In the April edition of the WWE Magazine, there is an interview with recently retired superstar Shawn Michaels. Here are his comments on Bret Hart as per WWE.com:
On his feelings before the reconciliation: Nervous excitement. It was one of those situations in which you’re hoping everything goes well, but acknowledging the possibility that it might not. I saw Bret backstage before the show. We talked briefly, and one of the first things we said to each other was, “How did everything go so wrong?†I was really, truly excited to see and talk with him. And it seemed like, ironically, all we talked about were the times when we did get along. Age, wisdom and time give you the opportunity to focus on the good more than the bad, and I think we were both in that mind-set. It was almost like a homecoming, which meant a lot to both of us. We’d both been carrying around some pretty heavy stuff for a long time, and it was really great to see each other, talk and, finally, put it all behind us.
On whether it was surreal: It was. I hadn’t communicated with Bret since Montréal, 12 years ago. That was the last time we interacted. I saw him when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but only from a distance. I would have loved to talk then, but it wasn’t something he was ready to do at the time.
On the event’s importance: Sometimes, you have to do your best to say, “Oh, this is only entertainment.†But there’s another part of you that knows you’re creating a significant piece of history. WWE means a lot to many people, and the division between Bret and me is a piece of its history. We knew that we were creating closure, not just for us, but for everyone.
On whether they would have made up off camera: Yes, I believe we would have. Backstage at Raw, we did talk, but we kept it brief. We wanted to preserve the spontaneity and the purity of emotion we were both feeling. I knew that there were plans to get Bret to come back, and I hoped he would. I’m glad we got to do it face-to-face. Texting or talking on the phone doesn’t compare to a face-to-face conversation, especially considering the magnitude of the differences between us.
On what he whispered during the hug: That’s something I’ll keep between Bret and myself. There are things better left private, and that’s one of them. If Bret feels comfortable explaining what I said, I’m OK with that. But, from my point of view, I just wanted to tell him something from the heart, and that’s what I did.
On remaining issues: Montréal was huge. But it was more monumental to people watching from the outside. It was far more uncomfortable for the viewers than everybody else. Right after it happened, I talked with Davey and Owen. Whenever I see Davey’s wife, Diana, we get along. I’ve always had a good relationship with the Hart family, and I think that’s one thing that threw Bret off. How could I go so quickly from being a nice guy to this petty, bloodthirsty son of a gun? That’s something I struggled with for a long time. I didn’t understand it, so it’s perfectly understandable that Bret didn’t either.
