Is Julia Hart Related To Bret Hart Aew Wrestler Parents And Family Facts? The 118 New Answer

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Is Julia Hart related to Bret Hart? No, Julia is not related by blood to Bret. Also, they share the same last name and professional field. Follow us for more facts about them.

Julia Hart is an American professional wrestler. She was also signed by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Also, Julia has previously served as a cheerleader. Likewise, Hart of Bloomington, Minnesota calculated.

Also, Hart had her AEW appearance on AEW Dark looking at KiLynn King; Unfortunately, Hart couldn’t make it and lost the match via pinfall. Similarly, Hart faced Britt Baker again on the Blood and Guts special, making her AEW Dynamite debut, which she lost by submission.

Is Julia Hart Related To Bret Hart?

Wrestler fans have always been curious about Julia Hart and Bret Hart’s relationship. So we are here to mention that Julia and Bret are not related.

Similarly, both couples are not related by blood, but they share the same last name and both have followed the same career path. Likewise, Bret is a former professional wrestler and part of the Hart wrestling family.

So Julia is not part of the Hart wrestling family tree. As for Bret, his wrestling journey began by competing at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College.

Bret has also contributed to numerous films and television shows, with the exception of his wrestling career. Additionally, he is wely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

Who Are AEW Wrestler Julia Hart Parents?

Julia Hart’s parents are supportive of her career and they certainly take pre in her success and achievements. However, Hart has kept her away from the media.

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Since Julia leads a low-key life, the names of her father and mother are also missing from the sources. In addition, we can say that her parents could be Native Americans.

Apart from that, Julia could be her parents’ only child as there is no data on her siblings.

Julia Hart Age and Height

Professional wrestler Julia Hart is currently 20 years old. Also, she was born on November 8, 2001 in Cambrge, Minnesota, USA. Additionally, Julia Hart has an impressive height of 5ft 7in and speaks about her physical appearance.

Similarly, on May 11 during AEW Dark, Hart allied with and was ringse with the Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison).

Hart hasn’t spoken much openly about her career in the media. Because of this, we cannot mention their academics. Undoubtedly, she is one of the successful wrestlers since she found fame at such a young age.

In addition, Hart’s professional history can be read on Wikipedia, where she has mentioned everything about her wrestling career.

Julia Hart Salary And Net Worth Revealed

Julia Hart’s salary has not been announced for twenty years. However, professional Julia’s net worth is estimated at $1 million but the actual net total is yet to be revealed as she has not shared her earnings details.

Similarly, Julia may have added a decent fortune to her name while working as a cheerleader.

Is Julia Hart related to?

Hart is currently in a relationship with fellow AEW wrestler Lee Johnson.

Who Is Julia Hart?

Julia Rose Hart (born November 8, 2001) is an American professional wrestler and former cheerleader currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Is Melissa Joan Hart related to Bret Hart?

Melissa Joan Hart–who is no relation to Bret–made news in the wrestling community this week when she commented that Owens’ character is lazy in the ring, but the “Hitman” vehemently disagreed with that assessment.

Who is Bret Hart related to?

Hart grew up in a household with eleven siblings, seven brothers Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Ross and Owen, as well as four sisters, Ellie, Georgia, Alison and Diana.

Who Is Julia Hart dad?

What nationality is Julie Hart?

How old is Julia Hart?

What was Julia Hearts real name?

What is Julia Haart salary?

With a personal fortune of $8 million, Julia Haart is a successful businesswoman and now a TV personality. Her husband has a net worth of well over $1 billion dollars.

Who is Natalya’s dad?

Who is Melissa Joan Hart related to?

Are Britney Spears and Melissa Joan Hart friends?

They were close friends at the height of their stardom. And despite both having been through a lot since then, Britney Spears and Melissa Joan Hart proved they still get along great many years later.

Who is Bret Hart’s dad?

Is Jimmy Hart related to the Hart family?

Jim Neidhart

He is most known for being a tag team champion with his brother-in-law Bret. Though the Hart Foundation was managed by someone with the last name Hart, Jimmie “The Mouth of the South” Hart is not related to the family.

How is natty related to Bret Hart?

Neidhart cites her grandfather, Stu, and her uncle, Bret, as her inspirations, both in and out of the ring. As a member of the Hart wrestling family, she is a cousin to Harry Smith, Teddy, Matt, and Mike Hart, who are all also professional wrestlers.

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Bret Hart Lifestyle 2021 ★ Unknown Facts, Net Worth, Family, WWE Career, Spouse Name \u0026 Lifestyle

Bret Hart Lifestyle 2021 ★ Unknown Facts, Net Worth, Family, WWE Career, Spouse Name \u0026 Lifestyle

Bret Hart Lifestyle 2021 ★ Unknown Facts, Net Worth, Family, WWE Career, Spouse Name \u0026 Lifestyle

Images related to the topicBret Hart Lifestyle 2021 ★ Unknown Facts, Net Worth, Family, WWE Career, Spouse Name \u0026 Lifestyle

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Is Julia Hart Related To Bret Hart? AEW Wrestler Parents and …

Is Julia Hart Related to Bret Hart? No, Julia doesn”t have any blood relation to Bret. Beses, they share the same surname and career field.

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Date Published: 2/23/2021

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Is Julia Hart from AEW related to Bret Hart? Boyfriend, Parents …

Julia Hart is a professional wrestler who has gained prominence as a result of her career. She is known in the All Elite Wrestling (AEW)

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Date Published: 10/21/2021

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Is Julia Hart Related To Bret Hart? AEW … – Showbizcorner

No, Julia doesn’t have any blood relation to Bret. Beses, they share the same surname and career field. Follow us for more facts about them.

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Date Published: 3/11/2022

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Is Julia Hart Related To Bret Hart? AEW Wrestler … – 650.org

Follow us for more facts about them. Julia Hart is an American professional wrestler. Beses, she has been contracted All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

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Date Published: 5/7/2022

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Julia Hart (wrestler)

American wrestler and cheerleader (born 2001)

Julia Rose Hart (born November 8, 2001) is an American professional wrestler and former cheerleader. She currently performs with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where she is a member of The House of Black stable.

Professional wrestling career[edit]

Hart first began training at Academy SOPW with Ken Anderson.[1] On November 22, 2019, Hart had her debut match against Alyna Kyle, which Hart won. Hart then trained again with the ‘Nightmare Factory’ and on March 28, 2021 (at their second showcase) Hart participated in a tag match in which he teamed with Spencer Kitz to face off against Hyena Hera and Karma Dean. the two lost the match.[3]

As of May 2021, Hart began working with All Elite Wrestling, appearing with AEW Dark or AEW Dynamite. She joined the Varsity Blonds team (Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison) and has been ringside with them at every game they play since. On the May 25 episode of AEW, Dark Hart earned her first AEW win by pinning Tesha Price.[7] On the September 4 episode of AEW Dark, Hart injured her leg, rendering her unable to participate in the Casino Battle Royale at All Out.[8] Hart returned to the ring on the September 28 edition of AEW Dark (originally taped September 11), where she faced Reka Tehaka and defeated her by pinfall. On January 28, 2022, the special edition of Rampage as the AEW Rampage Beach Break Hart faced Jade Cargill for the AEW TBS Championship, which Hart lost. On April 6, Dynamite Hart competed in the Owen Hart Cup where they lost to Hikaru Shida in the qualifying round. On May 29 at Double or Nothing, she joined The House of Black, turning heel in the process.

Personal life[edit]

Hart is currently in a relationship with AEW wrestler Lee Johnson.

Championships and Achievements[edit]

National Cheerleading Championships (2 times)[14]

Bret Hart discusses Triple H, bad booking, and the Survivor Series

WWE will crown a new heavyweight champion this Sunday, but in the eyes of the legendary Bret “Hitman” Hart, the Survivor Series Main Event will be missing the two best wrestlers in the world: Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.

WWE will crown a new heavyweight champion this Sunday, but in the eyes of the legendary Bret “Hitman” Hart, the Survivor Series Main Event will be missing the two best wrestlers in the world: Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.

“I’ve missed Daniel Bryan and CM Punk since they both left the scene, and I’ve been watching less and less wrestling since those guys left,” Hart said. “I don’t know if they filled their shoes. Dean Ambrose has done a lot to fill her spot and I really enjoy watching him, but it’s going to be a tough job for whoever wins the championship – that person is going to have a lot of weight on their back to carry the team .

Punk’s problems with Paul “Triple H” Levesque grew to the breaking point, with the biggest problem appearing year after year at WrestleMania, as part-timers reappeared and claimed coveted spots in the main event.

“I’d have to be on Punk’s side,” Hart explained. “Triple H is a bodybuilder nut. He goes after the bodies. He doesn’t care how well – and he can look in the mirror – boys work, he doesn’t care what boys look like. Punk and Bryan are guys who care about how they work. It’s a different philosophy. I admire punk for taking his stand. He was the guy who did all the work every week, got injured, and there’s a guy sitting at home here – who works three or four times a year – and you’re going to give him the main event at WrestleMania? I’m not buying it.”

An underappreciated part of Punk’s legacy, Hart explained, is his willingness to stand up for other hard-working wrestlers.

Q&A: CM Punk talks about training for UFC, moving from WWE

“All the wrestlers in the locker room should have a better understanding of what was at stake there,” Hart said. “Punk stood up for the wrestlers in the company who did the work and I have a lot of respect for that. I also have a lot of respect for guys like Batista and Brock Lesnar, but if they don’t make a schedule and just come in and collect the big check, it’s not fair to the guys who are doing all the work. I don’t see how anyone else could see it any differently.”

While the issue was mostly between Punk and Triple H, the person who regrets the fallout the most is Vince McMahon.

“Vince is sorry they lost Punk,” Hart said. “Vince has a better sense of the looks and work of wrestlers and Triple H is more prone to bodybuilders. When a guy is 6’1” and has a bodybuilder’s physique, that’s all he cares about. But he is wrong.”

The Excellence of Execution has turned his attention to determining the next WWE Champion.

“Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose are the hardest working guys in the company,” Hart said. “They most deserve to be the next champion, although Reigns fell short the most when it came to booking.”

The title is vacant because Seth Rollins has torn his right ACL, MCL and medial meniscus and will be out of action until next spring. Despite the recent comparisons, Hart doesn’t believe Rollins is Shawn Michaels’ second coming.

Hulk Hogan refuses to be counted after recent controversy

“Shawn has always been very secure,” Hart said. “He’s always been a really safe worker, but I don’t know anything about Seth Rollins. The knee in the face he gave John Cena was unprofessional at best. It’s really weird that a guy like Rollins, who I have a lot of respect for, would be so reckless with that knee to his face. If someone had kneed me in the face like that, I would have met them in the back locker room with a baseball bat. There’s just no excuse for it.”

Hart revealed that being a WWE Champion has two primary responsibilities: never injure an opponent and never suffer an injury of your own.

“There’s no way you can hurt someone like that,” Hart said. “It’s completely inconsiderate. That can’t happen. The other thing is, if you’re the champion, you have a responsibility not to get hurt. You have to be just right. I think it’s great that Rollins went ahead and finished the match and that shows a lot of courage.

“Nobody can hurt you and you can’t hurt yourself. It is not allowed. I’ve been champion for a few years, off and on, and I’ve never missed a title match because of injury. I have been hurt many times, but the reality is that you are so attached and committed to yourself that the company and your co-workers cannot afford to have you hurt. If you get hurt, it throws a wrench in everything. I feel bad – Seth Rollins is a young man and he’s obviously very talented and I hope he comes back from his surgery and learns from all these things. I hope they give him another chance and his chance wasn’t wasted by injury, no matter whose fault it was.”

Hart dubbed himself “The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Will Be” as part of his gimmick, but he was justifiably proud of using that mantra to protect his opponents and stay healthy enough to to keep working.

“I’ve always taken great pride in being a safe wrestler,” Hart said. “I’ve never hurt anyone. Every time they’ve given me tag titles, Intercontinental titles, or the world title, the only time I’ve failed to defend the title is that I had to lose the belt when I left WCW and retired from wrestling forever. That was from a blow to the head from Goldberg, and he ended my career with that kick at MCI Center. That being said, every time I got in the ring it was my responsibility to protect the wrestlers I was working with and it was my responsibility not to hurt myself and I’d like to think I’m doing better in that regard am an absolute professional.”

[youtube:https://youtu.be/bvcMxmbwS2A​]

Hart remains conflicted over the injury Sting sustained at the hands of Rollins at last September’s Night of Champions after receiving a powerbomb on the turnbuckle.

“I doubt the logic of doing that to a guy like Sting, especially knowing his age and circumstances,” Hart said. “I like to think that Sting said, ‘You can do that move.’ Sting is a tough guy and I have a lot of respect for him, but a lot of guys think they’re indestructible. Maybe he said to move on, then found out the hard way that it’s a more serious move than he thought. This is between the two wrestlers.

“I would like to believe that there was an understanding between them. At the same time, back to the time I wrestled Bob Backlund at [the 1994] SurvivorSeries, or whenever I wrestled Jerry Lawler, when you’re wrestling an older wrestler you have to cater to your opponent’s needs. I couldn’t have let Jerry Lawler try to do the same spots I would do with my brother Owen. I wasn’t trying to wrestle Bob Backlund like I did with Bulldog at Wembley – I mastered Backlund’s kind of match. Again, that’s experience that a younger wrestler might not have, but maybe they talked about it and Sting gave Rollins the all-clear.”

Hart explained that wrestlers are never forced to agree to moves that could endanger their health.

“Nobody forces you to do anything in wrestling,” Hart said. “There is always another way. If you’re not comfortable with a tombstone staker or a specific suplex, you can find another way to do it. I’ve never felt comfortable with Scott Hall’s Razor’s Edge. I said straight out, ‘You’re not doing this to me. You’re not going to drop me six feet onto the side of my head.” And I slid behind his back and did a backward slide instead. Now I was champion, and maybe that was why, but every time I’ve ever been in the ring with a wrestler – at any point in my career – I’ve been unsure of a move they were going to make on me felt we just did something else.”

Hart struggled in the first 11 Survivor Series maps, admitting that his two favorite games were 1996 against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and a 1995 World Championship game against Kevin Nash. He sees clear similarities between Nash and Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns talks Daniel Bryan, The Shield and Paul Heyman

​“Reigns is just like Kevin Nash,” Hart said. “If you look back at Reigns, his character did very well on his own. Then they dumped him into a babyface curve and shoved him into everyone’s minds and people rejected him. It wasn’t his fault. It was a bit like Kevin Nash. He was making ends meet and I wrestled him at [1994] the King of the Ring and we had a really good match. Suddenly, in August, they were ready to make him the new champion. And I say, ‘He’s not ready yet. Give him a little time and let him endure some more.” Why is there a rush? Reigns was dealt a bad deck. It has nothing to do with his work speed – he’s a really good worker and his style is really good. He just has to be himself.

“They tend to rush guys too early and that makes me think of Steve Austin. Vince wanted to babyface him way before he did. I remember Steve quit doing that. Austin said, “No, let me get over more.” And it paid off to be a little smarter and not rush. Some of the mistakes have more to do with the bookers than the actual wrestlers. Reigns is a victim of misbookings.”

The worst-case scenario for this Sunday’s Survivor Series is that Reigns passes clean and wins the championship as a babyface, and then listens as the crowd at Atlanta’s Philips Arena rains down on the new champion.

“It’s a tough decision,” admitted Hart. “But the second I heard the circumstances of Rollins’ injury, I thought this would put Reigns in a position to regain what he lost and do it right this time. It would be nice if he gets a chance as a champion.”

Hart is best known for the “Montreal Screwjob” incident at Survivor Series 1997, but he also has a number of highlights in the (former) annual Thanksgiving Day tradition.

Hart wrestled in 1987 and again in 1988 in a 20-man tag match with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart” as part of the Hart Foundation at the first Survivor Series.

“Those big tag matches were scrambled eggs,” Hart explained. “The whole time you were just waiting for your queue to be eliminated. Most of the time it was very quick. There were so many people involved and I really don’t have great memories of them.”

Hart’s first vivid memory of the Survivor series came in 1989 when he was working with “Macho King” Randy Savage.

“I still remember the moment at Rosemont Horizon with Randy Savage,” Hart said. “When we finally came on at exactly the same time, me and macho, there was this unexpected big pop from the crowd. We could feel it as we got in the ring together and we looked at each other and we were like, ‘Why don’t we wrestle more? Why don’t we do business with each other?” We wanted to compete in an act and I remember after the fight Macho Man grabbed my wrist and took me to Vince McMahon and said, “I want to wrestle him.” Vince said to us: “It will happen one day.”

“The thing about that Survivor Series match that people don’t remember is I fractured my sternum three weeks earlier. That was Dino Bravo’s injury. It was hard for me to move in this match and at the end of the match Macho Man dropped a big elbow on me from above. That was a pretty hard, painful elbow from above. My ribs were killing me.”

One of Hart’s saddest days in wrestling also came at Survivor Series, but it had nothing to do with Montreal and Shawn Michaels. Hart’s brother Dean died the night before Survivor Series 1990 in Hartford, where Hart faced Undertaker in his WWE debut.

“That’s the one I remember the most,” Hart said. “It was Undertaker’s debut in Hartford, but that was the day after my brother Dean died. I dedicated this match to my brother Dean, even though it didn’t signify it in the finish. Despite the plot, I gave it my all. I lost to [Ted] DiBiase in the end but we had a nice little sequence there before we went to the finish and he beat me. I remember it was a salute to my brother Dean, a tribute to him. This match has always had meaning for me.”

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper provided color commentary for the pay-per-view and shared Hart’s loss with fans watching at home.

Bret Hart, Jake Roberts and Marty Jannety remember Roddy Piper

“Roddy mentioned it on the show, even though Vince and the WWF didn’t want to acknowledge that Dean died,” Hart said. “Roddy did it on his own. The WWF didn’t care that my brother died and they didn’t care that I stayed to do the show. Vince called me a few days later and apologized. He said he didn’t know Dean died even though I told him. Pat Patterson had said to me in the elevator, “You look like someone died,” and he and Vince walked down the hall, laughing. But I think it went in one ear and out the other, to be fair to them. They didn’t realize the circumstances I was in, but it was a really important moment and I gave it my all in that match.”

Hart’s matches at Survivor Series were a microcosm of his career, starting as a face in twenty-man matches and progressing to the main event against Shawn Michaels in 1992.

“That Survivor series was after I won the title [from Ric Flair], and I like to think of that as the drug-free era,” Hart said. “Everyone was drug free. The trial was so strong and complete back then that when I wrestled Shawn at Survivor Series, there was no one left. All the big names like Warrior and Hogan were gone, even the Road Warriors were gone. The smaller players in the company, literally and physically, were the only ones left. Shawn and I were the ones left to try and save the company. Up until 1992, Shawn hadn’t had many singles matches. He told me he wasn’t able to deliver that day and he wanted me to make my pace to take him through the match. But overall it was a very good, solid, believable match.”

With Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker working part-time and John Cena absent from television until mid-December, Hart identified the wrestlers who were capable of carrying the WWE. One, he noted, is Dean Ambrose, who oozes with passion.

“I look at Dean Ambrose and I really admire him,” Hart said. “He likes to bring emotion into the game. There’s a lot of drama and he gets a lot out of the expressions and body language. Too many wrestlers forget that. My criticism of wrestlers today is that they are all high spot monkeys. Everything is a climax and they go straight to the next move to the next move to the next move. Then we forget what they just did. We cannot register all this. Boys forget how to tell a story. No one sells anything or registers or enough in wrestling today. They make some absolutely stunning moves and get back up and do another running spot, missing the core of what they just did. Dean Ambrose is a guy who takes his time with his story and his moves and gets the most performance out of the simplest things.”

Hart believes current Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens is also poised to shine as a WWE Champion. Despite Owens’ relative inexperience with WWE, he has over fifteen years of ring experience.

“Kevin Owens is as good a choice as anyone to be the next champion,” Hart said. “I love his matches and I love his work.”

Melissa Joan Hart – who is not related to Bret – made headlines in the wrestling community this week when she commented that Owen’s character was lazy in the ring, but the “Hitman” vehemently disagreed with that assessment.

“Owens may fool you with his size, but he can move and drive out there,” Hart said. “He’s really good and a great performer with his technique. He’s a big guy doing some absolutely incredible things in the ring.”

Hart is always open about WWE’s poor booking of Cesaro, but he believes the problem extends to the majority of WWE’s European Superstars — one reason he believes Sheamus won’t see Survivor Series as the world heavyweight champion will leave.

Taz opens up about his new career in radio, battling Kurt Angle and why he will always love Paul Heyman

​“Look at the European wrestlers, from Wade Barrett to Drew McIntrye — who’s gone — to Sheamus, they’re all very good wrestlers,” Hart explained. “But there’s a certain ignorance from Vince on the promotion side of not recognizing these talents because they speak with an accent. I don’t know how they lost Drew McIntrye. They booked him so terribly when he got there. He could be at one of the most important events this weekend. What a waste of talent. Some of the guys bookings were really bad. Harry Smith is another guy who has a lot of wrestling skills. I scratch my head sometimes how they can let a guy like that go.”

Talent development is a high priority for Hart and he has nothing but appreciation for Bray Wyatt. Hart worked with Mike Rotunda, Wyatt and Bo Dallas’ father, but explained that Wyatt is a self-made superstar.

“Mike Rotunda has always been a really good, reliable, safe and consistent worker,” Hart said. “He was one of the few wrestlers I worked with that I never told what to do. Mike was able to tell me what to do. It was a really good heel, and I’d put it on par with Ted DiBiase [in terms of size]. His children are even more creative. They’re talented in a different way than Mike, and it’s fair to say they’re even better than Mike.

“Bray Wyatt is a unique talent unlike any other. He’s a bit like Kevin Owens. He’s a taller guy with a lot of versatility and style. He stands out. He created this character himself. He’s not a character where they say, ‘This is what we want from you.’ He’s a character who says, ‘I’ll do that.’ He’s very innovative and creative himself.”

Wyatt is currently embroiled in a feud with Undertaker, who returns this Sunday in tag team action against the Wyatt family. Amazingly, Undertaker was actually the one who helped mend the rift between Hart and Shawn Michaels.

“One of my favorite matches was the first time between him and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania,” Hart said. “That’s actually one of the main reasons I buried the hatchet with Shawn.”

“From day one, Undertaker has always been a hard worker and respected by everyone in the locker room. The Undertaker is a guy who takes a lot of risks and is open minded, but he’s also a guy who’s super safe and always protective of the guys he works with. You could put your life in his hands and he won’t let you get hurt. He’s certainly one of the greatest of all time.”

In response to the Kliq’s growing influence behind the scenes with Vince McMahon, Undertaker formed his own troupe – the Bone Street Krew – and has “BSK” tattooed on his chest.

Pro Wrestling’s Wolfpac talks Undertaker in WCW and their legacy

​“Undertaker wasn’t a guy who liked politics a lot,” Hart said. “He didn’t stab him in the back on his way up. He wasn’t a guy who cared about backstage cops – he was a real, straight guy. He didn’t like the whole Kliq joke or the way they did business. He and his friends were men who made their own decisions and had their own thoughts.”

If Hart, 58, were to turn back the clock and re-enter the ring, his choice of opponent would be none other than the “Beast Incarnate”.

“I would have loved to work with Brock Lesnar,” Hart said. “I would have loved the chance to wrestle him just once, especially if I could bring back the old Bret Hart from ’97.”

Lesnar’s greatness is only magnified by his advocate, Paul Heyman.

“Paul Heyman is the best wrestling manager of all time,” Hart said. “But he also loves the business. To be a smart guy like he is in wrestling, you first have to be a really big wrestling fan. He was a kid who grew up wrestling. We share that, and we both have an appreciation for everything from guys like Abdullah the Butcher to Rey Mysterio and all sorts of different styles, shapes and sizes. They must have a whole selection of chocolates in the box.”

Hart is pleased that his niece, Natalya Neidhart, is more involved in the WWE Diva Division, but found the mention of Ric Flair’s late son in the current Paige/Charlotte feud very uncomfortable.

“How could they not see the hurt there?” asked Hart. “This is really insensitive to Ric and his family, and I totally sympathize with Ric. You didn’t see that after Jerry Lawler lost his brother. Maybe someone just used poor judgment, but I was amazed to see that they did this to him. It was completely wrong.”

Hart thanked all of his fans for their unconditional support and is grateful that people have stood by him throughout his career.

“For anyone who’s asking, I’m fine,” Hart confirmed. “I have my wrist surgery next week but other than that I’m fine and I still have the best fans in the world.”

Sharing the same frustrations as his die-hard wrestling fans who are unhappy with today’s product, Hart offered advice to the WWE creative team.

“Wrestling is at its best today, but I’m just questioning a lot of the bookings,” Hart said. “You should go back and watch and the old stuff.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

Bret Hart

Canadian-American wrestler, writer and actor

This article is about the professional wrestler. For the author, see Bret Harte

Bret Sergeant Hart[1][2] (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler currently signed with Legend in WWE. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second generation wrestler, he comes from an amateur wrestling background and wrestled at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College. A major international attraction in professional wrestling, he was credited with changing the perception of mainstream North American professional wrestling in the early 1990s by emphasizing technical performance in the ring. Hart is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Sky Sports noted that his legacy is that of “one of, if not the greatest to ever grace the square circle”. He was a face of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the New Generation Era and early Attitude Era.[12] For most of his career, Hart used the nickname “Hitman”.

Hart joined his father Stu Hart’s promotion Stampede Wrestling as a referee in 1976 and made his in-ring debut in 1978 with Foundation stable. After the controversial “Montreal Screwjob” in November 1997, he transferred to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he remained until October 2000. After being out of the ring since January 2000 due to a concussion in December 1999, Hart officially retired in October 2000, shortly after retiring from the company. He returned to sporadic in-ring competitions with WWE in 2010-11, where he won his final championship, refereed the 2010 SummerSlam event, and served as Raw’s general manager. Throughout his career, Hart headlined WrestleMania IX, X and XII and competed in Starrcade’s main event in 1997 and 1999, serving as a special enforcer and referee in the former.[c] Hart was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame at his Formed in 1996 while still an active performer.

Hart has held championships in five decades from the 1970s to the 2010s, a total of 32 throughout his career and 17 between WWF/WWE and WCW. Among other accolades, he is a five-time WWF Champion and a two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Hart has the most combined days as a WWF Champion (654) in the 1990s and was the first WCW World Heavyweight Champion born outside the United States. He is the second WWF Triple Crown Champion and fifth (with Goldberg) WCW Triple Crown Champion and the first man to win both the WWF and WCW Triple Crown Championships. Hart is also the winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble (with Lex Luger) and the only two-time King of the Ring, winning the tournament in 1991 and the inaugural King of the Ring pay-per-view in 1993. Stone Cold Steve Austin, with whom Hart officiated several pay-per-view events from 1996-1997 as part of a celebrated rivalry, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class in 2006. In 2019, Hart became one of seven people inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice when he was re-inducted as a member of the Hart Foundation along with brother-in-law Jim Neidhart.

Outside of wrestling, Hart has appeared in numerous films and television shows such as The Simpsons and has appeared in several documentaries, both about himself and his family or the wrestling industry in general. Hart also helped found and lend his name to the major junior ice hockey team, the Calgary Hitmen. He has written two biographies and a weekly column for the Calgary Sun for over a decade. Post-retirement, Hart has devoted significant time to charities related to stroke recovery and cancer awareness based on his personal experiences with the two. Hart chronicled his wrestling life and the Montreal Screwjob in his best-selling autobiography.[14]

Early life[edit]

The eighth child of wrestling patriarch Stu Hart and his wife Helen, Bret Hart was born into the Hart wrestling family in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is of Greek descent through his maternal grandmother and Irish descent through his maternal grandfather. His father was primarily of Ulster Scot descent, but also had Scottish and English ancestry. Hart has been a dual citizen of Canada and the United States since his mother, Helen, was born in New York. Hart has stated that he considers himself a North American and is equally proud of his US and Canadian citizenship.[22] His maternal grandfather was long-distance runner Harry Smith.

Hart grew up in a household of eleven siblings, seven brothers Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Ross and Owen and four sisters Ellie, Georgia, Alison and Diana. As a child, he was closest to his older brother, Dean, who was closest to him of all his older brothers as he was three years older than him. Together, they often fought alongside Bret’s two older sisters, Ellie, who was two years older, and Georgia, who was a year older.[23] Hart’s family were non-denominational Christians, but he and all his siblings were baptized by a local Catholic priest.[23]

Hart spent most of his childhood at the Hart family mansion, owned by his father. During a time when his father was harboring a bear named Terrible Ted, who was chained under the building, the bear had all his teeth removed and Hart would sometimes let the bear lick ice cream off his toes as a very young child since he thought that it was a good way to keep them clean.[24]

His introduction to professional wrestling came at an early age. As a child, he watched his father train future wrestlers like superstar Billy Graham in the dungeon, the basement of his home that served as a training room. Before school, Hart’s father, also a wrestling promoter, had him handing out flyers for local wrestling shows. In the 1998 documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, Hart reflected on his father’s discipline and described how Stu uttered morbid words while inflicting agonizing submission holds that left broken blood vessels in Bret’s eyes. Hart claimed his father had an otherwise pleasant demeanor.[25]

Hart’s first work in wrestling was drawing lucky numbers from a metal box during the hiatus of Stampede wrestling shows when he was four years old. As he got a little older, he sold programs for the shows, which all seven of Hart’s brothers did. He often competed with his little brother Ross for customers, as fans often wanted to buy from the youngest Hart child.

Amateur wrestling[ edit ]

Like his father, Hart was an excellent amateur wrestler from a young age, having started training when he was nine years old. At Ernest Manning High School, Hart became a standout in the amateur wrestling division. Hart has stated that he joined the wrestling team “for the sole reason that my father expected me to… nobody asked me to.” [28] He won major championships in tournaments across Alberta, including the 1974 city championships in Calgary. En route to the championship, he scored a win over competitor Bob Eklund – who would go on to become Canada’s national interuniversity sports champion and win Outstanding Wrestler of the Year 1980–1981 [29]. Hart describes the moment he showed his father Stu the medal as a “powerful moment” and that his relationship with his father “takes a different direction from that point on.” [28] Hart considered the medals to be one of his most prized possessions.[1]

By 1977, Hart was a collegiate champion at Mount Royal College, where he studied filmmaking; [28] [31] his coaches and others around him felt that he showed sufficient promise to compete in the following year’s Commonwealth Games and encouraged him to begin training for the event. However, Hart gradually found amateur wrestling unsatisfactory in the face of injuries and fluctuating weight. Stu still believed his son could make it to the Olympics or Commonwealth Games if he tried.[33] Hart has expressed that he believed that even if he had become an exceptionally successful sport wrestler, it would not have subsequently led to a career he was interested in, stating that he thought he would become a wrestling champion. Coaches or physical education teachers end high school if they follow the Olympic path.[34] Hart felt that the only way to give up amateur wrestling without disappointing his father was to become a professional wrestler. His college grades dropped as his interest in filmmaking waned; He devoted himself to professional wrestling and began training with his father’s Stampede Wrestling promotion. Hart has spoken about how his amateur background has been helpful in his professional wrestling career and also the positive impact amateur wrestling has on junior high school and high school aged boys in terms of building confidence.

Professional wrestling career[edit]

Stampede Wrestling (1976–1984) [ edit ]

In 1976, Hart began working for his father’s Stampede wrestling promotion in Calgary. Hart initially began helping promotions by refereing games. At a 1978 event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a wrestler failed to perform his match, forcing Stu to ask his son to fill in as a substitute. It wasn’t long before he became a regular contender, eventually working with brother Keith to win the Stampede International Tag Team Championship four times.

Hart gained some of his most prominent experiences with Japanese fighters and real-life trainers, Mr. Hito and Mr. Sakurada. Hart also had impressive matches against Tom Billington, better known by his in-ring moniker as the Dynamite Kid. In the midst of wrestling with his family, Hart made a point of not riding on the shoulders of his elders. Hart worked faithfully as was asked of him and took pride in the credibility of his accomplishments. As he himself said, “No one could take a shitty kick like Bret Hart”.[28] Though he dreaded attending interviews and speaking in front of audiences, Hart won the promotion’s top titles, including two British Commonwealth Middle Heavyweight Championships, five International Tag Team Championships and six North American Heavyweight Championships. Hart also wrestled Tiger Mask in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), a promotion he often wrestled for in the early to mid-1980s. He remained one of Stampede’s most successful performers until the promotion, along with several wrestlers, was acquired by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in August 1984.

World Wrestling Federation[edit]

The Hart Foundation (1984–1991) [ edit ]

Hart was asked to join the WWF as a singles wrestler with a cowboy gimmick, but declined, stating that where he’s from, “if you call yourself a cowboy, you better be one.”[36] He made his televised WWF debut on August 29, 1984 in a tag team match teaming with the Dynamite Kid. On September 11, in Poughkeepsie, New York, Hart defeated Aldo Marino in his televised debut singles match, which aired on the September 29 episode of Superstars of Wrestling. After earning the nickname “Hit Man” in 1985, he applied to join Jimmy Hart’s heel stable, The Hart Foundation, which included his brother-in-law, Jim Neidhart. Bret began to team up increasingly with Neidhart [28] to build the promotion’s tag team division. The “Hart Foundation” name then became exclusive to Bret, Neidhart and manager Jimmy Hart due to the similar surnames of both team members and their manager. Bret’s agile, technical style – which earned him the nickname “The Excellence of Execution” (coined by Gorilla Monsoon)[6][39] – contrasted with the strength and combat prowess of his partner Neidhart. During this time, Hart began wearing his signature sunglasses, initially to hide his nervousness during promotions. Hart views his mic work as a weakness during his early career.

In 1986, Hart began his first singles program with Ricky Steamboat and in a singles match originally planned for WrestleMania 2, he lost to Steamboat on March 8, 1986 at the Boston Garden in what would be included on Hart’s 2005 DVD as one of his all-time favorite matches.[28] At WrestleMania 2, Hart instead competed in a 20-man battle royal, which was eventually won by André the Giant. On the July 28, 1986 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, he again lost to Steamboat. Hart officiated his first televised WWF card when he defeated Ray Rougeau of The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers in the main event of the November 3, 1986 episode of Prime Time Wrestling.

The Hart Foundation won their first of two WWF Tag Team Championships on the February 7, 1987 episode of Superstars of Wrestling when they defeated The British Bulldogs. They then teamed up with Danny Davis to face off against The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana at WrestleMania III. They won the match when Davis pinned Davey Boy Smith after hitting him with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone.

The Hart Foundation adopted the nickname “The Pink and Black Attack”, which Hart continued to use after the tag team disbanded. This was in reference to the team’s ring attire, as well as Hart’s signature mirrored sunglasses, which he routinely gave away to young audiences before games after his face-turning in 1988. As Hart’s WWF career progressed, he increasingly described himself as “The best thing there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be” (derived from the 1984 film The Natural), which he later described justified by three claims: he never hurt an opponent through his own fault; In the entire course of his career, he only missed one show (due to flight difficulties); and that he has refused to lose a match only once — his last WWF match with longtime opponent Shawn Michaels at the Survivor Series event in 1997, which culminated in the Montreal Screwjob.

[48] ​​In his performances, Hart often wore a leather jacket with shoulder tassels (epaulettes), wrap-around Mylar sunglasses (originally silver, later pink), and bright pink clothing

The Hart Foundation lost the WWF Tag Team Championship titles to Strike Force on the October 27 episode of Superstars of Wrestling. Hart subsequently competed in his most famous singles competition to date on the November 28, 1987 episode of Main Event XIII of Saturday Night, when he lost to “Macho Man” Randy Savage. He started 1988 with a decisive win over The Young Stallions’ Paul Roma (who had picked up an upset win over The Hart Foundation the previous year)[50] on the January 11 episode of Prime Time Wrestling[44] and was at the Royal Rumble in January 1988, the first man to participate in the Royal Rumble match. He lasted 25 minutes and 42 seconds before being eliminated by Don Muraco.

Hart, who entered another battle royal at WrestleMania IV, was again one of the last two fighters when he was recruited by former Stampede frequent opponent Bad News Brown to eliminate Junkyard Dog before Brown turned on Hart and eliminated him in order to win the event. This made Hart a fan favorite again and sparked a feud between the two. Neidhart soon sided with Hart in the feud, but manager Jimmy Hart discouraged the feud, leading to a falling out between the team and the manager. This led to matches pitting Hart against Davis, and also his first shot at a singles championship, where he challenged The Honky Tonk Man for the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the July 18 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, where the match ended in a double count.[44] As relations between the Harts and their former mentor continued to deteriorate, Jimmy Hart assisted the tag team champions Demolition in successfully defending their belts against the Harts at SummerSlam in August 1988 before enlisting old foes The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who had recently walked on their heels. to resume their feud with the Harts.

At the Royal Rumble in January 1989, the Hart Foundation teamed with Jim Duggan to defeat the Rougeaus and Dino Bravo. They also defeated Greg Valentine and The Honky Tonk Man, also managed by Jimmy Hart, at WrestleMania V. At an event in Milan on April 8, 1989, broadcast live on Tele+2, André the Giant asked for a singles match with Hart losing the match, which was later released on his 2013 DVD set The Dungeon Collection, but considered André’s post-match praise and encouragement central to his singles career. He wrestled his first singles pay-per-view on October 10th, losing to Dino Bravo in the first British WWF pay-per-view, held at the London Arena and broadcast on Sky Television[52] (Hart was actually booked to win the match but suffered a fractured sternum resulting in an unplanned countout loss).

At SummerSlam in August 1989, the Hart Foundation lost a non-title match to then-WWF Tag Team Champion The Brain Busters. In the first televised contest of a rivalry that would span Hart’s WWF and WCW careers, he lost to Mr. Perfect on the November 6, 1989 episode of Prime Time Wrestling, when Perfect pulled Hart’s pantyhose during a roll-up . In their first ever singles meeting, Shawn Michaels and Hart wrestled for a double countout on the February 11, 1990 episode of Wrestling Challenge.

After participating in the Royal Rumble in January 1990, The Hart Foundation defeated The Bolsheviks in 19 seconds at WrestleMania VI and began a feud with Demolition, who had just won the WWF Tag Team Championship against The Colossal Connection at WrestleMania VI. At SummerSlam in 1990, the Hart Foundation began their second and final WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating Demolition members Crush and Smash in a two out of three falls match with some help from Legion of Doom. On October 30, the Hart Foundation lost the title to The Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels), but a few days later President Jack Tunney reversed the decision and the win was never acknowledged on television. The Hart Foundation’s reign lasted until WrestleMania VII, where they lost to The Nasty Boys, after which the team split.

Intercontinental Champion (1991–1992) [ edit ]

Hart won his first WWF Intercontinental Championship by defeating Mr. Perfect with the sharpshooter at SummerSlam in 1991 and then went on to win the 1991 King of the Ring tournament on September 7, 1991 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence. Rhode Island. Hart’s first pay-per-view title defense came this Tuesday in Texas, where he defeated undefeated Skinner.

In January 1992, Hart became embroiled in a feud with Jacques Rougeau, who was now wrestling as “The Mountie” and using the gimmick of a power-hungry, corrupt member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This feud, the first for Hart and Rougeau as singles competitors, came about when Mountie’s manager, Jimmy Hart, threw water at Hart and shocked The Mountie Hart with a cattle prod. On January 17, 1992, Hart dropped the Intercontinental Championship to The Mountie. After the loss, Roddy defeated Piper Mountie with a sleeper hold two days later at the 1992 Royal Rumble, and Bret pinned Piper later that year for his second Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania VIII, making him the first wrestler in the WWF — and one of the few wrestlers ever – who pinned Piper’s shoulders to the mat.[28] At a Wrestling Challenge taping on July 21, 1992, with the Intercontinental Championship belt suspended over the ring, Hart defeated Shawn Michaels in the WWF’s first ranking match. Hart dropped the Intercontinental Championship to his brother-in-law, Davey Boy Smith, in Hart’s first WWF pay-per-view main event at SummerSlam in August 1992, played in front of over 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. It was voted “Match of the Year” by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers,[66] and WWE called the match the greatest in SummerSlam history.[67] After being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006, Hart described the competition as his favorite match of his career.

WWF Champion (1992–1996) [ edit ]

Hart with his WWF Championship belt under his jacket

Hart won the WWF Championship from Ric Flair at a Superstars taping on October 12 this year at Saskatchewan Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in a match that was not originally broadcast on WWF television [69] – the match was instead broadcast in made available to a series of Coliseum / WWE home video releases.[70] Hart dislocated a finger on his left hand during the game and reinserted it inside himself so it wouldn’t affect the rest of the game. He made his first successful title defense against Papa Shango in Saturday night’s Main Event XXXI. He would headline his first pay-per-view as a champion with a successful title defense against Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series 1992 and defeating Razor Ramon at the 1993 Royal Rumble. He also defended the title against contenders such as Papa Shango[73] and former champion Ric Flair[6] before losing the title to Yokozuna in his first WrestleMania Main Event at WrestleMania IX after interference from Mr. Fuji. Fuji then challenged Hulk Hogan, who had come out to help Hart fight for the title. Hogan then won his fifth WWF Championship from yokozuna. In June, Hart won the inaugural King of the Ring pay-per-view tournament, defeating Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect, and Bam Bam Bigelow to become the only two-time King of the Ring. According to Hart, he was set to win back the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam, but Hogan opted to drop the title to Yokozuna at King of the Ring instead. Hart instead entered into a feud with Jerry “The King” Lawler, who interrupted Hart’s coronation, claimed he was the only king, attacked Hart, and began a barrage against Hart and his family. The two met at SummerSlam in 1993 to determine the “undisputed king of the World Wrestling Federation.”[77] Hart originally won the match via submission via the sharpshooter, but because he wouldn’t let go of the hold, the decision was commuted to a Lawler victory by disqualification. Hart and his younger brother Owen Hart also feuded with Lawler in the 1993 United States Wrestling Association (USWA), with Lawler defeating Owen for Owen’s USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship. Hart’s feud with Lawler was named “Feud of the Year” by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and voted “Feud of the Year” by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers.

After months of dealing with Lawler, Hart received a WrestleMania IX rematch with WWF Champion Yokozuna on the November 20 episode of WWF Superstars. As Bret appeared to have won the match and Yokozuna pinned down the sniper, Owen came to the ring to congratulate his brother. The referee began to question Owen’s motives, allowing Fuji to attack Bret. Owen then got involved in the match, resulting in a victory for yokozuna by disqualification. On the November 22 non-televised but now canon episode of Monday Night Raw, Hart again challenged Yokozuna for the WWF Championship and once again failed to regain the championship due to similar involvement by Owen, who put wheels in motion for a family feud that to extend throughout 1994.[81] Survivor Series pitted the Harts (Bret, Owen, Bruce and Keith) against Shawn Michaels (a replacement for Lawler who was facing legal troubles)[82] and his Knights. The Harts won the match, with all brothers surviving except Owen, the only Harts family member who was eliminated when he was rolled up by Michaels after accidentally knocking Bret off the apron. Embittered at his elimination, Owen blamed Bret and for the coming weeks accused Bret of holding him back. Owen requested a one-on-one match with Bret, but Bret refused. In the story, Bret worked alongside his parents over the Christmas holidays to reunite the family and settle their rivalry. Bret was voted “WWF Superstar of the Year” by fans in 1993[84] and was voted Greatest Wrestler of the Year by readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated.[85]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated received the Feud of the Year award and featured a highly rated steel cage match at Bret’s rivalry with his brother Owen won the Feud of the Year award and featured a highly rated steel cage match at SummerSlam

At the Royal Rumble in January, Bret and Owen faced off against The Quebecers (Jacques and Pierre) for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Referee Tim White stopped the game after deeming Bret unable to continue after sustaining a kayfabe knee injury during the game. After the match, Owen berated his brother for costing him a title opportunity and attacked the injured knee, ending the feud between the two. Hart later managed to enter and win the 1994 Royal Rumble match amid controversy. Hart and Lex Luger were the last two contestants and the two were eliminated over the top rope at the same time. As a result, both men were named co-winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble match and received title shots at WrestleMania X.[87] Luger won the chance to face yokozuna first, with Hart having to wrestle his brother Owen before earning his title shot. Hart lost his match to Owen[88] but defeated Yokozuna for his second WWF Championship.[89][90]

Hart continued to feud with his brother Owen while he also began feuding with Diesel. Hart’s friend and former tag team partner Jim Neidhart returned to the WWF and reunited with Hart. At King of the Ring, Hart defended the WWF Championship against Diesel. When Hart won the match, Shawn Michaels intervened for Diesel; Diesel appeared close to victory after delivering a Jackknife Powerbomb, but before he could pin Hart, Neidhart interfered, so Diesel won by disqualification, but Hart retained his title. Neidhart left when Diesel and Michaels Hart attacked after the match. Neidhart’s motivation was made clear when he helped Owen win the tournament that night so he could get a title shot against his brother. At SummerSlam, Hart successfully retained the WWF Championship against Owen in a steel cage match. This match received a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and the brothers’ feud was voted “Feud of the Year” by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers.

Hart eventually lost his WWF Championship at Survivor Series in a submission match to Bob Backlund in which the manager of one of the two competitors (Davey Boy Smith for Hart, Owen for Backlund) “threw the towel” for the wrestler they were representing had to throw. When Hart was in Backlund’s crossface chickenwing and Davey Boy knocked out kayfabe, Owen persuaded his mother Helen to throw in the towel for Hart, giving Backlund the championship win. Bret’s feud with Backlund would continue into the following year. He was voted the greatest wrestler of 1994 by readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, winning the poll for the second straight year.

Hart in 1995

Three days after Hart’s title loss, Diesel defeated Backlund with a jackknife powerbomb in eight seconds to become the new WWF Champion. By 1995, Hart focused on non-business projects such as B. Acting, and moved to number two in the company behind Diesel. Hart fought for Diesel’s WWF Championship at the 1995 Royal Rumble, in a match constantly marred by outside influences and a tie decided. Both men sportively hugged after the game. In a Survivor Series rematch, Hart defeated Bob Backlund in an “I Quit” match at WrestleMania XI. Hart was critical of the match against Backlund, claiming it was “probably my worst pay-per-view match I’ve ever had”. Hart was the focus of the first event of the In Your House pay-per-view series and competed in two matches at In Your House 1. He defeated Hakushi in the very first match of the In Your House series. Harts gefeierte Fehde mit Jerry Lawler wurde bei der Veranstaltung wieder entfacht, als Lawler Hart aufgrund der Einmischung von Hakushi (jetzt Lawlers Schützling) besiegte. Hart schlug Lawler in einem “Kiss My Foot” -Match bei King of the Ring und besiegte Lawlers Kayfabe-Zahnarzt Isaac Yankem durch Disqualifikation bei SummerSlam 1995. [99] Ihr King of the Ring-Match endete damit, dass Hart seinen Fuß in Lawlers Mund schob und Lawler dann zwang, seinen eigenen Fuß zu küssen. Obwohl Hart in ihrer In-Ring-Fehde siegreich war, blieb Lawler entschieden gegen Hart als Kommentator und ermutigte Harts Gegner während der Spiele routinemäßig. erst Over the Limit, sechzehn Jahre später, würden beide Männer das Kriegsbeil endgültig begraben. Nachdem er Lawler entsorgt hatte, verwickelte sich Hart in eine dreimonatige Fehde mit Jean-Pierre Lafitte, der den Fans am Ring die verspiegelte Sonnenbrille und seine charakteristische Lederjacke stehlen würde. Bei In Your House 3 besiegte Hart Lafitte, um die Fehde zu beenden. Hart verlagerte seinen Fokus zurück auf die WWF-Meisterschaft und besiegte Diesel in einem Match ohne Disqualifikation bei der Survivor Series, um seine dritte Regierungszeit zu beginnen.

In einem Rückkampf nach ihrer Begegnung beim SummerSlam 1992 verteidigte Hart seinen Titel erfolgreich gegen den jetzt an der Spitze stehenden Davey Boy Smith bei In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings. Er verlor gegen The Undertaker durch Disqualifikation beim Royal Rumble 1996, als Diesel sich einmischte, behielt schließlich die WWF-Meisterschaft und besiegte The Undertaker durch Disqualifikation in einem Rückkampf in der Folge von Raw vom 5. Februar, erneut aufgrund von Diesels Einmischung. Hart behielt seinen Titel erneut gegen Diesel in einem Stahlkäfig-Match bei In Your House 6 und besiegte Hunter Hearst Helmsley, der bei Raw in der Folge der Show vom 4. März ungeschlagen war. WWF-Kommissar Rowdy Roddy Piper entschied, dass Hart gegen Shawn Michaels antreten würde, der sich bei WrestleMania XII ein WWF-Meisterschaftsspiel verdient hatte, indem er den Royal Rumble in einem 60-minütigen Iron Man-Match bei der Veranstaltung gewann. Der Wrestler mit den meisten Entscheidungen während der 60 Minuten würde das Match und die WWF-Meisterschaft gewinnen.

Bei WrestleMania sprang Michaels mit weniger als einer Minute auf der Uhr und dem Stand von 0: 0 vom mittleren Seil; Seine Beine wurden von Hart gefangen und Hart sperrte seinen Sharpshooter ein. Michaels reichte jedoch in den letzten 30 Sekunden nicht ein, sodass das Match unentschieden endete. WWF-Präsident Gorilla Monsoon entschied, dass das Spiel in der Verlängerung des plötzlichen Todes fortgesetzt werden würde. Michaels traf einen Superkick, um die Meisterschaft zu gewinnen. Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers voted it the “Match of the Year”;[66] in 2004, WWE fans voted the match as the greatest in the history of WrestleMania.[107] After WrestleMania, Hart went on a European tour over the next two weeks, coming out victorious against Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The tour ended on April 22, and after this he took his hiatus from television. His final televised appearance was an interview taped while on the European tour in which he described his passion for wrestling was diminished, and stated that although there were offers from competing companies, he might be finished with wrestling.[108]

That fall, Hart would indeed receive competing offers of employment from both WWF and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). WCW presented a 3-year, $9M contract offer to Hart,[109] while the World Wrestling Federation responded with an unprecedented 20-year contract. Finishing up his original WWF deal, Hart returned to action on a tour of South Africa on September 8, 1996, defeating Davey Boy Smith in Durban.[108] On October 21, Hart elected to re-sign with the World Wrestling Federation.[110] He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame Class of 1996.

Feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin (1996–1997) [ edit ]

Hart posing for the crowd with his arms open

Over the summer, Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was fresh from winning the 1996 King of the Ring,[111] continually taunted Hart and challenged him to come back and have a match. After an eight-month hiatus from television, Hart returned and defeated Austin at Survivor Series in a match for the number one contender spot to the WWF Championship.[112] Hart challenged champion Sycho Sid at the following month’s In Your House 12: It’s Time; Shawn Michaels, who was serving as a guest commentator at ringside, accidentally cost Hart the victory when he attempted to become involved in the match after being assaulted by Sid. The building tension between Hart and Michaels climaxed after the match when Hart assaulted Michaels. Hart’s feud with Austin escalated at the Royal Rumble, when Hart tossed Austin out of the ring, only for Austin (unbeknownst to the referees) to climb back into the ring and win the Royal Rumble match, while the referees were distracted by Mankind.[113] Hart quit the WWF the next night on Raw in protest. In order to deal with this controversy, a Fatal Four-Way between Austin and the participants he eliminated after re-entering the ring (Vader, The Undertaker, and Hart) was set up for In Your House 13: Final Four, with the winner becoming the number one contender. After then-champion Shawn Michaels relinquished the belt, though, the match officially became for the WWF Championship. Hart defeated Austin, Vader, and The Undertaker in the Fatal Four-Way.[114][115] However, Austin made sure Hart’s fourth reign was short-lived, costing him a title match against Sid the next night on Raw.[116] Hart challenged for Sid’s WWF Championship in a steel cage match shortly before WrestleMania 13, which saw Austin actually attempt to help Hart win, in order to make their scheduled match at WrestleMania 13 a title match. Concurrently, The Undertaker, who had a scheduled title match with Sid at WrestleMania, attempted to help Sid win. Sid ultimately retained, leading to a pure grudge match for Hart and Austin.[117] Following his loss to Sid, Hart shoved “announcer” Vince McMahon to the ground when he attempted to conduct a post-match interview, and engaged in a worked shoot, expletive-laden rant against McMahon and WWF management. This incident has been cited as one which helped lay the foundations of the WWF’s Attitude Era, as well as the starting point of McMahon’s on-air character, the tyrannical WWF owner “Mr. McMahon”.[118]

At WrestleMania 13, Hart and Austin had their rematch in a submission match that would later get a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. In the end, Hart locked the Sharpshooter on a bloody Austin, who refused to give up. In fact, Austin never quit, but passed out from the blood loss and pain. Ken Shamrock, the special guest referee, awarded Hart the match, after which he continued to assault Austin, thus turning heel for the first time since 1988.[119] It was named “Match of the Year” by Wrestling Observer Newsletter and voted “Match of the Year” by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers.[66] Later that night, Hart confronted Sycho Sid and The Undertaker prior to their match for the WWF Championship; Hart insulted Undertaker and told Shawn Michaels (who was a guest commentator for the match) not to interfere. Undertaker won the match, which ended with Hart hot shotting Sid on the ropes, therefore costing him the title.

Hart challenged Rocky Maivia for the Intercontinental Championship in the main event of the March 31 episode of Raw. Rocky Maivia won by disqualification when Hart refused to release a figure-four leglock applied around the ring post. He faced Austin again in the main event of In Your House 14: Revenge of the ‘Taker, to determine who would challenge the WWF Champion Undertaker in a title match at the following month’s In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell. Austin had Hart locked in his own finishing move, the Sharpshooter, in the middle of the ring when The British Bulldog interfered on Hart’s behalf, resulting in disqualification and giving Austin the victory and title match. They met once again in a street fight on the April 21 episode of Raw Is War, in which Austin injured Hart’s ankle with a steel chair. The match was ruled a no-contest and Austin afterward continued to beat Hart while on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance.

In 1997, Hart became a tweener: generally cheered for by Canadian and international fans, and booed by American fans, while remaining largely consistent in character

In the ensuing weeks, Hart denounced American fans, because of their negative reaction to him in the recent weeks in contrast to his continued popularity through the rest of the world, and reunited with brother Owen and brothers-in-law Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart. The family members formed a new Hart Foundation with Brian Pillman; this incarnation was an anti-American stable which was popular within Canada and Europe. As the leader of this stable, Hart routinely carried a Canadian flag to the ring and engaged in promos where he declared the superiority of his home nation; he became so despised by U.S. audiences that they would often throw debris during his ring entrances, interviews, and matches.[28] He was voted by Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers as the “Most Hated Wrestler of the Year” in 1997.[120] At In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede, in Hart’s home town of Calgary, the Hart Foundation defeated the team of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust, and The Legion of Doom, representing the United States, in a ten-man tag team match main event.[121] The Canada vs. U.S. rivalry escalated on the July 21 episode of Raw Is War in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Bret, Owen, and Davey Boy Smith, representing Canada and the Hart Foundation, defeated the team of Dude Love, Austin, and The Undertaker, representing the U.S., in a Flag match.[122] The Hart Foundation’s feud with Austin was named “Feud of the Year” by Wrestling Observer Newsletter and voted “Feud of the Year” by readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated.[80] Hart vowed that if he could not defeat The Undertaker for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam, he would never wrestle in the United States again. The Undertaker agreed to the match, and Hart won his fifth and last WWF Championship after spitting in guest referee Shawn Michaels’ face; Michaels swung a steel chair in retaliation, which accidentally struck the Undertaker. Michaels, who, as part of another pre-match stipulation, would be banned from wrestling in the United States if he did not remain impartial as referee, had no option but to count the pinfall, giving his rival Hart the victory.[123][124]

After SummerSlam, Michaels was pushed as the top heel in the company and negative fan reactions towards Hart in the United States softened somewhat, as he declared, “I’m not so much anti-American as I am just very, very pro-Canadian”.[28] In real life, Hart did not like the new Attitude Era, instead preferring traditional values. This was used as part of his character, as Hart would insult the U.S. fans because of the success of the Attitude Era.[125] Hart successfully defended his title against The Patriot, with whom Hart had become involved in a feud as part of the Canada vs. U.S. storyline, at Ground Zero: In Your House,[126] avenging a loss to him on the July 28 Raw.[122] The Canada vs. U.S. feud would conclude at Badd Blood: In Your House, where Hart and Davey Boy Smith, representing Canada and The Hart Foundation, defeated The Patriot and Vader, representing the U.S., in a Flag match.[127] Erstwhile, in a rematch from SummerSlam, The Undertaker challenged Hart for the WWF Championship at One Night Only; after reversing a Tombstone Piledriver attempt from Hart, The Undertaker dumped Hart on the apron when he would not let go of the ropes. As a result, Hart’s neck was caught in the ropes, and The Undertaker was disqualified.[128] Hart later cited this as his favourite of all his matches with The Undertaker,[28] and his last great match in the WWF.[129]

In September 1997, Hart faced Terry Funk at Terry Funk’s WrestleFest in what was billed as Funk’s retirement match.[130]

During the Hart Foundation’s feud with the Shawn Michaels-led D-Generation X (DX), DX framed the Hart Foundation in vandalizing the locker room of the African American stable, Nation of Domination with racist motifs. In retaliation, during a promo with D-Generation X, Hart called members Triple H (previously billed as “Hunter Hearst Helmsley”) and Shawn Michaels “homos”. Hart later apologized for his participation in the storyline and said that he had been pressured into it, saying, “I am not in any shape or form a racist. And I don’t believe it is anything to kid around about. I also want to apologize for any remarks I made about gay people. It was a stupid mistake on my part”.[129] Hart successfully defended his title against Nation of Domination leader, Faarooq, on the October 20 episode of Raw.[122] In his penultimate title defence, Hart wrestled Ken Shamrock to a no-contest on the October 27 episode of Raw Is War; while the referee was knocked out, Shamrock put Hart in an ankle lock; members of the Hart Foundation then attacked Shamrock until Shawn Michaels made the save for Shamrock and attacked Hart.[122]

The Montreal Screwjob and departure (1997) [ edit ]

Around this time, Hart’s on-air rivalry with Vince McMahon also escalated. A heated ringside altercation between the two led many fans to dislike McMahon, who at the time was being exposed as owner of the WWF more and more frequently on-air. Although Hart had signed a 20-year contract back in 1996, the WWF was in a rough financial position by late 1997 and could no longer afford to honour the contract. Although Hart was arguably the biggest wrestler in the world during the mid-1990s,[131] McMahon also felt that the value of his character was beginning to wane,[132] and he encouraged Hart to approach World Championship Wrestling (WCW) about a contract, hopefully one similar to their original offer. This was despite Hart’s reluctance to leave the WWF and willingness to re-negotiate.[28][133] Hart subsequently signed a three-year contract with WCW. His final match with the WWF would be a title match against his real-life rival Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series in Montreal. Hart did not want to end his WWF career with a loss to Michaels in his home country particularly with the context of their nationality-fueled feud; and offered to lose, forfeit or otherwise give over the belt to Michaels in any other way that McMahon wanted. McMahon agreed to Hart’s idea of forfeiting the championship the next night on Raw Is War or losing it a few weeks later.

Although Hart stated to McMahon he would not take the WWF Championship with him to WCW television and despite insistence from then-WCW President Eric Bischoff[28] that Hart would join WCW with a “clean slate”, McMahon was still concerned and paranoid; this led to him breaking his word in what eventually came to be known as the Montreal Screwjob. Even though Hart did not submit to the Sharpshooter, referee Earl Hebner called for the bell as if he had, on McMahon’s orders. This resulted in Hart “losing” the WWF Championship to Michaels.[134] The night ended with an irate Hart spitting in McMahon’s face, destroying television equipment, and punching McMahon backstage in front of Gerald Brisco, Pat Patterson, and McMahon’s son Shane. Hart also confronted Michaels backstage about the match finish. Many behind-the-scenes events leading up to the Montreal Screwjob were filmed for the documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, released in 1998. WWE has described the Montreal Screwjob as “arguably the most controversial, most jarring moment in the annals of sports entertainment”.[135]

Hart’s likeness would continue to be featured in WWF media into 1998, including the title video of Raw (brawling in a ring within a warehouse),[136] and the WWF War Zone video game.[137]

World Wrestling Championship [ edit ]

United States Heavyweight Champion (1997–1999) [ edit ]

Hart’s three-year contract with World Championship Wrestling included a salary of $2.5 million per year (a $1 million annual increase from his WWF contract), as well as a light schedule and a measure of creative control over his television character.[138] A day after the WWF’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, Eric Bischoff, while with the New World Order (nWo), announced that Hart was going to be coming to WCW and joining the nWo. Hart made his debut on Nitro on December 15, 1997.[139] He was also heavily involved in that month’s Starrcade pay-per-view. Due to a 60-day no-compete clause from the WWF, he served as the special guest referee for the match between Bischoff and Larry Zbyszko; during the Sting versus Hollywood Hogan main event for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, he stepped in toward the conclusion of the match as impromptu referee, declaring Sting the winner and new champion by submission, establishing Hart as a face in the process.[140][141] In January, his no-compete clause expired, and his first feud in WCW was against Ric Flair, as both wrestlers considered themselves the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Hart defeated Flair at Souled Out in his first WCW match.[142] After this, Hart elected to defend the honour of WCW against the nWo, defeating members Brian Adams in his debut Nitro match on March 2, and Curt Hennig at Uncensored.[143] In April 1998, Hart interfered in a Nitro main event between Hollywood Hogan and Randy Savage, helping Hogan recapture the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, turning heel in the process. He became an associate of the nWo, but did not officially join the group.

[144] Hart held the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship four times from 1998 to 1999 (a record within WCW), and he was seen to raise its prestige, as many WCW events were headlined by a match for that title during the time period in which Hart was associated with it

Hart competed in his second Nitro match on June 22, defeating Chris Benoit with assistance from nWo members: Hart had attempted to recruit his long-time friend into the nWo, but the offer was rejected.[145] At Bash at the Beach, Hart competed in his first championship match in WCW when he faced Booker T for the WCW World Television Championship. He was disqualified after hitting Booker with a steel chair.[146] He headlined his first Nitro card on July 20, defeating Diamond Dallas Page for the vacant United States Heavyweight Championship, with assistance from nWo member, The Giant.[147] On the August 10 episode of Nitro, Hart lost his title to Lex Luger.[148] He regained it from Luger the next night on Thunder.[149] In the main event of Fall Brawl, Hart was defeated in a WarGames match for the No. 1 contender spot to the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.[150]

Hart subsequently asked the fans for forgiveness, turning his back on Hogan and the nWo. A match between Hart and Hogan was booked for the September 28 episode of Nitro. During the match, Hart sustained a knee injury, with the bout ending in a no-contest; Sting came to Hart’s aid and initiated a match with Hogan. Hart turned on Sting, delivering a DDT, and this bout was also ruled a no-contest. Sting, a member of the rival nWo Wolfpac, was assaulted after the match; this betrayal began an intense feud between Hart and Sting. On the October 12 episode of Nitro, Sting and The Warrior beat Hart and Hogan by disqualification. Hart’s feud with Sting ended at Halloween Havoc with Hart controversially defending the United States Heavyweight Championship and (kayfabe) injuring Sting. On the October 26 episode of Nitro, Hart lost the title to Diamond Dallas Page.[151] The two headlined the following month’s World War 3 pay-per-view in a title match which Hart lost.[152] Hart regained the title from Page on the November 30 episode of Nitro in a No Disqualification match with help from The Giant.[153]

On the February 8, 1999 episode of Nitro, Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to family friend Roddy Piper.[154] On the March 29 episode of Nitro held at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, Hart appeared in street clothes and derided WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, as well as Hogan, for avoiding a match with him. Finally, he called out “franchise player” Goldberg, claiming he could beat him in five minutes and verbally coercing Goldberg into giving him the spear. Hart was wearing a metal breastplate under his Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, which resulted in Goldberg being knocked out. Hart then counted his own pinfall over Goldberg’s unconscious body and announced over the mic: “Hey Bischoff, and the WCW, I quit!” In reality, he had sustained a groin injury at the hands of Dean Malenko in November and needed time off for surgery.[155]

On May 23, 1999, the night before Hart was scheduled to make an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to hype his imminent WCW return, his brother Owen Hart died in an accident during a WWF pay-per-view. Hart took a further four months off from WCW to be with his family.

Hart returned to wrestling on the September 13, 1999 episode of Nitro in a tag team match with Hulk Hogan against Sting and Lex Luger, reestablishing himself as a face in the process. On the October 4 Nitro, Hart defeated Chris Benoit in a special “Owen Hart Tribute Match” at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, where Owen had died that previous May. Hart challenged for Sting’s WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the October 18 episode of Nitro, but lost the match when he was attacked by Luger.[156] Due to controversy over a series of WCW World Heavyweight Championship matches between Sting, Hogan, and Goldberg at Halloween Havoc, the title was declared vacant. A tournament then took place over several episodes of Nitro. Hart’s first round match came against Goldberg the night after Halloween Havoc, with the bout being a tournament match for a berth in the next round, as well as being a match for the United States Heavyweight Championship that Goldberg had won the night before. Thanks to outside interference by Sid Vicious and The Outsiders, Hart defeated Goldberg and won the U.S. Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time.[157][158] On the November 8 episode of Nitro, Hart lost the title to Scott Hall in a ladder match that also involved Sid Vicious and Goldberg.[159]

World Heavyweight Champion and injury (1999–2000) [ edit ]

Hart won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament by defeating Perry Saturn,[159] Billy Kidman,[160] Sting, and Chris Benoit at Mayhem. On December 7, Hart and Goldberg won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from Creative Control, making Hart a double champion. Hart and Goldberg lost the tag team titles to The Outsiders on the December 13 episode of Nitro.[161] At Starrcade, Hart defended his WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg. During the match, Hart was struck with a thrust kick to the head, resulting in a severe concussion. Hart later speculated that he may have suffered up to three additional concussions within matches over the course of that day along with the days immediately following Starrcade, having been unaware of the severity of his injuries.[162] For example, Hart placed Goldberg on the post in a figure four leglock which ended with Hart hitting his head on the concrete floor when Goldberg failed to receive the move correctly.[163] The sum total of those injuries left Hart with post-concussion syndrome and ultimately forced his retirement from professional wrestling. Hart later claimed that Goldberg “had a tendency to injure everyone he worked with.”[164] As part of his DVD documentary, Hart expressed regret that “someone as good-hearted as Bill Goldberg” was responsible for hurting him.[28] Referee Roddy Piper rang the bell when Hart held Goldberg in the Sharpshooter, although Goldberg did not submit. Piper simply walked away, leaving both Goldberg and Hart bewildered.[165]

Out of respect for Goldberg, Hart vacated the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the December 20 episode of Nitro and suggested that he, without the championship advantage, face Goldberg that night to determine the true champion. During the match, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash came to the ring looking to attack Goldberg with baseball bats. Hart convinced them to stop, then hit Goldberg with one of the bats, turning heel once again. The three continued to beat down Goldberg and were eventually joined by Jeff Jarrett.[166] Hart regained the championship, even though it was Roddy Piper who was covering Goldberg (to try and protect him) when the three count was made. The nWo was reformed (now billed as “nWo 2000”).[167][168] Hart wrestled Terry Funk to a no contest in a non-title, hardcore rules match on the January 6 episode of Thunder. In his final match in WCW, he defended the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Nash on the January 10 episode of Nitro, which also ended in a no contest. Hart vacated the title in late January 2000 when he was forced to withdraw from the main event of WCW’s Souled Out due to his injuries. Hart continued to make appearances on WCW television, generally cutting promos. On the May 3 episode of Thunder, Hart made a run in during an over the top rope battle royal where he hit Hogan with a chair. His final WCW appearance occurred on the September 6, 2000 episode of Thunder, in a promo where he confronted Goldberg on the injury he sustained nine months prior. WCW terminated Hart’s contract via FedEx letter on October 20, 2000, due to his ongoing incapacity, and he announced his retirement from professional wrestling soon afterward in 6 days later on October 26, 2000.[11]

Hart and several critics considered his storylines during his tenure to be lacklustre.[28][169] Former WCW wrestler Chris Jericho attributed this to backstage politics and creative mayhem.[125] Hart cited his “steel plate” segment with Goldberg and his tribute match to Owen, against Chris Benoit, as his two worthwhile moments with the company. He said he was “proud” to have been WCW World Heavyweight Champion for a short time prior to his injury.[28]

Independent wrestling appearances (2001–2009) [ edit ]

In 2001, Hart became the on-screen commissioner of World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA), a role that ended prematurely due to a 2002 stroke, which temporarily required him to use a wheelchair.[170] In his first major appearance since recovering, Hart travelled to Auckland, New Zealand to appear at another WWA event in May 2003.[171]

In 2007, Hart signed autographs at “The Legends of Wrestling” show at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.[172] On the weekend of July 11, 2009, he made an appearance at One Pro Wrestling in Doncaster, England, where he held a Q&A, and then entered the ring to address the fans at the show. On September 27, 2009, Hart appeared in New York City’s Manhattan Center to sign autographs during a Ring of Honor event. He spoke to the crowd, reminiscing about some of his more memorable matches in New York.[173]

Return to WWE [ edit ]

WWE Hall of Fame (2004–2007) [ edit ]

In 2004, Bret Hart appeared in a WWE game for the first time since 1998’s WWF WarZone in the GameCube game WWE Day of Reckoning followed by WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw on PlayStation 2. In mid-2005, Hart worked with the renamed World Wrestling Entertainment for the first time since 1997, contributing hours of interview footage and selecting matches for his WWE Home Video release, Bret “Hit Man” Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be. He returned to WWE programming as a guest on the November 16 episode of web series, Byte This.[41]

On April 1, 2006, Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006 by Stone Cold Steve Austin. He did not appear alongside his fellow inductees at WrestleMania 22 the following night. On June 11, 2007, Hart made his first appearance on Raw since October 27, 1997 when he appeared in a pre-taped interview voicing his opinions on Vince McMahon as part of “Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night.”

Feud with Vince McMahon and Raw General Manager (2009–2010) [ edit ]

Hart confronts Michaels on January 4, 2010

Hart re-signed with WWE in late 2009. On December 28, after weeks of speculation surrounding Hart and his presence in World Wrestling Entertainment, Chairman Vince McMahon announced that Hart would be special guest host on the January 4 Raw.[174] Hart thanked the fans for their continued support, jokingly teased announcer Jerry Lawler about their long-running 1990s feud, and confronted Shawn Michaels and McMahon regarding the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series in 1997. Hart and Michaels were able to agree on a truce, shaking hands and hugging. While many cast doubts on the sincerity of their reconciliation, both men have confirmed that it was indeed genuine and not part of storyline.[175][176] It also appeared that he had buried the hatchet with McMahon later in the night, until McMahon subsequently kicked Bret in the crotch (this was in fact part of a storyline, as Hart and McMahon had been on speaking terms since 2005).[175]

During different encounters the following month, Hart and McMahon reproduced events similar to those that occurred in the Montreal Screwjob: McMahon spitting in Hart’s face (as Hart did to McMahon), and Hart destroying parts of the technical equipment that goes into producing Raw (as he did to the Survivor Series equipment).[177] On the February 15 Raw, Hart made a farewell from WWE, but as he left to go inside his limousine, another vehicle reversed into the door of his limo and injured his left leg. On the March 1 Raw, McMahon challenged Hart to a match at WrestleMania XXVI; Hart accepted.[178] The match was later changed to a No Holds Barred match as Hart revealed (with help from “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the special guest host that night) the staging of his injury. Hart, along with his family, inducted his father Stu Hart into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2010, a controversial decision that aggravated Hart and McMahon’s rivalry in 2010. At WrestleMania, McMahon attempted to buy Hart’s family into turning against him; however, they turned against McMahon instead and helped Hart defeat McMahon.[179]

Hart with WWE in 2010

Hart stood with The Hart Dynasty (David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd), a stable stemmed from the Hart family, throughout their feud with ShoMiz (Big Show and The Miz); they ultimately won the WWE Tag Team Championship on April 26. When The Miz lost a match that guaranteed a WWE United States Championship match to a Hart family member, he chose Bret; with the help of the Dynasty, Hart defeated The Miz to win his fifth United States Championship on May 17 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[180] On the May 24 episode of Raw, Hart was named the new general manager of Raw. His first orders included vacating his United States Championship, which R-Truth won, and setting up qualifying matches for Fatal 4-Way, which the injured Batista took exception to and quit.[181] The next week, Hart declared a Viewer’s Choice episode of Raw.[182] He was attacked by NXT rookies after firing Wade Barrett and declining to offer them contracts on the June 14 episode of Raw.[183] A week later, McMahon fired Hart as general manager for failing to control the rookies.[184]

Hart returned five weeks later, where it was announced by John Cena that he, The Great Khali, R-Truth, Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison and Hart would face the NXT rookies, now known as The Nexus, at SummerSlam.[185] The following week, Hart teamed with Cena to wrestle SummerSlam teammates Edge and Chris Jericho to a no contest.[186] In the SummerSlam main event, he was disqualified for using a steel chair on Skip Sheffield, however, his team still ultimately won the match.[187] On the August 16, episode of Raw, Hart introduced the new tag team title belts to the champions, The Hart Dynasty. Later on in the night during The Nexus vs. Raw challenge, Hart was scheduled to face Justin Gabriel, but was unable to compete after the Anonymous Raw General Manager, citing his disdain for Hart, removed him from the match and replaced him with Randy Orton.[188] On September 25, WWE hosted a tribute event to Hart in Madison Square Garden, where he and the Hart Dynasty defeated Nexus members Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Michael Tarver in a six-man tag team match, when Gabriel submitted to Hart’s Sharpshooter.[189] In November 2010, Hart’s WWE contract had expired.[190][191]

Sporadic appearances (2011–2019) [ edit ]

At Over the Limit, Hart came to the support of his long-running 1990s rival, Jerry Lawler, forcing Michael Cole to kiss Lawler’s foot. The following night on Raw, Hart refereed the main event, which saw John Cena and Rey Mysterio defeat R-Truth and CM Punk with Hart’s assistance. On the August 23, 2011 tapings of SmackDown (aired August 26), Hart served as guest general manager. On September 12 tapings of Raw in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Hart teamed with John Cena in a match against Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez, which he won after putting Rodriguez into a sharpshooter. This was Hart’s final match.

Hart has made infrequent appearances in minor roles, appearing on the April 25, 2011 episode of Tough Enough.[192] At Raw 1000 and on the May 4, 2012 episode of Raw he served as guest ring announcer; he interviewed John Cena on September 10, 2012, during which CM Punk interrupted and got into a confrontation with Hart. He participated in backstage segments at the 2013 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 31. On the post-show of Raw on May 27, 2013, Hart was honoured by the city of Calgary and the WWE with a “Bret Hart Appreciation Night”, a celebration of the work he had done in his career. Also present in the ring for this celebration were Pat Patterson, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon, who each paid their own tributes to Hart. He has also served as an expert on panels, including the March 25, 2013 episode of Raw and at the NXT Arrival pre-show. Hart was in the corner of his niece Natalya on the March 27, 2014 episode of NXT,[193] at the second NXT TakeOver event[194] and at the 2016 Payback event. The match ended when the referee, Charles Robinson, called for the bell as Charlotte had Natalya locked in the Sharpshooter. After the match both Natalya and Hart placed Charlotte and her father, Ric Flair, respectively in the Sharpshooter.[195]

On April 6, 2019, Hart became a two-time WWE Hall of Famer when he was inducted as a member of The Hart Foundation alongside Jim Neidhart. During Hart’s speech, an audience member charged into the ring and tackled Hart and his niece Natalya to the ground, but they were quickly saved by multiple wrestlers and security, and after several minutes, Hart continued his speech. WWE later released a statement saying that the attacker was sent to the local authorities.[196][197][198]

In August 2019, Hart appeared at WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view backstage wishing Seth Rollins good luck in his match against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.[199]

All Elite Wrestling (2019) [ edit ]

On May 25, 2019, Hart made a surprise special appearance at All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, to unveil the AEW World Championship.[200]

Impact Wrestling (2020) [ edit ]

On October 24, 2020, Hart was among those who appeared at Impact Wrestling’s 2020 Bound for Glory via video message to congratulate Ken Shamrock for his induction into the Impact Hall of Fame.[201]

Professional wrestling style and persona [ edit ]

Hart is nicknamed “The Hitman”, and often dubbed “The Best There Is, the Best There Was, and the Best There Ever Will Be”. Hart usually wrestled in a pink attire and, during his time as The Hart Foundation, the tag team was nicknamed “The Pink and Black Attack”, a nickname Hart used for himself during his singles career.[202][203]

Hart used the Sharpshooter as his finishing maneuver.[204] In his biography, Hart said he learned the hold from Konnan and Pat Patterson named it.[205] Due to Hart’s success, the Sharpshooter is usually used by Canadian wrestlers.[206] Before ending his matches, Hart usually employed a sequence of five moves: inverted atomic drop, Russian leg sweep, backbreaker, elbow drop from the second rope, and Sharpshooter, being known as the “Five Moves of Doom”.[207] During his time in the original Hart Foundation, he and Jim Neidhart performed the Hart Attack as their finishing manoeuver.[208]

legacy [edit]

BBC and Entertainment Tonight writers noted that Hart is “widely regarded” as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.[209][210]

Sky Sports described his legacy as “one of, if not the greatest, to have ever graced the squared circle”.[211]

Veteran industry journalist Dave Meltzer called Hart “one of the best ever,”[212] and further praised his ring psychology as the best in WWE history (alongside that of Ricky Steamboat, and “maybe Jake Roberts”).[213] Jon Robinson of IGN called him “one of the greatest (if not the single best) pure wrestler to ever walk that aisle”.[214]

Veteran wrestlers including CM Punk,[215] Booker T and Michael Hayes have named Hart “the greatest of all time”,[216] with Hayes noting that he is considered by many as the best Canadian performer ever, if not the single greatest overall.[217]

Veteran announcer Gene Okerlund dubbed Hart “the greatest ever”,[217] and stressed that he should appear in anyone’s list of the all-time top 10 wrestlers.[28] Viscera commented: “He was the best [WWF] Champion of all time. I mean, as far as international rapport, it’s like he’s a god.”[218] Olympic wrestling gold medalist and six-time WWE world champion Kurt Angle studied tapes of Hart in order to learn the art of pro wrestling;[219] he and Stone Cold Steve Austin have ranked Hart as the best in-ring performer ever (Austin tying Hart with Shawn Michaels).[220][221] Similarly, former opponent Harley Race described Hart as being “as good as they got”.[222] WWE chairman Vince McMahon described Hart as having “unparalleled” technical wrestling and storytelling skills, and retrospectively characterized the late 1990s Hart as a performer “who you know is going to give you the best match of the night every time he goes out there”.[28] Asked where he would rank Hart among the pantheon of wrestling greats, longtime announcer Jim Ross stated, “Right at the top. Bret was one of the all time best.”[223]

IGN ranked him as the fifth greatest wrestler ever.[224]

Sports Illustrated ranked him as the sixteenth greatest wrestler ever.[225]

Asked for his favourite opponent, Ted DiBiase said: “In my own era, without a doubt, Bret Hart.”[226] The Undertaker named Hart as his toughest opponent, adding: “Some of my favourite matches are with him… I think my matches with Bret were some of the best”.[227] Recalling their WWF Championship bout from July 1994, Sean Waltman affirmed: “[Hart] gave me the best singles match of my career, and one of the best matches that’s ever been on Monday Night Raw.”[228] Curt Hennig stated: “Out of all the matches I had, probably the best match I ever had would be with Bret [at SummerSlam 1991]… I have a good thing with Bret forever.”[229] Shawn Michaels, who did not get along with Hart on a personal level, conceded that Hart was an “unbelievable” performer (an opinion shared by WWE executive and former opponent Triple H),[230] calling him a “sheer joy” to work with and saying that the pair’s match at WrestleMania XII was one of, if not his favourite WrestleMania bout.[231] Roddy Piper described Hart as “one great man”, and “one of the few guys who has a ‘total package'”.[28] Lance Storm remarked: “[Hart’s] matches always seemed more important than the individuals involved in them, and that’s what made him great. Bret managed to dominate this sport… by wrestling, which is no easy task, and is to his credit”. On Hart’s influence, Storm said: “I’ve always tried to pattern my ring style or work ethic, at least, after that of ‘The Hitman'”.[232]

Along with Storm, Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn point to Hart as their top wrestling inspiration;[233][234] Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal called him an idol,[235][236] and Jon Moxley cited him as an influence.[237] Edge listed his three idols within the business as “Bret, Shawn and Hulk”.[238] Chris Jericho named Bret as his hero (along with Owen Hart), and said he aspired to be “half of” what Bret was.[239] Chris Benoit remarked: “I always emulated him… I spent so many years looking up to, idolizing [Hart]; he was somewhat of a role model to me”. Benoit added that his matches against Hart were “up on a pedestal”.[28] Koji Nakagawa modelled his character and entire career on Bret Hart by adopting Hart’s pink and black attire, an entrance theme identical to Hart’s theme song, while also adopting his moveset.[240] Ryback recalled a WWF event from his childhood, saying: “I remember it was Bret Hart against Diesel inside a steel cage in the main event, and I just knew I wanted to be a WWE wrestler… Bret [Hart], I love”.[241] Drew McIntyre named Hart his favourite wrestler,[242] while Wade Barrett named Hart along with The British Bulldog, The Ultimate Warrior and The Undertaker;[243] he called Hart vs. Bulldog, at SummerSlam 1992, his all-time favorite match.[244] Scott Dawson said that Hart’s work at King of the Ring in 1993 made him want to become a professional wrestler.[245] Upon joining All Elite Wrestling for his hotly anticipated return to professional wrestling after seven years, CM Punk wore a Bret Hart T-shirt in one of his first televised appearances,[246] and his first match, against Darby Allin, included several sequences that mirrored a 1994 Hart match against Sean Waltman.[247]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) readers voted Hart the greatest wrestler of 1993 and 1994 in the “PWI 500”,[85] as well as the “Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year” 1994.[248] He was voted “WWF Superstar of the Year” 1993 by fans.[84] PWI ranked him No. 4 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the “PWI Years” in 2003, after Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and André the Giant.[249] WWE has also credited Hart as the top “Submission Specialist” in professional wrestling history,[citation needed] and for popularizing the Sharpshooter, named by the organization as the most devastating submission hold in professional wrestling history.[250] Hart’s rise to singles success was seen to revolutionize the business; IGN wrote: “After Bret beat Ric Flair for the WWE Championship in 1992, it changed the entire industry, re-setting the WWF back to the days of technical wizardry and reshaping all our notions of what a great wrestling match should actually look and feel like”.[251] According to prominent industry historian Dave Meltzer, Hart was “a major draw in the United States and probably more so in Europe”.[252] Fellow journalists Bob Ryder and Dave Scherer described him as “an incredible international draw, attracting standing room only crowds in every corner of the globe.”[253] Fin Martin of Power Slam also spoke to Hart’s drawing power, placing him number 7 in “The 10 Best U.S.-Style All-Rounders”, a list that considered drawing ability, along with workrate and promo skills.[254] Vice’s Corey Erdman wrote, “1997 was one of the hottest periods in the history of professional wrestling… Hart was the [WWF’s] biggest star, arguably its biggest live gate draw globally.”[255] Recalling WCW’s acquisition of Hart that year, WWE owner Vince McMahon argued that his chief competitor “could have really built the entire franchise… around this extraordinary star.” McMahon felt that WCW misused Hart, which was “fortunate” for the WWF.[28]

On the February 16, 2006 episode of Raw, it was announced that Hart would be an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006.[256] Hart had also been approached by Vince McMahon for a potential match between the two at WrestleMania 22 but declined the offer.[257] On April 1, 2006, Hart was inducted by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. He thanked every wrestler he worked with (even thanking Vince McMahon) and said he’s “in a good place in life.”[258] Veteran industry personality and former WWE executive Paul Heyman referred to Hart’s oeuvre as “a body of work so spectacular that it is beyond comprehension how brilliant a career he enjoyed”.[259]

On July 15, 2006, Hart was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa. The induction took place in an immensely crowded and humid display room showcasing one of Hart’s ring entrance jackets. The honour is only awarded to those with both a professional and amateur wrestling background, making Hart one of the youngest inductees. During his acceptance, Hart compared this induction to his place in the WWE Hall of Fame, saying “This is a much bigger honour for me.”[260] In June 2008, Hart returned to the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony, this time to induct his father Stu Hart.[261] In 2021, Hart would be inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame by Chris Jericho and the Rock.[262]

Other media[edit]

writing [edit]

Hart wrote a weekly column for the Calgary Sun from June 1991 until October 2004.[263]

Hart used his poetry skills to win over Gord Kirke to act as his legal counsel.[264]

On October 16, 2007, Hart’s autobiography titled Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, was released in Canada by Random House Canada, and released in fall 2008 in the United States by Grand Central Publishing, with a U.S. book signing tour. Hart began writing the book in July 1999 with Marcy Engelstein, his longtime close friend and business associate. They did not complete the book until eight years later in September 2007 due to Hart having his stroke in 2002, among numerous other tragedies that occurred during the writing. Hart’s chronicle is based on an audio diary that he kept for all of his years on the road in professional wrestling.[265]

Hart also provided the forewords to Roddy Piper’s autobiography, In the Pit with Piper,[266][267][self-published source] Harley Race’s autobiography King of the Ring[268] and Dave Meltzer’s book Tributes II: Remembering More of the Worlds Greatest Wrestlers.[269]

Acting[ edit ]

In 1994, Hart played a prison inmate in Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers; however, the scene he appeared in was cut from the final film. It re-appears in the director’s cut.[citation needed] From 1994 to 1995 Hart appeared in Lonesome Dove: The Series television show playing “Luther Root”. He has made numerous televised appearances since, including a guest spot on The Simpsons in 1997 (as himself, in “The Old Man and the Lisa”) and episodes of the Honey I Shrunk The Kids TV series (along with his brother Owen), The Adventures of Sinbad, Big Sound, and The Immortal. Hart provides the voice of pro wrestler character “The Hooded Fang” in Jacob Two-Two.

Hart also guest starred on the sketch comedy series MADtv in 1997 where he acted as enforcer at a fan’s house, appearing with his WWF Championship belt. Hart later appeared again on MADtv in 1999 and 2000 in an angle with actor Will Sasso in which the two feuded on the set of MADtv and in World Championship Wrestling; this culminated in a grudge match on WCW Monday Nitro, where Hart decisively defeated Sasso.

Hart donned his “Hit Man” singlet, along with additional costume, and executed wrestling maneuvers on villain characters, as part of his performance as the Genie in a 2004 stage production of Aladdin.[270] He reprised the role in 2006.

Hart was the subject of the 1998 documentary, Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, which chronicled many of the events in Hart’s personal and professional life from September 1996 to November 1997, including the Montreal Screwjob and its immediate aftermath.

A clip of Hart applying the sharpshooter to Benoit at WCW Mayhem in 1999 is featured in the opening credits of Malcolm in the Middle.

In mid-2005, WWE announced the release of a three-disc DVD originally named Screwed: The Bret Hart Story, with the title a reference to the Montreal Screwjob. Hart filmed over seven hours of interview footage for the DVD, which was renamed Bret “Hit Man” Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be. The collection was released on November 15, 2005.

Hart appeared on many talk shows (including Larry King Live, Nancy Grace, Hannity & Colmes, On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren) discussing the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide. Hart was a long time friend of Benoit.

On April 6, 2010, WWE released Hart & Soul: The Hart Family Anthology, which is a 3 DVD set featuring a documentary on the Hart wrestling family as well as 12 matches. It is unique in that it also features previously unseen home movies from the Harts as well as interviews from family members.

In 2010, The Fight Network produced a documentary titled Bret Hart – Survival of the Hitman produced by John Pollock, Jorge Barbosa and Wai Ting chronicling the rise of Hart, his split with WWE in 1997 and his road back to the company in January 2010. The documentary features interviews with Hart, members of the Hart family, Hart’s former business manager Carl De Marco, former sports agent Gord Kirke, and producer of Wrestling with Shadows Paul Jay.

A DVD entitled Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart: WWE’s Greatest Rivalries was released in November 2011. The subject of the DVD was their on-screen rivalry and real-life conflicts, with a particular focus on the Montreal Screwjob.

In 2016, Hart starred in the documentary film Nine Legends.[271] Early that year, Hart launched a podcast named The Sharpshooter Show.[272]

video games[edit]

Hart has appeared in numerous video games. They include: WWF European Rampage Tour, WWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge, WWF Royal Rumble, WWF King of the Ring, WWF Rage in the Cage, WWF Raw, WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game, WWF In Your House, WWF WarZone, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW/nWo Thunder, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, Legends of Wrestling, Legends of Wrestling II, Showdown: Legends of Wrestling, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE WrestleMania 21, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE ’13, WWE 2K14, WWE Immortals, WWE SuperCard, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, WWE Champions, WWE TapMania, WWE Mayhem, WWE 2K19, WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds and WWE 2K22.[273]

music [edit]

In 2021, Bret Hart appeared on a song with rapper Magneto Dayo titled “Limitless”.

Personal life[edit]

Hart lent his nickname to the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League; he was a founder and part-owner.[274] He is the commissioner of Sharpshooter Funding, a business loan company.[citation needed]

On August 23, 2018, Hart was honoured with a traditional Niitsitapi naming ceremony and named ‘Courageous Chief’ by Siksika Elder Miiksika’am (Clarence Wolfleg). The ceremony was done as recognition for his and his father Stu Hart’s cultural relationship building contributions, such as promoting interest of the sport of amateur wrestling among indigenous youth throughout Western Canada.[275]

family [edit]

Hart married Julie Smadu (born March 25, 1960) on July 8, 1982. They have four children:[276] Jade Michelle Hart (born March 31, 1983); Dallas Jeffery Hart (born August 11, 1984); Alexandra Sabina Hart (born May 17, 1988), nicknamed “Beans”; and Blade Colton Hart (born June 5, 1990).[277] The four hearts located on the right thigh of his tights symbolize his children, as do the four dots following his signature.[278] Julie’s sister Michelle was married to Tom Billington from 1982 to 1991.[279][280] Bret and Julie separated in May 1998,[281] and after several brief reunions over the next 4 years,[282] eventually divorced on June 24, 2002, just hours before Hart had his stroke.[283] Hart married an Italian woman named Cinzia Rota on September 15, 2004, but they divorced in 2007 after failing to agree on where they should live.[284] He married Stephanie Washington, an African-American woman several decades his junior, in 2010;[285] although at first his children were wary of their new stepmother, they have since embraced her as they realized that despite their differences in age and race, the love between her and their father is deep and genuine.[286] Through his daughters Jade and Alexandra, Hart has a granddaughter, Kyra Beans (born June 2010) and two grandsons, Grayson Knight Cassidy (born June 20, 2015) and Bo (born April 2016).[287] In 2019, Hart’s son Dallas had a daughter, Vylet Louise Hart.[288]

His seven brothers were either wrestlers or involved backstage with the wrestling business; his four sisters all married professional wrestlers. Two of his brothers-in-law, Davey Boy Smith, and Jim Neidhart had successful careers in the business. His youngest brother Owen Hart had become a decorated wrestler in his own right before his death in 1999, caused in an accident at the WWF pay-per-view Over the Edge. Hart’s niece Natalya is a professional wrestler.

Fellow pro wrestler Roddy Piper claimed in his autobiography to be a cousin of Hart.[289] Hart has also stated that Piper was the only wrestler to visit him in the hospital after his stroke.[290]

Health problems [ edit ]

On June 24, 2002, Hart had a stroke after hitting his head in a bicycle accident. The Calgary Herald reported that Hart hit a pothole, flew over the handlebars of the bike, and landed on the back of his head. Hart developed total paralysis on his left side, which required months of physical therapy. Hart has since recovered much of his mobility and is in good health, although he has had other lasting effects common to stroke survivors (such as emotional imbalance). Hart wrote in detail about his stroke in his autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life In The Cartoon World of Wrestling.[214] Hart later became a spokesperson for March of Dimes Canada’s Stroke Recovery Canada program.[291] While recovering from his stroke Hart would train three days a week at B.J’s Gym in Calgary, which was owned by his brother-in-law B.J. Annis.[292]

On February 1, 2016, Hart announced through a Facebook post that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.[293] Jim Ross claimed on March 2, 2016, that Hart had beaten the disease following successful surgery and that it appeared not to have spread to other areas of his body.[294] Hart responded to Jim Ross’ comments through Facebook saying that although the surgery was a success and that he and his doctors were optimistic, he would continue to be monitored every three months by doctors until he can actually be cancer free.[295]

Personal issues with Ric Flair [ edit ]

In October 1993, Hart gave a radio interview in which he said Ric Flair “sucks”, and described his workplace, WCW, as “minor league”.[296] In his autobiography, Flair accused Hart of exploiting the death of his brother, Owen Hart, and the controversy surrounding the Montreal Screwjob.[297] Flair also claimed in his autobiography that, despite Hart’s popularity in Canada, he was not a formidable money-making draw in the United States, a claim which Hart dismissed as “plain ridiculous” in a column written for the Calgary Sun.[47] Hart claimed that he drew greater revenue than Flair, citing his headlining performances on consistently sold-out tours throughout his WWF career, while Flair wrestled to allegedly near-empty arenas. He also criticized Flair on what he perceived as insults to fellow wrestlers Mick Foley and Randy Savage. Hart did acknowledge a decline in the WWF’s popularity during the mid-1990s, but he, and others, felt that this was largely attributed to the WWF’s well-publicised sex and steroid scandals, as well as WCW’s acquisition of former top WWF stars.[47][298][299] Hart also took aim at Flair in his autobiography, criticizing his in-ring talents and what Hart perceived as Flair’s unsubtle blading.[300]

Flair and Hart have since reconciled and are now friends.[301]

Claims Shawn Michaels and Triple H bullied The Rock [ edit ]

On an episode on his “Confessions with the Hitman” podcast, Hart revealed that in 1996–97, Dwayne Johnson, at that time a rookie in WWE, was a “marked guy” and that both Shawn Michaels and Triple H bullied him and did everything in their power to make The Rock leave the company. He claimed both superstars were jealous of him which is why they used to “work him” for the smallest of reasons; “He (Triple H) was always out to get The Rock. Shawn was out to get him and they just worked on him, and worked on him, and worked on him, and I left. [The Rock] was still in the doghouse with those guys. They wanted him [out] as bad as they wanted me out.”[citation needed]

In 2021, Johnson himself acknowledged and praised Hart for his attitude, professionalism, as being a great guy and for being exceptionally kind to him when he was a rookie in WWE during an interview with Joseph Deckelmeier of The Illuminerdi, and once he noticed that Deckelmeier was wearing a Hart shirt, he stated to Emily Blunt while promoting their new film, Jungle Cruise: “The t-shirt he’s wearing is a guy who didn’t have to be, but was so good to me when I was a rookie professional wrestler, and his name is Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart,”. He comes from a very famous wrestling family, but at that time, he was world champion, and there were a lot of guys in that world at that time in ’96 that didn’t necessarily embrace me, just when I was a rookie coming in, because everyone is hungry for their spots, and he’ll tell you, there’s a lot of sharks in the water. But that guy, Bret, and he was world champion, to show me how it’s done…I think [he did it] because he knew that our families (Anoa’i and Hart) knew each other and knew that I came from a lineage of pro wrestling and that I had a real love and respect for wrestling, and he was just a great guy, and I always like to give him props where I can.”[302]

Championships and Achievements[edit]

Amateur wrestling [ edit ]

Professional wrestling [ edit ]

Other [edit]

Record of Luchas de Apuestas[ edit ]

Winner (wager) Loser (wager) Location Event Date Notes Bret Hart (hair) The Spoiler (mask) Toronto, Ontario WWF Toronto January 13, 1985 [330]

See also[edit]

Notes [edit]

^ [7][8] Stu mainly trained Bret in amateur wrestling. ^ Hart announced his retirement in October 2000, but would later participate in 11 matches from 2010–2011 which involved minimal physical risk. ^ [13] Hart had been a special guest referee for the match before the main event, Larry Zbyszko vs. Eric Bischoff, but returned to restart the main event after he deemed Hulk Hogan’s victory over Sting illegitimate. He then acted as a referee for the rest of the main event. ^ Hart and Goldberg both became Triple Crown Champions upon winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship. ^ Hart and Lex Luger are recognized as co-winners after both simultaneously eliminated each other.

References[ edit ]

Sources[edit]

To press

Movie

Further Reading[edit]

Biographies

Davies, Ross (2001). Bret Hart . Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8239-3494-2 .

Billington, Tom; Coleman, Alison (2001). Pure Dynamite: The Price you Pay for Wrestling Stardom . Winding Stair Press. ISBN 1-55366-084-6 .

McCoy, Heath. Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling . Toronto: CanWest Books, 2005. ISBN 0-9736719-8-X

. Toronto: CanWest Books, 2005. ISBN 0-9736719-8-X Hart, Julie (2013). Hart Strings . Tightrope Books. ISBN 978-1926639635 .

Rally, Carter (2011). The Hitman’s Legacy: A Fan’s Guide to the Rise of Bret Hart Through the WWE and WCW, and the Heartbreak Faced in and Out of the Ring . Webster’s. ISBN 978-1270792185 .

Mudge, Jacqueline (1999). Bret Hart: The Story of the Wrestler They Call “the Hitman” . Turtleback Books. ISBN 9780613210454 .

Payan, Michael (2002). In the Ring with Bret Hart . PowerKids Press. ISBN 9780823960477 .

James Dixon (Author), Lee Maughan (Author), Arnold Furious (Author), Bob Dahlstrom (Illustrator) (2013). Superstar Series: The Hart Foundation . HistoryOfWrestling. ISBN 9781291538410 .

R Ricciuti, Edward (1994). Face to face with Bret “Hit Man” Hart . Topdog Publications. ISBN 978-1567110753 .

Martin, Marlow J (2016). Bret Hart: “The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be”. CreateSpace Independent Publishing. ISBN 978-1523811182 .

Documentaries

John Pollock (Writer); Bret Hart; Ross Hart; Keith Hart; Bruce Hart (2010). Bret Hart: Survival of the Hitman (Documentary film). Canada; U.S.A: Fight Network.

Jim Ross (Interviewer); Bret Hart; Shawn Michaels (2011). Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart: WWE’s Greatest Rivalries (Documentary film). U.S.A; Canada: WWE.

Bret Hart (Subject) (2013). Bret Hitman Hart – The Dungeon Collection (Documentary film). U.S.A; Canada: WWE.

radio

videos

Interviews

Bret Hart (2010). “From The Archives: Interview with Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart” (Interview). Interviewed by Jan Murphy – via Chinlock.com.

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