Bret Hart Says Modern Wrestling Feels “Too Fake,” Criticizes Today’s Talent – Bret Hart has delivered another pointed critique of the current wrestling landscape, expressing deep frustration with what he sees as a loss of realism in today’s product. Speaking on the Johnny I Pro Show, Hart said he rarely watches modern wrestling because it feels artificial compared to the matches he grew up studying and performing.
During the interview, The Hitman explained that he finds far more enjoyment revisiting the wrestling of the 1990s and earlier. He pointed to old Stampede Wrestling footage as an example of a style built on believable action and strong fundamentals. According to Hart, the older eras emphasized the craft of wrestling in a way that made the in-ring product feel authentic.
He said, “I’ll be honest, I have a hard time watching today’s wrestling. I just can’t really watch it. It’s too fake for me. But I love watching the old 90s wrestling. I really do. When I watch my matches back, or in almost any match, even obscure Stampede Wrestling matches, there’s something about the realism, the punches and the kicks, and even just the way the presentation is. It just seems to me to be more onus put on the workmanship of learning the craft of being wrestlers.”
Hart did not hold back when describing the current generation. He accused many of today’s performers of prioritizing flashy spots over meaningful wrestling technique. He argued that the focus has shifted too far toward performance rather than the illusion of a competitive contest.
Hart stated, “I think that today’s wrestlers are actors—most of them are actors pretending to be wrestlers—and they don’t actually know how to wrestle and they don’t even know what a headlock is. Everything is a high spot. Everything is high spots, ‘I want to get my move in.’ I always thought wrestling needed to actually pretend to be wrestling. I miss the wrestling aspect and the psychology of the ’60s and ’70s wrestling, the presentation of trying to, you know, pretending that it’s a real sport.”
Hart praised Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat as one of the best examples of believable wrestling, describing him as someone who could make any match feel like a real competition. Hart said he always tried to bring that same level of authenticity to his own performances.
He added, “If you watch Rick Steamboat, that’s what I like about Ricky Steamboat as an example. He was always a guy that he always wanted in his eyes and his expression and the way he wrestled, that it was like a contest, and he made wrestling to me seem real. There was so many different wrestlers that always made it seem real. But I always tried to be real. I always try to keep it real.”
Bret Hart Says Modern Wrestling Feels “Too Fake,” Criticizes Today’s Talent
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