Rohan Raja has offered a warm perspective on Bret Hart, describing the legendary Calgary wrestler as someone whose reputation for seriousness does not tell the whole story.
Hart remains one of professional wrestling’s most recognizable and influential figures, particularly in Canada, where his connection to the Stampede Wrestling legacy and the Hart family remains deeply rooted. For newer independent wrestlers working in Alberta, a meeting with Hart can carry considerable weight. Raja, who has been gaining attention through Maple Leaf Pro, has had several opportunities to spend time around the WWE Hall of Famer through Dungeon Wrestling in Calgary.
Those meetings left a major impression on Raja. Rather than simply viewing Hart as a distant legend, Raja said he has come to know someone who makes time to talk, asks sincere questions and remembers details about the people around him.
Raja’s first meeting with Bret Hart came at Dungeon Wrestling
Raja said he first properly met Hart around 2023 while working a Dungeon Wrestling event in Calgary. Dungeon Wrestling is operated by Hart’s son, and the show gave Raja an opportunity to share a locker-room environment connected to one of wrestling’s most famous families.
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At that event, Raja wrestled former WWE star Chris Masters. While the match itself marked an important experience, Raja also remembers it as the setting for his initial substantive interaction with Hart.
“I first met Bret when I worked a dungeon show, Dungeon Wrestling,” Raja said. “His son runs it in Calgary. That was around 2023, I wrestled Chris Masters at the time. That was the first kind of proper time I met him.”
Raja has returned to Calgary since then, and he said the connection has grown naturally over repeated visits. There is also a mutual friend who has helped strengthen that relationship: Mo Jabari, whom Raja identified as one of his closest friends in wrestling. Raja explained that Jabari has a mentorship relationship with Hart, with the veteran offering guidance and assistance to the younger wrestler.
That shared connection has put Raja in Hart’s orbit, but Raja made clear that the personal interactions have mattered most. He said Hart does not treat conversations as brief formalities. Instead, the former WWE Champion is willing to slow down, spend time talking and take an interest in Raja’s life and career.
A personal side of the Hitman
Hart’s public image has often been shaped by his intensity, his outspoken opinions and his unmatched pride in technical wrestling. Those traits have defined much of his career, from his days as a centerpiece of the Hart Foundation through his acclaimed singles run in WWE and his later tenure in WCW. But Raja said he has seen a notably gentler side of Hart during their conversations.
“Every time I’ve been back there, we’ve developed a nice connection,” Raja said. “Every time I see Bret, he takes so much out of his day just to kind of chill and talk to me and ask me questions.”
For a developing talent, that kind of attention from a performer of Hart’s stature can be meaningful. Raja emphasized that Hart has asked about his family and has remembered things from prior conversations. In an industry where veteran advice is often discussed in terms of in-ring mechanics, match structure or career direction, Raja’s comments highlight the value of simple personal consideration as well.
Raja said Hart’s behavior has challenged the familiar warning sometimes attached to meeting celebrated figures. “When they say the stuff like don’t meet your heroes, Bret, I have nothing but good things to say about Bret,” Raja said.
He also believes Hart does not receive enough recognition for how much he cares about the people who approach him, including fans. That observation stood out in Raja’s account of a post-show visit to Hitman’s Bar in Calgary.
Hart makes time for fans at Hitman’s Bar
Hitman’s Bar is a Bret Hart-themed venue in Calgary, making it a natural destination for wrestling fans and performers following local events. Raja recalled that after shows, wrestlers would spend time in a more private, closed-off section of the establishment. Fans would remain in the larger public area.
When Hart and the wrestlers walked out through the public space, Raja said, fans understandably wanted a moment with the Canadian icon. Rather than rushing past the crowd, Hart would stop to speak with people who approached him.
Raja described the scene as one that demonstrated the level of patience and generosity Hart brings to fan encounters. He said Hart’s wife would sometimes need to step in and remind him that it was time to leave, because Hart continued giving people a chance to say hello and have a conversation.
“His wife has to come and grab him because she’s like, ‘Bret, we have to go home,’” Raja said. “He stops and talks to everyone. He’s such a sweetheart and I just don’t think many people see that side of him.”
The story offers a contrast to the larger-than-life image attached to “The Hitman.” Hart’s legacy includes classic rivalries, championship reigns and a standard of ring work that influenced generations of wrestlers. He is also a figure whose views on the business are often quoted and debated. Raja’s recollections, however, focus on the quieter moments away from the ring: conversations with an emerging wrestler, questions about family and a willingness to remain accessible when fans want to meet him.
Hart’s influence continues in Calgary
Calgary remains a central part of Hart’s identity and wrestling legacy. The city is inseparable from the Hart family, Stampede Wrestling and the original Dungeon, the training environment that helped produce numerous notable performers. While the wrestling business has changed dramatically since Hart’s rise to prominence, his name continues to carry special significance for talent working in that scene.
Dungeon Wrestling provides one modern connection to that history. For performers like Raja, working those shows means more than appearing on another independent card. It can mean entering an environment where the Hart family legacy remains visible and where an all-time great is still willing to interact with those seeking to build their own careers.
Raja’s comments do not center on a specific piece of wrestling instruction or a singular backstage lesson. Instead, they paint Hart’s influence in broader terms. By giving time to younger talent and treating people with warmth, Hart can make an impact that extends beyond any one match or piece of advice.
That approach also appears to apply to the fans who have supported Hart for decades. Even after a career that placed him among wrestling’s biggest international stars, Raja’s account suggests that Hart remains aware of the importance of those personal interactions, particularly in his hometown.
Raja continues to build momentum
Raja is continuing his own climb in professional wrestling, with Maple Leaf Pro serving as one of the platforms where he has made waves. His experiences in Calgary have connected him with established names and the enduring Hart family tradition, while his career continues to move forward on its own path.
His praise for Hart is especially notable because it comes from direct, repeated interaction rather than a single meeting. Raja has seen Hart around Dungeon Wrestling events, through their shared connection with Mo Jabari and in the informal setting of Hitman’s Bar. Across those experiences, the consistent impression has been of a respected veteran who is approachable and engaged.
“How he’s asked me even about my family and stuff and how he remembers things, he’s just such a sweetheart,” Raja said.
For Hart, that personal touch is another part of a legacy that has always been closely tied to Calgary. For Raja, it is a reminder that even a wrestler held in the highest regard can leave a lasting impression through kindness, conversation and time given freely to those around him.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.