"It's a step in the wrong direction" - Bret Hart reflects on being viewed as WWE's next Hulk Hogan

Bret Hart recently recalled how many people doubted whether he was the right superstar to replace Hulk Hogan as WWE’s marquee attraction.

After a decade of Hogan dominance, The Hitman defeated Ric Flair at a live event in October 1992 to win his first WWE Championship. He went on to hold the title five times before leaving Vince McMahon’s company in November 1997 to join WCW.

Speaking to Tom Power, Hart reflected on the negative feedback he received after he was deemed to be Hogan’s replacement:

“When I became world champion, which was in 1992, I was really the guy that had to pull the sword out of the stone. I had to be the guy that moved on past Hulk Hogan and moved into a different era of wrestling. People always go, ‘He’s never gonna be the Hulk Hogan of wrestling. It’s a step in the wrong direction.’”

Hulk Hogan was presented as WWE’s top star between 1984 and 1993 before the likes of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels became main-eventers. Earlier this week, Hart criticized Hogan’s in-ring style and claimed he “didn’t know a headlock from a headlamp.”

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Bret Hart thinks he changed wrestling after Hulk Hogan’s era

In the 1980s and early 1990s, tall wrestlers with impressive physiques were more likely to succeed in WWE than smaller wrestlers.

Bret Hart believes superstars like himself changed wrestling by proving that not everyone had to be the same size as Hulk Hogan.

“You can say whatever you want today, but I ended up being the guy that changed wrestling. It wasn’t about how big you were or how big your arms were anymore. It was about how good your match was. I was a storyteller,” Hart added.

The two-time WWE Hall of Famer is considered one of the most technically gifted superstars in wrestling history. He also said in the interview that his opponents often relied on him to think of creative ideas for their matches.

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