Bret Hart Speaks - WWE Return, Vince McMahon, 'Mania

Bret Hart did an interview with Slam! Wrestling recently to promote SummerSlam. Some highlights:

On deciding to come back to WWE: "I just woke up one day and realized I would be carrying a tag with (the Screwjob) forever. If I leave it the way it is, it will always be an open wound. Even though we had bridged most of the issues we had and were at least copasetic with each other, I thought if I was ever going to do something like this, I would have start to do it now."

On getting closure at WrestleMania: "It's been a great ride for me. I've had so much fun doing it. I thought the whole thing at Wrestlemania, even though it was just wrestling gaga, was a nice kind of closure for the Hart family. I know my sisters and brothers had a great time playing their parts and watching this whole thing -- one last moment for the Hart family. Who knows there may be more. In a fairytale way I know it's been kind of good. People must wonder what I think, but I know I feel that my brother Owen and my (deceased) Mom and Dad (approve of it). I've felt a sense of encouragement out of nowhere that it was a good thing and to keep going forward; keep trying to make it work. When you really get down and look at it really close you have to figure Vince McMahon always felt badly about what happened to Owen, how things ended up with my family and even with me. I was always involved with everything that happened (after) Owen's death, but the one thing I understood perfectly clear was that it was just a tragic accident. Vince was far removed from that accident as anybody could be, other than the fact it was his show and his company and that kind of stuff. So I thought (coming back) was good for Vince. I thought it was good for the company and good for the wrestlers. I feel like Wayne Gretzky going back to hockey. Everyone is so glad to see me sort of make peace and come back and be part of things.

"With Shawn Michaels I thought that I would have trouble forgiving him and making peace with him, but once I met Shawn and saw the emotion come out of him and how sorry he was and affected he's been all these years carrying that around and that guilt and shame, I just realized that it was good. This whole process has been good for a lot of people and it's mended a lot of hearts, maybe even my own."

"In the end now looking back, I think it's been a really good thing for everybody. I think fans have enjoyed it. I think it's given wrestling a little spark and maybe gave Vince a little bit of a brand in stomping out (rival company Total Nonstop Action) when they were trying to make a presence for themselves."