I’m the forgotten WWE star who wore women’s tights to wrestle in Bret Hart’s last ever match alongside John Cena
Bret Hart wrestled in more than his fair share of iconic matches during his incredible WWE career. The Excellence of Execution was a five-time champion in WWE prior to his controversial departure in 1997 and is still regarded as one of the finest performers of all time. Bret Hart’s last match saw him combine with John CenaWWE Fans still wax lyrical about his masterpieces against his brother Owen at WrestleMania and SummerSlam in 1994, his unforgettable ’97 Mania bout with Steve Austin and his tussle with Rowdy Roddy Piper in 1992. What is perhaps less remembered is the fact that Hart incredibly dusted of his wrestling boots in the 2010s for a short return from wrestling action almost a decade after suffering a stroke. In 2001, years after he believed his wrestling career had been ended due to the lasting impacts of a brutal kick to the head from Goldberg, Hart was riding on his bike when he fell and hit his head. The impact left him totally paralysed on one side of his body and in need of extensive therapy, thoughts of once again grappling in the ring likely a long way from his mind. Having healed the emotional wounds of his WWE exit after the 1997 Survivor Series, however, Hart walked down the aisle once again, memorably feuding against Vince McMahon and even wrestling him at WrestleMania. The 2010-2011 version of the Canadian legend kept his work simple and straight forward on television due to the constraints of a sizable insurance payment, but that didn’t stop him providing more iconic moments. The very final match of The Hitman’s career proved to be one such moment, too. In his home country, he formed a dream team of sorts with the incomparable John Cena as they battled Alberto Del Rio and his sidekick, Ricardo Rodriguez. It was a short but fun affair, with the legends naturally coming out on top, and Hart memorably locking in his famed Sharpshooter to poor Roriguez who, whilst being a trained wrestler in his own right, largely worked in WWE as Del Rio’s personal ring announcer. His irritating style and delivery made him the perfect foil for Del Rio as the villainous pair battled the good guys of the day – Rodgriguez once even wrestling in a Tuxedo. On this night, however, he opted against different attire altogether – wrestling Hart and Cena in a pair of women’s tights, because they were the only set available, and he preferred their outlandish design. Ricardo Rodriguez was better known in WWE for his elaborate ring intros for Alberto Del RioWWE Rodriguez wanted no part of Hart in the match, or Cena for that matterWWE In an interview, Rodriguez recalled: “We were in Ontario that day, we were at the gym, Alberto and I, and then we get a text from [WWE agent] Road Dogg… he said: ‘Hey, tonight, it’s gonna be you and Ricardo against John Cena and Bret Hart.’ “We’re like: ‘Ha’ So we’re waiting for the ‘LOL’, and then it never came.” Rodriguez had his own wrestling gear, but given his on-screen character never wrestled, he had nothing he felt suited the role. He added: “I had my wrestling gear, but Ricardo is not a wrestler. At that gym that we were at they were selling women’s tights and stuff, which I like them a little bit more because they’re more colorful, they have more designs than the men’s, obviously there’s not any men’s tights. “I bought a couple of the female workout tights and I took it to Road Dogg and then he’s like: ‘Yeah, that one.’” The enormity of working alongside Cena was never lost on Rodriguez, but the chance to battle with Hart in Canada of all places was something that blew his mind. Like countless stars before him, Rodriguez succumbed to the SharpshooterWWE He went on to say: “Just the fact that, hey, we’re in Canada, Bret Hart’s about to put me in a sharpshooter. “It was still one of those surreal moments. I remember I was on my back, looking up, thinking: ‘This is cool.’” Though Hart toned things down for TV, he rolled back the years in previous matches in his comeback that weren’t televised, with incredible fan footage showing him a little closer to being back to his best.
Bret Hart wrestled in more than his fair share of iconic matches during his incredible WWE career.
The Excellence of Execution was a five-time champion in WWE prior to his controversial departure in 1997 and is still regarded as one of the finest performers of all time.
Fans still wax lyrical about his masterpieces against his brother Owen at WrestleMania and SummerSlam in 1994, his unforgettable ’97 Mania bout with Steve Austin and his tussle with Rowdy Roddy Piper in 1992.
What is perhaps less remembered is the fact that Hart incredibly dusted of his wrestling boots in the 2010s for a short return from wrestling action almost a decade after suffering a stroke.
In 2001, years after he believed his wrestling career had been ended due to the lasting impacts of a brutal kick to the head from Goldberg, Hart was riding on his bike when he fell and hit his head.
The impact left him totally paralysed on one side of his body and in need of extensive therapy, thoughts of once again grappling in the ring likely a long way from his mind.
Having healed the emotional wounds of his WWE exit after the 1997 Survivor Series, however, Hart walked down the aisle once again, memorably feuding against Vince McMahon and even wrestling him at WrestleMania.
The 2010-2011 version of the Canadian legend kept his work simple and straight forward on television due to the constraints of a sizable insurance payment, but that didn’t stop him providing more iconic moments.
The very final match of The Hitman’s career proved to be one such moment, too. In his home country, he formed a dream team of sorts with the incomparable John Cena as they battled Alberto Del Rio and his sidekick, Ricardo Rodriguez.
It was a short but fun affair, with the legends naturally coming out on top, and Hart memorably locking in his famed Sharpshooter to poor Roriguez who, whilst being a trained wrestler in his own right, largely worked in WWE as Del Rio’s personal ring announcer.
His irritating style and delivery made him the perfect foil for Del Rio as the villainous pair battled the good guys of the day – Rodgriguez once even wrestling in a Tuxedo.
On this night, however, he opted against different attire altogether – wrestling Hart and Cena in a pair of women’s tights, because they were the only set available, and he preferred their outlandish design.
In an interview, Rodriguez recalled: “We were in Ontario that day, we were at the gym, Alberto and I, and then we get a text from [WWE agent] Road Dogg… he said: ‘Hey, tonight, it’s gonna be you and Ricardo against John Cena and Bret Hart.’
“We’re like: ‘Ha’ So we’re waiting for the ‘LOL’, and then it never came.”
Rodriguez had his own wrestling gear, but given his on-screen character never wrestled, he had nothing he felt suited the role.
He added: “I had my wrestling gear, but Ricardo is not a wrestler. At that gym that we were at they were selling women’s tights and stuff, which I like them a little bit more because they’re more colorful, they have more designs than the men’s, obviously there’s not any men’s tights.
“I bought a couple of the female workout tights and I took it to Road Dogg and then he’s like: ‘Yeah, that one.’”
The enormity of working alongside Cena was never lost on Rodriguez, but the chance to battle with Hart in Canada of all places was something that blew his mind.
He went on to say: “Just the fact that, hey, we’re in Canada, Bret Hart’s about to put me in a sharpshooter.
“It was still one of those surreal moments. I remember I was on my back, looking up, thinking: ‘This is cool.’”
Though Hart toned things down for TV, he rolled back the years in previous matches in his comeback that weren’t televised, with incredible fan footage showing him a little closer to being back to his best.
