Bill Simmons goes in on the Hitman

[R=G]

I was never into Bret Hart. I despise that New Generation stuff except for Razor, Hakushi, and Undertaker. Everything was real soft and weak...just lazy.

When you're a young mark, you keep asking, "Why doesn't Bret Hart ever face Undertaker?"..lol. They made sure he was kept away from during those initial title reigns...they finally faced off at like Rumble 96 and Bret caught that Cena reaction. LOL.

 

[raw613]

I can't stand Bret...and at the very least, his music and attire was great.

thats the thing while i personally grew up a Hart fan I don't expect everyone to be one, but this dude is just reaching for things to shyt on beyond the critiques that actually make sense lol.

 

[TrueEpic08]

Yep - people stay revising history when it comes to Michaels.

A ratings divebomb only means something when it's someone you can safely slander. Certainly not when the guy that you're obtusely critiquing drew far better in every business-related metric than the guy you're comparing the first to unfavorably.

 

[dh86]

Mr Perfect was status before Bret even became a main eventsr and he retired in 93. When he came back to wrestle in WCW Bret and Owen were far far superior. Owen was equal to Bret in the ring.

 

[Silkk]

I still don't know why he applies the Patrick Ewing theory to Bret when it should actually apply to Michaels. RAW literally took over the ratings right when Michaels "retired". WCW probably should have and would have finished off the WWF at Starrcade 97 in addition of stealing Bret Hart away from the WWF, but somehow found a way to completely fukk it up.

Was it really michaels being out or Stone Cold finally get his run that did it tho? Easily austin's run

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Simmons tries way too hard to be an "expert" on everything including pop culture. He needs to shut the fukk up and write columns about NBA trade values or the magical trade machine.

 

[DLo]

Why is everyone acting like Bret put Austin over in those matches? Bret won every single one.

 

[Jmare007]

I love Grantland and listen to the BS report regularly (mostly because of the guests/topics), but Simmons has the shyttiest taste and ideas on every single thing he writes/talks about. Wrestling ain't the exception it seems

Let's see … no personality,

He was over as fukk with the majority of the fanbase, that can't be accomplished with no personality.

no sense of humor, wet hair, horrible entrance music, hideous wrestling outfit (pink and black?)

Since when sense of humor means anything in wrestling? And Bret had some hilarious shyt when he was a heel.

Horrible entrance music?

Who gives a shyt about wrestling outfits? Like Shawn's (whom Simmons is a stan for) fakkitt ass tight pants were any better

never tweaked his gimmick,

Yeah. That anti-USA gimmick was the same old shyt

didn't get along with Shawn Michaels

Who the fukk got along with Michaels at that time? Even Kliq members would admit he was a giant pain in the ass. And hell, him and Bret were close friends till like 1996. Simmons would lose his shyt of someone would fukk so many historical facts if it was about basketball.

, "carried" the WWE during its most boring stretch of the past 40 years,

So did Shawn and he's a stan of his.

sold out for WCW money

Vince made him take wCw's money after not being able to fulfill that ridiculous 10 year contract.

, remains memorable only because of (a) the Montreal Screwjob (and the fact that he punched Vince McMahon afterward), and (b) his phenomenal Ewing Theory credentials (the WWE took off again right after he left). Just thought he was overrated.

a) finally something he's right
b) aaaand there he goes with one of his retarded "theories"


And by the way, I don't even like Bret that much. Always thought Owen was more talented

 

[Kimo_bud]

Somebody gotta smack this puny Irish cac for dissing the goat

'America is a dirty washroom and Boston is the toilet bowl'

 

[dh86]

Why is everyone acting like Bret put Austin over in those matches? Bret won every single one.

You can get over in losing if you know how to work

 

[dh86]

I still don't know why he applies the Patrick Ewing theory to Bret when it should actually apply to Michaels. RAW literally took over the ratings right when Michaels "retired". WCW probably should have and would have finished off the WWF at Starrcade 97 in addition of stealing Bret Hart away from the WWF, but somehow found a way to completely fukk it up.

If you think about it, when Shawn lost his smile, it cancelled the rematch with Bret at Mania 13 for the title. And Bret faced Austin in a rematch instead which ended up the best WWF match of the 90s in my opinion. If Shawn never loses his smile, Austin is in a nothing match at the beginning of the show. Who knows what happens

 

[Dada]

My sentiments exactly. Very similar to what I wrote in another thread (except the what he's famous for part).

 

[showtime]

A lot of people don't know what they are talking about in this thread. When Bret Hart was the guy the WWF did have it's lowest ratings but when HBK took over in 96 at Wrestlemania 12 the ratings for WWF went up big until the nwo debuted. Nobody was going to beat the nwo when they just started out. So people saying HBK was the guy which led to low ratings it isn't true it was because of the nwo why wwf ratings went down and wcw went up.

When you say Bret Hart most people think montreal screwjob. When you say Shawn Michaels most people think one of the greatest in ring performers off all-time . Bret Hart let the Montreal screwjob define him while HBK created his own legacy.

 

[I'm Billy FUCO!!]

I love how you inserted Micheal Cole into this.
Cole is garbage. Get over it.

Cole is one of the main voices of the WWE right now, right where I think he should be. So what's there for ME to "get over"? The fact that some random person on the internet thinks he's garbage? OK, I promise not to lose much sleep over that

Sounds like YOU need to get over the fact that's he's gonna be one of the most featured voices in the #1 wrestling product for years to come.....just like he has been for the past few years

And get this - he managed to pull it off despite somehow being 100% horrible on commentary ......now THAT'S impressive

 

[DLo]

You can get over in losing if you know how to work

So wouldn't that be more on Austin instead of Bret?

I know the feud with Bret was Austin's first breakthrough into the main event but by that point he was going to get there regardless.