Update regarding Bret Hart’s contractual status with WWE

As previously noted, it was reported by Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com that Bret Hart “quietly signed a lucrative WWE deal” that would seemingly prevent Hart from AEW appearances such as the finals of the Owen Hart tournament at Double or Nothing 2022 in Las Vegas.

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer went into more details about the matter…

“I was told that AEW believes that Bret can not work for them because of a WWE deal. Bret has a legends contract with WWE, I don’t know what it restricts. So I’m not positive [if it is stopping Bret Hart from appearing in AEW]. He definitely has a legends deal and a merchandise deal with WWE. So he is under contract there but I don’t know what the stip is as far as it relates to AEW. AEW believes that they cant use him, but I’ll know if that’s the case or not by the end of the week.”

“Obviously, I know that Bret and Martha [Hart] have had their issues, but it would be something. I actually asked Bret that when I contacted him a couple days ago. You know, I was just like ‘can you do it?’ because it would be so cool for him to be in Vegas for the finals of the Owen Hart Tournament, I think it would just be a nice symbolic thing, and he was just like ‘they haven’t asked me’, that’s what he said. But I think that would be something cool. The key is Martha and everything.” (quotes courtesy of WrestlePurists.com)