Is Penta the next Bret Hart?

Penta appears to be following Bret Hart’s path to a potential world title reign. | (Photo: Cooper Neill/WWE via Getty Images) Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A popular babyface loses the Intercontinental Championship to another popular babyface at SummerSlam. At the time, it seemed like a setback. But just a few weeks later, the former champion defeats a legend to win his first world title and become the face of a new era. That was Bret Hart’s story in 1992, after losing the I.C. title to the British Bulldog before beating Ric Flair to become world champion. That could be Penta’s story in 2026, after losing the I.C. title to Chad Gable before potentially challenging for the big one. On Monday’s Raw, he defeated Laredo Kid in the opening match of a tournament to determine who will face Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw in Mexico City on September 14. Penta ADVANCES 👉@PENTAELZEROM pic.twitter.com/RLauz4WOl0 — WWE (@WWE) August 11, 2026 Of all the