Bret Hart Receives Backing From Ex-WWE Manager After Criticizing Modern Wrestling

Bret Hart has never shied away from giving his honest thoughts on the current wrestling product. In a recent podcast episode, former WWE manager Dutch Mantell reacted to Hart's latest criticism of the modern in-ring style.

Hart was widely viewed as one of the world's best wrestlers in the 1980s and 1990s. The Hitman recently said on the Masked Man Wrestling Show that some talents request permission before using his iconic moves. He also took a dig at current wrestling, saying other stars would "all be better off" if they copied him.

On his Story Time with Dutch Mantell show, Mantell told co-host James Romero that Hart is right to criticize today's wrestlers.

"He does have a point. I've said the same thing. You have too. This flippety-floppety back and forth, just because they can do a move and land on their feet and do this, that doesn't make the match better. That makes everybody see they're a pretty decent athlete, but as far as helping the story of a match, or helping the story in its progression, transcending from one angle of it to the next one, I think that's what he's talking about." [26:15–26:49]

In April, Hart became the first person to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame three times. The Canadian star received the honor after his match with Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 was selected for the inaugural Immortal Moment award.

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Dutch Mantell sums up Bret Hart's in-ring style

In 1995 and 1996, Dutch Mantell performed as the Uncle Zebekiah character in WWE when Bret Hart was among the company's top stars.

While Mantell was not always captivated by The Excellence of Execution's matches, he appreciated the clever psychology behind his decision-making in the ring.

"If you watched Bret Hart, Bret Hart didn't get in a hurry, and if you watched him, a lot of times he was almost maybe just a little bit boring. But he was working to a point, and when they got to the point, the match, if you go back and just watch the match, not in its entirety but as a whole, you might not say it was a match of a hundred, and that's the highest score you can give it, but most of his matches were really, really good." [26:49–27:29]

Hart retired from in-ring competition in 2000. Over the years, he has repeatedly blamed Goldberg for ending his career with a botched kick at WCW Starrcade 1999.

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Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.