Bret Hart’s bitterness over WrestleMania IX still runs deep—but the real gut punch? According to The Hitman, Vince McMahon once promised him a six-year WWE Championship reign before Hulk Hogan swooped in and changed everything.
Speaking on The Masked Man Show, Hart detailed the moment he was supposedly set to become the face of WWE for the long haul. “When I won the title, Vince told me that I would be champion for…a long time. He brought up Bruno [Sammartino] and [Bob] Backlund, and he said, ‘You’re going to be champion for six years,’” Hart said.
Hart added that McMahon even tried to reassure him about Hogan returning at the time. “Don’t worry about Hogan. He’s got nothing to do with you. He’s here to promote a movie. He’s short-term,” McMahon allegedly told him.
But it didn’t play out that way. Instead of a historic title run, Hart ended up losing the WWE Championship to Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX—only for Hulk Hogan to steal the spotlight moments later, pinning Yoko in seconds. “I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned,” Hart admitted, revealing he only found out about the plan the night before the show.
Hart believed he’d earned the right to lead the company and that Hogan saw him as a threat. “He had no respect for me. He couldn’t believe that I was the champion,” Hart said, adding that Hogan wouldn’t even shake his hand in the locker room.
Even worse, Hart says Hogan offered to “return the favor” at WrestleMania, a moment Hart still resents: “That never happened. He dropped the title to Yokozuna and left. It was all a lie.”
Hart closed the conversation by taking another swipe at both Hogan and McMahon. “Vince broke that trust. Hogan never had any respect for me. I think words speak for themselves. They’re not talking about Hulk Hogan today.”
Do you believe Bret Hart was promised a six-year run as WWE Champion? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
