7. And The Hits Just Keep On Coming For The Hitman
After leaving the WWF November 1997, Bret The Hitman Hart arrived in WCW to find that WCW didn't really have much of a plan for him: it looked very much as though they just wanted to have him on their roster, and off the WWF's. Add to that the 60-day non-compete clause he'd signed when coming to terms on his release from WWF, and Hart couldn't even wrestle for WCW until January 1998. Whats more, he had history with almost all of the top dogs at WCW, none of whom wanted to share their spot. The end result was that the hottest property in wrestling simply fizzled out: having worked a good but not great 1998 in midcard feuds and matches, Hart would be signed off with a groin injury through April and May of 1999. And then shortly before his return, his younger brother Owen died in a WWF ring, and in passing sucked the last of the life from the Hitman. Hart took a further four months off to be with the family. Upon returning, he'd finally win the WCW world title for the first time in December 1999, but it was shortly afterwards that Goldberg kicked him in the head, causing the initial concussion that would signal the beginning of the end of his career. Severely injured in the line of duty and unable to wrestle, Hart was sent a letter in spring 1999 informing him that they were exercising their contractual right to cut his pay in half. Not only that, but as of April 15, they could legally fire him yet they didnt. WCW kept him on for a further six months, cutting his pay in half yet again but keeping him on as a figurehead for nonsensical angles, cutting promos despite his slurred voice. In August 28th 2000, the Hitman was told what everyone had suspected for months he couldn't ever wrestle again. A week later, WCW had Hart flown in to take the real events of Goldbergs inadvertent stiff kick and Harts heartbreaking career-ending post-concussion syndrome and turn it into a heelish angle to crank up the crowd reaction for Goldberg, whod just endured one of WCWs heat-killing heel/face pirouettes over the previous two months.
I was slurring my words for real, following the script to whine about how he hurt me, when a wave of emotion came over me as I realized that nobody was getting it: Everyone, including all the fans, thought I was just acting like I was concussed. Then the big screen played the definitive camera angle of Goldbergs foot plowing into my head, one that Id never seen before. The crowd laughed and jeered me as Goldberg dressed me down verbally. Afterwards, I felt like a whore as I remembered the devastating impact of Goldbergs foot connecting with my head, reinforced by what Id seen up on the big screen. And Id let them exploit it for ratings.
WCW would fire The Hitman for good only a few weeks later.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
