There are only a handful of professional wrestlers who are seriously in the conversation to be considered the greatest of all time. Plenty of fellow wrestlers name Ric Flair as one of, if not the single greatest wrestler to have ever lived from an all-around perspective. Bret Hart is a part of that discussion primarily on account of his in-ring talent. Despite both being respected figures in the business, there’s been no shortage of heat between The Nature Boy and The Hitman over the years. Though they’ve each claimed to have buried the hatchet, there were nonetheless years of criticism between the two, establishing a noteworthy real-life rivalry in the public eye.

Bret Hart Felt Ric Flair Undermined His Crowning Moment

Bret Hart Wins The WWE Championship From Ric Flair

Bret Hart won his first world title in the fall of 1992 when he defeated Ric Flair. There wasn’t all that much build on screen or behind the scenes for the moment, as The Hitman had been a mid-carder up to this point and, as Hart discussed in his book, he didn’t learn that he was going to have a reign with the top prize in the business until very shortly before he won.

It might have been a dream scenario for The Excellence of Execution to win the title by using his signature finisher to defeat an established champ and a wrestler’s wrestler—a fellow technical aficionado—cleanly in the middle of the ring. However, as Hart described in his book, the match did not go well. Flair gave a lackluster performance from Hart's perspective, and, most notably, injured Hart’s hand. The Hitman wasn’t sure if these issues were intentional or attributable to a poor performance by The Nature Boy, but regardless Hart felt Flair undermined what should have been the greatest moment of his career to date.

Ric Flair Took Issue With Bret Hart’s Criticisms Of Him

Ric Flair Vs Bret Hart WCW And Ric Flair Interview

Bret Hart not only critiqued Ric Flair’s performance in their initial title match, but also suggested Flair didn’t live up to the hype in house show rematches. Moreover, as The Hitman grew more vocal in criticizing colleagues after his retirement, he publicly criticized The Nature Boy for being a “routine man” who worked essentially the same format of match over and over. His book also drew attention to the illogical nature of Flair’s signature chops. They genuinely hurt, and as such, undermined what Hart saw as a central premise of wrestling--to protect one’s opponent at all times.

Related: 6 Reasons Ric Flair Is Not The GOAT In Wrestling

Flair didn’t shy away from the conflict. In shoot interviews to follow, he demeaned Hart’s legacy for only enjoying success for a limited time and only in WWE, and never being a successful draw. The war of words carried on with each man speaking out publicly against the other. There was the added wrinkle, as well, that Flair grew closer and closer to Shawn Michaels and Triple H, each of whom Hart had a lot of heat with from the late stages of his WWE run, culminating in the Montreal Screwjob.

Bret Hart And Ric Flair Claim To Have Buried The Hatchet

Retired Ric Flair And Bret Hart

By 2021, Bret Hart and Ric Flair seemed to have resolved their differences. The old heat seemed to rekindle when Conrad Thompson shared comments Hart made about Flair when Flair was visiting one of his podcasts. Before things got out of control, Hart Tweeted that the comments referenced from the distant past, and clarified he viewed Flair as a friend.

It seems that the sense of bygones being bygones was mutual as Flair responded over Twitter that their past issues were water under the bridge, and he appreciated Hart talking to him to resolve the miscommunication before it became a more significant issue. So, despite a history of a public beef between the two, it seems The Hitman and The Nature Boy really have attained a sustained peace between them.

All-time great wrestlers all but necessarily have big egos. After all, part of performing at the highest level across decades is having supreme confidence in one’s own abilities, and it’s to be expected an elite performer would take pride in his legacy. As such, Ric Flair and Bret Hart’s respective greatness may be at the heart of their past conflicts, compounded by their limited chemistry as in-ring opponents. Time heals all wounds, though, and The Nature Boy and The Hitman alike have been through enough issues personally and professionally that it only makes sense neither would be looking for further conflict or controversy at this stage of life.