was then that the people who witnessed his technical prowess prophesied that he would soon become one of the best technical wrestlers the industry had ever seen. The journey of Bret Hart had just started, and soon, he found his home at World Wrestling Federation, with its new boss, Vince K. McMahon as his father figure. Bret teamed up with Jim Neidhart to form the Hart Foundation, being managed by ‘Mouth of the South’ Jimmy Hart. The Hart Foundation soon established themselves as one of the best tag teams in the division, and went on to hold the tag team gold. With guys like Savage, Hogan and Warrior headlining the PPVs, they were contended being the mid card act.

It was at this time that another youngster started creating waves in the industry. It’s unfair to say only one person was doing it, as even his partner was matching him move for move. The two young charismatic, cocky ‘superstars’ brought in the show boating aspect of pro wrestling, with their flashy attires and moves. They went by the name of ‘Rockers’, and were creating an impact when they came face to face with the Hart Foundation. When the two teams were in the ring together, they knew instantly that they had good chemistry. At a time when the big guys dominated the wrestling world, two young stars were dreaming of making it big. Wrestling industry was preparing itself for a revolution, a transformation. Little did they know that they’d be spearheading the change.

Bret Hart was respected among his peers, while the other rookie, who went by the name of Shawn Michaels, was less liked because of his arrogance. Soon, Bret started pursuing single’s career, winning the coveted IC title from Mr. Perfect, in a match which is hailed as one of the best matches of all time. Bret Hart was handpicked by the smaller guys backstage to change the perception of the promoters and bookers, who only saw the big muscled guys as the headliners. At this time, Shawn was dreaming of a single’s career, closely following Bret Hart. The management made the decision to make Shawn go solo, and paired him up with Sensational Sherri. But the buzz and attention was still on Bret Hart, who was now known as ‘The Hitman’, which was the character he always associated with, and he achieved his dream of becoming the champion, when he defeated Ric Flair for the WWF title. The change had begun. WWF was looking into the new direction, away from the Hogans and Warriors. It was a welcome change, a breath of fresh air.

Shawn Michaels, now also known as the ‘Heart Break Kid’, paid close attention to Bret Hart’s triumph. He saw himself in Bret’s spot, and started working hard for it. Soon, Shawn was the IC Champion, a place where Bret was a few years ago. Shawn went on to put on classics as well, with his ladder match against Razor being one of the best matches of all time, and something that was considered revolutionary. Bret Hart saw Shawn to be his successor and was genuinely happy with the direction WWF had taken. Everything seemed rosy, but Shawn was getting on people’s nerves with his bad attitude and arrogant nature, although he got on well with Bret Hart.

Soon, Shawn climbed the ranks and started challenging for the WWF title. It was at this time that Bret was the locker room leader, the one who spoke out for the guys. Something was changing backstage, as Shawn was also the leader of a group, who called themselves ‘The Kliq’, whose only motto was to look after themselves. It was also believed that Shawn had a pull with Vince and other top authorities. Stories flew around about how these guys were holding the other guys down. And Bret had to do something about it. This was the beginning of one of the most personal feuds in wrestling history.

When Bret came to know that he would be putting Shawn over at Wrestlemania, he was happy about it. But Shawn didn’t share the same feeling to say the least, and was straightforward about returning the favour to Bret. Things started getting personal, as Shawn and Bret started pulling shots at each other. Shawn was genuinely disliked, and Bret was the guy who had to ‘set him straight’. With Shawn’s ‘Sunny Days’ promo, things looked worse (It’s funny to note that Shawn was having an affair with Sunny at that time, and doing drugs with her behind her then boyfriend, Candido’s back). Things blew up when they had a confrontation backstage when Bret and Shawn got into a fight, with Shawn threatening to quit the company if Vince didn’t take proper care of him.

Shawn, who was supposed to repay the favour to Bret, vacated the title saying he was struggling with personal demons, while the whole industry cried foul, saying Shawn was doing it only because he didn’t want to put Bret over, something he admitted to Bret himself. WCW was stealing talents from the WWF, and thus getting a lead during Monday Night Wars. They wanted to get WWF’s trump card, Bret Hart in WCW, but Bret, being a loyal employee, signed a 20 year deal with Vince. But Vince wanted to go in a much edgier, sexually explicit route, which was the Attitude Era, and Bret couldn’t be his poster boy. It had to be Shawn, and since WWF was losing to WCW, he was unable to commit to his words and Bret’s contract. It was inevitable for Bret to leave, and he didn’t like it. There were rumours about how Shawn was unhappy, as WCW never contacted him. A lot of animosity and tension started building up every week in the WWF. Something had to give. And then, Bret signed with WCW.

Bret was the WWF Champion when his contract with WWF was nearing its end. Vince was afraid Bret would pull a Madusa by taking the WWF title to WCW, while Bret assured Vince it wouldn’t happen. Eventually, Vince wanted Bret to drop the title to Shawn, his arch nemesis, while Bret claimed he’d drop it to anyone else except Shawn, and especially not to him in Canada. Things reached a boiling point at Survivor Series when the most infamous event in wrestling history took place; the screwjob of screwjobs. I won’t go too much into it as everyone knows about it, but Shawn, HHH, Vince and his close associates and Earl Hebner screwed Bret out of the WWF title, and out of the WWF. The biggest name of the company, and the most loyal one at that, was kicked out of the WWF. Bret was distraught. Shawn was the champion.

It took a decade for Bret to come back to the WWF, when he accepted to get into the WWE Hall of Fame. But perhaps, the biggest piece of the Bret – Shawn’s puzzle was put into place at the first RAW of 2010, when Bret officially returned to the WWE. The fans welcomed their former hero with open arms, and Bret came back with a smile. In what was a monumental scene in the history of the WWE, the two former arch rivals embraced each other in the centre of the ring. Bret had finally found closure, while Shawn’s guilt which had been eating away at him for over a decade, was replaced with serenity. The greatest stories aren’t planned, but are witnessed. The story of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels saw its final chapter, as it saw a full circle. Two young rookies who started off as friends, were now two legends and veterans who had found peace. Finally, the two stalwarts of the business put an end to the painful past.

The story of Bret Hart and Michael Hickenbottom had seen a happy ending, something which seemed impossible just a couple of years ago.