Easy Kev...Paragraphs 3 & 5 read like most of your entries that do not involve your boy.
The last paragraph reads like you called your boy for his perspective.
Hart returning in a commisioner type role on Raw would be great TV. Portraying a face in Canada (or anywhere outside the U.S.) and heel in the U.S. would be just as entertaining as it was 13 years ago. Look how much heat Slaughter got on Raw a few weeks ago when he was the guest host in Canada.
I agree that Hart would have to work with your boy and HHH for it to be succesful. But I don't want him to "let Montreal go." The true animosity would bring out the best of everyone. If I remember correctly, don't think they liked each other before Montreal anyway.
Imagine all the possibilities and anticipation! I jumped up when Raw started a few weeks ago and they were live in Canada thinking Hart was going to be the guest host.

Kevin, I don't really think that Bret is [mad] at Shawn for taking part in the screwjob. I believe it has more to do with the fact that HBK lied right to his face when asked by Bret in the dressing room if he was in on it. McMahon came straight out and basically said yeah Bret I screwed you, where Shawn denied his involvment for quite some time. If Bret were to return, I agree that all parties should have a meeting to bury the hatchet. If I was Bret I would extend my hand to HBK and then sucker punch him right in the mouth. Then I would say all is forgiven now let's get down to buisness.

I'm a Hart fan and all I can say is that this would disgust me ..... say it ain't so .
Next thing Kevin , you'll be telling us is that Bruno will be bowing to Vince too . Phooooey!!!

Kevin -

I know you know this, but Koko entered the Hall of Fame (deservingly) three years after Bret. There are plenty of awful inductees to choose from prior to Bret's induction in 2006 to keep your sarcasm chronological. Pete Rose (Class of 2004) immediately comes to mind ...

RESPONSE FROM KE: Good point. Koko reference is gone. I like my sarcasm to be chronological.

As a wrestling fan who got into it after Bret Hart had left the WWF, I never really saw any of his matches. I have looked back but never really felt I'd missed anything...all i have to go on is his current behaviour...case in point the following statement made by a British filmmaker, currently producing "Bloodstained Memoirs" after a series of issues with The Hitman. Please see below:

http://wrestlingupdateonline.com/blog/2008/12/21/press-release-bloodstained-memoirs-make-statement-on-bret-hart/

Apologies for the language in the article, as well as to yourself Kev...I'm sure you've seen it all before!

RESPONSE FROM KE: I have read it before.

So why don't you tell us how you realy feel about Bret?

I think you're being a bit too hard on Bret Hart. I read his autobiography too, and with all the tragedy that has happened in his life - his brothers dying, seeing the downward spiral of the Dynamite Kid, and just considering the industry that he's in - I think it's fine if he is a little bitter.

If HBK can give up drugging to become a great family man, as he apparently is now, then maybe Bret Hart can finally agree to work again with him in the WWE. Heck, even The Police managed to suck it up and work together for some reunion shows, so never say never.

Like you said, Hart having an on air role will make for entertaining TV, and some great angles could come out of it. I'd certainly tune in.

I think I'm one of the few Canadian wrestling fans who cheers for Shawn Micheals and always has. I always liked Hart as well, but I think it's pretty silly that in his autobiography, he stated at the moment he realized he'd breen screwed over, his first thought was "he'd let the whole country down." Sorry man, my life didn't shatter because a Canadian wreslter lost a match in Canada to an American.

I recognize why he had prblems with Shawn back in the late 1990's and I don't think I would have liked shawn personally given what they have BOTH said about his behaviour, but Shawn is the one who has let his demons go and moved on very happily and successfully. I respect that a lot more than I respect Bret.

I wasn't aware of the Hall of Fame thing where he threatened not to show up if he saw Shawn. Pathetic.....

I still think Bret's book was a good read, but it is hard to ignore some of the bitterness and obvious hypoctitical statements that he makes.

That said, I'd still love to see him as a regular character on TV. I hope it is more than just a one off guest host role on Raw. There are a lot of possiblities for great stuff to happen...

One question though Kevin, I don't know how much inside info you have, but I've heard Shawn is retiting after WM26. If that's true, do you think Bret will wait until after WM (or be involved in an angle that makes it look like he drove Shawn out)

My guess, although I hope it isn't true is that Bret will wait until Shawn is gone. Hopefully he's got the wrestling smarts that he always claimed he had and will be big enough to drop his ego and work with Shawn.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I don't how much stock to really put into the rumors at Shawn retiring at WM 26. They are definitely out there, though. I interviewed Shawn within the past year or so and he acknowledged that wrestlers never really retire.

Normally I agree with most comments you make on this blog. But this blog is way off base. Why are you hating so much the guy is a legend. He has a right to defend his beliefs. Shawn Micheals mark if I've ever seen one.

"After all, there is no bigger Bret Hart mark than Bret Hart". And the biggest HBK/HHH mark is Kevin Eck?

RESPONSE FROM KE: An HBK mark? Yes. I wouldn't be honest if I said otherwise. HHH? No, not really.

Between this, and Flair on the Hogan tour, methinks the only reason they draw a line in the sand is either to sell books or put arses in the seats.

This is the swerve for the 21st Cent audience: Dont suspend disbelief in the ring; suspend it in Smarkland.

What else should we expect? Its the tradition of Professional Men's Wrestling.

As much as I would love to see Bret come back I don't think he will. I don't think it is just Montreal is the problem, but I think Bret is a little peeved that his brother Owen was not inducted into the Hall of Fame post humously with him. After all Bret has done for the WWE it would have been the least they could have done for him. I also think his speech will have something to do with it as well. I don't think he has fully recovered from the stroke he had 7 years ago. Remember when he was promoting his book a few years ago his speech wasn't what it used to be. I know he has never been comfortable doing a promo in front of a live crowd. But I'll never say never. It would be nice if they can put everything to a side a go from there.

Re-read the book. He will never forgive Shawn because he constantly refused to put Bret over and according to Bret had to be physically threatened by the Undertaker to put over Austin at Wrestlemania. You're letting your delusional man crush on the overrated Michaels cloud your judgement as usual.

RESPONSE FROM KE: OK, let's say it's true that Shawn refused to put Bret over. That makes Shawn the spoiled prima dona that he has admitted to being. But Bret is supposed to be the ultimate professional and a man of such high integrity. Why does he he need to stoop to Shawn's level? Why not throw it in Shawn's face that he's the bigger man and has too much respect for the business to refuse to do a job to anyone -- even a jerk like Shawn.

Why are you so negative about Bret Hart wanting to be in the Hall of Fame? You're right that he probably cares about his legacy but I don't think it's as petty as you make it sound. Yes, the fridge is in there, as is Koko B. Ware after this year, but at the same time the WWE Hall of Fame is probably the biggest honor a retired wrestler is going to get.

Having read Hart's autobiography, it's clear his animosity against Shawn Michaels stems not just from the Montreal Screwjob, so I would understand him not wanting to work with Shawn or Triple H again. Truthfully, I hope this is all a rumor, as I think Bret has done all he can do for the wrestling business, and should now take time to fully recover from his many illnesses and let the business run itself.

That's some pretty heavy handed scathing commentary about the Hitman from an HBK mark... not surprising I suppose. :-/

RESPONSE FROM KE: Being a fan of Michaels as a performer has nothing to do with my opinion of Hart, although I know that is too complex a concept for some people to grasp.

I think you'll find Kev that the whole screw job idea was Shawn's, he said so himself in his autobiography!

RESPONSE FROM KE: I think Vince Russo took credit for it in his autobiography, too.

Geesh, Kevin. You zeroed in on the one page of Bret's autobiography where he really got stiff with Shawn and HHH. The rest of his comments toward them seemed quite measured to me, at least more measured than I had expected. Furthermore, Shawn and Hunter were hardly the only ones to get that treatment. Bret was even less complimentary of The Ultimate Warrior and his own sister, Ellie.

As for your "no bigger Bret Hart mark" statement, Bret truly believed that he was the best in the world at telling a story in the ring while protecting his opponent's body. Disagree if you wish, but keep in mind that wasn't all about wins and losses with him.

One last thing: it's not Bret's fault that the Koko B. Ware's of wrestling history are mixed in with the top echelon in WWE's Hall of Fame.

RESPONSE FROM KE: When I think of Bret going into the Hall despite all his bitterness toward WWE, not only because of Montreal but also because of Owen's death, Bruno Sammartino comes to mind. He has less reason to be bitter toward WWE than Hart, yet Bruno wants nothing to do with them. WWE has reached out to Bruno and wants to induct him, but he realizes that it would make him a hypocrite No. 1, and the HOF in his mind is a joke anyway. Bruno knows how great his career was. He doesn't need to stand on a podium with Vince McMahon to validate his legacy.

Come on Kev. Yes, Bret has issues and bitterness and needs to put 1997 behind him but the dude suffered a stroke and I don't think his brain is acting normally. WWF/E completely embarrassed him and indirectly killed his brother. You say he won't drop it but it's not like Vince has never referenced it. If he's not officially apart of wrestling then let him be. As long as Vince, Hart, HHH, and HBK are not working together than you too need to leave it alone or report without the bias.
I'm not an HBK hater. I think he and Bret are/was incredibly talented.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I said that all parties should move on, not just Bret. As for me leaving it alone, the fact that Bret is considering coming back is a story, and of course I'm going to comment on it. This blog is a forum for opinions -- mine and yours. Just because I have an opinion does not make me biased. Again, why is that so hard for people to understand?

I don't think it is going to happen. When I interviewed Hart on my radio show back in February he said the following:

"
“I try to cooperate with them when I can, I think its good to be on better terms with them (WWE), but I have no plans at all to appear on any TV show or pay per view for them, ever. I don’t ever want to be in a position where I have to work and actually expect to make a check from them or contract. I’ve already made a contract with them that they broke, and I don’t think you can really do business with them after that………I don’t want to be a character in wrestling at all. I don’t want to do that again anymore.“

RESPONSE FROM KE: Yes, that is what he has said all along. That's why it's so stunning that he would even consider it. The story is coming from a reliable source -- Dave Meltzer. It's pretty well known that Melzter has a very good relationship with Hart. Whether or not Hart returns remains to be seen, but like I said, just the fact that he is discussing the possibility with WWE is unbelievable.

What people always forget or don't know is Bret had it in his contract that he had total creative control for his last 30 days(a wrestling first) and that it was the first time in history that a bigtime wrestler with a signed contract was basically forced to leave the company, not willingly signing for bigger money. I still think Bret was naive for thinking Vince was going to let him hand the belt over the following night. As for his return, I've said for years a Bret/Shawn Wrestlemania main event would be the biggest selling wrestling pay per view in history but I just can't see Bret willing to take the heat from the Canadian media as well as his friends for doing business again with McMahon and the Heartfake Kid. Not to mention his physical problems. But WWE is in trouble and stagnating so I would imagine Vince is willing to pay big for this.

Wow, you got some harsh responses to this, Kevin. I tend to agree with you on this though. I appreciate your OPINION and enjoy reading your blog, but do you ever sometimes think... do I really want to go here? Good luck on this one.

The Montreal Screwjob is undiscussable in my house. My fiance is a huge Bret Hart mark, where I (who wasn't watching the WWF at the time) see the whole thing from a more unbiased perspective and don't actually think Shawn Michaels did anything wrong and that even Vince did what he had to do.

Honestly, I don't like Bret Hart. He was a great wrestler and as a Canadian, I know he's an icon here, but... I think he's a hypocrite and full of himself.

I hated his book, really hated it. I think him coming back to the WWE could be interesting, because of the feelings he expressed towards both Shawn Michaels and Triple H and for his expressed dislike at the way wrestling changed.

I think Bret Hart would have a time adjusting to the world of "Wrestling Entertainment" as it is now. In his book, he often comes off as a spoiled child, complaining that Vince liked Shawn and Hunter better and I wonder if time has changed that attitude or if there would still be problems if he came back, because I don't see him having more clout than those guys and I think that could be an issue. Maybe I could be biased, but I just think it's an all around bad idea and I think you were right about Bret Hart being the biggest Bret Hart mark.

Response from Eck: Why not be the bigger man. Refused to put Shawn over? Need we rehash all the times he put Shawn and HHH over when he didn't deserve it? I guess we do
Feb 2 1997: Shawn tells S Austin that Bret refused to put him over in Toronto.Pat Patterson explains to Bret the next day that Vince would like you to put HHH over just to show the boys. Bret's response "Fine but when the boys you are talking about happen to only be Shawn and HHH it does bother me" He put HHH over anyway.(BTW, Shawn and HHH constantly badmouth and try to hold back the Rock throughout 96 and 97)
Next we got May 19 1997 where Shawn was incoherently drugged out and openly suggested Bret was having "Sunny Days" a clear suggestion that he was cheating on his wife with Sunny. Hunter and Chyna had to help him out of the building and according to Bret, the working relationship ended right there. A couple of weeks later Bret beats up Shawn in the locker room at which point Shawn cries to Vince that his boy toy is quiting. Later Shawn in San Jose told Bret he'd never put him over and a month later Bret is supposed to forget that and do the job for Shawn even though his contract says he can do otherwise? Nonsense.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I read the book, too. There are always two sides to every story. I don't defend Shawn's actions back in 97, but I don't defend Bret's either. They both acted like immature kids fighting over who Vince liked best.

"But Bret is supposed to be the ultimate professional and a man of such high integrity. Why does he he need to stoop to Shawn's level?"

___________________________

Bret's refusal to lose to Shawn involved more than Shawn's alleged refusal to do the same for him. Thanks to Shawn and HHH's booking power, Bret and the rest of The Hart Foundation were humiliated on a near-weekly basis. If you marked out for that humiliation (I believe you once called that incarnation of DX "must-see TV"), that was your prerogative as a fan, but not all of us did mark out for it. I, for one, thought that was a very disrespectful, mean-spirited way to treat a man who had worked his backside off for fourteen years in the company. After being made to look like a total jack#%&, Bret was rightly concerned that his character would be damaged beyond repair should he again lose to Shawn. Thus, I cast no stones at Bret for how things unfolded.

Could he be returning to help push the Hart Dynasty?

Your love for HBK has effectively put Bret Hart in a no-win situation for you. On the one hand, you have repeatedly said that Hart should put the Montreal screwjob behind him. On the other hand, you deride him when he did precisely that in accepting the HoF induction or working with the WWE on the dvd. Sorry but that makes your stance the hypocritical one, not Bret Hart. Will you be making the same criticism of HBK when he inevitably gets inducted into the HoF? Bret Hart did not "compromised his principles" when he accepted the HoF induction. You only think that because you erroneously and arrogantly believe you know what "his principles" are.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I am judging his principles on his public statements. If WWE and Vince did him so wrong 00 he even puts some of the blame on them for Owen's death -- why would he come back to be inducted into their HOF? You don't see Bruno doing that -- and no one died in his case, nor was he ever "screwed" in a match. When I say he should get over it, I mean he should let go of the bitterness and all the talk about punching Shawn and refusing to be in the same room with him, etc. Getting over it doesn't have to mean returning to WWE, though. Beyond Shawn and HHH, the guy who in his mind tried to ruin him works for the company. Why would he want to go into business with that guy?

Kevin, as a big Bret Hart fan and HBK fan I feel some of your comments are highly bias, but respect that this is your oppinion and every story has two sides.

As for your comments on Bret wanting to be inducted into the hall of fame, I strongly believe that this was done for closure on his career as well as to solidify his achievements, not only that I think it was done in consideration of his fans, the way he left both major stages of WWE and WCW at that time werent exactly in grand fashion.

If Bret does come back to the WWWE I hope its in some sort of conjunction with the Hart Dynasty, if it is then for that reason alone I can see a reason for him wanting to work with them. If he comes back to work an angle on the screwjob then I take the exact same opinion with you on the matter he would indeed be a major hippocrite and he would most definatley be letting his fan's who have supported him throught his entire career and not just his WWF career down.

Another reason why Bret has issues with Shawn is because, in his opinion, one of the best things about wrestling is the camaraderie among wrestlers. The fact that Shawn did what he did to another wrestler obviously angers Bret because he never would have screwed a colleague like that. Not being a wrestler, I can't really comment on that but that's one of Bret's issues with Shawn.

I have to say that I think it's grossly unfair when people say "there is no bigger Bret Hart mark than Bret Hart". Why on earth should wrestlers not be "marks" for themselves? They work their asses off and give so much to the business, so why shouldn't they take their characters seriously? If I retired from my profession, I would not want my contributions over a 20 year period to be downplayed by my previous employer when they're willing to give so much praise to others.

From the best that I can tell, every great wrestler is a mark for himself in some way. Why else would Austin not want to lose to Lesnar in 2002 and why would HBK refuse to drop titles and job in certain cases? Why is HHH so determined to keep his character stronger than anyone else's, even in defeat and at the age of 40? It's because they believe in the characters that they've created.

Lastly, I'm always intrigued by the fact that Bret gets criticised for not following the "time-honoured tradition" in Montreal yet everyone lets Flair off the hook for taking the NWA title to the WWF in 1991. That seems like a pretty huge insult to the organisation he worked with for so long.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I agree with some of the examples you cited. Shawn refusing to do jobs was unprofessional and he was acting like a spoiled brat. HHH definitely buses his family ties to keep his character over. The one I don't agree with is austin. He refused to do the job because it didn't make good business sense. And he was absolutely. He said that he had no problem putting him over eventually, but he shouldn't be at the front of the line, he should be at the end. You build up an impressive winning streak for Lesnar and then you have an Austin-Lesnar match that would be a huge PPV draw.

Settle down Kev ...... count to ten .

RESPONSE FROM KE: It's been too long since we all had a good spirited debate. Bret Hart is a subject that everyone has a passionate opinion about. The "you're just an HBK mark" gets tiresome though. Gotta come with something better than that to get my respect. Whether I'm an HBK mark or not, I don't put words in Hart's mouth.

"…I’ll never forgive Shawn, or Hunter, for killing the business that so many of us gave our lives for.” Michaels and Triple H killed the business? Really? I’ve always been amazed that Hart can be civil with McMahon – the guy who actually double-crossed him – but not Michaels, who was only doing what he was told to do."

i would agree with the part where he said hhh has killed the buisiness! im surprised you can say that eck, after reading his book you would of realised its all the [stuff] hbk did to him before the screwjob which is why he didnt like the guy. hbk was a hairless yellow dog back then..

RESPONSE FROM KE: The business is alive and wel. No one killed anything.

In my eyes Bret Hart will always be the greatest performer of his time far better than Shawn Michaels and this coming from someone who was there at wembley stadium to see his epic match with Bulldog, I've never experienced anything like it nor will i see a better match in my lifetime.

Having read Bret Hart's book and having met him i think he has genuine grievances with HBK who along with Triple H proved themselves to be slimeballs back then.. Put yourself in Hart's position and having to deal with a irrational spoilt brat such as HBK week in week out.

I for one would be very excited to see the Hitman return to WWE, as people always seem to say about Hart, why doesn't he move on? well if he's considering coming back to wwe that shows to me he wants to move forward with his life.

I have never understood your love towards Shawn Michaels there's no doubting his abilities as a performer but as a person he stank yes he may of changed now but that doesn't take away from what he did and the way he was... which i think is what hart is annoyed with.
I'm from the U.K and never felt the need to comment before but this blog seemed a tad unfair towards Hart.

RESPONSE FROM KE: If I had a blog back in 97, I would have written that Michaels was a tremendous performer with a horrible, unprofessional attitude. Both were true. Today, by all indications he's a total pro.

Maybe you should go devote some more time to that family of yours instead of flogging the dead horse that is the Bret Hart saga. Sum it up thus: you don't like him, he's his own biggest fan, he's a sellout if he came back, if only he was more like HBK he'd still be on top blah blah blah.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Do we need to involve people's families in the discussion?

I bet he goes to Smackdown to work with The Hart Dynasty. That way he can avoid DX completely and still be involved in the new screwjob incident.

Kevin - has your blog made a heel turn?

LOVED THE "BARON" NONE BETTER.

"Just because I have an opinion does not make me biased." - Kevin Eck.

Your opinion has so obviously made you biaised!! I dont like Bret Hart - i really dont - he obviously loves himself. But, because he goes back on his word and becomes a hypocrit doesnt exactly strike me as horrible deed. Ok you dont like Bret for non Shawn reasons but please answer this - how is not liking someone actually an opinion on someone and not being biaised at the same time when you blast ever chance you get. hate to tell you but thats biaise - people understand... you don't. Not a lawyer in the world would take your case on this point.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I call them as I see them. That''s called being objective. It's not a matter of liking or not liking Hart. I think he's bitter and takes himself too seriously. Period. But I always enjoyed watching him in the ring, whether as a singles wrestler or with The Hart Foundation. He is one of the top 10 all-around performers that I have seen in 35-plus years of watching wrestling. Where the bias? I love Ric Flair, too, but I criticized him for coming out of retrirement. I will not be an apoligist for someone just because I enjoyed watching them perform.

I just wish they would bring a real talent like Diana Hart in. She would easily be the number one diva or a great manager for the Hart Dynasty. Screw Bret. Diana and Bruce were the real talents in the Hart Family.

"Being a fan of Michaels as a performer has nothing to do with my opinion of Hart, although I know that is too complex a concept for some people to grasp"
Get over yourself. Dangerously close to the biggest Kevin Eck mark is...Kevin Eck.

Next thing we're hear Stone Cold Steve Austin will return to wrestling. It's not going to happen.

Wow, last time I ever read your blog again. It's sad that there are people out there who think the way you do in regards to Bret/Shawn. Granted it's your opinion and everyone is entitled to have one, but your ridiculous rant is laughable on so many levels.

"I’ve always been amazed that Hart can be civil with McMahon – the guy who actually double-crossed him – but not Michaels, who was only doing what he was told to do." Right, as opposed to when Shawn refused to lose to Bret, Vader, and so many others in the past? Oh I'm sorry, I forgot that Shawn is exempt from any criticism and it's OK for him to not want to lose to anyone...my mistake! The one time Shawn finally does what he's told and it benefits him completely, waht a shock! I'm glad I never have to read your columns again, your sick crush on Shawn is a bit too creepy for my taste.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I would respond, but since you're not reading anymore it would be pointless. You're not still reading, are you? If you are, that would make you as big a hypocrite as your boy Bret.

I wonder if Bret has something in the works and once again wants the free publicity this rumor brings.

Yeah HBK was slimy back then but hey, Bret was pretty slimy himself, not the angel he and SOME of his supporters try to make him out as. Like HBK once inferred, maybe we can check back on those "Sunny Days".

I bet it's all a huge work - Shawn and Bret actually reconciled years ago and they're playing the crowd and the IWC for every minute. If or when Bret comes back to WWE, he'll confront Michaels and they'll hug in the ring or something to massive heat. We're being played, I tell ya.

RESPONSE FROM KE: It has crossed my mind many times that the Screwjob is the biggest, most elaborate work in the history of the business. Then again, I used to think Elvis was still alive.

Wow, this is a heated topic.

I was not watching wrestling much at the time when all the Hart/Michaels/McMahon stuff went down so it is not such a big deal to me.

However, my opinion is that life is too short to hold grudges and that if done right with good intent on all sides, could benefit all parties involved certainly financially and perhaps even spiritually.

Then again, this is pro wrestling so probably the money alone is all that matters.

I think Brett would be a massive hypocrite if he returned to WWE in any way after all he has said about them but pro wrestlers rarely know when to retire and stay that way. Flair and Hogan are two that spring to mind but there are plenty more. Stay retired Brett

I like this blog and all of the controversy created amongst the readers. For once the comment section is very entertaining.

bret hart will never fully be bret hart (the man, nor the wrestling character of integrity) until he can learn to forgive. it is amazing the capacity we have for peace and joy once a man learns to let things go. and i can speak from experience, there is nothing that hangs heavier on a man than resentment and unforgiveness.

Wow Kev, now I realize you are a HBK mark, I love him as well, but you have to realize that this is a good thing. Whatever feelings you have for Bret he isnt the first or last to do something like this. I also read his book...and you know what, it sems like he made peace with things for the most part. So much death and tragedy in his life, and despite all of that Vince was always there somehow, be it a phone call, a letter, a memo, whatever. Vince always sought out Bret. Shawn hasn't. And I love HBK but he needs to make amends for the sins of his past as well. Sure Bret was a douche and he needs to take responcibility as well, and maybe this is that moment. After all, did you feel the same way when Bischoff showed up on Raw?

In hindsight, Bret Hart should now thank Vince for the Montreal Screwjob.

The cost was he lost the title at the time a day early but in the big picture that is certainly not a big deal and a small price to pay.

As a result of that one incident, people still talk emotionally about him a lot more these days I suspect than would be the case otherwise.

Maybe Vince is a genius after all???

Kev, I always read your blog and the only thing I can say is you are right. THIS is an opinion based blogging community, and there is no right or wrong. I am a lifelong fan of Bret, and got the autobiography signed off of ebay as soon as they were being sold in canada (at a hefty price might I add). I do not view Bret as a hypocrite despite the years of controversial words from him regarding Shawn, Vince, WWE, etc.
Wrestling is and has been his life from day one. We can go back and forth on the "screwed" issue all day, but it just goes to show that if it is in your heart (no pun intended), then nothing will keep you away from what you love to do!
IF Bret comes back, it will probably be short lived. I see him coming in for the storyline, and getting mad again, and leaving. Who knows though... we may all just be surprised in the extremely predictable world of WWE.

btw, I almost took journalism because of you Kev... not to sound cheesy, but I do love your work.

Also, I live 15 minutes from Albany Ny, and WILL NOT be in attendance for RAW on monday night for 2 reasons:
1. I'm poor.
2. Rev. Al Sharpton

I'm going to defend you here Kev, as all you are doing is voicing some opinions!

IF Hart did come back, he would have to have a bloody good excuse/explanation for me, and most fans I imagine, not to think of him as hypocrite no.1.

Michaels, HHH and Vince have all explained their roles, their regret or lack of and have moved on. I can imagine the bitterness Hitman must have, but surely, it is time to let it go. Perhaps the best legacy Hitman could have would be one whereby he buries the hatchet with the people who screwed him. It would certainly go some way to confirming he is the best there was, is and ever will be.

the HBK/Hart feud (both professional & personal) was summed up to me perfectly as a 10-year-old kid attending a WWF event. This would have been the summer of the Wembley Match, cause Hart & Bulldog were the big focus....but we had a family friend who had organized an autograph signing for charity, and I showed up in my Hitman shades & t-shirt just waiting for the guy to sign. He never showed, someone from WWF apologized and said they'd send in a few guys but anyone waiting for Bret, Shawn, etc would have to wait longer. Eventually the bigger names showed up and Shawn (despite being a heel) was super friendly and chatty. There was an obvious problem getting Bret to come out, and I was just waiting for my hero, and our friend waived me over and Bret just muttered "Its getting late" and my dad said "He's a big fan, he's been waiting all" and Hart carelessly said "Get lost" and walked away. Been an HBK "mark" myself since, Kev.

I think people confuse the kayfabe with the "reality" of wrestling. This is not the 80's when we thought these story lines were real. Being fans of wrestling we want solid stories, good matches, entertainment, and the right guys getting heat. We know that the outcomes are predetermined, most matches are somewhat choreographed, but we still want to believe the reality to help us escape from ours.

Ok Bret got screwed because of the egos of Bret, Shawn, Vince, any anyone else involved. But everyone capitalized on it in some way. So they all need to get over it. It was a story that happened, but fans still keep it alive. Is this Bret's legacy? Every time someone mentions Bret, it's always about this screwjob. I don't think Bret wants to be remembered for this only, and I don't think we should remember him as such.
Plus Bret didn't get screwed! His ego got hurt! He's (I'm assuming) a multi-millionaire. Other wrestlers have done more humiliating things (Trish on all fours comes to mind). Bret needs to shut up and realize how fortunate he is to have had the opportunity to be considered champ, let alone one of the greatest.

Kev - re: your response to my comment , I fully understand where you're coming from .
You're a good sport . ...... Even if you are a Sha............... :)

Meh. Bret and HBK weren't really drawing anyway. Now, giving Dwayne Johnson a few minutes on Raw...

Kevin,
I have been a long time follower of this blog. Whether I agree or disagree with your opinions I have always enjoyed them and respected your obvious true love of wrestling as a whole. However this is the first article that I felt a desire to post my opinion as well.

Yes for many reasons, Brett returning to the WWE would be hypocritical but as a huge long time fan of the "Hitman" I really don't think I care. I know this isn't the popular opinion but I cannot get over the desire to see one of my favorite characters return to the screen.

As to Brett having a problem working with the "clique", I can see a major storyline that could take him to Smackdown to replace Teddy Long, effectively keeping him away from HBK & HHH. Plus he could be there to better guide the New Hart Foundation.

Anyway, thanx for the blog, and keep em coming.

Kevin, just wanted to comment to tell you that I think you've held up brilliantly against everyone's arguments. As you've said everyone's got their own opinion, and this is a blog not a dictatorship or anything, so everyone is still entitled to their own beliefs.

I think you've handled things professionally and constructively in a situation when some people would completely explode over it.

Great blog as usual, keep up the good work :)

As much as I love Bret if he's not in the ring wrestling what good is he. Yes he can talk but for his last few years in the ring his talking sounded more like whining if he wasn't the main guyand even sometimes it still sounded that way. Don't get me wrong I love Bret to death but he can't help the ratings what did he do in his time inn WWF/E that ratings beating wasn't just Shawn caring the company he was 1a.

Controversy always brings the internet tough guys out of their holes.

Appreciate the response to my previous comment. Re Austin not wanting to lose to Lesnar, I 100% agree that he was in the right because the money match was Lesnar beating Austin on PPV (much like he did against the Rock). But the point I wanted to make is that Austin took his character seriously enough to say "Stone Cold Steve Austin is the best in WWE so there is no way Lesnar should beat him in a match on Raw with no build up". If he wasn't a "mark" for himself or didn't take himself seriously, he would have just put him over, no questions asked - like Jericho seems to be doing on a weekly basis these days.

Of course, Hit Man returning to Raw as a guest host even would surely be a ratings hit.

Some pretty negative comments from your readers here - just thought I'd chime in to let you know there are plenty of us that agree with you, too. Keep up the great work, Kevin!

Oh noes! Wrestling is still fake everyone!

The difference between Sammartino and Hart is that Sammartino has moved on. He knows that his status in the business is cemented.

For some reason, Hart doesn't think that his status is cemented yet. He's already one of the greats, and that should be enough for him.

He's not coming back. This is just speculation, but at the end of the day, he really would look the fool if he did return, if the last 12 years of his life meant anything. Gossip is gossip: BRET IS NOT COMING BACK.

Best there is, was, ever will be yada, yada, yada? I think not. That statement should describe Lou Thesz. As for the Canadian wrestler, give me Gene Kiniski. I was 17 years old in February 1969 when the World Champion Kiniski (not some NY, Philly, Boston regional champion) put over Dory Funk, Jr. in Tampa. Funk put over Race, Race to Jack Brisco and Brisco, in the ultimate job, put over Terry Funk. It was a "story being told in the ring" back then too and those guys knew how to work it. It was also a real big deal back then when the World Champion came to the area where he had the smoosh match against some ham and egger jobber on TV and then put the new area face over while not dropping the title at the shows.

Those guys knew how to work and push the business. If Bret, HBK, or HHH had only kept true to the lessons that they were taught by their respective mentors we wouldn't have been bored weekly by the Super HHH, Super Shane, Super Shawn tripe that has been pushed the last two years.

Kev, I saw the Hammer at a Rays game a few years ago and told him of my man crush on Johnny Valentine at the height of his heel powers. He thanked me and was really a nice guy.

Hey Kevin,

Thought you'd like this other quote from my interview with Bret.

Bret on his backstage meeting with Shawn Michaels following the incident in Montreal:

”I walked up to him (HBK) thinking there were two choices. Kick him in the face while he as bent over and knock him out cold, because I had broke my hand, but that wasn’t the right thing to do, because you have to know. You have to be 100 percent sure. Because sometimes when you do something like that you have to know for sure. I really knew there was a 99 percent chance, but maybe there was some chance he had nothing to with all that. He threw the belt down and said he wasn’t going to go out on TV the next day…..I offered my arm, stuck my hand out and he started crying. He (HBK) felt like such a coward, and he doesn’t write about that in his book, but you can ask Undertaker about any of that.”

Wow Kev, you're taking a serious beating right now. Gotta be honest, it seems to me like a lot of people that read this blog don't read it very carefully, or just read what they want it to say.

I wasn't a fan when the Screwjob took place, or even during the Monday Night Wars, but I've been a fan long enough to know one universal truth about professional wrestling. The biggest stars tend to have the biggest egos. From everything I've ever read on the subject, everyone was at fault, Vince, Bret, Shawn, EVERYONE. Nothing legitimate was at stake, just reputations and egos. Oh and by the way, it was 12 years ago. They all just need to get over themselves.

And as for some of these comments, people can be just vicious when they can hide behind their keyboards. Im willing to bet 75 percent or more of the people who comment wouldn't have the guts to say anything like that to your face. Its ridiculous that some fans can take shots at you not only having an opinion, but also being a fan yourself. You like Shawn. You've also stated a lot of his shortcomings blatantly. Its like people are blind and only read "Bret Hart loves Bret Hart and and is a hypocrite." Its laughable.

So much for the youth movement everyone was dying to see in wrestling these days. WWE might as well just resign the entire '97 roster.

I think Bret Hart will return to Raw as a Special Guest host or as the General Manager of SmackDown!

I can only hope that if Bret comes back, he comes back in a way to help get the Hart Dynasty, that to me would help mitigate a lot of my feelings towards 97 being a work, and any feelings of him being a hypocrite. Besides it would help get those talented three noticed.

Kev two things, I was never really a Bret Hart fan, so I would agree he would be a sell out to come back and like Ric Flair said he was just a glorified mid carder. Second, I never understood this but how was HHH involved in the screwjob??

RESPONSE FROM KE: Apparently he was part of the inner circle that knew about it.

Some people take things too seriously. FWIW I agree with you Kev, though to say you are not biased is stretching it a little....maybe a little biased?

I'm not a Bret Hart fan. He's a self-obsessed, arrogant cry-baby who has been b------- about the same incident for 12 years! He wouldn't do business during the most competitive period in pro wrestling history when the WWF was genuinly close to going out of business...McMahon looked out for McMahon and why shoudn't he?

That said, The Hitman is rightly considered as a legend in the business on the basis of his work and the years of dedication he put in. A return to WWE would be great for business and Hart's fans deserve to see him in a marquee position again. He deserves a more flattering twilight to his wrestling career.

On the subject of Michaels, maybe I'm as big an HBK mark as you Kev but it isn't even a debate in my mind. Yeah Michaels was an immature, drug-fueled infant in the late 1990's...he was also the single best all-round performer in the world at that time. Now, he seems to have grown up and has done more jobs than any top tier name in the WWE in the last 7 years.

Bret...is still whining, still crying, still b-------. Grow up. Let it go. Move on. The record is getting seriously old.

I don't think Bret Hart accepted that HOF award for Vince or what if wwe feels bad. I think he accepted it just to say a big "thank you" to all his wwe fans, which sadly WWE never gave him a chance to do so. Yeah, he's been criticized for not "getting over it and blah blah blah". I want to ask how many of them have gone through the same thing. If you haven't, then shut your mouth. You have no right to whine on what things Bret should feel bitter about on what things Bret shouldn't. And lastly if Bret decides to come back, then I totally support him. It is his life. If you got any problem with that, then don't watch it.

'There is no bigger Kevin Eck mark than Kevin Eck'

;-)

Kevin , I figure if you can come up about five more stories , this one will disappear off the "main" page to go to the archives .
Here's an idea for one - Trac.....

I was a giant Bret mark for his whole fed run, but Kev's point is the truth. Just yesterday Bret did an interview on boston radio ( http://www.cbssports.com/local/boston/podcasts toucher and rich fri 9/25 hour 4 first 20 min) and half the interview was about montreal, and Bret restated his claims that He couldn't lose on that night because the whole country of Canada would be let down. Like an entire nation would be crushed that a sports entertainer lost his title because he was popular... even Hogan dropped the belt on his way out, it's the business. He also made sure to say HBK was in a corner bawling his eyes out the whole time and claimed that he singlehandedly prevented a riot on the streets of Montreal by restraining himself. Listen, I know it sucks that his boss lied to him 12 years ago, but either he should let it go or kill these WWE rumors, he's trying to play both sides of the fence.

Kev, you speak the truth as always.

I wasn't always the biggest Shawn Michaels fan in the 1990s, but looking back at his body of work, from when he entered the ring to now, he's the best wrestler I've seen in my 40 years of watching wrestling. His classic matches are undeniable and he has a few dozen of those. Hart was great too, but I think HBK's comeback has put him up there in the top 5 ever, hands down. Whether you like his backstage politics or not, it does not matter.

Be impartial here guys, he's still performing at a very high level. Best feud of 2008 vs. Jericho, best match of 2009 vs. 'Taker. People let hate, jealously, and petty drama get in the way of the truth when none of that matters.

I'm enjoying this vigorous debate. You've pushed a hot button here, Kevin.

Given the raw (pardon the pun) emotions and deep seeded distrust that seem to still be at work here as well as the number of potential antagonists in the equation -- Bret on the one hand and Vince, HHH and Shawn on the other -- I think it could be a potential real life trainwreck if they were to bring Bret back.

There are some issues that are best left alone.

Perhaps a safer vehicle for Raw, if the WWE really insists on rehashing an old issue, would be to bring back Jim Powers and Paul Roma for a match to finally settle the long standing debate about who was the better Young Stallion.

meh, forget it man. it is common knowledge that bret personally hates vince/hbk/hhh and will never get over it. this negotiation of him returning is probably happening for money. and if the guy needs the money enough to swallow his pride, i think he should be cut some slack. the same goes for ric flair returning at the hogan tour.

PS i got into wrestling ~2003 and never knew bret and flair as the legends as you guys do. so this is an opinion strinctly from third person perspective.

Bret Hart has forgiven Vince McMahon who planned the screwjob the same guy who mastermind it but he can't forgive Shawn who was just following the orders. Somehow this is something I can't digest.

Only reason he hates Shawn is that HBK is the best. Bret never liked the fact that WWE was giving Shawn more importance than him.

Shawn has always accepted his fault and took every single trash Bret has to offer and has apologized several times. If I was Shawn I would have stopped it now because he aw doing his job, double crossing Vince McMahon would have cost Shawn his career. Even Bret would have done the same to Shawn in those days.

One last thing Shawn and HHH has killed WWE really, come on I think he has gone mad. They are the one who carry this show.

bret needs to stop being a cry baby and get over him self HBK AND HHH will always be better than the hearts so get back to canada and get over your self

Kevin is turning into the Mike Preston of Bret Hart.

RESPONSE FROM KE: That's good, but no one outside of Baltimore will get it.

G your a freaking idiot. Its one thing to not agree with the man's opinion but there is no need to go say anything about his family.

Great work like always Kev!!!

i have 1 comment about Sahwn & Bret their hatred goes farther than just the screw job it really starts from when bret dropped the belt to him at Wrestlemania and he tryed to do the Warrior/Hogan thing and Shawn kicked him out of the ring and from their i think some of Shawns interviews towards Bret on raw i think Bret took kind of Personal. and Montreal was probably the last straw. That being said unless Bret is gonna manage the family I don't know what he can do to help out the WWE product unless he's making a comback which i seriously doubt so you almost might wanna bring back Superstar or Hulk.

I feel sorry for Bret. If it wasn't for the injuries, especially the stroke, maybe he would be a more pleasant person. I would have like to have seen him wrestling through this decade.
Wrestlers and promoters have got to stop bringing up the screwjob. It was 12 years ago! And stop putting it in today's storylines. All parties who mention it at this stage look like a bunch of 6 year olds.

I got it, bring Bret Hart and the Ultimate Warrior back as the new NWO (Nonstop Whining Order). The pair start a feud with VInce and DX who are pretty indifferent because people get over things and move on with life because what's the sense of talking about things that happened years ago when all parties prospered off of their involvement with one another. This sets up a tag match that never takes place because Hart is physically unable to wrestle and the Warrior could never actually wrestle. If that's not a sweet angle, I don't know what is.

I gotta admit it's a mixed bag with me when it comes to Bret Hart. He 1 of the greatest hands down. But I don't think he should return on any level. He wouldn't fit in today's WWE.

As 4 those who wonder why Hart could forgive Vince but not Shaun...1st off...It was SHAUN'S plan. He admits this. Vince owned up & took responsibility for his part. Shaun hasn't.

HBK will always be scum..irrespective of how he "changed" his life around...he is and will always be the yellow hairless dog to people who actually followed wrestling in the 90's.He as a man has no character and never will have any.Doing jobs as a washed up old man now is not the same as him doing jobs in his prime.
Bret Hart should never even step in the same room as Michaels.

My word, Kev. It never fails, does it? You voice your opinion - which, by the way, is quite reasonable - and you can't possibly be anything other than an HBK mark. It can't have anything to do with the maturity of Shawn Michaels and the transformation that he made, as opposed to the bitterness of Bret Hart.

Well, you're in good company. I feel the exact same way that you do.

And for those people that denigrate Michaels and express doubts about his changes or are unwilling to allow for his exceptional personal growth - I feel sorry for each and every one of you. Everyone has the capacity for change. Everyone has the capacity for growth.

Shawn Michaels was a self-admitted pain in the ass, angry young man. He was also generally accused of things that he wasn't doing, though he was no angel. He changed. He grew up. There is clear evidence of that transformation for folks who aren't sullenly sitting in their glass houses.

I'm done with my psuedo-rant. Thanks for saying what you did here, Kev.

So you mean to tell me, if you get screwed at your job, your gonna whine and whine? I have met all parties involved, several times. Everyone is an ass and at the same time everyone is not, its how you perceive it. By Bret even possibly coming back in any faction means one thing just like all the other wrestlers... They are getting low on money in some way. Bret is a great wrestler so was Shawn.. but in the end Shawn was the show stopper, Bret was just excellence of execution, in my eyes Id rather have the show stopper any day. And if you disagree, id like to hear why... I know one thing, not having a "show stopper" would be a state of "execution"

Harry said -" HBK will always be scum ."
I can feel the heat emitting from Kevin all the way here in Salisbury (Hebron) .

I still think wholeheartedly that the screwjob was a work. It was going to lead to a huge story down the line, but then injuries and deaths and whatnot derailed the whole thing, and the participants have decided to play it as if it were real ever since, just to see if there was anything the people could be fooled by anymore.

I'm not sure whether I think they're going to admit to it when Shawn finally hangs it up, or whether they'll carry it to the grave. Everyone has a reason to like the screwjob... Bret has permanent martyred hero status, which is all he ever wanted, Shawn has one of the biggest controversies in wrestling to add to his legend (and occasionally to get him heat when he needs it, like in the Hogan feud), and Vince has his all-powerful capricious god persona. Why admit that they were just canny businessmen playing their audience like a fiddle? That's far less interesting.

Do you still have your Shawn Michaels posters up on your wall Kevin?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Nah, Mrs. Ring Posts won't allow it.

How great would it be to see Hart in charge of HHH and Shawn Michaels. Those who laugh last - laugh the loudest. I'm thinking of a storyline where Bret can continually screw and manipulate HHH and Shawn on a regular basis - or manage Orton? Who knows...but things could be interesting....

@ Terry - Kevin may not have the HBK posters up , but sources say he still wears his HBK PJ's . You know , the kind with the feet .

I've been a Bret Hart fan for years and truly see him as the best ever, but I don't think his working with Vince makes him a hypocrite. Regardless of what happened in Montreal with Vince and Shawn, that was years ago. Of course we wrestling fans aren't able to be Vince/Bret/HBKs shoes and see things from their perspective but the ultimate thing is forgiveness. No matter what obstacles you've gone through in life or what others have done, eventually you have to forgive and let it go. I would look forward to seeing Bret back in the WWE.

"There is no bigger Kevin Eck mark than Kevin Eck"
__

Eck looking down on the world from his throne upon the Sun gave some small thought towards what he may do to bring light into the lives of the misguided marks looming about the invisible boundless wastelands of cyberspace.

His fingers flowed and words were set like the fires of Revolution red at sunrise into the minds of the like-minded and the opposition equally fierce.

And Eck laughed from high up, knowing that he could escape the Promethean chains should any dare to put him to trial. For there is no libel in opinion. No bias in objectivity. No fear from the wrath of Editor...
__

In all seriousness, would any of you stop watching if Bret returned?

Hypocrisy and wrestling go together hand in glove. Everything on TV is a work, so what's the point of losing sleep over it? (That is, if anyone actually is that upset about Montreal.)

Bret and Shawn were good wrestlers. To elevate them as anything more than that is to risk denying their humanity...and they have flaws like everyone else.

(...for what it's worth...Bret>HBK)

@ Another Wrestling Mark - What ? You mean it's not real !!!??? Next thing you'll tell us is that there's no Santa Claus ! :)

In 2004, Hart was chosen as one of the Greatest Canadians, coming in at number thirty-nine. He was also the advocate for Don Cherry during the televised portion of the competition.

...... @ number 38 were the McKenzie Bros .

Wow. You certainly took a lot of heat for your words. Still a bunch of Bret Hart smarks and marks. Like you said, there are two sides to every story and in this case, three if you count Vince's. I'm with you. I do think Bret will come off as slightly hypocritical and if it wasn't for Jericho being a Canadian, I'd love to hear him cut a promo on him if he came back. In fact, coming back to the WWE now would make Bret the biggest hypocrite the world over.

As for the the rivalry, Shawn and Bret BOTH were two of the top stars in the WWE. In fact, one could argue that they were #1 and #2 in the company depending on which way you look at it. Some say Bret was a bigger draw but no one can honestly say Bret out performed Michaels. Hands down HBK > Anyone then/today w/ Jericho on his coat tail. So quite naturally there's going to be some tension. Vince loved Bret because he was a good worker. On the other hand, he had to love Shawn because of his abilities. He was the total package so quite naturally he had to cater to his "star in the making".

I think what it boils down to is that Vince was in need of a new star and Shawn was his pick. Bret wasn't quite ready to move out of the top spot but let's be real here. Bret was older than Shawn so of course Vince is going to do more for the "next generation" star. I think Bret was insecure, whiny and selfish. He says all those things about Shawn but how was he that much better? Maybe he didn't go around politicking but isn't refusing to job in your home country the same thing? (And I could care less of the circumstances. I've read Bret's book and I still say he was being whiny.)

I have always respected what he's done for the business, but over the years I've grown to dislike him. Since Shawn's return in 2002 I am yet to hear him bad mouth Bret. In fact, Shawn seems to be trying to make up for all his wrong doings in the past by constantly taking the beatings, doing the horrible storylines (IE JBL), and refusing to wear the belt. Some argue that he's too old to be champ but WM25 proved them wrong. Bret on the other hand, has spent the last 12 years really bad mouthing Shawn. It's quite pathetic and childish really.

All I can say is that if Bret returns to the WWE, I think it COULD be a good thing. I don't see how he'd fit into this new crazy world that Vince created especially since he's a "traditionalist". I've heard and read interviews of him saying negative things about the programming so if your heart's not in it then why return?

Cool insight Kev. Sorry about your marks but you did make some good points. Too bad the Bret marks can't see past their hate for Shawn to see the point behind your words.

I find it funny that HBK marks will constantly claim that Bret is bitter and yet they constantly whined and still do when Hogan made him do the job at SummerSlam 2005. This dude is an overrated wrestler and I'm not even a fan of Bret Hart but at least Bret would adapt to his opponent and would try to make everyone he went against look good. It was embarrassing to see wrestlers like Undertaker and Vader look like idiots going up against this guy. It's even worse when you consider that way better wrestlers like Eddie Guerrero get ignored when people claim this guy is the best wrestler ever.

If the WWE hadn't lied about what they did at Montreal maybe Bret wouldn't have had keep talking about it. Nobody knows if Bret is actually coming back to the WWE and yet already people online are whining yet again about Bret Hart. If he doesn't want anything to do with WWE, he's a whiner and if he wants to come back he's a whiner and a hypocrite. He can't win. As for HBK changing as a person, it's great that if you wave around a cross and shill for Christianity people automatically assume that you have changed. If this guy had found Islam or Buddhism I wonder if people would still be so gung-ho about his changes. I'll admit I'm biased because I've known born again Christians in real life and much like HBK they are sanctimonious and never seem to get to the repent part that's supposed to come first. This guy admitted he was an a------ in his book and on his DVD only to make lameass excuses for it instead of admitting he was wrong. Bret wasn't perfect, but at least he doesn't try to bring religion into it.

Being a Bret mark I tired to give HBK a break and hear his side of the story but there are still problems that HBK would never over come. Even if he was right and Bret was wrong because of his past no one believes anything HBK or HHH have to say (ask Chyna and Xpac what they think of HHH). Second in his DVD HBK said that the Harris brother had DX back in the locker room if anything happened. These are the same Harris brothers that beat up HBK before because he was running his mouth at them. HBK just can't be striaghtup or honest so when he says he has changed, he really hasn't. Only cause Jericho and Benoit like HBK I figure they must be something good about him that the public doesn't see but he goes and puts Hogan in the sharpshooter in Montreal and it is like this dude can't get over anymore and has to resort to gimmicks to get over.

Kevin,
Does Vince getting Bret back on raw have anything to do with winning the ratings battle since TNA will be on this Monday as well?