7 ways the Montreal Screwjob changed Pro Wrestling

#3. Bret "The Hitman" Hart tarnished his own legacy

Bret "Hitman" Hart in the 1990s

Bret the Hitman Hart might seem like the least logical choice to replace Hulk Hogan as the face of pro wrestling--but that's just what he did after the Hulkster's departure from the WWE.

The differences between Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart and many. For one thing, Hulk Hogan played the stereotypical All American hero, proudly waving the red, white and blue of Old Glory above his head. Bret Hart was Canadian, and therefore unable to be a patriotic hero for a large swath of the WWE's audience.

Then there's the size difference. Hogan is kayfabe 6'8" (the reality is closer to six five) and over three hundred pounds. Bret Hart is just barely over six feet tall and was billed at 250 even though he often weighed much less.

Finally, Bret Hart's ring style was to slowly wear down his opponent with technically precise moves until they simply could not resist when he locked in the sharpshooter, unlike Hogan's heroic comebacks. Still, Bret Hart was a popular wrestler in the WWE and was even featured in mainstream media like the Simpsons cartoon.

However, by exposing some of the ugly posturing that takes place backstage in pro wrestling, fans were treated to another side of Bret Hart; a paranoid, aging veteran desperate to hang onto to his spot in the company, a man who believed his own hype and thought he was too much of a Canadian hero to lose in his home country.

Much of what made Bret Hart such a compelling character was his earnestness and his humility; Once that was revealed to be a work, fans just weren't as interested in the Hitman.