WWE's Wrestlemania weekend is always jam-packed with surprises, although typically they're surprises the company is in on. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case during Saturday's Hall of Fame ceremony. A fan rushed the ring and tackled WWE legend Bret Hart while he delivered a speech alongside his niece and WWE Superstar Natalya to commemorate the Hart Foundation's induction. WWE released a statement to confirm to fans that the moment wasn't scripted, and the man was removed.
An over-exuberant fan surpassed our security at ringside and made his way briefly into the ring. The individual has been turned over to the proper authorities.
The WWE has been known to pull some pretty convincing stunts that feel real, but this was not one of them. Somehow, the man managed to slip past the scores of superstars and security crowding the ring, and successfully tackled the 61-year-old Bret "The Hitman" Hart to the ground. The live feed for the event cut upon the man making contact with Hart, and returned with wrestlers scattered around the ring, and a commotion that halted the festivities.
While the fans watching the livestream on the WWE Network may have been confused by what happened, viewers at the ceremony quickly realized this wasn't a part of the program. One fan managed to catch all the action WWE cut, and watched as wrestlers swarmed and forcibly removed the man from the ring.
As the tweet shows, the man who entered the ring took quite a bit of damage for doing so. It's hard to tell who all was involved in the scuffle, but one can clearly see UFC fighter and Ronda Rousey's husband Travis Browne land a couple hard hits on the man. If being turned over to the authorities didn't send a message to fans about roughing up former wrestling legends, that surely did.
As far as how Bret Hart was doing following the event, he resumed his speech once the excitement from the event settled down. His niece Natalya commended her uncle on his toughness, especially given all the various medical ailments he's suffered over the years.
I’m so proud of my uncle Bret Hart tonight during our HOF ceremony. Bret is a cancer survivor, a stroke survivor and one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He didn’t deserve to be attacked or have his moment or my dad’s diminished. We got it back on track. Thank you, guys.
As Natalya alluded to, the WWE's induction was a moment meant to honor the legacy of her father Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, who passed in August. Neidhart and his brother-in-law Bret Hart were the original faction of The Hart Foundation, and one of the premiere tag-teams of their era. Though the moment was interrupted, the response of the general audience in attendance in allowing the festivities to move on shows the respect they hold for these wrestlers.
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