In the fallout from the 1997 Montreal Screwjob, it has long been rumored that Bret Hart had a very short list of people he was willing to lose the WWE Championship to before he left for WCW. In an interview on Wrestling Life with Ben Veal, Ken Shamrock confirmed he was on that list.
‘No Doubt’
When asked if he was on the shortlist of names Bret Hart was willing to drop the title to in 1997, Shamrock gave a direct answer. “Yes, no doubt, me and Bret had great chemistry because of the style of which Bret wrestled, he was more closer to who I was.”
What Could Have Been
A program between the two submission specialists never fully materialized due to Hart’s infamous departure from the company after the Montreal Screwjob. Shamrock reflected on the “big potential” a full feud with Hart would have had.
“And we could have put, even with the limited time that we spent together, that we got to work against one another, we were able to put something together, even in that small time, but being able to work in a program and getting to, I mean, it would have been stuff that you’d never seen. It would have been incredible.”
The ‘Final Boss’ Before The ‘Final Boss’
Shamrock noted that the “Brock Lesnar before Brock Lesnar” idea, which Jim Cornette has famously brought up, was what he envisioned for his run.
“But, you know, the world works out in weird ways. You know, it is what it is, and it was what it’s supposed to be, because it is so, but again, I did see big potential there to do that. And it’s funny too, because it was almost like we delayed what we could have had then to when Brock Lesnar or Ronda Rousey came in and started doing what they were doing. That was something that would have been something I seen myself doing, what, when? Why? They brought me in to go in and do those sorts of things… but I think that’s one where I got kind of confused on where we were going.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Wrestling Life with Ben Veal with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can check out the full interview on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
