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One of wrestling's biggest controversies occurred in 1997 when Bret Hart left WWE for WCW. In an exclusive interview, Natalya opened up about the impact that the two-time Hall of Famer's WWE departure had on the rest of the family.
Hart initially thought he was going to retain the world title in his final WWE match against Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series 1997. However, following multiple backstage disagreements, WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon booked Michaels as the winner without informing The Hitman. The incident went on to be known as the Montreal Screwjob.
Several Hart family members worked for WWE at the time, including Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart, and Owen Hart. Natalya, the daughter of Jim Neidhart and niece of Bret Hart, told Sportskeeda Wrestling's Riju Dasgupta about the difficult family situation:
"I just remember my dad coming home afterwards and it was very chaotic because my dad and Bret were best friends, but my dad also loved working for WWE and he didn't want to have his career be affected. I remember there being a lot of chaos because my dad and Owen and Davey, they were just trying to figure out what to do, and they wanted to support Bret, but they had to feed their families and they had to keep going in their own lives." [8:34 – 9:04]
Although Bret Hart wanted to stay in WWE, he agreed to join WCW after receiving a significantly better financial offer from the rival promotion. Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart followed The Hitman to WCW, while Owen Hart remained in WWE.
Natalya, who was 15 years old when the Montreal Screwjob happened, remembers how the drama made Bret Hart emotional:
"I just remember my dad going to WCW, and I wish things had been different but my dad I think was trying to be loyal to Bret, but at the end of the day I don't know if WCW was a good fit for my dad. It was a lot of chaos. I remember Bret being extremely emotional about it. I think for Bret, he was grieving like a death, as far as the death of his career, so he was devastated about all of it." [9:04 – 9:36]
Watch the video above to hear more from Natalya about two former WWE Superstars possibly returning to the company in the near future.
Natalya understood Bret Hart's dilemma
In 2020, Bret Hart admitted on WWE Backstage that he wishes he never joined WCW. Two years after leaving WWE, the Canadian's full-time in-ring career ended after he suffered a serious concussion during a WCW match against Goldberg.
More than two decades on, Natalya agrees that her uncle should have stayed in WWE:
"He put in 14 years in WWE of blood, sweat, and tears, literally and figuratively, so I feel in my heart that Bret never really wanted to go to WCW. I feel like he always wanted to start and end his career in WWE, but of course as we know history didn't have that in mind for him." [9:37 – 9:59]
Natalya added that the Montreal Screwjob incident also affected Jim Neidhart, whose subsequent WCW run only lasted eight months:
"It was just a sad, hard time for everyone. I know Bret was upset and devastated about it. My dad was confused. Our family, I feel like that was just a really hard time for everyone. It was a very chaotic time." [9:59 – 10:15]
Natalya is currently a member of the RAW women's division. In the same interview, she expressed her excitement about WWE's upcoming trip to India.
Do you think Bret Hart should have stayed in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.
WWE RAW Superstar Natalya is all set for WWE Superstar Spectacle which will take place at the GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium (Gachibowli Indoor Stadium), Hyderabad, India, on Friday, September 8, 2023.
Watch the LIVE coverage of WWE RAW every Tuesday on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) & Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels at 5.30 am IST.
Sony Sports Network is the official broadcaster of WWE in India.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
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