Bret said that wrestling writers who had never stepped in the ring had no business talking about the business? Isn't this the same Bret Hart who had Dave Meltzer's detailed explanation of the Montreal Screwjob on his old website for years?

I like Bret's work, and I know he takes a great deal of pride in his in-ring accomplishments as well as his book. But he does not have the market cornered on writing about the business just because he grew up and lived his whole life in it. If these writers are as insignificant as Bret deems them to be, why on Earth is he flipping out like this over a subjective ranking? I thought Bret had handled himself with a good deal of class over the last few years, but this is rather inexcusable.

I think Bret Hart has trouble understanding wrestling journalists because there are so few good ones. So many treat much of the wrestling world as if it were real. Relatively few report on wrestling from a completely objective and factual point of view, and even fewer mainstream publications report on anything other than when a wrestler dies or gets arrested.

I myself am a daily newspaper journalist and much of the wrestling news out there infuriates me because it is so lazy.

Many wrestling writers simply report what one wrestler said about the other. So called "shoot" interviews rarely cross check facts and are often reliant on one source, the wrestler they are currently interviewing.

If journalism got its act together in regards to wrestling news, then maybe wrestlers wouldn't hold views like Bret Hart does.

Thanks for the clarification Kevin . I would have thought that Brett would have alittle more class than what was shown . Got to respect Brett the wrestler though .
( what no hbk reference ) ?

This may not come out right. But Bret needs to understand that wrestling is not "real". Bret Hart may be one of the greatest at telling the story in the ring, but from my few point a wrestler is elevated by the guys selling for him, the guys that job for him, and the fans that pay attention to him. He may be more of a mark for himself than any wrestler i've seen. I was a huge Bret Hart fan until watching "Wrestling with Shadows", and this incident just shows how he truly thinks of himself as a hero. It's truly sad.

Yeah, Bret is right. People who never played the game have no business writing about it or broadcasting it. After all, who wants to sit down by a radio and listen to guys like Vin Scully or Jon Miller talk about a sport they never played before. I mean, besides you and me, and millions of other people around the country.

I agree with you, Kevin. It is a narrow-minded view. About as narrow-minded as anyone who believes people who never played in the majors don't make good managers. I think Earl Weaver, and more recently Dave Trembley have proved that notion is full of baloney.

It is just another example of a washed-up professional athlete trying to suck up some more of the spotlight. And, in this case, it would not surprise me if the whole thing was contrived to jump start the wash-ups career in some small market.

I was at the event in question, as I live less than five miles from the Dan Gable wrestling museum.
Not only is this 'news' sickeningly biased towards Greg Oliver, it does not properly explain what happened.
Bret was not ranting and raving on the stage. He was behaving fine, and he wasn't talking about writers in general. He stopped talking about wrestling when he noticed Greg Oliver and a person sitting next to him, and pointed at them, and then used the 'you guys' remark used in the column. Bret said both of them should leave or he would. Oliver's cohort left,but Oliver himself remained. Everyone saw this and there was an air of disbelief in the crowd-nobody was there to see this loser writer; people were there to see 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and Bret Hart. After a while, Hart said 'I'm sorry, but I have to go back to my hotel'. And left.

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Who is Bret Hart to tell them they should leave when they were invited there to receive an award?

Can you imagine how humiliating that must have been for Oliver & Johnson. Hart has no right to bully someone like that, especially at a ceremony at which his targets have received awards in front of their families. He is a selfish idiot who also happens to be an amazing wrestler, unfortunately he doesn't wrestle anymore so that just leaves a selfish idiot.

He should learn from the mistakes of Hogan and get out of the spotlight before he destroys his image and his remaining fan base.

Bret did, in fact, make his comments during his formal acceptance speech, which was in the evening; the less formal version, for fans, was in the afternoon. Bret is not the least bit concerned with what ranking Greg Oliver gave him. Greg is entitled to his opinion, like anyone else. For Bret to have been upset about how Oliver ranked him would have been petty, as some here have posted, but that is not, in fact, the case. Bret feels that Greg Oliver's books often present the writer's own opinion - (not just about Hart) as fact and that blurs the line of responsible journalism. Bret told me that recognizing Greg Oliver with an award provides him with a "credential" upon which other credentials can be built; a few years from now Greg would appear to have a 'wall of credentials' and would be called upon ( more often than he already is) as a wrestling expert by the mainstream press, like Dave Meltzer is now. And so, then someone who presents his own opinion as fact would have too much power to further distort an accurate account of the history of pro wrestling. Bret is passionate about a truthful account of pro wrestling being preserved for generations to come, no matter how he is portrayed, as long as it is factually accurate.
Bret's perceived difference between Greg Oliver and those "like him" from Meltzer, for example, is that Oliver is in it for the wrong reason; recognition. During the afternoon event, while I was busy handling an autograph session where Bret and Roddy were signing, Greg Oliver gave me a copy of his latest book to give to Bret (The Heels), but then he said, "Oh wait, let me sign that for him before I give it to him..." and he did. So, basically, Greg autographed his book for Bret. Bret feels there is some degree of audacity in that as Greg is supposed to be the reporter, not the participant. Dave Meltzer, whose landmark publication is even named The Observer, defines himself as such, without the attached ego. He was a journalism major and has, over the years, displayed objectivity and detachment from outcome which is lacking on Oliver’s reporting, and he, "...at least attempts to get it right...", according to Bret.
Bret doesn't have any problem at all with a deserving journalist being honored and inducted. He just felt that Stu would have been honored to be inducted into this particular hall of fame because it is rooted in amateur, not pro, footings and the past inductees are all distinguished and deserving people who had sacrificed much for the love of wrestling and for the business. He felt that Greg Oliver doesn’t fit that bill in that he hasn’t paid his dues and doesn’t report or write with objectivity.
I hear that Greg stated, on Wrestling Observer Live, to Bryan Alvarez, that I, myself, walked out of the banquet to tell Bret that he shouldn't have said what he said. I didn’t hear this myself but was told this in an email from Mike Lano. In fact, I walked out only because it was such an unusually awkward moment that I wanted to see what, if anything, Bret might want from me. I’ll get back to that. Before I left, I saw that the first person to stand up and give Bret an ovation after Bret walked out was Harley Race. Next to stand to show his approval was Danny Hodge. Then other legends stood up, including Roddy. None of the wrestlers walked out and no fans walked out. I left a minute or so after Bret did. Bret asked me to get his notes, which he’d jotted down briefly just after sitting down at the head table (where seats had been reserved for Bret, Roddy and myself. ( when we walked in, late I initially sat next to Bret but then I chose to sit with Harley and BJ instead so I could see better. Also, although I appreciated the compliment of my seat assignment, I’ve always preferred to be behind-the scenes and wasn’t comfortable being so visible at the head table.) Bret’s notes were not about Greg Oliver, but pertained to his speech in general. He’d left them on the podium when he walked out. I didn’t want to parade up to the podium in front of everyone so I asked Mike Chapman, the Director of the Museum to get the notes for me, which he did. While Mike waited for an opportune moment to go to the podium I was standing just outside the door to the banquet room and one notable after another came out and expressed support to me for what Bret had said. As what they said to me was not in a public forum, I won't betray their confidences by revealing their exact words and identities at this time. No doubt, some will call that a convenient excuse or whatever, but frankly I don’t care about that because the reason I've been around as long as I have is because I respect the honor of being trusted by these men; and I work hard and have paid my dues. One of them passionately expressed to me that there are no shortcuts in this business and that respect and honor have to be earned - and that Greg Oliver hadn't done so, in his opinion. That sentiment was echoed over and over to me by iconic men throughout the rest of the evening - and not so much that it was directed at Greg specifically, but at the so-called “wrestling reporters”, especially internet based ones, whose egos have diluted whatever objectivity they might have started out with because they seem to enjoy the pseudo-celebrity that comes with the internet a little too much.
Nowhere in this account have I expressed my own opinion of Greg Oliver; and I won’t. I’ve simply given you the facts of what happened. At CAC a couple of weeks ago, during his acceptance speech, Bret mentioned how he’d had the honor and privilege to watch and learn from Harley Race and Terry Funk (who were seated behind Bret, on the stage) when he was a kid. After Bret’s speech, while Bret was being mobbed at the side of the stage by the Japanese and European media, I watched as an emotional Terry Funk took the mic, “I speak for both myself and Harley. That kid grew up to do it so much better than we ever could. And we love him for it.” Terry Funk’s supreme compliment carries more weight than how any reporter ranks Bret.
Marcy Engelstein
Sr. Consulting Mgr.
Bret Hart/ HItman Productions

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I am not questioning your integrity, but I know that you have been Bret's personal assistant for a number of years -- you and I actually spoke over the phone a few times years ago when I worked at WCW Magazine and Bret was writing a column for us -- so, with all due respect, you are not exactly objective when it comes to Bret.

I do not know Greg Oliver personally, so I cannot comment on his character. I have spoken many times over the years with Dave Meltzer, and I have tremendous respect for him. He has set the standard for wrestling journalism. But I will tell you this: a number of wrestlers have told me that they have no use for Meltzer, including some major stars. Does that mean tha Meltzer is a hack just because some wrestlers feel that way? Bret isn't one of those guys, but
it is no secret that he and Meltzer have a relationship that goes beyond reporter-subject. What qualifies Bret to be the ultimate judge of who is and isn't a credible journalist?

Bret is certainly entitled to his opinion. But no matter how Hart supporters spin this incident, the undeniable fact is that Hart's issues with Oliver -- whether valid or not -- should not have been aired at the ceremony. So what if Oliver gave Hart an autographed copy of his book? It is standard procedure for authors to sign their books when they give away copies -- most people appreciate the gesture. Heck, I've had close friends write books and give me a signed copy. But Bret feels insulted because someone not at his level of notoriety signed a book for him. This again supports the theory that Bret takes himself too seriously.

I know Hart is crazy now, and not trying to defend his actions in the least, but how in the hell can Hart be ranked 14th in a list of Canadian wrestlers?

Thats like ranking the Rock the 20th best wrestler with a Samoan heritage.

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Well, let's see -- 1. Samoa Joe; 2. Umaga; 3. Yokozuna; 4. Afa; 5. Sika; 6. Rosey ...
(Just kidding)

Of course I am loyal to Bret, but as I stated, I was not offering my opinion, I simply stated the facts of what went down. You have a right to your opinion that Bret's views should not have been aired at the ceremony, but, to me personally, the viewpoint of the legends in attendance who stated that they were glad Bret said what he did - and that it was about time - carry more weight as they were actualy there, and you were not. There were inaccuracies in what'd been posted here by various people who were not there and if any of you are interested in the truth, that's what I gave you. You can choose to accept it or not. Also, I clarified for you what Bret's thinking was, as he explained it to me. You can agree with him or not, but at least now you have an accurate report to go on.
Marcy Engelstein
Bret's Senior Managing Consultant

With all due respect to Marcy, I find myself wondering if she or Bret has even read the website or any of Greg's articles detailing the history of the business. If it were not for guys like Greg Oliver, who research the heck out of what he does, then there would be a lot of history that no one today would know about.

Everyone has an opinion and some people will like something, others will not. I recently interviewed a well known former WWE wrestler who told me that SLAM! Wrestling has a reputation for excellence in wrestling journalism, unlike many other sites, and how much he had looked forward to the interview, and how pleased he was with how it went. It's not some fly by night operation run by 12 year old kids, there are legitimate journalists who write for SLAM! Wrestling and Greg is a leader to us all.

And Marcy states she has paid her dues. I have no doubt that she has, having been by Bret's side for so many years, but by Bret's own words, if she never stepped into the ring she then hasn't. I have trained to be a wrestler, with members of Bret's family in fact, and while that didn't work out from a wrestler perspective, I am glad I can still contribute by telling the stories of others. I've paid my dues not in the ring, but by committing hours to interviewing, transcribing and creating a story out of what wrestlers tell me, from John Cena and Batista to ROH guys to wrestlers making $25 on the indy scene trying to make a name for themselves. THAT is what wrestling journalism is about, and Greg has done that in ways I only wish I could.

And what this really is about is the fact that Bret really had no right to take what was supposed to be a tribute to his father and turn it into something else. I would have hoped after Bruce's disgraceful speeches as Cauliflower Alley a few years ago, he'd know better.

I am and always will be a Bret Hart fan. He was my hero growing up. I just wish he'd stop tarnishing that legacy.

He has no right to verbally attack and humiliate someone purely because he feels they "haven't paid their dues". The idea that only guys who have wrestled can comment on the squared circle is absolutely ridiculous. If that was the case all we would ever read would be highly biased work which protects aspects of the business which they perhaps don't want a focus drawn to.

It is 2008 and about time guys like Bret started to realise that the reality of wrestling is no longer shielded behind closed doors, it's out in the public forum. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and should not be afraid of being publicly harrassed when they express it. If Oliver has been straight up lying and reporting untruths then that is a different matter, and one which can be settled behind closed doors in a court.

There is no justification that can be offered here, if Hart wanted to let Oliver know his opinions on him he should have manned up and gone and done it face to face. Other wrestlers probably did show support for Brett but again these are guys from the older generation who are no-doubt also uncomfortable with the climate of modern wrestling and the way it is consumed, i.e. as pure scripted entertainment. You can't blame them for feeling a little ill at ease with the way it is reported but dealing with it like Brett did is not the answer.

As for getting annoyed about the signing of the book, that is an amazing display of ego. Brett certainly seems to regard himself as a tier above the rest of us mere mortals. He needs to pull his head out of his [butt] and realise that although he was very good, maybe the best, at his chosen occupation, at the end of the day it is just a job (or maybe not in his case...zing!) and he is just a man. He doesn't get special dispensation to bully people and treat them like crap.

It seems to me that Bret has talked many times about how his stroke has affected his ability to control his emotions, making them harder to contain. It's a common problem for stroke survivors.

To immediately jump on him for being unprofessional seems a little, well, unprofessional.

Marcy Engelstein, I take exception to your stating that you have provided "an accurate report to go on." Rather, you have provided a report that you, as a paid flack in the employ of a deranged individual, have provided. The fact is, Bret Hart's behavior was quite poor, yet he takes no responsibility for it. And you are simply furthering his misbehavior. I also find it laughable that you begin your statement by falling all over yourself in an attempt to show us that Bret's idiotic rant wasn't about where Greg Oliver ranked him, and yet, at the end of your writing, you take pains to point out that Terry Funk's opinion means more to Bret than how "any reporter" ranks him. Why don't you admit it: you work for a sore loser, a defeated man, a man not in control of his own behavior. Do you ever fear for your safety, Marcy? That perhaps Bret, upset over being brought the wrong color ballpoint pen, might stab you with a pair of scissors? Heed my advice. Use caution, and keep sharp objects away from this person.

Lets not forget one of the side effects of his stroke is emotional instability. This is true of many stroke survivors.

Now enough is enough.Firstly for all those idiots who are accusing bret of being a loser, they themselves are nothing but losers in their personal carriers and their stinking lives. Bret has always been a winner not only in his proffesional but also in his personal life, He has overcome death itself.
Now about greg oliver ,who the hell this guy think he is.. what kind of credibility his work carries...he s never been a wrestler , nor promoter, nor a reffree, not even a crew member of any wrestling organisation. How in the hell he can adjudge someone in the area where his butt doesn t belong...and for all those oliver buttkissers i fully understand where s your hatred of bret is coming from. you guys never liked the fact that someone can be so successful in his feild as bret was.. It s simple u guys cant stand bret because u guys can never be successful in your feild as bret was in his. And now for those guys who think that bret s walk out was not right.. There is a newsflash for you guys how in the hell are u going to stand in front of a guy who s an complete idiot and doesn t know any thing about the work he is doing.. He is ranking of bret as 14 best canadian wrestler ..now that s stupidity at its best..Its not even a joke. Bret has been continuesly listed in top 5 wrestler of all time and greatest technical wrestler of his era...Just check pwi list of top 500 wrestlers in 2004 , Harley race and terry funk and almost every wrestler of past and present regarding him as one of the greatest, vince mcmahon calling him the greatest storyteller and biggest international superstar wwe has ever seen ,. In canada he is rated 39 th greatest canadian ever. Now for that kind of guy if oliver is giving him 13 th rank then its strictly advisable to guys like oliver to take voluntary retirement early and just sit in his home and watch wrestling tapes for years and years and should only be making a come back when he can fully understand what wrestling tradition stands for, and how to make diffrentiation between wrestlers. Now
For those guys accusing bret of thinking himself as a hero in real life, i just wanna say there is nothing wrong in that and as a matter of fact he was and still is a undisputed hero in many countries .. including britain, germany, spain, india , pakistan, south africa etc... Many times in countries like germany he was ranked as no. 1 sports star, doesnt matter if its a proffesional wrestling and is based on storylines he is still a hero it s because of the way he carried himself in and out of the ring in his era when wrestling was suffering from all sides.
Now for helping guys like greg oliver it is strictly advisable to go through the following acheivement of bret hart before having any sort of opinion on him

Championships and accomplishments

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Class of 2008
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Comeback of the Year (1997)[104]
PWI Editor's Award (2003)[105]
PWI Feud of the Year (1993)[106] - vs. Jerry Lawler
PWI Feud of the Year (1994)[106] - vs. Owen Hart
PWI Match of the Year (1992) vs. Davey Boy Smith at SummerSlam
PWI Match of the Year (1996) vs. Shawn Michaels in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania 12
PWI Match of the Year (1997) vs. Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1997)[107]
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1994)[108]
PWI ranked him # 1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1993 and 1994[109][110]
Stampede Wrestling
NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (5 times)[111] - with Keith Hart (4) and Leo Burke (1)
Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[112]
Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (6 times)[113]
Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame[114]
World Championship Wrestling
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (4 times)[7]
WCW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[6]
WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[11] - with Goldberg
World Wrestling Council
WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship (1 time)[115] - with Smith Hart
World Wrestling Federation | World Wrestling Entertainment
WWF Championship (5 times)[5]
WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)[9]
WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times)[10] - with Jim Neidhart
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)[12]
WWF King of the Ring (1991)[8]
WWF King of the Ring (1993)[8]
WWF Royal Rumble co-winner (1994)[8] – with Lex Luger
WWF Triple Crown Championship (Second)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
5 Star Match (1994) vs. Owen Hart in a cage match at SummerSlam 1994
5 Star Match (1997) vs. Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Jerry Lawler
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Feud of the Year (1997) with Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Best Pro Wrestling DVD (2006)
Best Pro Wrestling Book (2007)

finally for marcy
, u are doing a great job and without a doubt u are with one of the best ever pro wrestlers, guys like oliver will come and go but we wrestling fans are here to stay and its our opinion that matters the most not his.