Images via: BH-Uncle Dax on Twitter, BG-Wallpaper Access
FTR have never made it a secret that they are ultimate fans of Bret Hart. For a while there, the internet was ablaze with rumors that Bret would somehow manage them on TV, but alas those rumors were shut down by Bret himself and understandably so.
Despite this though, he did manage them for one night onlyโฆat an event that was held last Friday in Webster, MA. It was at the event that FTR went 2-on-2 with none other than Brian Pillman Jr. and Brock AndersonโฆHart has a history with both of the young performersโ fathersโฆespecially Brian Pillman, who was a part of the legendary Hart Foundation. Arn AndersonโBrockโs fatherโwas also on hand at the event, which was quite special as well.
via We R Wrestling /YouTube
It was as they spoke to Sports Illustrated that FTR talked about what the night meant to the both of them.
Harwood: โThat night was a culmination of a journey thatโs been ongoing for more than 30 yearsโฆI was watching the King of the Ring pay-per-view 29 years ago, where I got to see Bret Hart wrestle three matches and tell three different stories that night. Thatโs also the night I told my mother I was going to be a pro wrestlerโฆ
Overcoming all those odds and getting to perform with my heroโnot just my favorite wrestler, but my lifetime heroโit was the greatest night of my career. If you saw me smiling, itโs because I couldnโt hide that look on my faceโฆ
We asked Bret if we could finish the match with a triple sharpshooterโฆBret said, โI havenโt done a sharpshooter in 10 years.โ Then he paused, thought about it, and said, โBut Iโll try it.โ It didnโt go the way he wanted, but he fโโ tried it. Thatโs the type of man he isโฆ
He believes in us, and he wanted to make that moment as special as possible. He felt that weโve given something to him, and he wanted to give back to us.โ
Wheeler also made some statementsโฆthat same awe factor surrounding the whole event resonating in his voice just as much as it did Harwoodโsโฆ
Wheeler: โThe match was good, but nothing will top the moment. Thatโs what meant everything to meโฆIt would have been cool to have that moment on TV, but Iโm glad it was just that one nightโฆItโs going to be with us for the rest of our lives. My only regret is that we couldnโt pause time.โ
via SI /Wrestling Inc (Transcription) โ link above
FTR are the current ROH Tag Team Champions and they won the match on Friday night against Pillman Jr. and Brock Anderson, and with a pair of epically executed sharpshooters to boot. And what made it all the more special was that they did this in front of their hero. In the end, a special moment for fans of FTR, Bret Hart and perhaps pro wrestling as a wholeโฆa great moment indeed.
Domenic Marinelli is an author and freelance writer/journalist. His work has appeared in The Sportster, E-Wrestling News, Pro Wrestling News Hub, CFL News Hub, XFL News Hub, Ringside News, Daily DDT, USFL News Hub, Slam Wrestling, as well as other print and internet publications. He is the author of Generic V, Summer of the Great White Wolf, His Old Tapes (stories & poetry), Across a Dark River in Palermo and so many others. He lives in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. https://linktr.ee/AuthorDomenicMarinelli