The following occured on WWF Raw is War on November 17, 1997. It took place in two parts over the first and second hours of the shows. Here is the first part (taken from my origional Raw Report):
Why, Bret? why? Part 1. We kick off with some of unflattering footage of the Survivor Series you didn't see: Bret destroying camera equipment and throwing a headset into the crowd. They also air a small part of Bret's interview on TSN last week, where Bret said he had entered into contract negotiations. Now, the live interview
DISCLAIMER: This transcript does not claim to be word-for-word 100% accurate. It will claim to be pretty close (about 97% accurate).
Jim Ross (JR): Let's cut right to the chase. Seven days ago at the Survivor Series, did you or did you not screw Bret Hart?
Vince McMahon (VM): Some would say I screwed Bret Hart. Bret Hart would definitely tell you I screwed him. I look at it from a different standpoint. The referee didn't screw Bret Hart. Shawn Michaels certainly didn't screw Bret Hart. Nor did Vince McMahon screw Bret Hart. I truly believed that Bret Hart screwed Bret Hart. And he can look in the mirror, and know that.
JR: I'm sure in some parts of the country there is collective groan that you are not accepting responsibility. That you orchestrated the situation, and the fact that people are not going to understand what you mean by "Bret Hart screwed Bret Hart," so what do you mean by that?
VM: Well I will certainly take responsibility for any decision that I've ever made, I've never had a problem doing that. Not that all of my decisions are accurate; they're not. But when I make a bad decision, I'm not above saying I'm sorry and trying to do the best about it that I can. Hopefully the batting average is pretty good-- I make more good decisions than I do bad decisions. And as far is screwing Bret Hart is concerned, there's a time honored tradition in the wrestling business that when someone is leaving, that they show the right amount of respect to the WWF superstars --in this case-- who helped make you that superstar. That you show the proper respect to the organization that helped you become who you are today. It's a time honored tradition, and Bret Hart did not want to honor that tradition. And that's something that I would have never ever expected from Bret, because he is known somewhat as a traditionalist in this business. It would have never crossed my mind that Bret would not have wanted to show the right amount of respect to the superstars who helped make him and the organization who helped make him what he is today. Nonetheless that was Bret's decision. Bret screwed Bret.
JR: Some folks on the Internet know that in 1996 Bret signed a 20-year contract with the WWF. That I'm sure there are some at home now who are saying Bret has 18 years left on a contract. How can he leave? Did Bret ask you to leave the WWF or did you ask him to leave the WWF?
VM: This was a joint decision and it vacillated somewhat as well. It was a joint decision from both Bret and me. And ultimately what happened was the two of us got together and orchestrated the opportunity for Ted Turner's wrestling organization to quote, "steal," Bret. I felt that for business reasons that Bret Hart and salary we were paying him was not justified. And Bret felt that for creative reasons and the fact that he had become sort of second banana in his own mind to Shawn Michaels who had quote "stolen his spot." So for financial reasons on my part, and for creative reasons on Bret Hart's part, the two of us got together and decided "Let's do the very best we can for you, Bret." So the two of us orchestrated Bret Hart receiving a three year deal, in which he is paid 3 million dollars a year, which I believe is the richest deal in all of professional wrestling. And that's for working 125 days a year. So I felt from a personal standpoint that if Bret wasn't a great investment any longer for the WWF, although I didn't really want him to go, but nonetheless, that the least I could do for Bret was to help him help himself. And I told Bret, "Bret if you in fact get this deal from Turner, then I am going to be the first person personally to congratulate you." And I was. From a business standpoint, I didn't really want to lose Bret. He wasn't paying off from a financial standpoint, but I didn't really want to lose Bret.
JR: Certainly the bitterness at the Survivor Series could never be more prevalent. He stands in the ring and spits in your face. Shortly there after he was destroying WWF television equipment. Were you prepared for what happened after the match.
VM: I was disappointed in Bret when he hit me. Very disappointed. Umm, I sustained a concussion, as a result of it. With vision problems to this day. I'll get over it. I didn't think it was the right thing to do. Bret seems to be crowing about that, that I've read, where he feels proud of striking me. And it wasn't a question of a confrontation because even at 52 years old, I dare say that perhaps things would have been a little different if there was a confrontation. I allowed Bret to strike me. I had hoped that he wouldn't. I had hoped that we could sit down and try and work things out as gentlemen. That's what I had really hoped for. But that's not what happened.
JR: Have you considered pressing charges or perusing legal remedies for that situation in his locker room.
VM: I have considered it. I think those options are still available. I'm not perusing it at the moment. I guess it all depends on Bret as to wether or not I do.
JR: If you were only a story writer, and the Survivor Series was only the final chapter in the story of Bret Hart, the WWF years, how would have preferred to write the final chapter?
VM: As a storyteller, I would have hoped that Bret's story would be a dramatic one. I would hope that Bret's story would be one that would give him dignity, that would give him the poise to state that, "I was, maybe, the greatest WWF Superstar ever," in terms of his departure. And one way to be able to give back to the company, being able to give back to those individuals, those superstars, who helped you achieve the level of success that you have, when you know that you are leaving in a time honored tradition, might have been, for argument's sake, that after the most grueling match that Bret ever had in his life, that Bret was pinned. But in that small moment of defeat, Bret would have stood straight up and shown the whole world what a true champion both as a human being and a wrestling persona that he is. And if I had been Bret, if I were writing the story, I can see Bret, after a 1-2-3, simply saying, "Okay," to his opponent, "you got the best of me. I
want to congratulate you. I want to stick my hand out and congratulate you. And furthermore, I want everyone in the whole locker room to watch my match, so that I can show, for those who follow in my footsteps, the way in a time-honored tradition, this is to be done. To show every individual, every secretary, everyone in Titan Sports, the WWF, who counts on me to do the right thing, that I was there, that I was a Superstar, maybe the greatest of ever. And I went out the way a true champion would go out."
JR: Are you able to step back and objectively look at this thing and evaluate your friend, your perhaps former friend Bret Hart, the human being, and have sympathy for this man?
VM: Sympathy? I have no sympathy for Bret whatsoever. None. I have no sympathy for someone who is supposed to be a wrestling traditionalist, not doing the right thing for the business that made him. Not doing the right thing for the fans and the performers and the organization that help make him what he is today. Bret made a very very selfish decision. Bret's going to have to live with that for the rest of his life. Bret screwed Bret. I have no sympathy whatsoever for Bret.
The second part of the interview took place during the second hour of Raw (The War Zone). Here is the complete transcript, again taken from my Raw Report:
Why, Bret why? Part 2. Again, the transcript follows.
JR: This is a crazy question. Would you welcome Bret Hart back? If he said, "You know Vince, I've changed my mind. Can I come back?" Would you allow him to return to the WWF? I mean he spit in your face. Notwithstanding that he destroyed monitors & television equipment. Certainly notwithstanding the fact that he punched you. Would you allow him to ever come back to the WWF if that were an option?
VM: This is a strange business. And, yes I would. We would have to have a real frank understanding. I would want to hear Bret say, "Vince, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be selfish and I just kind of lost it there for a while." And I have no problem saying "Bret, jeez, I'm sorry. That I had to do what I had to do as well." Would I welcome him back? And I would also tell Bret no more free shots. I would want that strictly from a man's standpoint I'd want him to know that. And in the future if we're going to have problems along those lines, yeah, we're going to have them, but no more free shots. Yeah. If Bret could tear up his contract with the other guys right now and return, I would welcome him back under those conditions.
JR: Was his motivation... do you believe his motivations then primarily, he said he didn't leave here for the money.
VM: There were signs in the arena following Survivor Series, "Bret sold out." Bret seems to be sensitive to that subject, that he doesn't want to be know as someone who sold out. I'm proud of the fact that I helped Bret sell out. And that's what Bret did, he sold out. And it's not a big deal because I helped him do it. So, do I think that Bret left for the money? I think that when your making 3 million dollars a year, and you're only working 125 days of that year, I think Bret sold out, and I don't blame him for selling out. I helped him sell out. And I would suggest that they'll be a long line outside the next locker room with wrestlers begging me, "Vince, help me sell out." So, do I think he sold out? Yeah, and every time Bret says "No, I didn't do it for the money," Bret loses credibility.
JR: Did this whole thing affect you more personally or professionally?
VM: From the business side, the WWF will go on beyond Bret Hart. From the personal side, it definitely has affected me. You can't end a 14-year relationship like was ended without having feelings. I regret that I was forced into making the decision that I made. I regret that Bret didn't do the right thing for the business and for himself, because it wouldn't have cost him one dollar less in his deal with Turner. I regret that his fans, if there is such a thing separate from WWF fans, are hurt in any way by any of this. I regret that his family is having to endure this tirade that Bret seems to be on. I regret that a member of my family, my son, had to witness some of this, especially in the locker room. I regret all of that, from a personal standpoint, yet steadfast remain that I made a tough decision that was the right decision for the WWF fans and the WWF superstars that remain here loyal to us.
JR: If you had the opportunity to speak with Bret, and now's not a bad opportunity, because you know he watching. Everybody involved in this situation is watching right now. What would you say to him now?
VM: Probably what I said to him in the locker room. That is, that he made a mistake, that I believe he'll regret from a professional standpoint, didn't have to be made that way. I felt I had to do what I had to do for my company, and our fans, and our superstars that remain here. I am unwavering in that point of view. And perhaps Bret is unwavering in his point of view. And I don't know if we'll ever get together. I hope we will one day. It's too bad that a 14-year relationship was destroyed because one member of that relationship forgot that we're in the Sports Entertainment business. That one member forgot where he came from.
JR: When will you be over this?
VM: I'm over it now. At the same time, Bret has been such a part of the WWF. A part of Bret will always be here in the World Wrestling Federation, and I'm going to remember the good times. I'm going to remember all the things that we did with Bret where he performed to his greatest degree possible, and tell those wonderful stories. I'm going to remember Bret as the Excellence of Execution. It's just too damn bad that in the end, Bret really wasn't the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. And he had that opportunity to live up to that in his final match in the WWF. And he failed.