Summary

Kyle O'Reilly shared a memorable first impression of Bret Hart while reflecting on how his view of Hart and Shawn Michaels changed over time.

Speaking on *This is VANCOLOUR* before his recent AEW Dynasty return, O'Reilly said he grew up as a major Bret Hart fan and very much against Shawn Michaels. That perspective changed later when he worked closely with Michaels during his time in WWE NXT.

O'Reilly said Hart's blunt response when he praised one of Hart's classic matches stuck with him, especially because Michaels never carried himself the same way in O'Reilly's experience.

Quote from Kyle O'Reilly

"I had a lot of interaction with The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels when I was down in NXT. He was our main coach and he ran the shows and he was really hands-on with everything we were doing and had an amazing tutelage and experience with Shawn… It was really amazing, especially as growing as such a huge Bret guy and such an anti-Shawn guy. Now that I’m an adult, it’s totally flipped because the first time I met Bret, I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Bret Hart. Don’t get me wrong. But the first time I met Bret, after the Aladdin (musical) show, I was like, 'Hey Bret, man, I’m just such a big fan of you. Your match with Davey Boy in '92 is one of my favorite matches of all time' and he just looked off, he’s like, 'Yeah, I was the best.' I was like, okay, it’s true, it’s fair."

O'Reilly later added:

"But not once did Shawn Michaels ever tout himself as being the, he was always just, you know, a little more humble than Bret in my opinion."

O'Reilly also noted that timing mattered. He said meeting Michaels in 2017 gave him a much different experience than fans would have expected from Michaels in the 1990s.

"You know what? I didn’t meet Shawn in 1996. We definitely would have been reversed. I met the born-again guy in 2017 so I had a much different experience but, nothing but respect and love to both guys. Absolutely."

Kyle O'Reilly's Hart and Michaels perspective

O'Reilly's comments stand out because they come from both sides of the Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels divide. He grew up in Canada idolizing Hart, then later worked directly under Michaels in NXT, which gave him a very different frame of reference than the one he had as a fan.

That also gives the story some weight for wrestling fans who still follow every chapter of the Hart-Michaels rivalry. O'Reilly is speaking as someone who admired Hart's in-ring work, spent time around Michaels behind the scenes, and recently returned to AEW television. It is a reminder that the legacy of both men is still being shaped by how modern wrestlers experienced them personally, especially with Michaels recently responding to Hart's latest remarks.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.