Title:

"Who are you to doubt El Dandy?"

Worker(s):

Bret Hart,?Gene Okerlund

Date:

25.01.1999

Promotion:

World Championship Wrestling

Event:

WCW Monday NITRO #176?(Card with guide)

[Gene Okerlund is backstage with Bret Hart]

Gene Okerlund:?"With the announcement earlier on, from president Ric Flair of World Championship Wrestling, I've set up camp back in the locker room area, with this man Bret 'The Hitman' Hart and, as you heard earlier on, 'The Nature Boy' Ric Flair, as President of WCW, announcing a mandatory United States Title defence for Bret 'The Hitman' Hart. That's coming up on February the 21st, at Superbrawl. Tonight, however, in a non-title bout, you've got Booker T-- you've got a full plate here, I must say!"

Bret Hart:?"You know, I don't know what Ric Flair's problem is, you know? You know I've always been a jam-up guy, I've always been-- I've always been a guy who's never ducked anything, anybody, any time, anywhere. Now Ric Flair... Y'know this is a case of a guy who's carrying around a grudge. He's had a grudge against me since I've come here and ya know, that's fine. He wants to throw me in the ring tonight with Booker T-- who is Booker T?! Who is this guy to even have a match with me, let alone a non-title match - cos he's a loser! He's not going to get a title shot; you can forget about that!

Gene Okerlund:?"Well he is not a loser, you kn--"

Bret Hart:?"He's a LOSER. Now Booker T, I wanna 'axe' you a question: Have you got the guts to step in the ring with 'The Excellence of Execution' tonight? Do you know that your life is on the line? Your career is on the line - all the little kids at home, they're gonna watch me tear you up and break you into little pieces, is that what you want?! I'm sure that's what Ric Flair wants.

Gene Okerlund:?"Well, I'll tell you one thing about Booker T; this man has held numerous titles in World Championship Wrestling, and there's a guy that we-- would be deserving of a chance at your United States Title."

Bret Hart:?"Let me tell you about who deserves a shot at the United States Heavyweight Title--"

Gene Okerlund:?"Let's hear it!"

Bret Hart:?"--I'm the champion, I oughtta know. You know I been, I been sizing up guys since I came to the WCW, and I think the one guy that stands out the most, the guy that I think has EARNED a title shot: El Dandy, I think you're a heck of a wrestler, you're a great technician in the ring, and you're a jam-up guy, I don't see any reason--"

Gene Okerlund:?"Whoa, wait a minute. El Dandy has been wrestling in- in the Cruiserweight division here! Please."

Bret Hart:?"He's a great wrestler."

Gene Okerlund:?"He's a great wrestler, but my goodness sakes, there's fifty pounds difference--"

Bret Hart:?"Who are you to- to doubt El Dandy? Cos this guy's a serious professional."

Gene Okerlund:?"Well let's talk about some serious contenders--"

Bret Hart:?"How about Hypnosis? Let's throw that name--"

Gene Okerlund:?"Psicosis?! Psicosis?"

Bret Hart:?"Whatever, whatever, he's a great wrestler. You know, you can say what you want, you can try and tear these guys down and take them down but--"

Gene Okerlund:?"Psicosis is- is also--"

Bret Hart:?"He's a high-flyer of the highest magnitude! And this guy's a serious--"

Gene Okerlund:?"Yes but he's still a cruiserweight! Let's, let's get--"

Bret Hart:?"OK, how about Dean Malenko? I was gonna give him a title shot - he was a big man, he wanted to injure me. Hey! Come injure me now, ya little punk! He's sitting at home with some kind of hokey injury. This?[pointing to his groin]?is a real injury Dean Malenko, this is a groin pull the likes you've never seen in your whole life!"

Gene Okerlund:?"Well he, right now, is nursing a very BAD sprained ankle. And as far as that groin pull, you know people that compete in football, in basketball, a lot of champions have to play hurt."

Bret Hart:?"Oh yeah, so what are you saying I won't play hurt? I'll play hurt - I'm gonna play hurt tonight! And I'm gonna take this, uh, 'Booker T', and show exactly what I said a minute ago; he doesn't deserve a title shot! And Ric Flair, you can go ahead and bring up your grudge - you got some kind of a grudge on me - you can, you can try and force me into situations, you're gonna put me in a-- in a title match against whomever you want, whenever you want, that's fine, Ric Flair. That's fine, because you know why you're jealous of me? It's cos I beat you! I beat you the day I came in, and I beat you every time I stepped in the ring with you, and you just got a grudge against me, that's all."?[see Note 1]

Gene Okerlund:?"Make no mistake about it, on February--"

Bret Hart:?"Am I right?!"

Gene Okerlund:?"--the 21st--"

Bret Hart:?"Am I right?!"

Gene Okerlund:?"--in Oakland--"

Bret Hart:?"Ya, I'm right."

Gene Okerlund:?"--you're going to be facing somebody, and that US Title will be on the line Mr. Hart!"?[see Note 2]

Bret Hart:?"Whatever."

Gene Okerlund:?"Thank you very much."

- Note 1: While this is not strictly true, Hart does have a remarkable record against?Ric Flair?facing him at least 58 times, and?claiming victory in all but a handful of contests, including (as he states here) his WCW debut at?Souled Out 1998.

- Note 2: The planned title match did not go ahead, as?Hart dropped the belt to Roddy Piper two weeks later. In the February 15th 1999 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer attributed the change in direction to "political infighting". Instead of the planned match at Superbrawl, new champion Piper defended the title against?Scott Hall?in a contest that was?not well regarded.

Sadly?El Dandy?never received his proposed US title shot.