Here are some pertinent quotes from his Slam Wrestling interview:
“I just woke up one day and realized I would be carrying a tag with (the Screwjob) forever. If I leave it the way it is, it will always be an open wound. Even though we had bridged most of the issues we had and were at least copasetic with each other, I thought if I was ever going to do something like this, I would have start to do it now.”
“Vince is getting older, I’m getting older and the whole story line, the whole angle and the whole issue with me and Vince and the screwjob in Montreal is fading from memory a little bit and the only thing that people remember is that I was kind of bitter about it. I decided this is the time to at least open the door and say let’s work something out that would be good for all of us and give me something to do for the next little while. I knew there was some money attached to the whole thing and wrestling fans would maybe clamor to get closure to this thing would be a big deal.”
“It’s been a great ride for me. I’ve had so much fun doing it. I thought the whole thing at Wrestlemania, even though it was just wrestling gaga, was a nice kind of closure for the Hart family. I know my sisters and brothers had a great time playing their parts and watching this whole thing — one last moment for the Hart family. Who knows there may be more. In a fairytale way I know it’s been kind of good. People must wonder what I think, but I know I feel that my brother Owen and my (deceased) Mom and Dad (approve of it). I’ve felt a sense of encouragement out of nowhere that it was a good thing and to keep going forward; keep trying to make it work. When you really get down and look at it really close you have to figure Vince McMahon always felt badly about what happened to Owen, how things ended up with my family and even with me. I was always involved with everything that happened (after) Owen’s death, but the one thing I understood perfectly clear was that it was just a tragic accident. Vince was far removed from that accident as anybody could be, other than the fact it was his show and his company and that kind of stuff. So I thought (coming back) was good for Vince. I thought it was good for the company and good for the wrestlers. I feel like Wayne Gretzky going back to hockey. Everyone is so glad to see me sort of make peace and come back and be part of things.
“With Shawn Michaels I thought that I would have trouble forgiving him and making peace with him, but once I met Shawn and saw the emotion come out of him and how sorry he was and affected he’s been all these years carrying that around and that guilt and shame, I just realized that it was good. This whole process has been good for a lot of people and it’s mended a lot of hearts, maybe even my own.”
“In the end now looking back, I think it’s been a really good thing for everybody. I think fans have enjoyed it. I think it’s given wrestling a little spark and maybe gave Vince a little bit of a brand in stomping out (rival company Total Nonstop Action) when they were trying to make a presence for themselves.”
And on his current run:
“What I’m doing is more of a theatrical or speaking part now. That’s fine. Because of my concussions and my stroke to memorize lines that are given to you 20 minutes before you walk out and to try to pull that off without any blips is a challenge every night. I really hunker down and I study everything and I give my best shot out there all the time. I’m happy with the job I’ve done. Every week I show up it’s all a throwback into my stroke and the resisting of it.”
“I prepared myself for the simple fact I could bomb and take down my image a notch or two and people would look at me and feel sorry for me almost. I feared that. I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I want to come back and make people proud of me. The biggest thing I’ve got from people is taking that step forward to sort of forgive everybody.”
For the full interview, click here.
