How much did Hoegan damage Bret Hart’s legacy?

[Dusty Bake Activate]

Wrestling fans know Hitman is the GOAT or one of the GOATs. He never had the superstar appeal of Hoegan, Rock, or Austin obviously but how much more of a household name and a mainstream commodity could he have been without Hoegan refusing to put him over?

Vince wanted to have him beat Hoegan in a face vs. face at WM where they shook hands afterwards but Hoegan refused that early. Then Hoegan pulled that nonsense stunt with Yokozuna that made Bret look weak and overshadowed by Hoegan. Then Hoegan refused to put him over at Summerslam on the way out.

One thing Bret Hart was missing was a defining opponent or win to put him over during his title run. He won it at a house show against Flair and it wasn’t part of any angle or feud. A high profile win against Hoegan with a buildup feud would’ve really solidified him with the public. There was no reason for Hoegan not to other than he was just being a hating bytch cause he was on his way out the door.

Years later, we all know WCW dropped the ball majorly when they brought in Hitman. Obviously they should’ve immediately put him in the main event picture but you have to remember that Hoegan stayed in the main event picture and he had creative control. He wouldn’t work with Hitman so he was relegated to working around the edges of the main feuds. He was shooting in promos about Hoegan was ducking him for years.

He wouldn’t have been the WCW savior or anything but he could’ve added another respectable final chapter to his career as he was still very much capable with the right booking.

So basically Hoegan refused to put him over when it was time to try and establish him as the next face of the WWF, then handicapped him by freezing him out of main event angles when he tried to start over at WCW after the screwjob. He could’ve had a much greater career with greater moments and a greater legacy in the eyes of the public if it wasn’t for Hoegan’s bytchassness. I see why he hates him.

 

[Raw Sauce]

HitGOAT is in my top 10 all time favorite wrestlers but I don't think he would've been all that much higher with public if Hogan did him the honors. I feel like Bret always just missed being in the right place at the right time more than anything. He made the main event in WWF just after it was a huge deal and left right before it became a huge deal again, simultaneously going to WCW right when they were starting to cool off. Plus he never had the kinda persona that would've resonated with the mainstream until late in his WWF run. I know it wasn't in the cards because he'd have to have taken a paycut but in retrospect I wish he would've just taken a paycut and stayed in the WWF. He would've been gold in the AE with his newfound grouchy shooter persona, mixing it up with Austin several more times, getting some run as corporate champ, feuding with Rock/Angle/Jericho/Benoit. Being a fringe main eventer in the WWF during the AE would've done more for his stock than anything else, IMO.


On that username, btw.
"It's simple ain't it? Well, quite clever."

 

[Mook]

I bet most people know Bret. As a matter of fact I bet more people know him than hbgay. fukk hoegan.

 

[julesocean]

No. The one thing Bret was missing wasn't a win over a legend, or a win over THE MAN in the business. He was missing that extra bit of charisma that would have really complimented his in-ring prowess. That extra bit of charisma that would have took his promos from passable to great... Bret wrestled intense, but had no attitude outside of that.

Everything Shawn had basically, not to turn this into Bret vs. Shawn because I fukks with Bret more, but he was just lacking some charisma. He would have been HUGE regardless of who he beat if had had that PLUS his insane wrestling skill.

 

[Toe Jay Simpson]

History has and will continue to be a lot kinder to Hitman than Hogan

 

[Stop_It_5]

Whatever damage was done at the time has been undone and then some the further removed we are from that era. HitGOAT's name is wrestling royalty, Hoegan can't even get cheered in Tampa.

 

[Max.]

Hogan was 6’6 n dodnt wana lose to a 5’11

hogans still a bytch tho…remember the HBK match

 

[Tres Leches]

fukk hoegan


as a kid i was always team macho , warrior and bret

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

No. The one thing Bret was missing wasn't a win over a legend, or a win over THE MAN in the business. He was missing that extra bit of charisma that would have really complimented his in-ring prowess. That extra bit of charisma that would have took his promos from passable to great... Bret wrestled intense, but had no attitude outside of that.

Everything Shawn had basically, not to turn this into Bret vs. Shawn because I fukks with Bret more, but he was just lacking some charisma. He would have been HUGE regardless of who he beat if had had that PLUS his insane wrestling skill.

Can't co-sign that.. Bret had some great promos.. such as the "frustrated not the got damn word for it!" or the "who are you to doubt El Dandy? "

His run as a heel in '97 was great and everyone remembers that when he was feuding with Stone Cold. That's what made Stone Cold a household name that feud there..

 

[Tres Leches]

if bret and shawn (he kinda did but was shook of UT) pulled the same shyt hoegan did stone cold wouldnt be stone cold

 

[R=G]

HitGOAT is in my top 10 all time favorite wrestlers but I don't think he would've been all that much higher with public if Hogan did him the honors. I feel like Bret always just missed being in the right place at the right time more than anything. He made the main event in WWF just after it was a huge deal and left right before it became a huge deal again, simultaneously going to WCW right when they were starting to cool off. Plus he never had the kinda persona that would've resonated with the mainstream until late in his WWF run. I know it wasn't in the cards because he'd have to have taken a paycut but in retrospect I wish he would've just taken a paycut and stayed in the WWF. He would've been gold in the AE with his newfound grouchy shooter persona, mixing it up with Austin several more times, getting some run as corporate champ, feuding with Rock/Angle/Jericho/Benoit. Being a fringe main eventer in the WWF during the AE would've done more for his stock than anything else, IMO.


On that username, btw.
"It's simple ain't it? Well, quite clever."

Not that simple. After the screw job, he definitely had a light on him. He went over Austin all the time. He definitely could of been spotlighted differently.

 

[R=G]

No. The one thing Bret was missing wasn't a win over a legend, or a win over THE MAN in the business. He was missing that extra bit of charisma that would have really complimented his in-ring prowess. That extra bit of charisma that would have took his promos from passable to great... Bret wrestled intense, but had no attitude outside of that.

Everything Shawn had basically, not to turn this into Bret vs. Shawn because I fukks with Bret more, but he was just lacking some charisma. He would have been HUGE regardless of who he beat if had had that PLUS his insane wrestling skill.

Shawn Michaels absolutely bombed. He's a loser.

 

[ill_will82]

In hindsight looking back at WWF as an adult now, Bret never truly became a mainstream household name like Rock, Austin, or Hogan b/c didn't have anyone BIG to put him over to be the MAN. The same could be said for HBK. At least Hogan had Andre to solidify him as the guy after WM 3.

WWF was a mess throughout the '92-97 whether it was through scandals, struggling finances, or bad creative decisions. Hogan vs Hart should have happened instead of giving Yokozuna another title run. I don't understand why Vince didn't do Savage/Hart at WM 9 w/Bret going over (instead of having Savage wasting away on commentary for the next 2 yrs).

I put the blame solely on Vince for Hogan/Hart not happening b/c he allowed Hogan to play his usual politics. Hogan's last televised was June of '93 but he was still under contract until August of that year. As promoter Vince should have put his foot down and told him flat out you're going to put Bret over at SummerSlam and that's it.

 

[ill_will82]

Whatever damage was done at the time has been undone and then some the further removed we are from that era. HitGOAT's name is wrestling royalty, Hoegan can't even get cheered in Tampa.

Well Hogan basically destroyed most of his legacy if not all of it behind that racist tape scandal. So most fans that grew up watching Hogan in the 80s & 90s and even the new generation that wasn't around during his prime yrs really not fukking w/him on that level.

I started watching wrestling as a kid b/c of Hogan but knowing the shyt that we know now about his reputation in general and among his peers... I've lost a A LOT of overall respect for Hogan overall.

 

[ill_will82]

Bret would have probably been a much bigger deal in WWF if he were to:

-Beat Flair for the title in late '92
-Either lose to Yokozuna at WM 9 (Hogan wins title)/Hart vs Savage (Bret wins)
-SummerSlam '93. Bret is the current title holder or challenger against Hogan. (Bret wins in any scenario)

Under ^^^ that situation, Bret would have victories over 3 top guys in which would be a passing of the torch in WWF in '93. I probably would keep the belt on Bret until WM X and then maybe he drops it to Owen.