Jim Ross shoots on Shawn Michaels working with Bret Hart

For over forty years Jim Ross has been the Voice of Wrestling. From starting as referee in the regional territories to becoming the Executive Vice President for WWE, nobody has a story quite like Jim Ross. From recruiting and hiring some of the biggest superstars in the industry to providing the soundtrack for the most important moments in wrestling history, “Good Ole JR” was there for it all. Join us every Thursday morning as Conrad Thompson grills JR like you’ve never heard before, uncut and uncensored!
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[@HereIsWisdom1318]

My favorite thing about Bret is the way he made himself a heel in the USA, and a face around the rest of the WORLD!

[@lk5388]

That was only after the stone cold wm match. He had the poor luck of wwf having some very bad years, and missed the entire attitude era. Everyone says bret would not have worked in the attitude era, i disagree. I think bret had so much fun antagonizing americans and was already proving he can play a nasty heel. He could have taken that hitman approach and do kayfabe injuries on guys and really rub it into people.

[@kevinpeoples376]

Bret was a great heel. Most people forget that.

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

@@lk5388 I remember when Bret was berating America and he said “did you ever notice how the USA is shaped like a toilet?” and my dad walked in my room just before he said this, so he heard and laughed his ass off!

[@misterslats]

1997 heel Bret Hart was tremendous. There's a promo he cut on Vader that still makes me laugh my ass off. And to see the the four other Hart Foundation guys behind him carrying all the gold - just tremendous.

[@Al-nt8tn]

Yep I’m from India and while we loved Bret during his face run he was even more loved when he turned heel.

[@phhs6026]

Bret is 100% the GOAT TBE

[@theSuperviLLain_est]

I like the face-heel turn Bret n Austin did at WM13. It was masterful

[@J.P.G.78]

Michaels' fanboys are awfully quiet today

[@LaidBack--]

Wtf you want us to say?? It's a rehash of stuff everybody already knows at this point.

[@Y2JLionHeart]

@@LaidBack-- This dude just tries to bait ppl into arguments about HBK. Odd use of time, in my opinion.

[@J.P.G.78]

@@Y2JLionHeart i use about the same amount of time it took you to read and respond to my comment

[@dntwasteit8547]

JR is roasting Conrad so we don’t have to😂😂

[@warrenmasonjeffs6712]

That’s why brets the goat in the wwf he made hbk & stone cold and Steve’s best work by far was with him. Serious work no bs. If he was not made by him he would still have been great but his rocket 🚀 took off in a different way and then the mr McMahon feud put it over the top, but who created mr McMahon Bret hart again with the screw job angle. He deserves so much adulation.

[@devinlaster371]

Bret was my fave before Stone Cold and he rocked Pink, As Hurricane said, "What's up with That"

[@cathaldowdall7467]

The 2 matches between Austin Bret survivor series 96 . Mania 97. Just proved how talented Austin was . Then the pile driver and all he done was brawling

[@greyjedi6430]

I watch so much of your content Conrad , thanks for helping me get through covid but its back to work in 3 weeks . So can't indulge anymore 😢

[@McMahonHater]

You can indulge, you just need to indulge less lol.

[@greyjedi6430]

@@McMahonHater I listened to Jim Cornettes wrestlemania 37 podcast today , almost 4 hours long , would take me a month the hours am gunna be working , gunna miss lockdown 🤣🤣🤣

[@rancidcrawfish]

🙄

[@troystaunton254]

You know how I know modern wrestling sucks? Everyone on KZbin talks about 25 year old stuff. Ross, Anderson, bischoff, cornette, wrestling bios it’s all about 25 year old stuff. You don’t see that in other sports. Sure other sports will do older stuff, but 90% of it about today, and 10% nostalgia, and virtually everyone doing the talking is yesterday’s hero.

[@dntwasteit8547]

To be fair they’re talking about the old stuff because they’re from that era and people who listen to them are interested about that time from their individual perspectives. I don’t know how old you are but I’m 32 and I like a lot of new stuff in WWE the problem is we as wrestling fans clamor for something new and refreshing but then we deny and reject it when we get it and crap all over it before it can even get out the gate so it’s already buried before it can pick up any steam plus shitting on anything WWE does (whether it’s really good or bad)seems to be the cool thing to do nowadays. So then we look to the past and say it’s the best thing ever.. when there was quiet a bit of horse shit from both WCW and WWF 25 years ago but for some reason we ignore that just to crap on today’s product. Also why would other sports talk about nostalgia unless they’re talking about records set or major games played they have an entire crop of new players to focus on currently. Also to add to that a majority of people want to hear guys like JR, Arn, Bischoff and especially Cornette take the piss out of everything new it doesn’t matter if it’s WWE or Aew we as fans are so stuck in the past we turn into rabid dogs when people say something good about the present day.

[@JohnSmith-lp1kd]

How interesting would it be if Shawn were the one to go to wcw & Bret stayed, guaranteed Shawn would not have gotten the help he needed down there maybe wouldn’t become a Christian, Owen might not be the blue blazer, davey wouldn’t break his back lot of what if’s

[@adeelthegame]

If Shawn had gone to WCW, wrestling would not be what it is today. WCW would have kicked ass longer than 83 weeks. Shawn would have gone nuts in WCW and NWO would have been crazier. DX wouldnt be as big as it got. Triple H probably wouldnt have invaded WCW coz his buddy was there. The whole Tyson thing wouldnt have happened. Austin would have won the championship off Bret but it wouldnt have been as big as it was when Austin defeated Shawn. Austin needed a big heel who was hated by everyone and no one gets hated better than Shawn. Give credit where its due. Bret just didnt have the Swag Shawn did. Yes, Bret was the best technical wrestler. But Shawn just had something extra that infuriated the fans and that is important too.

[@JohnSmith-lp1kd]

Can you imagine if Shawn (@ that time) would’ve worked with hogan omg he had all the power at that time brother!

[@Nostalgic14-zo3pk]

@@adeelthegameAbsolute BS...HBK never had the Star factor that Bret or Taker had...he came across as Feminine...He is the reason WCW started kicking WWE'S But*...Kids today like u don't have an aorta of idea as to how popular guys like Bret Hogan Taker and Yokozuna were...Vince pushed Shawn but no one was ready to buy it but u know what it's worked wonders 20 yrs later when kids like u actually think Shawn was a Big star he was an amazing wrestler but was never the guy esp when Bret was around...He became champion in 97 only after the Screwjob and had to put over Austin in a few months...Tells a lot about...Go listen to Bischoff he said he never even gave a thought of Bringing Shawn in... If Shawn was the star that u losers make him out to be why was he getting paid only half of what Bret was getting paid....and even better u hater why would WCW buy pay Bret twice the amount that he was already getting paid in the WWE...Shawn wasn't even approached by WCW infact Eric wanted to Bring in the Undertaker along which tells u that Bret and Taker were far bigger stars than HBK was...HBK marks will make him out to be a bigger star than Hogan Austin and Taker...go drink some milk and hit the sack kid

[@Nostalgic14-zo3pk]

@@adeelthegame Absolutely Not true...Shawn was never the star Bret was kiddo...Why didn't Eric approach Shawn instead of Bret to begin with? Why was Bret getting paid twice that of Shawn in the WWE...Go watch Eric answer this dumb question infact he says HBK was never even on his mind rather he said he would have loved to bring in the Undertaker along with Bret... Let's be honest one of the reasons WCW were kicking WWE so bad was when Shawn was the man in 1996...it all began during his time....HBK as a performer amazing no questions...As a star nowhere near Bret or the Undertaker...U kiddos have no idea how popular Bret was in the 90s...offc filling Hogan shoes was never going to be easy but still he carried the company as long as he was there...Kids today are made into believing that Shawn was a Megastar which unfortunately isn't true...and no had he gone to WCW they would have ran out of business a lot quicker...Austin need Shawn he already had Vince....Infact initially it was going to be Bret passing the torch to Austin at WM 14 which perhaps could ve even topped their match at WM 13 and their fued could have been much better than Austin Shawn...No wonder Tyson was added to the mix to make it spicier...

[@daveboone7432]

Shawn Michaels theme song is dedicated to Vince McMahon.

[@Dakatari]

Bret Hart was so talented he could make anyone look like a star even Shawn Michaels

[@cyrus2546]

I always thought that a great storyline if Bret had stayed in the WWF would be Bret becoming a suit and tie wearing corporate role model champion handpicked by Mr. McMahon. This would be a perfect counter balance to Austin’s anti-establishment character. I always thought Bret and Austin would’ve been so much bigger than HBK and Austin. HBK like Austin was also an anti-establishment character, it didn’t work for me.

[@henrikschmidt3964]

It's a fascinating statistic that Shawn supposedly lost EVERY one of their matches, save for their last two PPVs.

[@Della624]

@henrikschmidt3964 What's fascinating is you not translating what that means. If Shawn Michaels lost every match he and Bret Hart were in until the last two PPVs, and he did, it means that Shawn Michael's was PUTTING BRET OVER as the WWF Champion. He won the last two PPV's because McMahon had decided to go with the younger buck who was over with the crowd, instead of a wrestler who was also over but was rapidly approaching retirement (Shawn Michaels was 32 and Bret Hart was 40 years old at the time of Survivor Series).

[@chrisgrudge6964]

What matches were those? Lol Shawn and Bret wrestled like 3 times. Are you including tags?

[@henrikschmidt3964]

@@chrisgrudge6964 No, I'm including house shows. They worked a ton in 1992 and Bret won every match.

[@chrisgrudge6964]

But that lines up. Basically their 3 main matches were Hart vs Michaels - Survivor Series 92 (the house shows you're talking about probably happened around this time) Hart vs Michaels WM 96 Hart vs Michaels Survivor Series 97 Michaels lost in 92. Hart lost in 96 and 97. Michaels was a midcarder in 1992 (IC Champ) who just broke away from being a tag team guy that year. Hart was the WWF Champ. Hart beating Michaels lines up perfectly, and was beneficial for HBK because him wrestling the champ was already a rub. Michaels was far from his prime. There was never any heat about Michaels losing to Hart in 1992. @@henrikschmidt3964

[@solozoilpatrinosiciliano]

how are jr did you have some issue today your lok some older than i tought you are the best commantors in pro wrestling in history you have so good speak a long with jerry lalwler chemistry collaboration

[@konstantinrhokamov2767]

family can be whatever you choose, those guys were brothers. Can't blame brothers for loving each other.

[@homedeezyfasheezy5662]

I know their tv deal probably brought in more than their live attendance gates but as a company they could have used it as a reason to attend the shows. The whole “you never know what you’re gonna see at a live show” angle, especially since the internet wasn’t what its like now. Overall though yeah it’s better if you get it before it goes off air.

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

4:56-This is soooo weird! Because I distinctly remember watching Shawn super kick Bret when he got up from the wheel chair and being so PISSED! I watched it in Raw! And then Raw went off air.

[@MrMoose365]

I remember as well

[@theSuperviLLain_est]

Yeah now that you say that, maybe it was a replay the next week on raw?

[@Anhviet19]

Mandela effect

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

@@theSuperviLLain_est I remember watching it that night and going to sleep pissed cuz i hated Shawn Michaels so much. And the way he stood over Bret sitting in the wheelchair glaring down at him made mad, the super kick when he got up made even more mad!

[@Michiganfan105]

@@HereIsWisdom1318 Raw went off the air before the kick. The part that you're remembering was shown at the beginning of Raw the following Monday. I've been re-watching episodes of Raw from 1997 and I saw those two episodes recently.

[@stefspin3057]

I'm Canadian and the nose pick thing made us haaaaaate HBK!!! all part of being a heel tho. nothing more, nothing less. it's just entertainment and we fkn love it.

[@GIJose]

Bret and Shawn shared the same groupie on long Island that's where some of it began.

[@GIJose]

She has photos of them both by the way 😉

[@KB-hh8rt]

@@GIJose Let's see em lol.

[@Della624]

I notice no Bret Hart fans coming in and defending his honour against you. Oh that's right because according to Bret Hart himself he had a girl in every port and blamed it on his wife at home looking after their kids on her own. What a hero.

[@Chimpa307]

I agree 100% with JR 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

[@Chimpa307]

And stilllllllll stupid vince chose to keep hbk instead of the EXCELLENCE OF EXECUTION😡😡😡😡😡

[@tonynoto9232]

Bret is the GOAT.

[@MirkoBalda]

6:07 basically Brian Cage

[@SkySoFew]

I loved Brets heel turn because it's super believeable. Literally this day Bret is a bitter pissed off old man who thinks he doesn't get the respect he deserves....just like this heel turn.

[@JohnSmith-lp1kd]

That’s actually a pretty good point it is like he’s in that character forever

[@edsmash82]

Cuz bret turned himself heel being a whiney bitch boy lol cuz thats how and what he is

[@1776Sledge]

Well Bret doesn’t get enough respect and he doesn’t seem bitter. It’s assumed he is because he always critiques modern wrestling but who can blame him.

[@SkySoFew]

@@1776Sledge Seems really bitter to me but to each their own

[@iainmackenzie8372]

@@1776Sledge I think there is a bitter side of bret but its perfectly understandable. To dedicate yourself to a business and get shafted by the Montreal screw job would make anyone bitter. Then add to the mix owens death he's gonna have a chip on his shoulder.

[@chadk890]

I remember Nash saying that on Nitro. Back when it was a REAL Wreatling War

[@kellyremple8982]

Bret > Shawn

[@shaolin1derpalm]

As s canadian I don't recall anyone I knew being upset.

[@Della624]

I have DVD's of House Shows a week after the Montreal Screwjob at the same place and the Canadians filming them were pissed at McMahon. However, they loved Austin, Undertaker and Michaels and were really pissed off Shawn wasn't there. My honest opinion, after watching these House Show's, is that I firmly believe the Montreal Screwjob is and has been since it happened simply manufactured TV; that Bret has been used as a tool to perpetuate it because Bret Hart truly believes, and has since it happened, that he was screwed out of a Championship belt, when the only thing he was screwed out of was an amicable ending to his career at the WWF - and Bret Hart did that to himself. That's why McMahon says "Bret Screwed Bret" because that's exactly what he did.

[@ssssssstssssssss]

Bret was the top wrestler in 97 in the US, despite Michaels’ backstage politicking and then WCW killed him.

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

4:19-The answer is NO, Jim!

[@danielm9678]

The Crybaby Kid was an insecure little punk who should've been sent down south instead of Bret, we would've been witness to far more memorable matches with the Hitman finishing his career with wwf

[@danielm9678]

@Old Age Kurt Angle would've got over huge right away in a Canada vs USA program with Bret, Vince's questionable relationship with hbk is to blame for a huge missed opportunity there, they couldn't stop the rock though he got over despite hhh & hbk's bitch ass politics trying to hold him back

[@KB-hh8rt]

@Old Age I heard Bret vs Austin at WM 14 was the original plan so yeah I can see that. That would have been absolutely amazing.

[@KB-hh8rt]

​@@danielm9678 That would have been the dream match out of all dream matches. I know Bret didn't like all the raunchy stuff the WWF was doing at the time but damn his heel run would have fit perfectly in the Attitude Era and we were robbed out of so many dream matches because Vince had such a hard on for Shawn.. literally and figuratively.. ;)

[@LaidBack--]

The crybaby was Bret "he's stealing my heat, insecure" Hart in reality, lmfao... He couldn't even take not being the no 1 heel or face in the company. He really wasn't all that better.

[@LaidBack--]

@Old Age and, what's your point???? Did I say any of these things about HBK wasn't true??? My POINT is, don't act like Hart was a angel... All that extra bs you're talking for the sake of starting a back and forth is irrelevant.. I know what HBK flaws were and his antics as I witnessed them with my own eyes, and they're very well documented, so I don't need you to tell me something that's beyond my point.

[@balltalk6966]

Shawn is so overrated 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️ only held the championship about 3 times and when they did bring him back for his 2002 run he was just a mid card . Yes, I do think Brest hart is better!

[@mythoughtsmyfaultspodcast]

Mid card LOL you’re wrong as hell

[@balltalk6966]

@@mythoughtsmyfaultspodcast are you serious rn ?

[@petersonofleo11]

@@balltalk6966 Midcard? ironically HBK was better from 2002 to 2010 than his years before his back injury even if he didn't win the title outside the Survivor Series 2002. When he was on ppv if they didn't have HBK on the main event it will be almost guaranteed that the main event won't be the best match of the night. The best matches of Jericho's career were against HBK in Wrestlemania 19 and Ladder Match for the Wirld Heavyweight title. Undertaker best matched were against HBK in Hell in a Cell Bad Blood. Wrestlemania 25 and 26. Reign of terror HHH was known for having bad matches but the ones involving HBK were classics like the Summerslam 2002, Raw 2003, last man standing match, hell in a cell and the 2 triple threats involving Benoit. 2005-2008 Cena was known for being limited in the ring and HBK had a match that almost lasted 1 hour against him in Raw and it is considered one of the best non ppv matches ever. HBK was a dick on the locker room but on the ring he is one of the greatest easily.

[@leetant935]

I haven't seen everyone wrestle, but I've seen a lot. Bret is the greatest bell to bell that there is, or has been. He lacks the charisma of a Flair or Piper, but, as JR is always suggesting, Bret's God tier level storytelling in the ring is beyond question.

[@jasondouglas152]

Conrad's on borrowed time

[@LaidBack--]

Everybody's on borrowed time.

[@jppennypincher9051]

Bret did it on purpose. I remember that and it was odd. He was rambling and actually getting boring. It was a terrible RAW too.

[@StanStacks]

This guy knows over JR, folks. 🙄

[@SpaceGhost92]

Please stop with the Bret is so selfless bullshit. He was just as big a politician as Hogan, Shawn, Austin, and everyone else.

[@nickr4837]

Stone Cold made Bret Hart relevant, not the other way around. Bret was so bad they made green ass Diesel the champ lol. And if Bret stuck around he wouldve never put Stone Cold over. 100%mark.

[@titanhades4331]

You, sir, are a moron. They kept putting the belt back on Bret cause nobody else could give it the credibility he could. It was Bret who got them to bring Austin over to WWF because he saw Austin as a future big star and wanted to work with him and help him reach that potential.

[@edwardcorey1071]

@ Nick R your comment is your opinion but sir its the stupidest comment I have heard no way even Austin said Bret is what helped him get white hot

[@daymarinkovich]

Bret and Shawn's actual dislike for one another translated on camera. It was must-see TV. Had all the shades of the iconic feuds in wrestling history like Hulk/Macho, Flair/Rhodes, etc.

[@tomvu1470]

It made the matches all the more believable. Like good action movies, you need a certain amount of suspension of belief.

[@Jroddxilla]

It’s a shame this rivalry didn’t last several years. There should have been numerous matches between the two.