By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart avoided the subject of whether he is open to returning to WWE in an interview this week. Hart said he's going to follow his "guiding rules in life" to determine whether he returns to WWE TV.

Hart has reportedly talked to WWE recently about an on-air return. Earlier this year, Hart said he would never re-join WWE and take a paycheck from Vince McMahon. (Read the Report.)

Hart was asked on the Monday Night Mayhem radio show what's next for Hart in his pro wrestling career. The hosts suggested there's "always room in WWE" for Bret Hart, especially to reach younger fans who might not know much about him. Hart didn't give a definitive answer, however.

"I'm going to keep following my usual guiding rules in life of doing what makes me happy and taking care of myself," Hart said on the radio show. "I've done my hard work and just looking to fulfill whatever dreams I have left. I'd like to write two or three books and delve into what it was like to be a pro wrestler in the 1940s and 1950s."

Hart was also asked about WWE's recent re-creation of the Montreal Screwjob from November 1997 at the Breaking Point PPV earlier this month. Hart again played coy and didn't share his thoughts on the re-creation. He instead focused on the context of the events in 1997.

When asked about younger talent he's seen on the rise in pro wrestling, Hart singled out A.J. Styles and C.M. Punk, who he would be most-likely working a program with if he returned to WWE TV as an on-air character.

Hart has worked for Ring of Honor recently and he mentioned Styles and Punk as two ROH originals who are "taking the wrestling business in the right direction."

Also related to Ring of Honor, Hart was recently booked on the same weekend shows in Toronto as Ric Flair. The two WWE Hall of Famers had a war of words in the pro wrestling media after having a war of words in their respective books.

Hart accused Ric Flair of having a drinking problem, which he says led to Flair popping off against Hart in a recent interview. Flair infamously said on the Live Audio Wrestling show that Hart is a "pissant" and didn't draw money in the wrestling business. Hart responded that Flair's behavior is "pathetic."

"I can say a lot of good things about Ric Flair as a wrestler," Hart said on the Mayhem radio show. "Unfortunately, he has a drinking problem and he tends to shoot his mouth off sometimes. That's more of a sad, pathetic state of affairs than anything else."

Caldwell's Analysis: After listening to the interview, I got the sense that Hart is content sitting at home writing a few more books, studying the history of the wrestling business, and not worrying about the stresses of constant travel. Hart doesn't sound like a guy who's looking for another payday or really needs life on the road again. If he does return as a WWE on-air authority figure, I imagine a lot of his segments would be "Jack Tunney style" with him appearing on the video screen from a make-believe "WWE office" to make "official" decisions when necessary. I never got the sense in the interview that Hart was interested in being back on the road full-time working for WWE. He could have been playing coy, which I believe he was at times during the interview, but I would be very surprised to see him pick up a regular or semi-regular schedule working for WWE again.

Link: Download the Bret Hart interview from the Monday Night Mayhem radio show.

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