On the December 14, 2009 episode of "Raw", Vince McMahon came out to announce the nominees for Guest Host of the Year during the Slammy Awards. After announcing Bob Barker as the recipient of the award, McMahon asked guest host Dennis Miller who he would like to see as a "Raw" guest host. Miller said he would like to see his long-time favorite, Bret Hart. McMahon dismissed Miller's suggestion, reminding him that the last time Hart was in the WWE was when "Bret screwed Bret," and that he likely would have no interest in hosting the show. Miller then asked the audience if they would like to see Hart as a guest host, to applause, but McMahon simply walked away. On December 16, Dave Meltzer of the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" reported that Hart had signed a four-month contract with WWE, and would debut as the guest host of "Raw" on January 4, 2010. On December 28, WWE.com confirmed that McMahon would be at "Raw" that night to address the rumors about Hart hosting the show. That night, McMahon confirmed that Hart will indeed be guest host on the January 4 episode of "Raw". A WWE.com article published shortly after the December 28 edition of "Raw" alluded to an "almost guaranteed encounter between the WWE Chairman and the Hit Man."