10 Insane Lengths Wrestlers Went To Get Revenge For Real

7. Bret Hart Gets One Back Over Vince McMahon

bret hart vince mcmahon
WWE.com

As irritating and cringeworthy as those Bret Hart tributes FTR and CM Punk made on AEW TV got last year - Dynamite felt like the Rock not turning up for his own anniversary at Survivor Series 2021 for a good two months there - you could hardly blame them.

For many, not merely those three men, Bret Hart made them fall in love with the art form. Bret was never the strongest draw on a mass scale, but he damn sure was a hook. The love for Bret is ardent, enduring, even if he tarnished his legacy by returning to what barely constituted as "action" at WrestleMania XXVI. Bret's legacy as a storytelling genius means everything to him.

Even when he was still processing his callous exit from WWE, he willingly joined the Hall of Fame in 2006 so that his legacy would be preserved in a dignified manner on the DVD market.

Adamant about his own greatness, and justifiably so, Bret threatened the very thing he held dear just to avenge the events of Survivor Series 1997 by, at WrestleMania XXVI, pummelling Vince in a sh*tty, bleak non-attraction that more closely resembled harrowing CCTV footage of a pensioner getting mugged than a professional wrestling match. It was or felt very much like an excuse to hit him hard with weapons.

Happily for Bret, the exhumed lost genius carry-job of Tom Magee acted as the perfect epilogue to a legendary career, but that he would disgrace himself in the confines of his sacred ring borders on the unhinged.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!