Bret Hart is considered to be one of the most technically sound wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling. The Canadian-born superstar was a beloved name among the audience, but his career in the industry was cut short after an unfortunate incident inside the ring. It was none other than the infamous kick by Goldberg that ended his in-ring career.
This unfortunate spot took place on December 19, 1999, as Bret Hart and Bill Goldberg went one-on-one in the main event of WCW Starrcade from the MCI Center in Washington. During the match, Bret sustained a concussion after being kicked in the head by his opponent, and soon after this, he had to retire from the professional wrestling world.
In his autobiography, Bret Hart talked about what exactly happened and where things went wrong in his match with Bill. The 5-time WWE Champion also shared how the medical experts told him the consequences of the injury. Bret shared that after the match, he flew home to Calgary to visit lauded NHL concussion specialist Dr. Willem Meeuwisse.
This interaction with the doctor after the infamous incident with Goldberg was where Bret Hart got to know about the consequences of the kick to his face. As he suffered a lot of damage due to that particular spot, the expert told him that he’s not going to be able to work a lot in the industry. Eventually, Bret had to call time on his career not long after this chilling conversation about his health.
Bret Hart’s health struggles after the infamous Goldberg kick
As Bret Hart met the doctor after the match with Goldberg, he got to know exactly what had happened to his body. Hart was made aware of the fact that he has suffered a lot of physical damage due to that incident. Talking about it, he shared, “I sat in Dr. Meeuwisse’s office in Calgary. He noticed that I was slurring my words. The doctor said, ‘I can feel a hole in the back of your neck the size of a quarter,’ He felt around the back of my skull.”
“I hate to be the one to have to tell you this, but your career is probably over,” Hart shared how the doctor told him that his in-ring career is over now. It’s obvious that it took him some time to make himself fall in line with this reality, but even after being away from action, Bret struggled a lot with his physical health.
The veteran retired from pro wrestling in 2002, and just two years after, he suffered a stroke and temporary paralysis after a bicycle accident. Facing these two issues gave him a hard time, as it wasn’t easy for him to go from being a popular name in the wrestling world to being someone struggling a lot with health.
In 2016, The Canadian-born superstar underwent surgery after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. All this shows that Bret suffered a lot after the spot he had with Goldberg, and the initial health struggles after the infamous Goldberg kick were the eventual reason for his retirement from professional wrestling.
Goldberg and Bret Hart have their own takes on the unfortunate incident
Bret Hart’s career ended due to the kick by Bill Goldberg, and that’s probably why he has taken digs at Bill on several occasions. In a similar way, he accused Goldberg of being unprofessional during their infamous encounter and also said, “I regret that I got injured by a guy that couldn’t wrestle and has no business being in a Hall of Fame.”
The Canadian-born superstar has blamed Goldberg for being unprofessional in the ring, but Bill Goldberg still regrets being the one to end Bret’s professional career. In fact, he has talked about the spot on several occasions over the years. In an interview in 2016, Bill shared how that spot with Bret Hart was probably the worst moment of his career.
The veteran said, “That will forever go down in history as the biggest mistake that I have ever made in my entire life. For those who haven’t heard me say it, I apologize profusely. God knows I put Bret Hart up on a pedestal where very few sit. The last thing that I ever wished upon him was harm, especially by my own hand.”
These comments from Goldberg showcase how he regrets ending Bret’s in-ring career, but Bret Hart has other thoughts. Thus, it’s evident that Goldberg and Bret Hart have their own takes on the unfortunate incident. But, the thing that this infamous spot is most remembered for is being the moment that ended The Canadian legend’s wrestling career.