10 Fascinating WWE WrestleMania 18 Facts

Hart was still estranged from WWE, little more than four years after Montreal, and even less time since brother Owen died at the Over the Edge pay-per-view. "The Hitman" was contacted less than three weeks before the Toronto event with a proposal to work as guest referee for the Triple H/Chris Jericho main event. In exchange, WWE would allow Hart some of their photos for use in Hart's eventual autobiography.

Hart was open to mending fences with McMahon, but did not want to appear at WrestleMania. He saw it as WWE wanting it to look like he had forgiven them, and that a WrestleMania appearance would ring publicly as a vote of confidence from a vocal McMahon critic. Viewing the offer as a blatant attempt at damage control, Hart stuck to his guns and did not appear.