Bret Hart spent decades putting his body through hell inside the wrestling ring, and apparently, the damage started catching up with him long before his career was over. The WWE Hall of Famer revealed that a doctor warned him back in the 1980s that his knees were already in such terrible condition that they were comparable to those of an 80-year-old man.
During an appearance on the Johnny I Pro Show, Hart was asked what advice he would give his younger self if he had the chance. Rather than talking about championships, career decisions, or personal regrets, the former WWE Champion immediately brought up the physical punishment his knees took throughout his career.
“Um I think I would just I would try to tell myself to try not to take it easy on my knees. I made it to be honest, I think I was in WWE probably in the ’80s. And I had a doctor check my knees or evaluate my knees and he told me I had the knees of an 80-year-old man then.”
Hart explained that the doctor’s assessment came with an even more serious warning. He was told that he could eventually need metal knees, something that he didn’t take particularly seriously at the time because he was still able to wrestle without feeling that anything was seriously wrong.
“And he was like, ‘You’re going to have metal knees in a couple years.’ And I remember thinking, ‘They’re working fine.’ And it’s like I he was right, you know, there is a price to pay for all the the wrestling that you do. The my And I think you know, they that’s that’s what you got to live with the most, I guess.”
The warning clearly stuck with Hart, especially considering how much punishment he continued putting his body through. Throughout his wrestling career, Hart was known for his technical ability, physical matches, and willingness to work with virtually anyone, but that dedication also came with consequences he continues dealing with today.
Later in the interview, Hart discussed the physical demands of wrestling and how younger performers often convince themselves they’re indestructible. He recalled a conversation with Harley Race, who once warned him about the damage Dynamite Kid was doing to his body.
“Pain was you know, you’re young and you’re you’re getting over it. Yeah, you just you know, you think you’re indestructible when you’re 25 years old or 23 years old, you know, but you know, I think I’ve learned and I remember somebody wrestlers, I remember Harley Race telling me one time, we watched him wrestle Dynamite Kid and he just said something to me about he’ll be in a wheelchair before you’re 70 or something like that.”
Hart admitted that he didn’t think much of Race’s warning at the time. Looking back at what happened to Dynamite Kid, however, he believes the veteran wrestler understood the long-term consequences better than they did.
“And I was like I remember kind of laughing at him and Dynamite, too, and like and then he looked back all these years later and like Dynamite yeah, he didn’t even last. He didn’t even a a broken piece of machinery by the time he was 40 and Yeah, I’m lucky I I kept going for as long as I did, but you know, you can’t you can’t do all what I did and not pay a consequence years later.”
Despite the physical problems he continues experiencing, Hart made it clear that he doesn’t regret giving everything he had to wrestling. He believes the punishment was part of the price he paid for becoming one of the best performers of his generation.
“I’m paying for that now, but I got a smile on my face cuz I still think I did it better. That’s all that matters.”
Hart has discussed dangerous moments from his wrestling career before, including a WWE match where he believes he came dangerously close to being paralyzed. His latest comments offer another look at what years of professional wrestling can do to someone’s body, even when they’re able to keep performing at the highest level.
Hart might have brushed off that doctor’s warning back in the 1980s, but decades later, he understands exactly what it meant. The Hitman still takes plenty of pride in what he accomplished inside the ring, even if his knees are now reminding him just how much those accomplishments cost.
What do you think about Bret Hart being told he had the knees of an 80-year-old man while he was still an active wrestler? Do you think today’s WWE Superstars are doing enough to protect their bodies from the same long-term damage? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
