Booker T Responds To Reports That Bret Hart Has Signed With WWE
During the latest Hall Of Fame podcast, Booker T spoke about FTR having Bret Hart work as their manager in the future. He also discussed how AEW has stopped making references to the Hitman now it has been reported he re-signed with WWE.
"They got their dream come true," he said on Bret managing FTR. "Bret Hart I think, if I am not mistaken, I know FTR are big fans of Bret Hart. They would love to have Bret Hart in that position, in that role as manager. A lot of teasing was going around in the AEW organization, Bret Hart's name being thrown around. It seemed like the writing was on the wall that Bret Hart was going to be All Elite. Then something happened, I heard as of late that the teasing, all of the talk about Bret Hart abruptly just, boom, stopped, like a scratched record."
Booker T believes that Bret will have had some influence on him allegedly re-signing with WWE. He noted that AEW is still in its infancy stage, so choosing to sign with them needs to be thought about.
"It just can't be more so WWE, Bret Hart has to have some part as far as making this happen. There again, there's a thought process you have to go through, 'do I want to go to AEW?' First of all, because, of course, this is something that is going to change my legacy. Then again, I don't know how this thing is going to end, as far as this AEW thing. Let's call it the AEW experiment," he said. "WCW lasted for 12 years, people don't realize that. People think WCW was a company that was around since the early 80s. It lasted 12 years, the AEW experiment, man, we are in the infancy stages."
Many legends have gone on to join AEW in the past few years, and Booker T understands that if they are released and free agents. But he believes that someone like Bret Hart has a lot of value, which he can negotiate. This is something he thinks Lita did as well when she opted to not sign with AEW.
"I can see certain people going over there like a William Regal," he said. "Look, if I get released, if there's a job over here waiting for me, dammit, I am going to go get it. But if I am someone like Bret Hart, who has very, very high value to a company like WWE, I am going to negotiate with that company.
"Say, 'Hey man, look, do you guys actually want me to go over here? Because, I do need a job, I do need some money.' So, I can see it happening that way, Lita was almost going to go in AEW for a minute. I am sure she had to think the same thing, 'is this something I really want to do?' Change my legacy and go to AEW? I don't know how long this AEW experiment is going to last."
Booker T believes that the reports of Bret Hart re-signing with WWE was the smart call for the Hitman. But, he also thinks AEW has lost out on this one.
"The smart thing for Bret Hart, I think he did the smart thing for his family and the smart thing for him. Did AEW lose out on not getting Bret Hart? Yeah, I think so. But that's going to be something that they're going to have to deal with throughout the tenure of AEW going forward."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Hall Of Fame podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.