WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart Says These Matches Took Years Off His Life

Bret Hart's full-time wrestling career lasted from 1976 into the year 2000, and in that time, the WWE Hall of Famer took part in some legendary matches. Some of those bouts left a lasting mark on the performer. Appearing on "The Masked Man Show," Hart named the matches that made the biggest impact on his physical condition.

"That match I had with Davey [Boy Smith] in Wembley — of all the matches I ever had, maybe pretty much a dead tie with the Iron Man match with Shawn Michaels — those two matches, I think it's fair to say, took years off my life," Hart said. "Davey Boy picked me up for the suplex and then dropped me on the turnbuckle. Don't try that at home. He really hurt me a lot in that match."

The match between Hart and Smith, who was his brother-in-law, served as the main event of WWE SummerSlam 1992. Over the years, Hart's always been vocal about his distaste for getting too physical during matches, but he admitted that the SummerSlam bout against "The British Bulldog" is an entertaining display of realism. That's because it wasn't just about the physicality, but it also offered strong storytelling and pacing.

"I remember I had the whole match. It was in my brain, you know?" Hart continued. "And I knew it. I said, 'This is a masterpiece. It's gonna be really great.' I called Davey all summer. He would never call me back, and I think he was out with Jim Neidhart."

The two finally got together face-to-face a day before SummerSlam, with the Englishman convinced that their match was going to be a disaster. Hart talked some sense into Smith, however, saying that he was intent on making it the best match of Smith's career whether he liked it or not.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Masked Man Show" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.