Bret Hart
Bret Hart | |
---|---|
Birth name | Bret Sergeant Hart[1][2] |
Born | Calgary, Alberta, Canada[3] | July 2, 1957
Alma mater | Mount Royal University[4] |
Spouse(s) |
|
Children | 4 |
Family | Hart Harry Smith (maternal grandfather)[5] |
Website | brethart |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Bret 'The Hitman' Hart[3] Buddy Hart[3] |
Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[6] |
Billed weight | 235 lb (107 kg)[6] |
Billed from | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
Trained by | Stu Hart[3][a] Katsuji Adachi[3] Kazuo Sakurada[9] |
Debut | 1976[10] |
Retired | 2011[11][b] |
Part of a series on |
Professional wrestling |
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Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background, wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College. A major international draw within professional wrestling, he has been credited with changing the perception of mainstream North-American professional wrestling in the early 1990s by bringing technical in-ring performance to the fore. 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 have ever graced the squared circle". For the majority of his career, Hart used the epithet "the Hitman".
Hart joined his father
Hart has held championships in five decades from the 1970s to the 2010s, with a total of 32 held throughout his career, and 17 held between the WWF/WWE and WCW. Among other accolades, he is a
Outside of wrestling, Hart has appeared in numerous films and television shows such as
Early life
The eighth child of wrestling patriarch
Hart grew up in a household with eleven siblings, seven brothers
Hart spent the vast majority of his childhood in the
His introduction to professional wrestling came at an early age. As a child, he witnessed his father training future wrestlers like
Hart's first work in wrestling involved pulling out lucky numbers out of a metal box during intermission at the Stampede Wrestling shows when he was four years old. When he got slightly older, he would sell programs to the shows, something all Hart's seven brothers would do. He would often compete for customers with his little brother Ross since the fans would often want to buy from the youngest Hart child.[24]
Amateur wrestling
Like his father, Hart was an excellent amateur wrestler since an early age, having begun training as a nine-year-old.
By 1977, Hart was collegiate champion at Mount Royal College, where he was studying filmmaking;[26][29] his coaches and other people around him felt that he had shown sufficient promise to compete at the following year's Commonwealth Games and encouraged him to begin training for the event. Hart, however, was beginning to find amateur wrestling unrewarding amid injuries and fluctuating weight.[26][30] Stu still believed his son capable of making it to the Olympic or Commonwealth Games if he put forth the effort.[31] Hart has expressed that he believed that even if he became an exceptionally successful sports wrestler it would not have led to a career afterwards which he was interested in, stating that he thought that he would end up as a wrestling coach or phys-ed teacher at a high-school if he pursued the Olympic route.[32] Hart felt that the only way to give up amateur wrestling without disappointing his father was to become a professional wrestler. His college grades became poorer as his interest in filmmaking waned; he dedicated himself to professional wrestling and began training with his father's Stampede Wrestling promotion.[26] Hart has spoken of how helpful his amateur background was in his professional wrestling career, and also of what a positive effect amateur wrestling has on junior high school and high school-aged boys in terms of building self-confidence.[33]
Professional wrestling career
Stampede Wrestling (1976–1984)
In 1976, Hart began working for his father's Stampede Wrestling promotion in Calgary. Hart first began helping the promotion by refereeing matches.[10] At a 1978 event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a wrestler was unable to perform his match, forcing Stu to ask his son to stand in as a replacement. Before long, he became a regular contender, eventually partnering with brother Keith to win the Stampede International Tag Team Championship four times.
Hart gained some of his most prominent experience with Japanese combatants and real-life trainers Mr. Hito and Mr. Sakurada. Hart also had high-impact matches against Tom Billington, who was better known by his in-ring name as the Dynamite Kid. In the midst of wrestling alongside his family, Hart made a point not to ride on the shoulders of his elders. Hart faithfully jobbed as requested of him, taking pride in the believability of his performances. As he said himself, "No one could take a shit-kicking like Bret Hart".[26] Although he dreaded partaking in interviews and speaking in front of a crowd, Hart went on to win the promotion's top titles, including two British Commonwealth Mid-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 for whom he often wrestled during 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
The Hart Foundation (1984–1991)
Hart was asked to start out in the WWF as a singles wrestler with a
In 1986, Hart began his first singles program with
The Hart Foundation won their first of two
The Hart Foundation adopted the nickname, "The Pink and Black Attack", which Hart continued to use after the tag team's disbandment. This was in reference to the team's ring attire, as well as Hart's signature mirrored sunglasses, which he would routinely give away to a young audience member before matches, following his face turn in 1988.[38][44] As Hart's WWF career progressed, he increasingly described himself as "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be" (derived from the 1984 film The Natural), which he would later justify through three claims: he never injured an opponent through any fault of his own; through the entire course of his career, he missed only one show (as a result of flight difficulties); and that he only once refused to lose a match – his final WWF match with long-time adversary Shawn Michaels at the Survivor Series event in 1997, which culminated in the Montreal Screwjob.[45]
The Hart Foundation lost the WWF Tag Team Championship titles to
Entered into another battle royal at WrestleMania IV, Hart was again one of the final two combatants as he was enlisted by former frequent Stampede opponent Bad News Brown to eliminate Junkyard Dog before Brown turned on Hart, eliminating him to win the event. This turned Hart back into a fan favourite and triggered a feud between the two. Neidhart soon came to Hart's side in the feud, but manager Jimmy Hart discouraged the feud, leading to a fallout between the team and manager. This led to matches pitting Hart against Davis and also his first singles championship opportunity, in which 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, with the match ending in a double countout.[42] As relations between the Harts and their former mentor further deteriorated, Jimmy Hart assisted tag team champions Demolition in a successful defence of their belts against the Harts at SummerSlam in August 1988, before enlisting old enemies The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who had recently turned heel, to resume their feud with the Harts.
At the
At SummerSlam in August 1989, The Hart Foundation lost a non-title match against then WWF Tag Team Champions 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 tights during a roll-up.[51] In their first ever singles meeting, Shawn Michaels and Hart wrestled to a double countout on the February 11, 1990 episode of the Wrestling Challenge.[52]
After participating at the
Intercontinental Champion (1991–1992)
Hart won his first
In January 1992, Hart was placed in a feud with Jacques Rougeau, who by now was 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 the Mountie's manager, Jimmy Hart, threw water on Hart, and The Mountie proceeded to shock Hart with a cattle prod. On January 17, 1992, Hart dropped the Intercontinental Championship to The Mountie. Following the loss, Roddy Piper defeated Mountie with a sleeper hold two days later at the 1992 Royal Rumble,[59] and Bret later pinned Piper for his second Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania VIII later that year,[60][61] making him the first wrestler in the WWF – and one of few wrestlers ever – to pin Piper's shoulders to the mat.[26] At a Wrestling Challenge taping on July 21, 1992, Hart defeated Shawn Michaels, with the Intercontinental Championship belt suspended above the ring, in the WWF's first ever ladder match.[62] 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, held before over 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.[63] Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers voted it the "Match of the Year",[64] and WWE named the match as the greatest in the history of SummerSlam.[65] Upon induction into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006, Hart cited the contest as his favourite match of his career.[66]
WWF Champion (1992–1996)
Hart won the
After months of dealing with Lawler, Hart received a
At the
Hart continued to feud with his brother Owen while he also started feuding with
Hart eventually lost his WWF Championship at
Three days after Hart's title loss, Diesel defeated Backlund in eight seconds with a jackknife powerbomb to become the new WWF Champion. By 1995, Hart was focusing on projects outside the business, such as acting, and shifted to the number two face in the company, behind Diesel.
In a rematch from their SummerSlam 1992 encounter, Hart successfully defended his title against the now
At WrestleMania, with less than a minute left on the clock and the score still 0–0, Michaels jumped from the middle rope; his legs were caught by Hart, and Hart locked in his Sharpshooter. However, Michaels did not submit in the last 30 seconds, so the match ended in a tie. WWF President Gorilla Monsoon ruled that the match would continue in sudden death overtime. Michaels hit a superkick to win the championship.[104] Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers voted it the "Match of the Year";[64] in 2004, WWE fans voted the match as the greatest in the history of WrestleMania.[105] 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 He also wrestled that May in the Kuwait tour.[106]
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,[107] 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.[106] On October 21, Hart elected to re-sign with the World Wrestling Federation.[108] He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame Class of 1996.
Feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin (1996–1997)
Over the summer,
At WrestleMania 13, Hart and Austin had their rematch in a
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 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
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".[26] 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.[123] 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,[124] avenging a loss to him on the July 28 Raw.[120] 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.[125] 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.[126] Hart later cited this as his favourite of all his matches with The Undertaker,[26] and his last great match in the WWF.[127]
In September 1997, Hart faced Terry Funk at Terry Funk's WrestleFest in what was billed as Funk's retirement match.[128]
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 DX, 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".[127] Hart successfully defended his title against Nation of Domination leader, Faarooq, on the October 20 episode of Raw.[120] 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.[120]
The Montreal Screwjob and departure (1997)
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,[129] McMahon also felt that the value of his character was beginning to wane,[130] 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.[26][131] 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
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),[134] action figure for Slammers Series 1[135] and the WWF War Zone video game.[136]
World Championship Wrestling
United States Heavyweight Champion (1997–1999)
Hart's three-year contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) 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.[137] 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.[138] 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.[139][140] 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.[141] 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.[142] 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.
Hart competed in his second Nitro match on June 22, defeating
Hart subsequently asked the fans for forgiveness, pretending to turn 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;
On the February 8, 1999 episode of Nitro, Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to family friend
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
World Heavyweight Champion and injury (1999–2000)
Hart won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament by defeating
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.[165] 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").[166][167] 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 6 days later on October 26, 2000.[11]
Hart and several critics considered his storylines during his tenure to be lacklustre.[26][168] Former WCW wrestler Chris Jericho attributed this to backstage politics and creative mayhem.[123] 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.[26]
Independent wrestling appearances (2001–2009)
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.[169] In his first major appearance since recovering, Hart travelled to Auckland, New Zealand to appear at another WWA event in May 2003.[170]
In 2007, Hart signed autographs at "The Legends of Wrestling" show at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.[171] 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.[172]
Return to WWE
WWE Hall of Fame (2004–2007)
In 2004, Bret Hart appeared in a WWE game for the first time since 1998's
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)
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
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).
Hart stood with
Hart returned five weeks later, where it was announced by
Sporadic appearances (2011–2022)
At
Hart has made infrequent appearances in minor roles, appearing on the April 25, 2011 episode of
On April 6, 2019, Hart became a two-time WWE Hall of Famer when he was inducted as a member of
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.[198]
In September 2022, Hart appeared at ringside for WWE's first UK stadium show in 30 years, WWE Clash at the Castle.[199]
All Elite Wrestling (2019)
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]
In July 2023, it was revealed that Hart offered his services to AEW as an
Impact Wrestling (2020)
On October 24, 2020, Hart was among those who appeared at
Professional wrestling style and persona
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.[203][204]
Hart used the
Legacy
BBC and Entertainment Tonight writers noted that Hart is "widely regarded" as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.[210][211]
Sky Sports described his legacy as "one of, if not the greatest, to have ever graced the squared circle".[212]
Veteran industry journalist Dave Meltzer called Hart "one of the best ever,"[213] and further praised his ring psychology as the best in WWE history (alongside that of Ricky Steamboat, and "maybe Jake Roberts").[214] Jon Robinson of IGN called him "one of the greatest (if not the single best) pure wrestler to ever walk that aisle".[215]
Veteran wrestlers including CM Punk,[216] Booker T and Michael Hayes have named Hart "the greatest of all time",[217] with Hayes noting that he is considered by many as the best Canadian performer ever, if not the single greatest overall.[218]
Veteran announcer
IGN ranked him as the fifth greatest wrestler ever.[225]
Sports Illustrated ranked him as the sixteenth greatest wrestler ever.[226]
Asked for his favourite opponent, Ted DiBiase said: "In my own era, without a doubt, Bret Hart."[227] 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".[228] 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."[229] 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."[230] 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),[231] 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.[232] Roddy Piper described Hart as "one great man", and "one of the few guys who has a 'total package'".[26] 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'".[233]
Along with Storm,
Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) readers voted Hart the greatest wrestler of 1993 and 1994 in the "
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.[257] Hart had also been approached by Vince McMahon for a potential match between the two at WrestleMania 22 but declined the offer.[258] 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."[259] 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".[260]
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."[261] 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.[262] In 2021, Hart would be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame by Chris Jericho and the Rock.[263]
Other media
Writing
Hart wrote a weekly column for the Calgary Sun from June 1991 until October 2004.[264]
Hart used his poetry skills to win over Gord Kirke to act as his legal counsel.[265]
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.[266]
Hart also provided the forewords to Roddy Piper's autobiography,
Acting
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
Hart donned his "Hit Man" singlet, along with additional costume, and executed wrestling maneuvers on villain characters, as part of his performance as the
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
Hart appeared on many talk shows (including
On April 6, 2010, WWE released
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.[272] Early that year, Hart launched a podcast named The Sharpshooter Show.[273]
Music
In 2021, Bret Hart appeared on a song with rapper Magneto Dayo titled "Limitless".
Video games
Hart has appeared in numerous
WWE Video games | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Notes | |
1992 | WWF European Rampage Tour | Video game debut Cover athlete | |
WWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge | Cover athlete | ||
1993 | WWF Royal Rumble | Cover athlete | |
WWF King of the Ring | |||
WWF Rage in the Cage | |||
1994 | WWF Raw | Cover athlete | |
1995 | WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game | Cover athlete | |
1996 | WWF In Your House | Cover athlete | |
1998 | WWF War Zone | ||
2004 | WWE Day of Reckoning | ||
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw | |||
2005 | WWE WrestleMania 21 | ||
WWE Day of Reckoning 2 | |||
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 | |||
2006 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 | ||
2007 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 | ||
2009 | WWE Legends of WrestleMania | ||
2010 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 | DLC character For PS3 & Xbox 360 | |
2011 | WWE All Stars | ||
2012 | WWE '13 | ||
2013 | WWE 2K14 | ||
2014 | WWE SuperCard | ||
2015 | WWE Immortals | ||
WWE 2K16 | |||
2016 | WWE 2K17 | ||
2017 | WWE Champions | ||
WWE Tap Mania | |||
WWE 2K18 | |||
WWE Mayhem | |||
2018 | WWE 2K19 | ||
2019 | WWE 2K20 | ||
2020 | WWE 2K Battlegrounds | ||
2022 | WWE 2K22 |
WCW Video games | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Notes | |
1998 | WCW Nitro | Video game debut Bret was featured in the Nintendo 64 version of the game, but was not in the PlayStation version | |
WCW/nWo Revenge | |||
1999 | WCW/nWo Thunder | ||
WCW Mayhem | |||
2000 | WCW Backstage Assault |
Legends of Wrestling Video games | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Notes | |
2001 | Legends of Wrestling | Cover athlete | |
2002 | Legends of Wrestling II | Cover athlete | |
2004 | Showdown: Legends of Wrestling |
Personal life
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
Family
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, 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,
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
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.[215] 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
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.[45] 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.[45][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
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."[302]
External videos | |
---|---|
Dwayne Johnson & Emily Blunt Interview: Jungle Cruise, Screen Rant Plus (remarks about Hart start at 3:51) |
In 2021, Johnson himself acknowledged and praised Hart for his attitude, professionalism, as being a great person 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 (Anoaʻi 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."[303]
Championships and accomplishments
Amateur wrestling
- City of Calgary
- City championships, Calgary (1974)[26][28]
- Collegiate wrestling
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2006[304]
Professional wrestling
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Iron Mike Award (2008)[305]
- Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2021 – individually[306]
- Class of 2022 – as a member of the Hart Foundation[307]
- Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2006[310]
- International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Prairie Wrestling Alliance
- Prairie Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)[312]
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Comeback of the Year (1997)[314]
- Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Jerry Lawler[78]
- Feud of the Year (1994) vs. Owen Hart[78]
- Match of the Year (1996) vs. Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII[64]
- Match of the Year (1997) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin in a submission match at WrestleMania 13[64]
- Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1997)[118]
- Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1994)[249]
- Stanley Weston Award (2003)[315]
- Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1993 and 1994[83]
- Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
- Ranked No. 37 of the top 100 tag teams of the PWI Years with Jim Neidhart in 2003
- Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2017[316]
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stampede International Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Keith Hart (4) and Leo Burke (1)[317]
- 3 times)[318]
- 6 times)[319]
- Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame[320]
- World Championship Wrestling
- Universal Wrestling Promotions
- World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE
- WWF Championship (5 times)[325]
- WWE United States Championship (1 time)[157]
- WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)[326]
- WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Jim Neidhart[55]
- King of the Ring (1991, 1993)
- Royal Rumble (1994) – with Lex Luger[73][e]
- Middle East Cup (1996)[327]
- WWE Hall of Fame (2 times)
- Class of 2006 – individually
- Class of 2019 – as a member of The Hart Foundation[328]
- WWF Superstar of the Year (1993)[82]
- Second Triple Crown Champion
- Slammy Award (5 times)
- Best New Generation Spot (1994) – "Go Get 'em, Champ!" commercial[329]
- Best Music Video (1996)[329]
- Match of the Year (1997) – vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII[329]
- Put a Fork in Him, He's Done (1996) – The Sharpshooter[329]
- Which WWF World Heavyweight Champion, past or present, in attendance, is Hall of Fame bound? (1996)[329]
- Best New Generation Spot (
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Pro Wrestling Book (2007) Hitman
- Best Pro Wrestling DVD (2006) Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be
- Best Pro Wrestling DVD (2011) Greatest Rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart
- Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Jerry Lawler
- Match of the Year (1997) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
- Feud of the Year (1997) with Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Other
- Hart was ranked the 39th greatest Canadian in 2004 in a poll by CBC which received more than 1.2 million votes.[330][331][332]
- Canada's Walk of Fame (2021)[333]
Luchas de Apuestas record
Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bret Hart (hair) | The Spoiler (mask) |
Toronto, Ontario | WWF Toronto | January 13, 1985 | [334] |
See also
|
|
|
Notes
- ^ Stu mainly trained Bret in amateur wrestling.[7][8]
- ^ Hart announced his retirement in October 2000, but would later participate in 11 matches from 2010 to 2011 which involved minimal physical risk.
- ^ 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.[12]
- ^ 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.
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Sources
- Hart, Bret (2007). Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling. ISBN 978-0-446-53972-2(US)
- Hart, Martha & Francis, Eric (2004). Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart. ISBN 978-1-59077-036-8.
- Hart, Bruce (2011). Straight from the Hart. ISBN 978-1-55022-939-4.
- McCoy, Heath (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ISBN 978-1550227871.
- Hart, Diana & McLellan, Kirstie (2001). Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family. Fenn Pub. pp. 200pp. ISBN 978-1550227871.
- Erb, Marsha (2002). Stu Hart: Lord of the Ring. ISBN 978-1550225082.
- Grasso, John (2014). Historical Dictionary of Wrestling. Scarecrow Press, inc. p. 444. ISBN 978-0-8108-7926-3.
- Lister, John (2005). Slamthology: Collected Wrestling Writings. jnlister. p. 276. ISBN 1-4116-5329-7.
Film
- ASIN B001NG9GZ0.
- Bret Hart (Subject); Stone Austin; Roddy Piper; Chris Benoit (2005). Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be (Documentary film). U.S.A; Canada: WWE.
Further reading
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
- 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; Lee Maughan; Arnold Furious (2013). Superstar Series: The Hart Foundation. Bob Dahlstrom (Illustrator). 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
- Anna Maria Tremonti (Host); Bret Hart (2007). Wrestler Bret Hart's childhood memories (Radio). Canada: CBC.
- Bret Hart (2014). Bret 'The Hitman' Hart opens up on Ottawa Morning (Radio). Canada: CBC.
Videos
- Bret Hart (2016). Bret Hart's Calgary: Famed pro wrestler tours most memorable places in his home town (Video). Canada: CBC.
- Bret Hart (2015). Bret Hart discusses returning to Ottawa (Video). Canada: CBC.
Interviews
- Bret Hart (2010). "From The Archives: Interview with Bret 'Hitman' Hart" (Interview). Interviewed by Jan Murphy. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2016 – via Chinlock.com.
Articles
- Konuwa, Alfred (February 1, 2016), "Bret Hart Criticizes His Legendary Match Against British Bulldog In New Documentary", Forbes
- Warmington, Joe (January 10, 2001), "Hitman's son has confidence in his dad", Toronto Sun, archived from the original on January 8, 2019
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
External links
- Official website
- Bret Hart on WWE.com
- Bret Hart's profile at Cagematch.net , Wrestlingdata.com , Internet Wrestling Database
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Profile
, archive of news stories concerning Hart from Canoe.com