who was world champion of wcw when brett hart showed up

Bret Hart showed up in WCW while Hollywood Hogan was the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Bret debuted on the November 9, 1997 episode of WCW Monday Nitro , and Hogan was the titleholder at that point.

Context

• Hogan had won the WCW World Title earlier in 1997 and was still champion when Hart arrived.
• Bret’s first major WCW appearance is one of the most famous “arrival” moments in wrestling history, because it immediately shifted the company’s main-event landscape.

Quick Scoop

The champ when Bret Hart showed up was Hollywood Hogan.

TL;DR: Bret Hart came into WCW during the Hollywood Hogan era, with Hogan holding the WCW World Championship.