Bret Hart Reveals What Advice He Would Give His Younger Self

Bret Hart has a simple bit of advice that he would tell his younger self, as he noted in a recent interview. The wrestling legend has had his share of ups and downs both during and since the end of his career and has been part of some of the biggest moments in wrestling history — even when sometimes he rather would not have been.

Hart was asked during his interview with the Johnny I Pro Show what he would tell his younger self and said it would be to be kinder to his knees (advice all of us over 40 can name as good advice, frankly). He also talked about how he made himself proud in his career. You can see highlights below:

On What He Would Tell His Younger Self:

“I think I would just try to tell myself to try to take it easier on my knees. You know, to be honest, I think I was in WWE — probably in the ’80s — and I had a doctor check my knees, or evaluate my knees. And he told me I had the knees of an 80-year-old man then. He was like, ‘You’re going to have metal knees in a couple years.’

“And I remember thinking, ‘They’re working fine.’ And it’s like, he was right, you know? There is a price to pay for all the wrestling that you do. And you know, I think that’s what you got to live with the most, I guess.”

On If He Made Himself Proud:

“Yeah, I know I did. I’ve always been really proud. I think you can detect that in almost all my bragging that I talk about. ‘I’m the best there is, best there was, greatest ever.’ I don’t know that you can ever say anybody was the greatest in wrestling. But I know that I gave so much and tried so hard to make it appear real. And I have a hard time today when it’s not — I don’t think those values are carried forward. And they’re moving on in a different direction now where wrestling is starting to become hokey. It doesn’t try to be real anymore. It tries to be unreal, like too outrageously.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Johnny I Pro Show with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.