Bret Hart says he’s not sure how Hulk Hogan actually got a black eye ahead of WrestleMania IX, but he’s not going to take Hogan’s word for it.
Hart spoke with TMZ ahead of the premiere of WWE’s new WrestleMania IX documentary. That event, which took place in Las Vegas, was infamous for multiple reasons. Hulk Hogan showed up after Hart lost the main event match (and his WWE Championship) to Yokozuna, and won an impromptu match to win the title from the behemoth. Hogan also had a very noticeable black eye, the source of which has been contested over the years.
The most popular story is that Hulk Hogan was in a jet-skiing accident before the event. Another rumor suggests that “Macho Man” Randy Savage was the one who hit Hogan, giving him the black eye. Bret Hart told TMZ that he remembers what Hogan looked like, but doesn’t remember much else about the incident. Hart added that he’s more inclined to believe someone like Randy Savage’s account, because Hogan always had a problem with telling the truth.
Bret Hart says Hulk Hogan has never been a reliable source
“You know, I don’t remember much of it other than hearing about it and sorta seeing it. I never knew what happened, and I still don’t. Hulk Hogan’s always been such a liar, you never know [if he’s telling the truth]. Whatever he tells you, it’s probably not true,” Hart said. “Macho Man, I’d go by his account of things. Macho Man was a much more reliable [narrator], he’s a guy that really spoke the truth. But I don’t remember [exactly what happened].
“[Hogan] isn’t the first guy to show up in the dressing room with a black eye, it’s not like it doesn’t happen,” Hart continued. “I can think of lots of situations where someone showed up with a long tale about how they ended up with a shiner or worse. So, it wasn’t the first time it happened, although I will say it ended up being a pretty good shiner.”
How did Hulk Hogan actually get the black eye?
During the documentary, Hogan, Brutus Beefcake and Jimmy Hart all claim the jet ski incident was legitimate. However, others like Scott Steiner said that Savage admitted he hit Hogan. Steiner said he didn’t see it, but believed Savage’s side and noted that he wasn’t happy about it, either.
Hogan was shown a clip of Steiner’s answer and said that he can’t change people’s minds, despite already telling them the truth.
“Interesting. I guess he bought the story Randy told him,” Hulk Hogan replied. “I never had a fight with Randy. If they still want to believe it after you tell them what really happened, fine with me.”
Hogan says he accidentally pushed a button that made his jet ski’s nose stay down while traveling at a high rate of speed. He hit a big swell and went up, but got thrown back at the water and towards the jet-ski. Hogan said he tried to cover up, but his life jacket kept him above water as the watercraft hit him in the face and knocked him out.
WrestleMania IX: Becoming a Spectacle is streaming on Peacock now.
