Bret Hart recently shared an amusing anecdote about how he inadvertently assisted a Sammy Hagar impersonator in gaining access to the wrestling ring at the iconic Madison Square Garden during a WWF event. This entertaining story unfolds as Hart recounts his experience in a recent episode of The Dark Side of the Ring, which provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of professional wrestling.

In the episode, Hart reminisces about his encounter with the impersonator during a fateful flight. He recalls, “I remember Adrian Adonis, another well-known wrestler, was seated just in front of me. I was engaged in conversation with a guy sitting next to me, who was donned in a flashy rock ’n’ roll jacket reminiscent of what Jimmy Hart would typically wear. He was visibly excited and exclaimed, ‘You guys are wrestlers, aren’t you?’”

Hart elaborates on the context, noting that this encounter occurred around the time when Hagar made his debut with Van Halen. The impersonator skillfully managed to charm his way into a limousine ride along with Hart and another wrestler, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, who, unlike Hart, was skeptical about the man’s true identity.

“I was seated next to Jim, who kept insisting, ‘That’s not Sammy Hagar,’” Hart recalls. “I was puzzled and countered, ‘What do you mean? He resembles Sammy Hagar. Why couldn’t it be him?’ Jim was adamant, ‘It’s not Sammy Hagar.’”

Hart pressed Jim further, asking, “Have you ever seen Sammy Hagar?” Jim then pointed out the impersonator’s watch, saying, “Look at his watch. He’s wearing a Timex. Sammy Hagar would definitely be sporting a Rolex. It’s really not him.”

Despite Jim’s reservations, the impersonator successfully talked his way into the backstage area at the Madison Square Garden show, ultimately convincing Neidhart in a rather unexpected manner.

“At one point, Adrian handed a dollar bill to the impersonator, who proceeded to snort a substantial line of cocaine in the dressing room. With people attempting to enter the room, we were urging, ‘Go, go, go!’ while he was busy snorting this line of cocaine,” Hart recounted.

“As soon as he finished, he glanced at me and Jim, and I noticed a small trickle of blood running down his nostril. In that moment, Jim turned to me and exclaimed, ‘It is Sammy Hagar!’”

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In the footage, it becomes evident that the impersonator even managed to gain entry into the wrestling ring, where he greeted the audience before a match between Dan Spivey and Paul Christy. While Hart remained dubious, many fans in attendance, likely including numerous Long Island residents who owned VOA on cassette, quickly recognized that this individual was not the authentic Red Rocker and began to boo him.

“The reaction was mixed, as ultimately people realized that this guy was not Sammy Hagar,” Hart admits. Later, an unnamed member of the New York Yankees confronted the impersonator backstage, stating, “[He said] ‘I know Sammy Hagar, and you are definitely not him,'” Hart remembers. The atmosphere turned comedic as everyone jokingly slapped the impersonator, who then made his exit into the crowd.

Hart’s superiors were not amused by the incident. “It certainly reflected poorly on the WWF to have someone introduced as Sammy Hagar when it was clearly not him,” Hart recalled. “I remember George Scott, who was Vince McMahon’s right-hand man responsible for managing the wrestlers, was frantically shouting, ‘Who the hell said that guy was Sammy Hagar?’”

In a humorous twist, despite being part of the mix-up, Hart playfully shifted the blame onto his friend. “I said, ‘I don’t know… all I know is he came with Adrian.’”

According to ProWrestlingFandom.com, Spivey and Christy faced off at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1986, nearly two months after Van Halen released 5150, their first album featuring the real Hagar as their lead vocalist.

Interestingly, it was theoretically possible for the genuine Hagar to have attended this event, as Van Halen had a performance scheduled in Roanoke, Virginia the night prior and another in Atlanta the following evening.

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