Bret Hart has revealed who he believes took over his role as the locker room leader of WWE after he left the company in 1997, naming The Undertaker as the man who stepped into that position.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated in 2017, Bret Hart explained that during his time on top, he saw himself as the voice of the dressing room. If talent had issues, they would often come to him first, and he would speak to Vince McMahon on their behalf.
“I always felt that I was the leader of the dressing room and looked after everything. If guys had a problem, they could come to me and I’d go to Vince and say, ‘This guy has a problem, maybe you can help him.’”
Hart said that before he left WWE following the Montreal Screwjob, he wrote a letter to The Undertaker. In it, he encouraged him to become the new leader in his absence and to look out for the rest of the roster. Hart felt The Undertaker had the respect, seniority and presence to take on that responsibility.
He added that he believes The Undertaker went on to fill that role effectively, guiding the locker room through a turbulent period while WWE rebuilt around a new generation of stars.
Then ’Taker stepped in and became that guy. A lot of times he had to straighten out guys like Shawn Michaels and stand up for the other wrestlers.
When Did Bret Hart Retire?
Bret Hart officially retired from in ring competition in 2000, following the concussion he suffered during his late WCW run. The injury prevented him from continuing as an active wrestler and led to his decision to step away from the ring entirely.
He briefly returned to action in 2010, first wrestling Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 26, and he continued to wrestle spordically for the comapny throughout 2010, having a total of ten matches that year, and one final match on September 12, 2011, where he teamed with John Cena to defeat Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodgriguez.
