Bret Hart Goes Off on Why He’ll Never Respect “Phony” Triple H

WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart has never been one to mince words, and his longtime rival Triple H was once again in his crosshairs during a recent interview.

Speaking with Kenny McIntosh, the multi-time world champion, who is currently under a WWE Legends contract, unleashed a scathing assessment of the company's Chief Content Officer.

Hart did not hold back, questioning the legitimacy of Triple H’s career success.

"I think Triple H is a phony in the sense that he never earned it and he never deserved it. He married the boss’s daughter [Stephanie McMahon]," Hart stated. "I wish he had been in the dressing room when I knocked Vince out. I wish that it had happened and he was in the dressing room because he might not be married to Stephanie anymore, or it might not have ever happened. There was so much anger, and Triple H was such a slimeball back in 1997. He was a guy that I had very little respect for."

A Conflict Rooted in the 90s

The animosity between Bret Hart and Triple H dates back to their time as active competitors in the late 1990s. As Hart was the established main event star and leader of The Hart Foundation, a younger Triple H was rising through the ranks as a member of the influential backstage group known as The Kliq and later as a founding member of D-Generation X alongside Shawn Michaels.

The tension culminated in one of the most infamous moments in professional wrestling history, the "Montreal Screwjob" at Survivor Series in 1997. During his final WWF match before departing for WCW, Hart was double-crossed by Vince McMahon and lost the WWE Championship in his hometown of Montreal. While both Triple H and Shawn Michaels were key conspirators, Hart and Michaels have since publicly made up, with Michaels apologizing for his role. Hart has noted that he ultimately always respected Michaels as a career rival in the ring and that they were friends before their intense competition got the better of them. The same cannot be said for his feelings towards Triple H.

A Pattern of Criticism

This recent interview is far from the first time Hart has publicly criticized Triple H. Over the years, "The Hitman" has consistently questioned Triple H's in-ring ability and his place among the industry's legends. In past interviews and podcasts, Hart has rated Triple H's wrestling skill a meager 4 out of 10 and has often referred to his main event matches as long and boring.

Hart has also frequently suggested that Triple H's entire career trajectory was a product of his relationship with Stephanie McMahon, rather than his own merits. These latest comments make it clear that while decades have passed, Bret Hart's feelings about Triple H haven't changed one bit.