WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart recently spoke to The Altoona Mirror to promote appearance at tonight’s Big Time Wrestling live event in Altoona, PA. Here are some highlights of what Bret said about:

Wrestling’s Audience Changing In The Late 90’s:

“Wrestling was everything for everyone,” Hart said. “Then it turned to concentrating on certain audiences in the late 90s when the wrestling fans were cheering bad guys, and it wasn’t any fun anymore.

“Grandpa and grandma weren’t going anymore. It wasn’t a family atmosphere. It was guys with beer guts and rednecks; they weren’t good fans. They were just there to get drunk. Not all fans were like that, but it got too rowdy for young kids. Now it’s more acceptable.”

His Brother Owen’s Tragic Death In 1999:

“After dealing with what happened with my brother Owen over the years, I’ve come to see it was a horrible accident, and I don’t think Vince McMahon would want something like that to happen. It wouldn’t be advantageous to anyone.”

“We were hurt by that, though. I don’t think my dad ever got over what happened with Owen. It had a rebound effect with my dad and Davey. I think my dad and Davey would have lived a lot longer if not for Owen dying.”

Jerry Lawler’s Recent Heart Attack:

“It was quite stricken in the locker room, and it was a horrible feeling. It reminded people of what happened with Owen. It was stressful for everyone from Vince McMahon to you name it. Jerry was fighting for his life. His heart stopped for 20 minutes, but those paramedics kept pushing on his chest and really worked hard to save him. Everyone carried on. The WWE should have been applauded for finally doing things the right way.”

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