Hitman has no plans to follow Ventura
By SCOTT PATTISON -- Edmonton Sun
The House of Commons may be in Bret (Hitman) Hart's future, but he
has no plans for now to follow another wrestling legend into the political
ring.
"I always believe you should never say never to anything," said Hart,
referring to Jesse Ventura, who is now governor of Minnesota following a
successful wrestling career.
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Bret Hart puts the squeeze on Sun editorial cartoonist Fred Curatolo and
editorial writer Mike Jenkinson to buy copies of his book yesterday. -- Tom Braid, Edmonton Sun
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"Joe Clark was chumming it up with me pretty good the last time he was
through the area," said Hart.
"But Canadians are safe for now."
Hart was in Edmonton yesterday to promote his book, Bret Hitman Hart - The
Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be. He also paid
The Sun a visit.
Hart was forced to put his wrestling career on hold following a series of
concussions, the most serious of which occurred during a Dec. 21, 1999, match
against Bill Goldberg in Washington, D.C.
Hart was kicked in the head during the match, which put his health in
jeopardy, not to mention a 16-year wrestling career.
"It doesn't look good right now," acknowledged Hart, who went through a
battery of tests in June. 'They never cleared me to go back."
Hart is hopeful a second set of tests will give him the green light to
return to the ring.
"If they see some improvement I may be able to come back," said Hart.
"But my gut feeling is it won't happen.
"And I won't jeopardize my health. I don't want to end up with slurred
speech the rest of my life."
Alberta's famous wrestling son said he was hoping to hold a farewell tour,
but he isn't about to put his life at risk for an occupation that claimed the
life of his brother, Owen.
"The fact they (WWF) carried on with the event after Owen's accident was
absolutely brutal," he said, referring to the fateful May 1999 match in a
Kansas City, Missouri, arena, when a suspension rope holding his brother high
above the arena floor snapped, sending the Calgary-born wrestler to his death.
The tragedy rocked his family, especially his father, Stu, his sons'
wrestling mentor, said Hart.
"My mother has made peace with it now, but my father has been the hardest
hit by Owen's death," he said.
"My father always had a passion for it (wrestling), but Owen's death has
ruined that."
