Hart of Fame: While I understand some of the criticism that’s been leveled at Bret Hart since WWE made the announcement that the Hitman has agreed to appear at WRESTLEMANIA as part of the 2006 Hall of Fame (HOF) inductees, personally I’m happy for everyone involved. (Though given that this year’s HOF inductions fall on April Fools’ Day, initially I wasn’t entirely sure if this wasn’t some kind of lame McMahon swerve.) I believe this is a win-win-win situation for Bret, WWE and the fans.

Sure, Bret comes off egotistical at times and perhaps a little too self-righteous for his own good, but I believe he’s a good man and one of the best workers the industry has ever known. Besides, given the nature of Bret’s “Best There Is….” persona and the quality of his performances over the years, the man’s got the right to be a little egocentric. Granted, WWE’s Hall has about as much true prestige as say, Scott Hall; however, Hart deserves the opportunity to be recognized in front of the fans at WRESTLEMANIA as one of the all-time greats. If anything, Hart’s induction will give him a far more fitting WWE farewell than the Montreal screwjob.

Yes, Hart once swore he’d never be a part of the HOF festivities, but time has healed at least some of the wounds surrounding his WWE departure and the death of Bret’s brother Owen in a WWE ring.

I can’t knock the guy for changing his mind. Now if Bret allows himself to get involved in an angle with Shawn Michaels, I might feel differently, but I doubt that will happen. With his DVD released last fall, and a two-volume bio on the way, now is the perfect time to introduce Bret to a generation of fans who perhaps who only know him as a legends character in WWE video games—a concern he voiced last year. Bret deserves better than that.

Bret’s match with Steve Austin at WRESTLEMANIA XXIII may not have been the best match in WWE history, but it may very well be the most memorable. In a recent poll conducted by author Scott E. Williams (Terry Funk’s book and the new Bill Watts bio, among others) on the wrestlingclassic.com Professional Wrestling message board, Hart was a participant in six of the top 100:

1st: vs. Steve Austin, WRESTLEMANIA XIII, 1997
8th: vs. Owen Hart, WRESTLEMANIA X
12th: vs. Shawn Michaels – Iron Man Match WRESTLEMANIA XII
14th: vs. Davey Boy Smith (SUMMERSLAM 1992 ( Wembley Stadium)
29th: vs. Curt Hennig, SUMMERSLAM 1991
59th: vs. Dynamite Kid – Stampede/84 (Commonwealth title match)

With the exception of the Dynamite Kid bout (which I haven’t seen), those are five of my own personal favorites, along with several Jackie Fargo and midget bouts. (Cough.)

I realize a lot of fans won’t take a WWE HOF seriously until former titlists Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund are in—the latter will eventually happen, while the former will most likely never work with the McMahon family again. In the meantime, one glaring omission—the Excellence of Execution—will take his rightful place in the spotlight again at WRESTLEMANIA. I for one hope this brings Bret some closure, and at the very least, joy. I think he’s earned that.

Chi-Town Heat: The lineup for WRESTLEMANIA 22 in Chicago is shaping up nicely. I’m glad to see Rey Mysterio will receive his high-profile World title opportunity despite a loss to Randy Orton at Sunday’s NO WAY OUT. A Triple Threat bout with Rey, Orton and champ Kurt Angle could be the show’s highlight. It’s going to be interesting to follow the crowd reactions over the following month as the hype builds to a John Cena title defense against Triple H.

A report from a fan live at the arena posted on the OBSERVER site claimed Cena was booed out of the building as RAW cameras turned off during his closing confrontation with Triple H on Monday’s broadcast. Then the fans “left in droves” during the Champ’s 20-minute dark match with Edge. I wouldn’t be as concerned with that, though, because at that point unquestionably the people in the arena picked up on the fact that the real show was over at that point.

I wonder if WWE would have the guts to go ahead and turn Cena as a heel, making the bout that much more intriguing. Nah. You gotta hand it to Trips, though—he couldn’t have picked a better time to ease himself back into the title picture. Edge’s brief ratings success as champ indicates the fans are starved for a change, and Trips has been out of the title picture just long enough that another title reign will be a welcome change. I think there might also be some money down the line in a Triple H/Edge title program if booked correctly.

For the first time in a while, Mick Foley will be in a bout that actually matters, as he returns to WRESTLEMANIA to face Edge, who made the challenge on Monday’s RAW. This program has the potential to lead to a hot bout by April 1, as I would expect some outstanding, intense promos with the two. If Foley’s in good enough shape by then, I think the two could have an outstanding brawl.

Christianity: I documented my concerns about Christian performing on top for TNA as a babyface NWA World champion. I still think he and the company would be better off with a heel Capt. Charisma on top, but Christian’s promo on Saturday night’s IMPACT! on Spike TV was very strong, easily the best of his career—including his heel stuff.

Again, the long-term plan may very well include a heel turn, but in the meantime, Christian might very well make it as a babyface champ for at least a few months. Besides, if they pull the trigger too soon on a turn, it won’t mean as much. The success of his program with Monty Brown, including a PPV title bout at DESTINATION X on March 12, may determine how far they go with Christian in his current role.

Dead on IMPACT!?: While TNA has made strides in rising to the occasion for PPVs, the company still has some fine-tuning before IMPACT! hits primetime on Spike TV on Thursday, April 13. This past week’s show wasn’t bad, thanks to Christian’s promo and a solid Samoa Joe angle with AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels to promote their upcoming Ultimate X bout on PPV. But right now, the show almost has a throwaway WCW SATURDAY NIGHT feel to it—you get the feeling that nothing remotely major’s going to happen on the broadcast. Case in point: Monty Brown enters Christian’s dressing room as the show closes. Didn’t TNA run a similar closing tease just last year with Kevin Nash and Jeff Jarrett? And it was uncreative the first time around. I expect the show to pick up, though, when the group hits primetime and Sting returns.

Dickless Move: WWE has released the Dicks. Sorry—I couldn’t resist.

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