Former WWE head writer Vince Russo has put forward a theory that the highly publicized seating snub of Bret Hart at SummerSlam was a deliberate act of retribution orchestrated by Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Speaking on Sportskeeda’s The Wrestling Outlaws, Russo claimed the incident stemmed directly from Hart rolling his eyes at the WWE Chief Content Officer during the WrestleMania weekend Hall of Fame ceremony earlier this year.
The issue came to light in mid-August after Hart, who was invited by WWE to attend SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium, was informed upon arrival that the company had no seat available for him. Hart later commented on the situation at Vaughan Comic Con, stating the incident made him feel his historical contributions were not fully appreciated. He specifically noted that Triple H’s associate, fellow WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, was provided with a seat.
According to Russo, the slight at SummerSlam was a direct consequence of the WrestleMania interaction.
“What this all stems from is this. The Hall of Fame. When [Steve] Austin and Bret are standing on stage. Triple H gets the big gimmick, spits his water, then goes over, shakes the hand, and he walks away, and Bret rolls his eyes,” Russo stated.
Russo believes WWE’s production team would have immediately informed Triple H of Hart’s reaction, leading to a calculated plan to get back at the 68-year-old legend.
“Now, bro, you know that was brought to Triple H’s attention immediately. So what do they do? They invite the dude to SummerSlam,” Russo continued. “Calgary to Jersey is like a six-hour freaking flight. So they fly him in to SummerSlam, and he gets there. They don’t have a seat for him. Oh, how cute. So listen, bro, if I’m Bret, yeah, I’m gonna be a littel p—ssed off about it.”
However, other reports suggest the situation may not have been a targeted action against Hart. A “no comp” policy was reportedly in effect for SummerSlam due to high ticket sales, creating seating issues for multiple people. Noelle Foley, daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, was also reportedly unable to get a seat and was moved to a press box instead.
For Hart, the experience adds another chapter to his long and complex history with WWE.