The Wrestling home of Moondog Manson

The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.

These fifteen words echoed by the man who was probably my biggest enfluence to get into the wrestling business back in 1992...Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

There is not much more to say about a man who has had volumns already writen about him, but early in 1992, a chance meeting with the "Hitman" changed the way I thought about wrestling. To me, wrestling was always huge, barrel-chested men. Larger then life good guys and bad guys. Bret however was only 5'11". Hardly the monsters of the mat that I was accustomed to.

After a WWF house show in Winnipeg, I had a chance to sit down and talk to Bret at the old Polo Park Inn, just down the street from the arena. Being the mark I was at the time, I couldn't believe this "superstar" of the WWF would take a few minutes of his time to talk to me...but he did. Those couple of minutes that he spent chatting with me forever changed my life.

I soon after enrolled in Tony Condello's wrestling camp and began my so-called wrestling career.

Throughout my training I watched hours and hours of Bret Hart matches and interviews, trying my best to imulate the man who I so wanted to be like. Bret was never a punch and kick guy ... he was a wrestler. What he did on the mat amazed me, and he made it look so easy.

During my days spent in the ring facing such opponents as Wildman Firpo, Caveman Broda and of course Canada's worst wrestler Bobby Collins, I tried (and I use the term loosely) to copy some of Bret's moves and holds. I even for a good part of my eleven years wrestling, wore pink and black.

Even though it's been six years since the Montreal screw job, World Wrestling Entertainment is still making money off the blood and sweat of Bret Hart. You only need tune into Raw this last little while for evidence of that, with the Shawn Micheals/ Chris Jerico interview segment. Not to mention the fact the Vince himself will be in Edmonton and Hart's home town of Calgary in August for what I can only immagine will be some sort of "bleed Bret Hart" spot on the shows.

Bret was in Winnipeg for an autograph signing not to long ago, but it's been a while since he's laced up the boots. His stroke has changed his life and ended his in-ring career. Even though he pretty much finished his wrestling career in WCW, I'll always remember him best from his days back in the WWF.

I still to this day spend alot of my time watching old Bret Hart matches. I think these days wrestling needs a hero and Bret was just that. I really miss seeing him on TV each and every monday night, but when ever I think of Bret Hart, I think of those fifteen words...

the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.