Bret Hart offered a stark assessment of today’s wrestling landscape during a recent appearance on the Johnny I Pro Show, sharing that the modern approach feels disconnected from the qualities he once valued in the ring. He explained that the current style makes it difficult for him to enjoy the product, as he feels performers rely too heavily on spectacle rather than grounding their work in believable fundamentals.

Hart spoke at length about what he sees as an overreliance on choreography and a lack of genuine technique. He pointed to the way many wrestlers strike, noting that the tendency to slap their own legs or soften punches pulls viewers out of the moment. He compared this to his own approach, where he focused on creating the illusion of impact while keeping his opponents completely safe with what he referred to as rubber hammers.

“I have a hard time watching today’s wrestling… It is too fake for me,” Hart said. “I think that today’s wrestlers are actors. Most of them are actors pretending to be wrestlers. And, you know, they do not actually know how to wrestle, and they do not even know what a headlock is… I see guys throwing punches, and they open their hand at the last second and slap the guy… Why do you not take 10 minutes and go down have someone teach you how to throw a punch instead of throwing that embarrassment of a punch”

Even with his critique of the modern style, Hart highlighted a number of performers from various periods whom he would have enjoyed competing against. He praised Kurt Angle, Lance Storm, and Rey Mysterio, offering particular admiration for Mysterio’s legacy. He also mentioned John Cena, expressing that Cena’s precise and detailed approach reminded him of his own mentality in the ring.

“I would love to have wrestled Dwayne Johnson a lot more times… John Cena would be up there,” Hart said. “I found John Cena was very comparable or similar to me in the sense that he was a serious professional, that he was a detailed guy that went over every little detail in the match”

Hart also gave high marks to Brock Lesnar while contrasting him with Bill Goldberg, reaffirming his long standing criticism of Goldberg’s in ring safety. He explained that Lesnar has a reputation for being dependable between the ropes, something he valued deeply in potential opponents.

“I would like to wrestle Brock Lesnar,” Hart said. “I have always heard from different guys that Brock Lesnar is a professional… He is not like Goldberg. He knows what the wrestling is all about, and he does it right. And some guys like Goldberg never understood it”