WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart recently opened up on The Ringer Wrestling Podcast about the betrayal he felt during his first WWE Championship reign, citing broken promises by Vince McMahon, disrespect from Hulk Hogan, and the fallout at WrestleMania IX.

Hart described the state of WWE when he first became champion as “like an elevator falling,” with business declining and the company under heavy scrutiny. “Vince was being investigated. A lot of dark, gloomy things… It was almost like, ‘Who can we put the belt on that’s not going to screw everything up’, and it’s like, ‘Oh, let’s put it on Bret Hart.’”

Hart recalled being promised a lengthy run as champion. “Vince told me that I would be champion for, they were looking long term, kind of like Bruno,” he shared. “He said, ‘You’re going to be champion for six years. You’re going to be champion for a long time, so do not worry about your position.’” McMahon also assured Hart that Hogan’s return would be brief: “‘He is here to promote a movie. He is short term.’”

That reassurance gave Hart confidence. “The reason I became the champion that I did was because I believed that I was going to be champion for a long time, and I am going to be like Bruno… I think I am the best guy to carry it going forward.”

But when Hogan returned, things changed. “He would not even shake my hand in the dressing room,” Hart said. “I always thought he would be an advocate for me.” Instead, Hart sensed envy: “He had no respect for me. He could not believe that I was the champion.”

The final blow came at WrestleMania IX. Hart found out the night before that he would lose the title to Yokozuna, who would then immediately drop it to Hogan. “I felt so betrayed,” Hart recalled. “I think that is when I went, this guy is a total liar. Vince is a liar. Hogan is a liar. I was really mad.”

Despite the betrayal, Hart stayed professional. “I made a promise to myself… that I would do whatever was asked of me,” he explained. “I kind of bit my tongue, and it is like, all right, whatever you want.”

Before Hogan’s surprise match, he told Hart, “‘Happy to return the favor.’ I remember I looked at him and said, ‘I am going to remember that’, and he would not return the favor.”

The incident permanently damaged Hart’s trust in McMahon. “My whole relationship with Vince was never the same,” he said. “As far as integrity and honesty, I never felt that Vince was honest with me after that.” On Hogan, Hart concluded, “Hogan never had any respect for me,” adding, “They are not talking about Hulk Hogan today.”