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For this week's Question of the Week, we asked Torch readers about their thoughts on Bret Hart after reading his recently released autobiography. How much was their opinion changed - positively or negatively - after reading Bret's detailed account of his life and wrestling career? Let's go to the second batch of feedback...
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Andy Tuzzino, Torch VIP member: To simply put it, "Hitman" is probably the most descriptive and honest wrestling book that will ever be written. There are some factual inaccuracies (such as Austin never blading - I'm pretty sure he bled in Dallas with Adams or in WCW against Dustin Rhodes) - but I can live with that. This is a story, considering its length, that is never boring. I like Bret more knowing that he was honest about his faults. I feel like he needed to say these things for personal redemption. We all have faults. It is everyone's right to interpret his feelings and thoughts in their own way but he would have just been lying to himself if he glossed over the truth. Regarding Montreal, I feel that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. You can look at it from all angles but every party thinks that they are right and that is just the way it will go down in history. Screwjobs by bosses occur every day in the work force. Sadly, Bret's took place in front of the world. I hope that Bret has found peace in his life. I will always remember him as the Excellence of Execution.
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Michael Moore, Torch reader of Casper, WY: First of all James, congrats on an excellent review. I think you did more than review the book; you analyzed it and provided a lot of insight. I have to admit to being a Bret Hart mark since I first saw him wrestle in 1985. I couldn't wait to get a copy of the book, which I ordered online and read in November (coincidentally, right around the 10-year anniversary of the Montreal screwjob). For a lot of fans, I think wrestling forever changed that day. I enjoy keeping up with wrestling via the Torch, and when I can on TV, but I don't go out of my way to watch Monday night wrestling like I did from 1985 to 1997. I couldn't wait to get to the chapters detailing 1995-97, and really, that's where the gold of the book is. Very few events still stir as much debate as Survivor Series '97, and it's extremely interesting to read Bret's thoughts on what was going on at that time. People may criticize Bret for being a mark for himself and the business, but his story about that time period has remained the same all these years. Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon, on the other hand, have changed their stories at various times to suit their own agendas. I understand what Ted Dibiase says about letting go. At the same time, I don't think anyone other than Bret Hart will ever truly know what that must have felt like to be completely humiliated and sabotaged by his co-workers and boss, some of whom (Triple H) still gloat about it on WWE-produced DVDs. Reading about all of Bret's vices doesn't change my opinion of him; it took a lot of guts for him to come clean about things. Reading his thoughts about Owen Hart and his death are just heart-wrenching. The book is a must-read for wrestling fans. I was a little underwhelmed by Bret's DVD collection a couple years back, but this book more than made up for it. Bret Hart bares his heart and soul in this book; I never once felt like he was writing something to further an agenda or to kiss up to a certain promoter, like with other wrestling books. Anyone who hasn't done so should certainly check this out.
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Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev., Torch reader: As far as Bret Hart is concerned, since his book has come out, my opinion of him is even more a mixed bag than before. While I laud him for his candor, he should have understood long before he wrote it that he shouldn't have put himself on a pedestal as much as has been presented. Pedestals crack and fall from too much worshipping by self and/or others. I honored Bret Hart in a way because he was solid in the ring, though I didn't know much about him as a person. Every impression I had of him painted him as a good guy (even when he was a heel) and a hard worker. But over time, I did feel that the façade was one of "too good to be true" as the impression also was that he was clean and drug-free. (I don't factor family life into the equation because that's too subjective.)
Book after book from wrestlers makes it clear that wrestling is not a psychologically or physically pain-free job and everyone involved pays for it in more than a few ways. Montreal is an illustration of that pedestal cracking. I hate saying it, but Wrestling With Shadows--filmed at the time Montreal took place--left me the impression that Bret was a whiner even before Vince made his "Bret screwed Bret" statement. (I had stepped away from wrestling for a few years, during the Attitude Era, to cope with my own family matters and I would read and research about the Screwjob long after the fact.) Bret clearly came across as having put himself too much on a pedestal of innocence while everyone around him (McMahon, Michaels, Triple H, et al) were guilty as sin. Fault is found in everyone involved on November 16, 1997, Bret included. To his defense, it will never be known if he would have made good on his word that had he gone over in Montreal that he would have dropped the title before his WCW departure. I honestly don't know if he would have, but the taste in my mouth about that night is much different than most people's, because a person's facade was left open to be judged, and what I came away from it wasn't all that that good. Does it take away from his many years of good stuff in the ring? No, but don't tell me what I should believe of you if the truth is not what you believe of yourself. There are others whom this statement defines in my eyes, but wrestling fan that I am, I do my best not to let the two conflict.
You can still contribute! If you've read Bret Hart's book, send in your feedback and thoughts on how your opinion of Bret has changed or been reinforced. Click the "Contact Us" button above and send your feedback to James Caldwell. Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
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