Bret Hart opened up about the evolving backstage perception of him in WWE following Vince McMahon’s departure, noting a clear shift in how he’s now regarded. “I’ll be honest, I feel like I have a little more respect now. I think people are kind of going, ‘Maybe Bret Hart was right all along.’” For years, Hart felt ostracized due to the fallout from the infamous Montreal Screwjob, and especially for his physical confrontation with McMahon afterward. “I’ve always been kind of banished and a little bit punished for all [that happened.] ‘What do you expect? He punched out the boss.’ I knocked him out cold in the dressing room. So it’s always been kind of a black spot, and maybe still is, too.”
Despite the long-standing stigma, Hart remains unapologetic and firm in his belief that he acted with integrity. “In my own heart of hearts, I would never change anything that I did. I did the right thing that day,” he said. With time and a change in leadership, Hart feels there’s finally a growing recognition of his legacy and what he brought to professional wrestling. “I feel like there’s been a bit of an upswing, or a certain sort of an appreciation, more for my work rate and how hard I worked, and what I contributed to the business.”
Source: Cheap Heat