"If you wanna bury the hatchet, let's bury it right now"

Bret Hart: "Well, I guess hell froze over. I know there's a lot of people out there that are wondering why I'm here tonight. And why now. But you know, I've had a long time to think about things. It's been twelve years since I've been back in the WWE. And it's an amazing feeling. You know, for the last few years I tried so many times to find a way to come back. But every time I tried to come back Vince McMahon would always decline and tell me that it wasn't possible. I just wanna say that I'm grateful for this moment right now. To be here and to be able to talk to the WWE Universe. You know, the most important thing I gotta say right now-- ['Welcome back!'] It's nice to be back. You know, I just wanna say--This is a chance to say to all my fans all around the world--Thank you so much! For never letting me be forgotten. I owe everything that I am today, and I've been in my whole life, to the WWE Universe. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for carrying me in your hearts for all these years. Never to be forgotten.

As I stand here right now, I feel myself flooded with millions of memories. Great memories. In fact, I can remember being right here at the Nutter Center and winning the very first King Of The Ring. One of my proudest moments and one of my proudest nights. As a matter of fact, I think I remember at the end of it that Jerry Lawler jumped me. And well--Hey, King, nice to see ya. Some things never change. Anyway. There's another reason why I'm here tonight. And I'm gonna get right to the point. I got twelve years of things that I want to get off my chest. And the very first thing that I wanna do is I wanna call, back there, Shawn Michaels to come out here! See me face to face.

[Michaels' Musik ertönt und der Heartbreak Kid betritt den Ring. Beide stehen sich von Angesicht zu Angesicht gegenüber.]

Shawn Michaels. I just call you Shawn. I think I'd like to take this opportunity right now to bury the hatchet with you. And call for a truce."

Shawn Michaels: "First of all, Hitman, before you come out here and get your closure, there's something I've been waiting twelve years to say to you. The fact is you deserved what happened twelve years ago in Montreal. You disrespected me and you disrespected this business. And yes, I did have a hand in what Vince McMahon did that night."

['You screwed Bret'-Chants]

Hart: "I rest my case."

Michaels: "And there's a part of me, there's a big part of me that doesn't regret a bit of it. But there's another part of me. There's another part of me that knows that in the last twelve years a lot of things have changed. A lot of things in my life have changed. You know, Bret, I always respected you. It's just never felt you respected me. And there were times I couldn't stand the sight of you. And I know, I know the feeling is more than mutual. But you know something?

When I think of Bret Hart, I don't think of Montreal. I think of Anaheim, California. I think of a 60 Minute Iron Man Match. A 60 Minute Iron Man Match that everybody said nobody wanna see. And they certainly wouldn't want to see it on Pay Per View. They said nobody could do it. Yet Bret 'The Hitman' Hart and 'The Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels went out there and they did do it. And they redefined everything that this industry ever stood for. When I think of Bret Hart, I think of the Excellence of Execution.

You're not the only one, Bret, that's been carrying this around for twelve years. You're not the only one that's ready to move on. You're not the only one that wants to bury the hatchet. I guess all I have to say is: Are you sure? And are you ready?"

Hart: "Well, let's be real honest. You weren't the easiest guy in the world to love either back then. And you were a guy that certainly had his issues. But you're right. My career and your career shouldn't always be tagged by what happened at Survivor Series. I had a great career. You had great career. We both accomplished so many things. I think it's a good time as any right here and now for you and me to take this opportunity in front of all these fans right here in Dayton, and all around the world, to look each other in the eye and take this moment and say that we can be friends. So I offer my hand to you in friendship. Right here, in front of everybody. Right from the heart, right from the bottom of my heart I call for a truce, I call for you to shake my hand. If you wanna bury the hatchet, let's bury it right now.

[Shawn Michaels starrt auf die ausgestreckte Hand des Hitmans und zögert. Willigt aber dann doch zum Handschlag ein. Michaels geht dann Richtung Seile, verharrt aber im Ring und nimmt seine altbekannte Sweet Chin Music-Stellung ein. Die Luft knistert für ein paar Sekunden, dann macht HBK eine schnelle Wendung, geht auf den Hitman zu und es gibt eine kleine, freundschaftliche Umarmung mit Klapse auf den Rücken. HBK verlässt dann den Ring.]

There's one more thing though. There's one more thing I wanna ask. And I want one more person to come down. Vince McMahon! I know you're back there. I want you to come down here and see me face to face, too. [wartet] Come on, Vinnie. Don't keep the people waiting." [Bret wartet noch kurz, doch Vince erscheint nicht und das Segment endet]