Bret: DX Bullied the Rock

[ChristmasFnatic]

During his latest Confessions of the Hitman podcast (subscription required on BretHart.com), Bret Hart opened up about Shawn Michaels and Triple H allegedly bullying The Rock backstage before Rock became a major star in WWE...

"A lot of the wrestlers would give him a hard time in those days, a really hard time, enough to try to break him and get him to quit and they almost succeeded. And I can remember going to bat for Dwayne quite a few times and kind of looking out for him, Owen too. I think Owen and I had a lot to do with sort of looking out for him when he first came down. [The Rock] was kind of a marked guy."

“I remember Shawn Michaels coming into the dressing room and dressing down poor Dwayne. Shawn came in and just dressed him down and he chewed him out. And I believe, [HBK] told [The Rock] to never do a top rope dropkick ever again because that was his move. That’s what he was mad about. And then, he slammed the door and he walked out. The Rock was [deflated] because in those days, Shawn had a lot of weight. He was a pretty important guy for the company, a veteran guy kind of dressing him down like that, he was apologizing and said he didn’t know, and he thought it would be okay. I remember the door closed after Shawn left and I said, ‘that’s bulls–t. That’s total bulls–t.’ I said, ‘nobody owns the dropkick off the top. You can do that. Owen does it all the time! Why doesn’t he cut a promo on Owen?’ I said, ‘they’re just busting your chops and they’re trying to work on you.'”

“Triple H was the same. He was always out to get The Rock. Shawn was out to get him and they just worked on him, and worked on him, and worked on him. And I left. [The Rock] was still in the doghouse with those guys. They wanted him [out] as bad as they wanted me out. Like, they were after him. And, for me, maybe a year later, he started getting his break and he started to take off in WWE and I’m so glad he overcame their petty bulls–t.”

"Just jealousy, and distinctly jealousy. Seeing someone that is a nice kid climbing the ladder bothered someone like Shawn Michaels or bothered Triple H so much that they couldn't see passed it. They worked on him and worked on him and it was pretty clear to me. And it wasn't the only time they came in and made those types of scenes. They did that a few times, but I had a lot of clout at that time too, so I could go in and make him rebound and say, 'don't pay attention to that stuff, you didn't do anything wrong' because he was still green. That's a term we use in [pro] wrestling. He was still a rookie."

[I3igAl]

I read Taker was the one, who stood up for him in the end.

[anonymous]

Bret Hart is almost as good at revisionist history as the US government

[HulkHagen]

I've heard that the Rock held a grudge against HBK and shot down any programs with him later in his wrestling career for the way he treated him when Rock first started out but who knows?

I know when Rock and HHH would have verbal sparring matches back in the day you could tell they were going off script and throwing some extra 'stank' on their insults... A lot of stuff Bruce Prichard says on his podcast IMO is bull**** and tows the company line, but he confirmed this and I believe it.

[kneeonbelly]

when the rock first came along fans hated him but I remember that Bret took him under his wing just as hbk took hhh under his.

When The rock got the IC title HBK pitched that bret and Rocky feud for the title so it could a) establish the rock with someone credible to work with but really it was b) to keep bret out of hbk's way for the title.

I do think that hbk's chitty behavior in this sense is probably why The rock never worked with shawn when he had a choice in the matter. I can see him having a respectable working relationship with Triple h since they came up together and had good back and forth programs, but shawn tried to bully him so no dice there

[EidFnatic]

God bless the Hitman.

[TimDF]

Wait, you have to pay for Bret's podcast? Legit lol. Guy could be the worst ever.

[EidFnatic]

Guy could be the worst ever.

Brother please.

[andyray]

shame a hbk/rock feud would have been money

vince pitched it for wm 20 but rock turned it down and ended up in a tag match with foley and shawn was put in main event

vince tried to get it for wm 22 as well

[TenEngineer]

Big guys behaving like bitchy little girls... great

[ChristmasFnatic]

shame a hbk/rock feud would have been money

vince pitched it for wm 20 but rock turned it down and ended up in a tag match with foley and shawn was put in main event

vince tried to get it for wm 22 as well

HBK would have given Dwayne a 4 or even 5 star match in his career finally.

That said, Bret seems to be back at opening old ****s towards McMahon and DX lately like he did many years ago. Seems like he bad mouths the same people over and over.

[BuckNakedinBama]

Is Bret the whiniest former wrestler ever?

[mrjolly2323]

Seems like Bret really hates Triple H. He seems to have a better friendship with Shawn now but still hates HHH.

[EidFnatic]

Is Bret the whiniest former wrestler ever?

No, yo momma is.

[marinevet63031]

I myself think that Brett is telling the truth more or less. However, I think it was more "Encouragement" vs. anything else. Like he is giving himself more importance if you will. I'm speaking of this example only. However, I do think he is beating a dead horse when talking about DX.

[luckyboy23]

Shawn definitely suffer(s)(ed) from Napoleon Complex. Easily the most dislikable, disingenuous(close with HHH) person in WWF/WWE history. Although Brett seems to have this "boy who cried wolf" persona around him, I believe him.

Would actually pay huge $$$ to see a real fight between Bret and Shawn or Dwayne and Shawn... Prime vs prime.. Shawn would get bent over deservedly so.

[Deathstroke]

I remember back then that DX were jealous of him when he was blowing up during the attitude era.

Don’t know why though, Rock becoming a star he went into being a megastar which wAs great for business then. Him, Austin, mr. McMahon and yea DX too but none of them were The Rock.

[EidFnatic]

I remember back then that DX were jealous of him when he was blowing up during the attitude era.

Don’t know why though, Rock becoming a star he went into being a megastar which wAs great for business then. Him, Austin, mr. McMahon and yea DX too but none of them were The Rock.

Hogan is/was bigger than all of them combined.

[Cleveland33]

Is Bret the whiniest former wrestler ever?

I think Ryback holds that title currently

[ChunkBuster]

Bret hart next week: I made Austin and saved The Rock

[Dave22reborn]

Shawn definitely suffer(s)(ed) from Napoleon Complex. Easily the most dislikable, disingenuous(close with HHH) person in WWF/WWE history. Although Brett seems to have this "boy who cried wolf" persona around him, I believe him.

Would actually pay huge $$$ to see a real fight between Bret and Shawn or Dwayne and Shawn... Prime vs prime.. Shawn would get bent over deservedly so.

Napoleon complex? He's 6ft 1inches.

[Dave22reborn]

Is Bret the whiniest former wrestler ever?

All he does is bitch, he's that grandpa that the grandkids never want to see.

[ChristmasFnatic]

Despite burying the hatchet with Shawn, and even them having that interview together(that was released in Blu-ray), Bret kinda gives the vibe that he is holding a grudge towards HBK. He is just passive aggressive but cannot really bash HBK so he goes for Trips as he did many times towards the years.

I think he is just a sensitive guy who have a hard time forgiving people. He also love to be critical and find faults/open up past drama. You dont hear this amount from other wrestlers/legends- Taker, Austin, Rock, even HBK(who only gives praise these days). And I like Bret, in my top 3 favorite wrestlers of all time.

[wings_unhinged]

Despite burying the hatchet with Shawn, and even them having that interview together(that was released in Blu-ray), Bret kinda gives the vibe that he is holding a grudge towards HBK. He is just passive aggressive but cannot really bash HBK so he goes for Trips as he did many times towards the years.

I think he is just a sensitive guy who have a hard time forgiving people. He also love to be critical and find faults/open up past drama. You dont hear this amount from other wrestlers/legends- Taker, Austin, Rock, even HBK(who only gives praise these days). And I like Bret, in my top 3 favorite wrestlers of all time.

It's complicated, I'm sure. Bret "got over it" and smoothed things over, but he's obviously still very affected by the biggest ass ****ing in wrestling history and all the parties involved. Probably worse for Trips because Bret knew him as the HBK's bootlicker and was never impressed by his in-ring work.

Had a co-worker with a moderate case of narcissism get humbled/screwed by management and those types never forget.

[CoffeeBlack77]

If HBK thought people were using his moves in the 90's, i wonder how he feels watching wrestling in 2020 lol.