10 Wrestling Legends WCW Buried

There was a cruel irony in Bret Hart disliking the raunchy direction WWE was taking only to get saddled with unbridled Russo booking in WCW.

Screwed over, betrayed and subsequently mocked by that no good Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart was the most sympathetic figure in the industry by December 1997. WCW had a mega babyface on their hands with the Hitman. A poor debut moved into a whole year of confusing storylines, more heel and face turns than PG era Big Show and dream matches ruined by overbooking and tainted finishes.

Failing on all fronts to cash in on fan interest in the Canadian hero, WCW killed the integrity of the Hitman character. Obvious, blockbuster feuds against the nWo and Sting were frustratingly bungled beyond belief. Certain key WCW figures such as Eric Bischoff have claimed that Hart's heart wasn't in it anymore. Hart himself has simply buried Bischoff's booking abilities, claiming he had zero idea what he was doing week to week ( a sentiment echoed by various roster members from the time).

By the time WCW finally committed to pushing the Excellence of Execution at the world title level, he had been stripped of his star aura. An unwieldy, inconsistent character approaching past his prime status, Hart was never the draw he could've been for the company.