🔥 “I Watched Vince vs Trump and Thought… I Could Do ”That”—Bret Hart Reveals the Shocking Moment That Brought Him Back to WWE
Bret Hart “The Hitman” Hart’s return to WWE once felt impossible. After the infamous Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997, Hart walked away from WWE carrying one of the most painful chapters in wrestling history. For years, fans believed that bridge was permanently burned.
But according to Bret himself, an unlikely WrestleMania moment—featuring Vince McMahon and Donald Trump—changed everything.
Speaking with Inside The Ropes, the WWE Hall of Famer opened up about what truly inspired him to finally pick up the phone and call WWE again.
📺 The WrestleMania Moment That Sparked It All
Hart recalled watching WrestleMania 23, where Vince McMahon faced off against Donald Trump in their now-infamous “Battle of the Billionaires.”
As bizarre as it sounds, that match planted a seed in Bret’s mind.
“I remember watching it and thinking, ‘I could do that.’ And next thing I knew, the wheels started turning.”
For Bret, it wasn’t about wrestling matches or championships anymore. It was about closure.
He realized there was a chance to finally move forward — to draw a clear line under the Screwjob and leave it behind once and for all.
“Why don’t you throw that card out? I’ll come back, work with you guys, put all this behind me… and I don’t have to deal with the screwjob issue anymore. It’s gone.”
🌴 Happy in Hawaii — But Something Was Missing
At the time, Hart was living a peaceful life in Hawaii, far removed from wrestling politics.
He was happy. He didn’t need WWE. He didn’t even need wrestling.
Yet that WrestleMania moment lingered.
So Bret made the call.
He reached out to WWE and spoke with Kevin Dunn, one of Vince McMahon’s closest allies.
“I said, ‘Yeah, I’d like to talk to Vince about maybe doing a storyline and coming back.’”
🧠 A Serious Injury — And Brutal Honesty
Hart made one thing very clear from the start: his health came first.
He explained that he was dealing with a severe concussion-related injury — one that made traditional wrestling nearly impossible.
“I can’t fall backwards or land on my head — it could probably kill me. I can’t even shake my head vigorously.”
Still, Bret believed there was a way.
He pointed out that Donald Trump never took bumps, and yet the storyline worked.
“I told Vince, ‘I can’t take any bumps… but I can fall on my knees, fall on my stomach.’”
And then came the classic Hitman confidence:
“But I could do something. I can beat the crap out of you for sure.”
🔥 The Moment Wrestling History Shifted
That phone call eventually led to Bret Hart’s emotional return to WWE — a moment fans once thought would never happen.
Ironically, it wasn’t time, apologies, or negotiations that brought him back.
It was Vince McMahon wrestling Donald Trump.
Sometimes, wrestling really is stranger than fiction.
