Summary

Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan revisited their long-disputed WrestleMania IX fallout in the Netflix docuseries *Hulk Hogan: Real American*, with the third episode covering the title change that saw Yokozuna beat Hart before Hogan immediately won the WWF Championship.

The documentary frames the story through both men's memories of that period. Hart recalled feeling the direction was a major step backward after audiences had started to embrace him, while Hogan acknowledged the level of influence he had with Vince McMahon at the time.

The release adds another layer to the broader conversation around the series, which had already drawn attention when Brooke Hogan declined participation in the upcoming documentary.

Quotes

Quote from Bret Hart

"I remember walking up to him, I was like, 'Hey Terry.' I stood up with my hand out to shake his hand for about 30 seconds but he wouldn't even look at me. He just kept talking to (Brutus) Beefcake."

Hart later went on to say:

"I knew right then and there. I was like 'I've got the belt and I've got what he wants and I'm the enemy now.'"

"That day I remember thinking what a step backwards. It was a whole different audience and they were liking me, not Hulk Hogan"

"I said it's going to backfire and it's going to be really bad. 'F*ck you'. Hulk came up with such a phoney, bullsh*t match. The kind of match that Hulk would dream up. Hogan came out like the hero. 'Yeah, he's my friend coming out to my rescue. Go get him Hulk. Go in there and win my belt. Win it for me'. It sucked. People would be going 'Why did they do that to Bret Hart?'. He was a good guy once upon a time, but in the end he was a backstabbing, knife-wielding piece of sh*t."

Quote from Hulk Hogan

"I can't imagine doing that intentionally. Maybe I had an off day. Maybe I was drunk, maybe I was high. I don't know. I don't know what to tell you, but it wouldn't have been intentional."

"I had that Hogan stroke back then. Me and Vince (McMahon) were just bonded at the hip and I could pull the plug on certain things and certain people."

"Bret got all up in my face and he got all riled up. I said, 'What's up with this guy? I thought he was a team player, man.' Vince made the decision, it's just one of those things."

WrestleMania IX still shapes Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan's legacy

WrestleMania IX remains one of the defining fault lines in both careers because the finish changed more than a championship reign. Hart makes clear he saw the switch to Hogan as a setback at the exact moment fans were rallying behind him, and that is still central to how many viewers remember that title change.

For Hogan, the documentary's value is in how openly it ties his on-screen rescue and title win to the influence he says he held behind the scenes. That does not settle the argument, but it does underline why the WrestleMania IX finish is still discussed as one of the most controversial creative calls of that era.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ