Bret Hart never made it to the very top, WWE legend claims

Bret Hart is the only person to receive three inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. However, according to legendary wrestling executive Eric Bischoff, The Hitman was not on the same level as some of the industry's all-time greats.

Hart made his name in WWE from 1984 to 1997 before spending three years in WCW. The Canadian star has repeatedly blamed Bill Goldberg for ending his career with a mistimed kick at Starrcade 1999. He has also taken digs at Bischoff for claiming he was like a "broken toy" after leaving WWE.

On his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff dismissed talk that Hart was a top star like John Cena, Ric Flair, Steve Austin, and The Undertaker.

"There was always a reason [in Bret Hart's mind] why Bret was prevented, because of somebody else, from actually making it to the very top for an extended period of time, to be in the same category as a Ric Flair or a John Cena or a Steve Austin or an Undertaker. Bret never got there. Not because it was anybody else's fault, and not even because it was Bret's fault."

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Hart was first inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. The 68-year-old joined WWE's illustrious group of legends again in 2019 as a Hart Foundation member. He also received the Hall of Fame's inaugural Immortal Moment honor in 2025 alongside Steve Austin.

Eric Bischoff thinks Bret Hart lacked presence

In the 1990s, Bret Hart was one of the world's most well-known wrestlers. He won the WWE Championship five times and became one of the company's marquee names following Hulk Hogan's departure in 1993.

Despite those accolades, Eric Bischoff believes Hart did not have the same presence as other WWE icons.

"Bret was just not born with that one thing that kinda puts you into that star category. Call it charisma. Call it whatever you want. It's a presence, and you either have that presence or you don't."

CM Punk and Roman Reigns are among the WWE stars who grew up idolizing Hart. In a recent interview with Complex Sports, The Hitman revealed which current talent he views as the best wrestler in the world.

Please credit 83 Weeks and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart