That Bret Hart WCW promo

[BJ Sturgeon]

I never watched WCW so is there a story behind that promo? Did WCW want Bret to go in a more comedic direction? Was it Bret's idea? Who wrote the promo or was it ad-libbed? Was it a one off or did he do more like that?

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I’m afraid you’re going to have to be more specific.

[Mozenrath]

If you mean the El Dandy one, it was them trying to have Bret be a smartass, I guess. Kevin Nash, among others, had done this to good effect, but it did feel a little off coming from the usually painfully earnest Bret.

Otherwise, not sure what you mean.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 1, 2022 6:19:35 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

If you mean the El Dandy one, it was them trying to have Bret be a smartass, I guess. Kevin Nash, among others, had done this to good effect, but it did feel a little off coming from the usually painfully earnest Bret.

Otherwise, not sure what you mean.

I kind of figure OP meant the promo Bret cut about his cat, Smokey. To hear Bret told the story, he carried on the whole promo about his cat, but really, it was just a quick mention.

[Mozenrath]

Mar 1, 2022 6:54:35 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Mar 1, 2022 6:19:35 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

If you mean the El Dandy one, it was them trying to have Bret be a smartass, I guess. Kevin Nash, among others, had done this to good effect, but it did feel a little off coming from the usually painfully earnest Bret.

Otherwise, not sure what you mean.

I kind of figure OP meant the promo Bret cut about his cat, Smokey. To hear Bret told the story, he carried on the whole promo about his cat, but really, it was just a quick mention.

Ah, I have zero recollection of this somehow, but admittedly, a lot of his WCW run is a blur to me.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 1, 2022 7:00:02 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Mar 1, 2022 6:54:35 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

I kind of figure OP meant the promo Bret cut about his cat, Smokey. To hear Bret told the story, he carried on the whole promo about his cat, but really, it was just a quick mention.

Ah, I have zero recollection of this somehow, but admittedly, a lot of his WCW run is a blur to me.

It popped up in my Youtube feed. Bret tells a story of how he did this cat promo, because Bischoff insisted he go do a promo, but Bret had no program, no future program, and no idea what he was supposed to say. So Bret said his only fan left was his cat. Then told Bischoff he should start bringing his cat to the ring, then one time, Sting could put him in the Scorpion Death Lock and Bret would crawl to the corner to get his cat, but in reality it would be a stuffed cat, loaded with a brick and he could bash Sting in the head with it and win. Bischoff apparently found this idea brilliant.

[Mozenrath]

Mar 1, 2022 7:03:30 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Mar 1, 2022 7:00:02 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Ah, I have zero recollection of this somehow, but admittedly, a lot of his WCW run is a blur to me.

It popped up in my Youtube feed. Bret tells a story of how he did this cat promo, because Bischoff insisted he go do a promo, but Bret had no program, no future program, and no idea what he was supposed to say. So Bret said his only fan left was his cat. Then told Bischoff he should start bringing his cat to the ring, then one time, Sting could put him in the Scorpion Death Lock and Bret would crawl to the corner to get his cat, but in reality it would be a stuffed cat, loaded with a brick and he could bash Sting in the head with it and win. Bischoff apparently found this idea brilliant.

So, Teddy Hart really is his nephew.

[eJm]

Mar 1, 2022 7:03:30 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Mar 1, 2022 7:00:02 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Ah, I have zero recollection of this somehow, but admittedly, a lot of his WCW run is a blur to me.

It popped up in my Youtube feed. Bret tells a story of how he did this cat promo, because Bischoff insisted he go do a promo, but Bret had no program, no future program, and no idea what he was supposed to say. So Bret said his only fan left was his cat. Then told Bischoff he should start bringing his cat to the ring, then one time, Sting could put him in the Scorpion Death Lock and Bret would crawl to the corner to get his cat, but in reality it would be a stuffed cat, loaded with a brick and he could bash Sting in the head with it and win. Bischoff apparently found this idea brilliant.

I think that sounds brilliant.

Not likely for the reason intended but still!

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 1, 2022 7:05:47 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Mar 1, 2022 7:03:30 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

It popped up in my Youtube feed. Bret tells a story of how he did this cat promo, because Bischoff insisted he go do a promo, but Bret had no program, no future program, and no idea what he was supposed to say. So Bret said his only fan left was his cat. Then told Bischoff he should start bringing his cat to the ring, then one time, Sting could put him in the Scorpion Death Lock and Bret would crawl to the corner to get his cat, but in reality it would be a stuffed cat, loaded with a brick and he could bash Sting in the head with it and win. Bischoff apparently found this idea brilliant.

So, Teddy Hart really is his nephew.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzPAeEwO7aI

[BJ Sturgeon]

Sorry, yes, I was talking about the El Dandy promo. I had no idea there were more infamous ones.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Bret Hart seemed to be suffering from the same syndrome that affected Batista in 2010, the feeling of being so mentally checked out that he was just doing whatever he wanted to amuse himself. In this case, it was suggesting that he should defend his US title against cruiserweights on the lower card, mangling their names for comic effect in the process, instead of defending against top contenders like Booker T and Dean Malenko. It also might have been a way to blow off some steam if he was indeed working with a torn groin muscle.

[BJ Sturgeon]

Mar 2, 2022 1:08:05 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

Bret Hart seemed to be suffering from the same syndrome that affected Batista in 2010, the feeling of being so mentally checked out that he was just doing whatever he wanted to amuse himself. In this case, it was suggesting that he should defend his US title against cruiserweights on the lower card, mangling their names for comic effect in the process, instead of defending against top contenders like Booker T and Dean Malenko. It also might have been a way to blow off some steam if he was indeed working with a torn groin muscle.

Well, that makes sense.

[EvenBaldobombHasAJob]

I use this promo as proof any time someone says Bret Hart always takes things too seriously

[johnnyk9]

I never knew did it air on a Nitro or Thunder or heck even a Saturday Night

[y4j1981]

Mar 3, 2022 15:23:54 GMT -5 johnnyk9 said:

I never knew did it air on a Nitro or Thunder or heck even a Saturday Night

There were actually 2. But the first one was the famous one. Have no idea what the hell is going on with the camera work in the second one. But they seem to be around the time of his Mad TV angle and his 'Wrestling with Shadows' doc. But both were on Nitro

youtu.be/a5o_mszfXps
youtu.be/Ycs8b6_PMw8

[ISO Mid Thigh Pull]

He had enough of these bitches, man.

[sfvega]

Mar 1, 2022 6:19:35 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

If you mean the El Dandy one, it was them trying to have Bret be a smartass, I guess. Kevin Nash, among others, had done this to good effect, but it did feel a little off coming from the usually painfully earnest Bret.

Otherwise, not sure what you mean.

It's actually a great deadpan delivery. With Nash, you always knew he was joking and having fun with it like a Bill Burr. Bret gave you literally 0 clues to whether he was joking or not, like Nathan For You.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

I think this promo is deliberate comic genius

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 2, 2022 1:08:05 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

Bret Hart seemed to be suffering from the same syndrome that affected Batista in 2010, the feeling of being so mentally checked out that he was just doing whatever he wanted to amuse himself. In this case, it was suggesting that he should defend his US title against cruiserweights on the lower card, mangling their names for comic effect in the process, instead of defending against top contenders like Booker T and Dean Malenko. It also might have been a way to blow off some steam if he was indeed working with a torn groin muscle.

It was groin injury the likes of which you never seen!!!

[chazraps]

I clicked on this thread thinking it was going to be about the emotional first one he cut following Owen's passing, so when I read the OP I was completely confused for a hot second.