Bret Hart reacts to WWE Raw appearance, CM Punk-Drew McIntyre callback

Bret Hart is thankful for the reaction he received from his hometown crowd on WWE Raw last month.

On the September 9 episode of Raw, Hart returned to WWE programming for the first time since 2022. He appeared at the Saddledome in Calgary and took part in a promo segment with World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and Sami Zayn.

Hart was a guest at the Vancity Card Show in Vancouver last weekend. While speaking with The Wrestling Classic, Hart explained that his WWE Raw return came together with just a few days of advance notice. It was a special experience for Hart to appear in front of the Calgary fans.

“Maybe four or five days ahead of time. I found out — they called and asked me if I wanted to go down. I was like, ‘What else am I doing?’ But, yeah, it was really special,” Hart said. “I didn’t expect that kind of reaction. Of course, it’s been a long time since I walked out in front of a Calgary crowd.”

Also during his interview with The Wrestling Classic, Hart was asked if he noticed CM Punk and Drew McIntyre’s tribute to him at Bad Blood earlier this month. During their Hell in a Cell match, Punk put a bloody McIntyre in the Sharpshooter — a callback to Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.

“I did notice it,” Hart responded. “I thought it was — I always take those as sort of a nod of respect. So I like it and I appreciate it, but it still wasn’t as good as my Austin match [smiles].”

Hart said the best match of his career was that WrestleMania 13 bout against Austin.