Page 3 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

On the eve of his appearance

at HYPE Athletics in Wayne,

famed wrestler Bret "Hitman"

Hart opens up about his life in

the ring—and outside of it

By Courtney Conover
When one thinks of a wrestler, big
muscles are a given. “It’s really obvious and
But a soft heart?
Perhaps not so much. clear today that autism is
But on Friday, October 13, 2023,
both will converge at Wayne’s HYPE on a lot of people’s minds,
Athletics when Champion for a and it’s something that
Cause Promotions Presents The Hart
of the Matter featuring five-time everyone has to better
world champion and hall of famer
Bret "The Hitman" Hart. understand.”
The family-friendly event, which
is slated to run from 7:30 p.m. until Bret Hart
10 p.m., promises to create an expe-
rience like no other and will include
the likes of The "Man Beast" Rhino,
The Motor City Machine Guns, The
"One-Legged Wonder" Zach Gowen,
"The Dearborn Destroyer Karam
Alame, and many more.
That’s a lot of muscle.
Here’s where the heart comes in:
The proceeds from ticket sales and
sponsorships will be donated to the
Fredi the Pizzaman Foundation. The
foundation’s mission is to build sen-
sory rooms in public schools, creat- Five-time world champion and hall of famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart taking on WWE Legend Rick Flair.
ing safe spaces for students with
autism to learn, grow, and thrive. popped up was something…unusual: booker, promoter, coach, trainer, to become a professional wrestler.
“It’s really obvious and clear A Starbucks worker claimed that football player and sailor. Did you He really pressured me to become
today that autism is on a lot of peo- you made his rather dismal day feel the weight of comparison on an Olympic amateur wrestler, and I
ple’s minds, and it’s something that when he fulfilled your “crazy” break- your shoulders? did everything I could to stop that
everyone has to better understand,” fast order. Did that really happen? I BH: I think it was a little bit of from happening. One was a lot
says Bret Hart. “It’s important that have to ask because, as we all know both. I realized as a kid that my dad harder than the other.
we do all we can about awareness of by now, you can’t believe everything walked in a big pair of shoes, and he CC: How—and at what point in
autism. Fredi’s charity is such a you read on the Internet. was an infamous guy in the your career—did you snag your nick-
good cause, so when I was asked, I Bret Hart: I think that’s a made- [wrestling] business. He was well-re- name?
was happy to do it.” up story. But I’m kind of a coffee nut, spected in the wrestling world. And BH: I owe all that to [Thomas]
In anticipation of this spectacular so I have a standard Starbucks cof- as I got older, I started realizing that “The Hitman” Hearns, the boxer. It’s
event, Hart sat down with The Wayne fee order. I like a café Americano— I had a chance to walk in my dad’s kind of a funny story…I remember
Dispatch to share a glimpse into his with four shots and room for cream shoes—as best I could. I kind of my old wrestling manager “The
world in anticipation of this worthy because I like to put it in myself. think I knew when I was young that Mouth of The South” Jimmy Hart,
event. CC: Let’s rewind and go back to I was going to be the biggest of all the my brother-in-law Jim “The Anvil”
Courtney Conover: So, in prepa- the beginning. You’re the son of the boys in my family—my dad used to Neidhart, and I were forming a tag
ration for this interview, I googled late Stu Hart, a Canadian amateur tell me that I had the biggest hands
you. And among the articles that and professional wrestler, wrestling as a kid. My dad never pressured me See Hart, page 4
The Wayne Dispatch · October 2023 · 3