In recent weeks, many fans have been hoping to see WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart return to All Elite Wrestling, but this outcome seems unlikely at the moment.
AEW is currently holding the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament in honor of Bret’s late brother, Owen. The men’s and women’s brackets will officially kick off on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Plus, FTR have clearly referenced and paid tribute to “The Hitman” in matches and promo segments, and CM Punk wore Hart’s signature pink-and-black combination on his gear on a recent episode of AEW Dynamite.
But company president Tony Khan has shut down the rumors of Bret making an appearance in AEW, which would mark his first time in an AEW ring since Double or Nothing 2019, when he presented the company’s world title.
In an interview with TSN, Khan stated that Hart will not be returning to AEW right now. He noted that the Hall of Famer himself has noted that he’s “happy at home”. Hart has reportedly signed a contract with WWE, but Khan emphasized his respect for the legend, which is shared by many wrestlers in AEW.
“Not right now. I think Bret himself said that,” Khan said. “First of all, we have a great respect for Bret Hart as a company and as individuals. A lot of the wrestlers here and myself respect Bret Hart as a great person and a great wrestler. He would always be somebody we would treasure whenever he’s around. He was involved in the first Double or Nothing [in 2019, when he unveiled the AEW World Championship for the first time]. He said he’s happy at home right now. It’s a great thing he’s got going and we’ve just got so much respect for Bret Hart.”
The AEW president went on to discuss how Hart’s legacy is prominent in AEW; it was particularly evident in Dax Harwood’s bout with Punk and the tournament qualifier between the two halves of FTR.
“It’s an honor to pay respect to Bret Hart and, of course, and it’s something that Dax and Cash and CM Punk in particular have bonded over and had great matches with each other and with other people along the way – Dustin Rhodes had a great match with CM Punk, also, that I think reminded some people of the matches he had himself with Bret in the past,” Khan said. “Now there’s opportunities ahead for big matches with all of those people.”
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