Bret Hart has reflected on his rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, calling it one of the most important programmes of the 1990s and revealing that he played a key role in bringing Austin to WWE.
Speaking in Montreal at the Johnny I Pro Show during the anniversary of the Montreal Screwjob, Hart said he and Austin always had strong in-ring chemistry. He then added that he pushed hard for WWE to sign Austin before the company eventually made the move.
“I think I had a lot to do with Steve going to WWF in the first place,”
Hart said. He explained that he often encouraged Vince McMahon to bring in new talent and was critical of McMahon for previously letting Austin go to WCW. When Hart later heard that Austin had been released or was working with ECW, he questioned why WWE had not tried to bring him back. According to Hart, McMahon acted shortly after and signed Austin within a few months.
“I had just heard from somebody that Steve Austin had been let go or had just re-signed, I think, with ECW. So, I had a lot to do with Steve coming to the WWF in the first place. So when he did arrive, I was like, ‘There you are. I was the one who was trying to get you in here.’”
How Many Times Did Bret Hart And “Stone Cold” Steve Austin Wrestle Each Other In WWE?
Bret Hart and Steve Austin only had five singles matches against each other during their time in WWE. The first match they had took place on September 14, 1996, on the WWF Sun City SuperBowl, and Hart defeated Austin in a 20-minute match.
They would wrestle again in 1996 at Survivor Series, but wouldn’t face each other again after that until their legendary WrestleMania 13 bout, and would have two less memorable matches in April 1997.
