Video: Wrestling Fan Says It 'Felt Like It Was The Right Moment' To Attack Bret 'The Hitman' Hart In Brooklyn
April 8, 2019, 1:54 p.m.
The suspect was charged with assault and criminal trespassing for punching Bret Hart during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony at Barclays Center this weekend.
Bret Hart and Natalya Neidhart at the Hall of Fame ceremony in Brooklyn this weekend
A wrestling fan crashed the ring and attacked Bret "The Hitman" Hart during a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in Brooklyn this weekend. Why? "I just felt like it was the right moment," suspect Zachary Madsen told police, prosecutors reportedly said in court.
The attack took place during the Hall of Fame ceremony at the Barclays Center on Saturday night. As you can see in the video below, the attacker was wearing a fake Rasta Hat with Hair when he climbed onstage and tackled Hart in the middle of his speech.
You can see another angle of it here:
The scene after a fan jumped the barrier and attempted to tackle Bret Hart during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
(via @ArashMarkazi) pic.twitter.com/DxPnaWxpb6— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 7, 2019
Madsen, 26, was charged with assault and criminal trespassing and held on a $1,500 bond in Brooklyn criminal court. A WWE security guard, Thaddeus Jones, was injured in the attack as well.
A judge issued a protection order barring Madsen, whom the WWE described as "an over-exuberant fan," from going near the guard or Hart. Madsen was previously arrested in September for allegedly stalking mixed martial artist Haris Talundzic.
Hart was standing next to Natalya Neidhart, a professional wrestler who is also the daughter of Hart's deceased Hart Foundation tag team partner Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, at the time of the attack.
I’m so proud of my uncle @BretHart tonight during our HOF ceremony. Bret is a cancer survivor, a stroke survivor and one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He didn’t deserve to be attacked or have his moment or my dad’s diminished. We got it back on track. Thank you, guys🙏
— Nattie (@NatbyNature) April 7, 2019
Hart's nephew Davey Boy Smith Jr. was also on stage, and held down Madsen until police arrived.
Glad I was able to help my Uncle @BretHart tonight at the WWE Hall of Fame. 👊🥊 That “fan” was lucky I was being held back. As Rickson Gracie said “If we fight for money, I’ll stop hitting you when you ask me to. If we fight for honor, I’ll stop hitting you when I feel like it”
— Davey Boy Smith Jr. (@DBSmithjr) April 7, 2019
