What if Bret Hart didn’t get a concussion in WCW?
In 1997, Bret Hart infamously signed with WCW. It was the natural choice when WWE reneged on a big money deal, and there was no turning back after the Montreal Screw job offered the Hitman the most unceremonious WWE departure of all time.
Hart’s time in WCW was a disappointment. While he did add two more world title reigns to his resume, his tenure felt more forgettable than momentous, marred by questionable creative that saw his face-heel alignment bound back and forth far too often while he was mostly overshadowed by the established main event guys who had come to WCW first. There’s also Eric Bischoff’s narrative to consider—that Hart came to WCW broken and unmotivated. Hart denies it, but perspective certainly plays a role.
The Hitman’s WCW run, and his time a legitimate wrestler came to an abrupt end when Goldberg delivered a mule kick to his head, inadvertently causing what would amount to a career-ending injury. What might have changed had things gone down differently, and Hart stayed healthy? This article looks at five likely outcomes.
#5 Bret Hart in Impact Wrestling
Bret Hart mended fences with WWE by degrees. The story goes that, after his head injury issues, he was in the hospital for a bicycle accident that led to a stroke. That’s when Vince McMahon called him to start the healing process. The two sides collaborated on a DVD release, then a Hall of Fame induction, en route to Hart more fully returning as a recurring on-air character.
Take away a career-ending injury and one head injuries potential connection to another, and we might be looking at a different trajectory for Hart. It’s not out of the question he would have worked with Impact Wrestling in its efforts to offer an alternative to WWE. Indeed, with Jeff Jarrett at the helm, the company brought in big names like Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Ken Shamrock in its early days. Hart may have been a major get that the company could build around if he were game to wrestle a full-time schedule for him. Otherwise, he might have at least helped generate some buzz like Randy Savage and Diamond Dallas Page did in their shorter stints.