Why was Bret Hart so popular?

[MoparOrNoCar]

Back when I was a kid I was a huge Bret Hart fan. I watched from the end of his Hart Foundation tag team days up until his departure from WWF. Thinking back on it, I can't really tell you why I was a fan. He didn't really have good mic skills or an entertaining personality. He didn't have the "it" factor that guys like Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock etc had.

He just walked out there in his purple get up to some decent entrance music, put some glasses on a kid in the front row, shook his shoulder pad tassels around on his leather jacket, said a couple of normal every day lines on the mic, laid an ass whooping on guys with some pretty solid technical wrestling skills and then walked out and that was it.

After I watched Wrestling with Shadows I remember thinking I respect the hell out of Bret as a man and a father, but I'd never want to hang out with him. He sort of reminded me of a good Christian who does all the right things but they're sort of annoying and off putting to where you just don't really want to be around them.

As a kid he was one of my favorites but now I can't really explain why.

 

[Stargazer Rex]

 

[the ambush]

Back when I was a kid I was a huge Bret Hart fan. I watched from the end of his Hart Foundation tag team days up until his departure from WWF. Thinking back on it, I can't really tell you why I was a fan. He didn't really have good mic skills or an entertaining personality. He didn't have the "it" factor that guys like Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock etc had.

I would put Bret ahead of Shawn, but it is arguable. The other two are typically always ahead of Bret career-wise.

 

[Stevanchez]

Cause he's the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

That's why.

 

[deezy]

If he didn't have the "it factor" he still wouldn't be treated like a big deal to this day.

I would've loved to hang out with him during his prime....Imagine all the rats we would get.

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

Didn't Shawn Michaels and Bret got popular because they were the smaller technicians after the whole steroid scandal? Shawn was the cocky high flyer and Bret the stoic submission specialist.

 

[El Dandy]

Shawn and Bret's matches were entertaining. Fans were getting an awakening to the formula of the Hogan matches and were crying for more. Bret and Shawn also had a "cool" factor even before their primes.

Edit

 

[RighteousWar]

Back when I was a kid I was a huge Bret Hart fan. I watched from the end of his Hart Foundation tag team days up until his departure from WWF. Thinking back on it, I can't really tell you why I was a fan. He didn't really have good mic skills or an entertaining personality. He didn't have the "it" factor that guys like Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock etc had.

He just walked out there in his purple get up to some decent entrance music, put some glasses on a kid in the front row, shook his shoulder pad tassels around on his leather jacket, said a couple of normal every day lines on the mic, laid an ass whooping on guys with some pretty solid technical wrestling skills and then walked out and that was it.

After I watched Wrestling with Shadows I remember thinking I respect the hell out of Bret as a man and a father, but I'd never want to hang out with him. He sort of reminded me of a good Christian who does all the right things but they're sort of annoying and off putting to where you just don't really want to be around them.

As a kid he was one of my favorites but now I can't really explain why.

You mean besides him being The Excellence of Execution???

 

[Lawson2]

Because he is the best there is best there was and best there ever will be

 

[MoparOrNoCar]

Ha well it sounds like most people here don't really know why either. Guess the guy was just likable for some apparent reason.

 

[Stargazer Rex]

Ha well it sounds like most people here don't really know why either. Guess the guy was just likable for some apparent reason.

AKA the "it factor"

 

[DM1982]

Back when I was a kid I was a huge Bret Hart fan. I watched from the end of his Hart Foundation tag team days up until his departure from WWF. Thinking back on it, I can't really tell you why I was a fan. He didn't really have good mic skills or an entertaining personality. He didn't have the "it" factor that guys like Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock etc had.

He just walked out there in his purple get up to some decent entrance music, put some glasses on a kid in the front row, shook his shoulder pad tassels around on his leather jacket, said a couple of normal every day lines on the mic, laid an ass whooping on guys with some pretty solid technical wrestling skills and then walked out and that was it.

After I watched Wrestling with Shadows I remember thinking I respect the hell out of Bret as a man and a father, but I'd never want to hang out with him. He sort of reminded me of a good Christian who does all the right things but they're sort of annoying and off putting to where you just don't really want to be around them.

As a kid he was one of my favorites but now I can't really explain why.

Why was Stone Cold Steve Austin so popular?


Back when I was a teen I was a huge SCSA fan. I watched from the end of his Ringmaster days up until the end of the Attitude era. Thinking back on it, I can't really tell you why I was a fan. His mic skills merely consisted of his redneck drawl, rambling on in a really puerile way how he's gonna 'whoop somebody's ass', and generally this lame anti-authority schtick - his personality was entertaining if your IQ was beneath 90. Did he have the 'IT Factor'? He was just a bald guy in black trunks and a waistcoat??? Whereas guys like HBK, The Rock, Hogan - were larger than life visually and orally.

He just stomped out when his music hit, stuck his middle finger up like a retarded teenager - what sort of adult behaves like that? - and laid a really unconvincing beating on EVERYONE with these superweak looking punches and EVERYONE lapped it up? He couldn't wrestle for shit.

After the Attitude era was said and done, his 'badass' image began to crumble: The incident when he refused to work with Lesnar and 'took his ball and went home' made him look a selfish prick a'la Hogan at his worst; he allegedly beat his wife Debra (wife beaters are scum); and was supposedly a big ol racist - I would'nt wanna hang around this guy.

As a teen he was one of my favourites but now I can't really explain why.

Spoiler

Get my point fella? Don't 2nd guess what you liked when you were younger, cos you could do that with anyone pretty much, and in time anything you liked as a youngster will now seem lame - afterall, PW is FOR KIDS. Bret was a product of his time and he was a great pro wrestler. His image is iconic and his ring work still holds up as the some of the best ever. A handful of legendary feuds also - with his brother Owen, SCSA and Shawn Michaels to name a few.

 

[Curly Peibce]

I feel the same way ts.

 

[Bluesbreaker]

Ha well it sounds like most people here don't really know why either. Guess the guy was just likable for some apparent reason.

I don't know if he was ever likeable. He seems quite unlikeable, thanks to his shoot interviews and documentary. I think he made a much better heel than babyface.

But, he was damn good in the ring. Like a Flair, Michaels or Steamboat, he could have a good match with anyone.

 

[Hitman81]

He's my personal favorite wrestler of all time, GOAT in ring performer, and was a childhood hero of mine. He may not have had the mic skills but his in ring performances spoke for themselves. I don't think anyone has ever made wrestling look and feel so real.

 

[Gutter Chris]

I would put Bret ahead of Shawn, but it is arguable. The other two are typically always ahead of Bret career-wise.

Shawn was always better its one of the reasons Bret was always pissed.


Anyway TS the it factor that made him awesome is that he had awesome match after awesome match after awesome match with that classic wwf roster. Other than Shawn I have never seen a dude as good in the ring. Bret made shit feel real , had great timing , sold proper and deserves to be a legend no matter how you come from it.

His promos werent terrible either. He sounded like an angry white dad from the burbs but he got his message across you know what he was saying why he was mad and it did have a genuine feel to it

Boyhood dream
Making Austin pass out
the screw job
Going heel and trashing murica after being a face forever.
The Summerslam match with perfect
The throw away match with hakushi

Everything Bret did was gold.

Actin like all he did was shake his tits and put glasses on kids jesus christ

 

[rocketskates]

Because he was the man. Was fortunate to meet him last year. Nice guy, paid for a photo op and he signed a figure for me for free.

 

[IndyCovaHart]

Probably chick appeal.

 

[Blackjack]

Back when I was a kid I was a huge Bret Hart fan. I watched from the end of his Hart Foundation tag team days up until his departure from WWF. Thinking back on it, I can't really tell you why I was a fan. He didn't really have good mic skills or an entertaining personality. He didn't have the "it" factor that guys like Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock etc had.

He just walked out there in his purple get up to some decent entrance music, put some glasses on a kid in the front row, shook his shoulder pad tassels around on his leather jacket, said a couple of normal every day lines on the mic, laid an ass whooping on guys with some pretty solid technical wrestling skills and then walked out and that was it.

After I watched Wrestling with Shadows I remember thinking I respect the hell out of Bret as a man and a father, but I'd never want to hang out with him. He sort of reminded me of a good Christian who does all the right things but they're sort of annoying and off putting to where you just don't really want to be around them.

As a kid he was one of my favorites but now I can't really explain why.

He was a great wrestler, that's why. Mike Tyson didn't have good mic skills, he had a high voice, embarrassingly, so, and he was a huge star. He was a great boxer. Verne Gagne didn't have great mic skills either. So what? It said "wrestling" on the marquee and that's what they did so well.. If you just want to see charismatic guys go to the movies.

 

[lakersfan45]

Bret hart forever. He was fucking great in the ring and great on the mic.

If you don't think he was great on the mic watch his anti American promos