Bret Hart Tells The Truth About Punching Vince McMahon

Bret Hart has told the full story about the night he punched Vince McMahon.

The incident in question happened right after the infamous Montreal Screwjob. The legend goes that Vince had hidden in his office after the show and he only came out to apologize to Hart after being propped up by The Undertaker.

The popular version of the tale is that Bret warned McMahon about leaving and punched him when he didn’t. However, there were more than a dozen wrestlers in the room at the time and everyone has a different recollection of events.

The Canadian Wrestling Legend cleared up the rumors of what actually happened during an interview with Casual Conversations with The Classic . He explained that Vince was actually trying to set him up to look good in front of the boys:

“I’ll tell you the truth: it was one punch, and it was a good punch. You had to kind of be in my shoes. I know this is hard to explain in a short couple of seconds, but I was actually being set up by Vince McMahon. He was kind of calling my bluff. He was trying to instigate a tussle or something. Cause he thought that’s how it looked best for him.

I could feel it happening. It’s like ‘This guy’s trying to start a fight with me in the dressing room and wants to sort of stand up to me in front of all the wrestlers and prove that he’s some kind of tough guy’—or I don’t know what it was. But I remember that I got madder and madder. I remember we kind of confronted each other. It wasn’t like Vince walked up to me, and I just drilled him in the head—you know, it was like that never happened.”

• Bret Hart – The Kliq Killed Wrestling With MSG Curtain Call

Sweetest Thing I Ever Did: Bret Hart

Bret Hart claimed that he didn’t want Vince to feel like he had won. Given the circumstances, he chose to drill the former WWE owner with an uppercut and the boss was knocked out cold from it:

“He came at me, and we really tied up like a pro wrestling match. If you were in the room, there was about 30 people—they were all gonna jump on us and pull us apart, just the way Vince wanted. I remember thinking, ‘I can’t have that happen.’ I’ve got to knock him out.

I remember if I had gone with a right-hand punch, they would have hooked my arm and that would be the end of it. We’d never hear anything good about that day. I decided to go for an uppercut. I came right between our arms, and I literally, honest to God, I’m not exaggerating—I lifted him about a foot off the ground, knocked him completely out cold, like a starfish.

His legs and his arms and everything were out like that. He was out cold for about 5 minutes. We all just stood around looking at him. I remember I broke my hand, but it was the sweetest thing I ever did, and I wouldn’t change any of it.”

Bret Hart would depart WWE for WCW after that night. He later returned to the company in 2006 for a Hall of Fame induction and he also wrestled a few matches in 2010 and 2011.

• Bret Hart Honors Leo Burke, Credits Him For Famous WWE Finish