The Setup  

One of WCW’s biggest misfires was the poor utilization of Bret Hart once he jumped from the WWF. WCW’s real-life competition showed every week that Bret had never submitted his WWF title. What did WCW do? How about not giving him a WCW world title match for well into his second year with the promotion. Between that, sporadic appearances early on, an ill-fated heel turn where he became Hulk Hogan’s “protector”, and trading the US title with DDP and Lex Luger, Bret was all the way fucked in WCW right out the gates.

I asked our dear wrestling booking friend, ChatGPT, to lay out Bret’s first real year in WCW and include his record on PPV and TV. Then, I asked the bot to fantasy book an alternative – and hopefully more productive – universe for Bret Hart.  

Bret Hart’s First Year in WCW

December 1997

• Dec 15, Nitro: Bret debuts, saying he’ll referee at Starrcade.

• Dec 28, Starrcade: Referees Bischoff vs. Zbyszko (decides Bischoff loses, WCW keeps Nitro). Later restarts Sting vs. Hogan after the controversial “fast count,” siding with Sting.

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January 1998

• Jan 5, Nitro: Bret declares support for WCW against the nWo.

• Jan 24, Souled Out: Defeats Ric Flair cleanly by submission.

• Jan 26, Nitro: Celebrates victory; teased as WCW’s “hero.”

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February 1998

• Mostly promos; teased alliances with WCW stars like Flair.

• No official PPV match at SuperBrawl VIII.

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March 1998

• Mar 15, Uncensored: Defeats Curt Hennig (w/ Rick Rude).

• Positions himself as WCW’s enforcer against nWo interference.

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April 1998

• Apr 6, Nitro: Bret cuts promo criticizing WCW and Hogan alike.

• Apr 20, Nitro: Turns heel—helps Hogan beat Savage for the WCW Title, aligning with nWo Hollywood (though framed as an “associate,” not a full member).

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May 1998

• May 17, Slamboree: Defeats Randy Savage via Sharpshooter, but Hogan interfered; the decision is reversed to a Savage DQ win on Nitro by Piper (special referee).

• Bret is now firmly heel, feuding with WCW loyalists.

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June 1998

• Jun 14, Great American Bash: Teams with Hogan to defeat Savage & Piper.

• On Nitro/Thunder, feuds with Sting and the Horsemen heat up, teasing a Sting program.

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July 1998

• Jul 6, Nitro (Georgia Dome): Appears during the historic Goldberg vs. Hogan Nitro.

• Jul 12, Bash at the Beach: Loses to Booker T by DQ in a TV Title match (not U.S. Title as often misremembered).

• Jul 20, Nitro: Defeats Diamond Dallas Page to win the vacant U.S. Heavyweight Title (thanks to Giant’s interference).

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August 1998

• Aug 10, Nitro: Loses the U.S. Title to Lex Luger.

• Aug 13, Thunder: Regains the title from Luger.

• Bret now enters a title defense run against DDP and Sting.

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September 1998

• Sep 13, Fall Brawl: In WarGames, represents nWo Hollywood. The match ends when DDP pins Stevie Ray; Team WCW wins.

• Nitro/Thunder: Bret feuds with Sting, targeting him ahead of Havoc.

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October 1998

• Oct 25, Halloween Havoc: Defends U.S. Title vs. Sting; wins after brutal chair shots leave Sting unconscious (kayfabe injury).

• Oct 26, Nitro (next night): Loses the U.S. Title to Diamond Dallas Page in a rematch.

• Continues chasing DDP, now as the main rival.

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November 1998

• Nov 22, World War 3: Challenges DDP for the U.S. Title but loses.

• Nov 30, Nitro: Defeats DDP in a No DQ match (with Giant’s interference) to regain the U.S. Title.

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December 1998

• Starrcade (Dec 27): Pulled from in-ring action due to a groin injury. Appears during Giant vs. DDP, accidentally hits Giant with a chair.

• Ends 1998 as the reigning U.S. Champion and aligned with nWo Hollywood.

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Overall Year 1 Summary (Dec ’97–Dec ’98)

• PPV matches: 6 (4 wins, 2 losses/DQ finishes, no clean pinfall losses)

• Titles held: WCW U.S. Title (3x in 1998)

• Biggest angles:

• Debut & referee role at Starrcade ‘97

• Heel turn helping Hogan (Apr 1998)

• U.S. Title wins/losses vs. DDP, Luger

• Major feuds with Savage, Sting, and DDP

• Closing 1998 as U.S. Champion, part of nWo Hollywood

Total U.S. Title Reigns in 1998: 3

Combined Days as Champion (1998): ~ 98 days

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📊 Overall Match Record (Dec 1997 – Dec 1998)

• Total Matches: ~24 (Nitro, Thunder, PPV)

• Wins: 13

• Losses: 8

• Draws/No Contest: 3

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Key Wins

• Ric Flair (Souled Out, Jan 24, 1998 – PPV debut)

• Curt Hennig (Uncensored, Mar 15, 1998)

• “Macho Man” Randy Savage (Slamboree 1998, though with controversy)

• Diamond Dallas Page (Nitro, Jul 20, 1998 – wins U.S. Title)

• Lex Luger (Thunder, Aug 13, 1998 – regains U.S. Title)

• Sting (Halloween Havoc, Oct 25, 1998 – U.S. Title defense)

• Chris Benoit (Nitro, Nov 16, 1998 – competitive match)

• Diamond Dallas Page (Nitro, Nov 30, 1998 – regains U.S. Title with Giant’s help)

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Key Losses

• Lex Luger (Nitro, Aug 10, 1998 – loses U.S. Title)

• Diamond Dallas Page (Nitro, Oct 26, 1998 – loses U.S. Title)

• Diamond Dallas Page (World War 3, Nov 22, 1998 – loses PPV title rematch)

• Sting & Luger (Nitro tag, Aug 31, 1998 – Bret & Hogan lose by countout)

• Fall Brawl 1998 WarGames (Bret’s team loses, Bret takes a fall in the match)

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Year-End Standing (Dec 1998)

• Status: 3-time WCW U.S. Champion, current champion at year’s end.

• Character: Full heel, aligned with Hogan/nWo but positioned as dangerous singles star.

• Biggest Feud: Diamond Dallas Page (U.S. Title rivalry across 1998).

• Best Singles Wins: Flair, Hennig, Sting.

• Worst Losses: Luger & DDP (clean, high-profile).

And now the Fantasy Booking Version

ChatGPT Fantasy Booking: Bret Hart’s First WCW Year:

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December 1997 – The Debut

• After the Montreal Screwjob, Bret arrives in WCW the night after Starrcade ‘97, confronting both Sting and Hollywood Hogan.

• He makes it clear: he didn’t leave the WWF to play politics, he’s here to prove he’s the real World Champion.

• Immediate tension is built between Bret, Hogan, and Sting—the “three true icons.”

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January 1998

• Souled Out: Bret vs. Ric Flair (kept from reality) → Bret wins clean in a technical showcase.

• On Nitro, Bret challenges Sting (now WCW Champion after Starrcade) but is interrupted by the nWo. This sets up a slow-burn feud where Hogan sees Bret as a threat to his power.

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February – March 1998

• Bret works selective Nitro matches, beating Curt Hennig, Scott Hall, and Syxx.

• Uncensored: Bret vs. Curt Hennig (again, like real life) but with Bret declaring afterward that he wants Hogan, not the “nWo B-team.”

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April 1998

• Hogan ducks Bret, while Sting pushes back, saying Bret hasn’t earned a shot yet.

• On Nitro, Bret starts a winning streak, defeating Booker T, Chris Benoit, and Diamond Dallas Page in competitive matches. This builds credibility and gives fans the “dream matches” WCW never capitalized on.

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May 1998

• Slamboree: Bret vs. Sting → Double DQ after nWo interference. Bret shakes Sting’s hand after, teasing an alliance.

• Meanwhile, Hogan claims WCW is his yard and Bret is just a “WWF reject.”

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June 1998

• Bret fully aligns with Sting against the nWo.

• Main Nitro storyline: Hogan ducks both Bret and Sting, but promises to “end Bret’s career before it starts in WCW.”

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July 1998

• Bash at the Beach: Main Event → Sting & Bret Hart defeat Hollywood Hogan & Scott Hall when Bret makes Hall tap to the Sharpshooter.

• Post-match: Hogan nails Bret with the belt, setting up their singles feud.

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August 1998

• Bret gets the U.S. Title at Road Wild, defeating DDP in a face-vs-face classic. This gives him gold without rushing him into the World Title yet.

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September 1998

• Fall Brawl: Bret joins Team WCW (Sting, DDP, Bret, Luger) vs. Team nWo in WarGames. Bret is the MVP, submitting Scott Hall.

• Hogan teases that he’ll finally face Bret at Halloween Havoc.

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October 1998

• Halloween Havoc: Bret Hart vs. Hulk Hogan → non-title match. Bret wins clean in the middle of the ring with the Sharpshooter.

• WCW finally gives fans the match WWF never delivered. Hogan blames Nash for “not protecting him.”

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November 1998

• World War 3: Bret enters and goes deep into the 60-man battle royal but is eliminated by Kevin Nash, planting seeds for a Hart vs. Nash feud.

• Meanwhile, Bret is still U.S. Champion and cuts promos saying the WCW World Title is next.

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December 1998

• Starrcade ‘98: Triple Main Event Structure

1. Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash (as in real life).

2. Bret Hart vs. Sting (rematch, this time clean finish, Bret retains U.S. Title).

3. Hogan vs. Goldberg is teased for 1999, but Bret stands tall post-match, staring down Goldberg, holding the U.S. Title high.

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Fantasy Year-End Record (1998)

• Wins: 12 (including PPV wins over Flair, Hennig, DDP, Sting, Hogan)

• Losses: 1 (only in multi-man/battle royal setting)

• Draws/NC: 2 (Sting feud before their rematch)

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Key Differences From Reality

1. Bret is immediately booked as a top-level main eventer, not floating in the midcard.

2. Fans get the dream matches (vs. Flair, Sting, Hogan, Benoit, DDP).

3. He’s the nWo’s biggest threat, not an occasional ally.

4. Ends the year with the U.S. Title and a clear trajectory toward Goldberg’s WCW Title in 1999.

Analysis

Bret never turns heel in the fantasy version. I’m not sure if that, on its own, is the best thing because he was one of the two hottest heels in the business (Hogan) for most of 1997. What probably can’t be argued is that it was better for him not to turn heel at all than become a Hollywood Hogan flunkie. Advantage bot there.

Neither had Bret winning the WCW title. As mentioned in the intro, the fact that Bret was basically the rightful WWF champion in storyline, even if it was to beat him, they should have booked a match with him and the WCW champion early because it could have been a good PPV buyrate if appropriately promoted. There’s no guarantee of the latter in WCW, but in theory, at least.

The bot had Hogan losing a non-title match with the US champion, Bret, at Halloween Havoc. While that may sound wonderful on paper to some, WCW couldn’t have booked that if they wanted to because Hogan wasn’t jobbing to US champion Bret Hart clean with the sharpshooter. But here’s a fair question – Even if Hogan was one to do everything asked of him with a huge smile, pat on the back, and “That works for me, brother,” would they have even done that? The answer is probably no, and I’m not sure it would hurt Hogan, who was a wrestling God (apologies to JBL) by that point. Hogan gets a lot of shit for creative control, but it’s not like Eric Bischoff makes it sound as if he would have done many things differently. At least the bot sees the value in doing something like that in 1998.

Bret’s overall actual record of 13-8-3 on Nitro, Thunder, and PPV is interesting. He was barely winning a majority of his matches. He traded wins with Lex Luger and DDP and was a three-time US champion by year’s end. DDP worked in several main events that year, and Luger was Luger, but Bret was a five-time WWF champion. Bret was established as a guy higher than both on the wrestling fans’ totem pole, but he was presented as equal to them. Odd that he was making double the money of each man. That’s pretty wild when you put it in that context.

ChatGPT doesn’t have Bret losing. If you aren’t going to put the title on him, having him hold the US title the last four-plus months, not losing a match, and having him set up with Hogan and Goldberg in 1999 is defintely a better spot for him than what he was doing. Also, I like how they booked the Sting feud with them having a NC in May and settling it with a Bret win at Starrcade. The way WCW did that match with the lame swerve turn by Bret, setting up their Havoc match, only teased paying off all the Hogan lackey stuff with a babyface turn, then jerking it away. The fantasy booking version makes the match seem more epic by not settling it until Starrcade. That makes sense. It was the two guys who had been with the WWF and WCW the longest, who were both world champions multiple times in their respective promotions, and had the same fucking finisher for Christ’s sake. They were also two of the top handful of hottest wrestlers in 1997, leading into ‘98. Being third from the top at Halloween Havoc ‘98 was a complete waste of their first match. The bot corrects that atrocity.

Winner: The Bot

For the reasons I’ve laid out, it’s hard to imagine anyone doing worse than WCW did with Bret. Bischoff has since said many times that he didn’t think Bret was a star on that level, but that makes the financial investment in him, where he was making more money than anyone in the company but Hogan upon arrival, even more idiotic. It’s okay to raise your hand and say you fucked up, either booking him the way you did or paying him all that money. Either was a colossal blunder.

The Bot doesn’t push Bret down our throats, but it defintely makes better use of him and at least puts him in positions to help draw some money. Not to mention what was set up with Hogan or Goldberg in 1999. They get some mileage out of Sting vs. Bret and still leave that match to do later in a more traditional babyface vs. heel match. It has its flaws, but it isn’t as fundamentally pro wrestling obtuse.

Current Score:

Booker: 1

Bot: 1