Bret Hart, who is considered one of the all-time greats in professional wrestling, has always been willing to express his opinion regarding the modern state of wrestling. The Hall of Famer is known for his exceptional technical ability and his storytelling in the ring. But he recently took a veiled shot at wrestling today, specifically AEW.
During a recent conversation with Ariel Helwani, Hart stated that most of AEW stars are actors that are pretending to be wrestlers. This comment incited a lot of fans and insiders discussed about the relative talents of wrestling compared to the importance of the story being told through character and gimmick.
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Context and Background
Bret Hart, a wrestler from a family of wrestling wrestlers, was among WWE’s leading stars in the 1980s and 1990s. Hart’s excellence was his technical wrestling ability; his matches stressed in-ring psychology, storytelling, and realism. Hart played an important role in the evolution of wrestling as it blended from the cartoonish excess of the 1980s to the gritty and more athletic style of the late 1990’s.
But, wrestling has changed a lot since Bret Hart’s time. A lot of promotions in this day and age, including AEW, have incorporated high-impact action in conjunction with theatrical storytelling. Character development, scripted promo interviews, and social media engagement is a much bigger part of wrestling in 2023 than it was in Hart’s era.
In particular, AEW has a balance of old-school wrestling and continues modern sports entertainment. The company features different in-ring styles with a focus on indie wrestling influences.
Although AEW has enjoyed popularity, it has frequently come under criticism for its sometimes haphazard presentation, rare focus on story-telling in the ring, and matches filled with high spots. Hart’s remarks appear to take aim at AEW for looking unlike what he thinks of as “real wrestling”.
The Specific Comments
At the time of the interview, Bret Hart openly offered some of his opinions regarding AEW’s style:
“Mostly actors pretending to be wrestlers. They should get onto legitimate wrestling and stop acting.”
When evaluating what Hart seems to be saying, we can note a few major points:
“Actors pretending to be wrestlers” – This indicates that Hart believes AEW is putting scripted acting over in-ring wrestling ability, and the promotion does have plenty of elite talent. However, the style in AEW appears to be increasingly shaped by overdrawn angles and stories featuring promos as a lead-in to the competitive part of the program.
“I’m ready for the real wrestling” – Hart emphasizes going back to a more old school wrestling style. Hart has always been a proponent of technical wrestling and storytelling through the wrestler’s actions as opposed to being over-dramatic, or character work.
“Stop acting so much” – This suggests that Hart believes AEW wrestlers are too focused on “character work” or being dramatic and freakishly animated, and are not focused on good wrestling and performances.
Reactions and Analysis
Bret Hart’s comments prompted differing opinions within the pro wrestling community. Many fans who have been following Hart for years (and grew up watching his matches) agreed with his summation. They believe today’s wrestling prioritize spectacle over wrestling fundamentals in their storytelling and ring work. Others suggested wrestling has to change to stay relevant. AEW is a pro wrestling company with a mix of athleticism and storytelling with a fiercely loyal fanbase.
AEW supporters highlight that Bret Hart era also had its fair share of spectacle and theatrics in the “sports entertainment” or “wrestling” portion of their shows, which arguably made it popular for years; after all, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin were theatrical larger-than-life characters in ring, so Bret Hart is probably guilty of creating to much spectacle for many characters/angles throughout his career.
A significant issue raised in the debate is the distinction between wrestling storytelling and acting. Wrestling has operated as a storytelling medium since its inception, via “the physicality in the ring, promos, and character development.” The point of contention is this—has AEW blurred this line too much?
AEW detractors maintain that the promotion, at times, favors viral moments and scripted drama at the expense of the sport. Match sequences are carefully worked out in advance that often leads to a sense of premature exhaustion. AEW fans state that AEW wrestlers are too focused on performing moves rather than telling a story through the moves.
In contrast, advocates believe that the evolution of wrestling is necessary in order for the business to survive. Wrestlers are now social media personalities, communicating with fans in ways Bret Hart didn’t contemplate. This has changed the way stories are told. Even though wrestling matches still matter, character work and promo ability is likely more important than it ever has been.
Is AEW Really More “Acting” Than Wrestling?
AEW has certainly taken a modern approach to professional wrestling, using cinematic storytelling, social media feuds, and various styles of matches. However, AEW also has some of the best wrestlers in the business such as Bryan Danielson, Kenny Omega, and FTR, who focus on technical wrestling and psychology inside the ring.
Hart’s remarks may come to do with his affinity for wrestling as a sport, not entertainment. However, wrestling has always been elements of both together. WWE and AEW both fit their shows with some drama in the presentation, and NJPW has done the same. AEW at this point in time fits wrestlers from the WWE who may not have been compatible with a well-structured organized system as WWE has, to flourish in a more casual, liberal creative environment.
Bret Hart assessment of AEW speaks to a larger conversation around modern wrestling. There’s plenty of validity in his worries about the focus on spectacle, but it can also be pointed out that wrestling is, and always has been, an art that evolves over time. AEW has ushered in new life into the industry with its combination of high-flying athleticism, indie style wrestling, and modern storytelling.
In the end, wrestling is subjective. Some consider certain aspects superfluous, while others view them as important to overall entertainment. Bret Hart comments serve as a reminder that, whatever changes occur in wrestling, we should never forget the basic fundamentals of good storytelling in the ring. Debate will remain whether AEW leans too far into acting, but one thing is for sure, Bret Hart will always have a voice in the wrestling world.
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Vijay Suyal 
Reddaveni Saisneha