Hart Foundation

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the Hart Foundation in professional wrestling. For the British charity organization, see British Heart Foundation. For the Australian charity organization, see National Heart Foundation of Australia.
Hart Foundation logo used during the stable era in 1997

The Hart Foundation is the name of several derivative tag teams and stables composed primarily of members and close friends of the Hart wrestling family. The name originated in the World Wrestling Federation in 1985 with the original Hart Foundation consisting of brothers-in-law Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart. Initially managed by Jimmy Hart (no relation), they won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice. WWE has consistently ranked the original Hart Foundation as one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history.[1][2]

The tag-team known as The New Foundation was a short-lived team formed in 1991 soon after the original disbanded. This team consisted of Neidhart and Owen Hart, Bret's younger brother. The two also teamed again in 1994, and the New Foundation name would later be used by Neidhart together with The Blue Meanie.

The Hart Foundation (sometimes called The New Hart Foundation in this incarnation) was reformed as a stable in 1997, composed of Bret, Owen, their brothers-in-law Neidhart and Davey Boy Smith as well as family friend Brian Pillman. Formed as a pro-Canadian, anti-American group, they would go on to hold all available WWF championships (the WWF title, Intercontinental title, European title, and Tag Team titles). After Pillman died in 1997, the other four continued on with the stable for another month before it disbanded.

Owen and Bret's oldest nephew

Unified WWE Tag Team Championship
.

The Hart Foundation

The Hart Foundation
Bret Hart (left) and Jim Neidhart (right), with Jimmy Hart in the back row, in 1986
Tag team
MembersBret Hart
Jim Neidhart
Jimmy Hart (Manager)
Name(s)The Hart Foundation
Combined
billed weight		515 lb (234 kg; 36.8 st)[3]
Debut1985
Disbanded1991

The original Hart Foundation began in 1985, when Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, already managed by Jimmy Hart, joined his brother-in-law Bret "Hitman" Hart to form a villainous tag team.[4][5] According to Bret, the tag team originated after he turned down the "Cowboy" Bret Hart gimmick he was given, claiming that he did not really take a liking to it. He then suggested to WWF management that he would much prefer to be teamed up with Neidhart. Management first laughed at the idea, but months later just as Hart was about to quit, he was given what he wanted: he was allowed to become a villain and was partnered up with Neidhart and Jimmy Hart to form the Hart Foundation.[6] The name "Hart Foundation" was already used to refer to the stable of wrestlers managed by Jimmy Hart, and in early matches the Neidhart/Hart team would be introduced as "members of the Hart Foundation". With the success of the new tag team, however, "The Hart Foundation" came to be associated solely with the Neidhart/Hart team and their manager, who all had 'Hart' in their family names.

The Hart Foundation made its

Saturday Night's Main Event VIII, the Foundation faced the Bees in a tag team match, which the Bees won.[9]
The Hart Foundation continued to feud with the Killer Bees for the better part of 1986.

The Hart Foundation then began a feud with Tag Team Champions The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid) in early 1987 over the title.

Two out of three falls match. In the first fall, they got disqualified because of illegal double-teaming and in the second fall Smith pinned Neidhart. However, the Hart Foundation retained the title due to the disqualification result.[13]

On the October 27 edition of Superstars, the Hart Foundation

The Main Event I, as the Hart Foundation challenged Strike Force for the title, but lost the match.[15]

Bret Hart started a slow face turn at

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques and Raymond), old rivals of the Hart Foundation and, until a few months previously, a fan favourite team.[17] In the late fall of 1988, Jimmy Hart signed the Rougeaus who, in the storyline, claimed 25 percent of the Hart Foundation's contract. The Hart Foundation continued their feud with the Rougeaus, and formed an alliance with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. At the Royal Rumble in early 1989, Duggan and the Hart Foundation defeated Dino Bravo and the Rougeaus in a two out of three falls match to end the feud.[18]

The Hart Foundation continued to feud with wrestlers managed by Jimmy Hart through 1989. At

The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) in a non-title match. When the match was made, the Busters, managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, were not champions and were not obliged to give the Harts a title shot. The Hart Foundation lost the match pushing them further away from regaining their titles. In the fall of 1989, the Hart Foundation split for a while and both wrestled as singles for the first time in almost four years. Hart had a series of matches against Mr. Perfect, while Neidhart began a feud with The Warlord.[20] However, by the end of November 1989, Hart and Neidhart resumed their partnership and were booked into a series of tag team matches with fellow fan-favorite tag team The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty
). This was unusual at the time as fan favorites rarely faced each other in the ring; also, although no hostilities between the two were apparent at this time, it marked the genesis of what would become a long-running rivalry between Hart and Michaels. Most of these early Hart Foundation-Rockers matches ended in time-limit draws.

On the April 28, 1990,

Legion of Doom (Animal and Hawk) came to ringside and attacked Demolition, the distraction allowed Hart to pin Crush and the Hart Foundation won. As a result, the Hart Foundation got their second WWF Tag Team Championship (despite the second fall being decided by disqualification).[22][23]

During their second reign as champions, the Harts met the Rockers again, this time in a series title and non-title matches. On October 30, 1990, Jannetty and Michaels did actually defeat the Hart Foundation in a two out of three falls match in Fort Wayne, Indiana to seemingly win the title. However, the WWE (WWF) has never officially recognized The Rockers' champion status. During the match the top rope broke by accident making the match a disjointed affair that would require serious clean up before it could be shown on TV.[24] The Rockers actually defended the WWF Tag Team title against Power and Glory (Paul Roma and Hercules) on November 3, 1990.[25] Shortly after November 3 it was decided to not air the title change and that the title would revert to the Hart Foundation. In his book Michaels claims that the Hart Foundation had politicked to keep the title.[26] Michaels claim is contradicted by other claims, including one that the WWF had actually fired Neidhart, and another that his contract had ended and an agreement to re-sign hadn't been reached which forced the title change, but that after the match the two sides came to an agreement and Neidhart was brought back with the broken ring rope used as the reason to nullify the match.[23] The Rockers were never officially credited with a title win but footage from the match was shown prior to Jannetty's WWF return in 1995.[24] The match can be seen in its entirety on the DVD The Shawn Michaels Story: Heartbreak & Triumph. Because it never aired, the match was not clipped and thus is shown in full with no commentary; the only edit being after the second fall when a ring crew arrived to reattach the broken rope.

The Hart Foundation's second title reign lasted until

Brian Knobs), when Knobs nailed Neidhart over the head with Jimmy Hart's helmet (Jimmy Hart managed the Nasty Boys at the time).[7][27] The Hart Foundation split after WrestleMania VII, and Bret then focused on his singles career.[7]

The Hart Foundation accomplishments

The New Foundation

The New Foundation
Tag team
MembersOwen Hart
Jim Neidhart
Name(s)The New Foundation
Combined
billed weight		508 lb (230 kg; 36.3 st)[3]
Debut1991
Disbanded1994

After the Hart Foundation split, both members focused on their singles careers; Bret challenged for and won the Intercontinental title while Jim Neidhart faced a much tougher road as a singles competitor. In November 1991, Neidhart had a match against

The Beverly Brothers made their entrance for a tag team match. The arrogant brothers took an opportunity and jumped Neidhart, further (kayfabe) aggravating his injury. When Neidhart returned about a month later, he was determined to get revenge and he even had back up. Bret's younger brother, Owen, had been signed with the company and he was revealed as Neidhart's back up. They then formed a team in the hopes of recreating the magic of the Hart Foundation and the duo was subsequently dubbed The New Foundation. Owen was soon nicknamed "The Rocket" and the duo became instantly recognizable for their unique parachute pants attire and bright colored jackets.[4][31]

Their first feud was naturally with the Beverly Brothers but they also had matches with

The Orient Express (Pat Tanaka and Kato).[4][31][33] Only weeks later, Owen Hart would be on his own as Neidhart left the federation.[4][31]
They were undefeated at the time of Neidhart's departure.

Owen and Jim reunited in 1994, this time as villains and without the New Foundation moniker. Owen had turned on his brother Bret in early 1994 and was deep in a feud with him. Jim Neidhart turned up at the King of the Ring tournament first to accompany Bret as he faced Diesel,[4] but then also made a surprise appearance at the end of the night to help Owen win the tournament, resulting in Owen dubbing himself the "King of Harts".[4][31] It was later confirmed that Neidhart was helping Owen.[4][31] The brothers in law teamed regularly throughout 1994, feuding with Bret and Davey Boy Smith. At SummerSlam 1994, after Bret retained the WWF World Heavyweight Championship against Owen in a steel cage match, Neidhart attacked Bret; when Smith tried to make the save for Bret, Neidhart attacked him as well.[4][31][34] On the November 7 edition of Raw, Bret and Smith defeated Owen and Neidhart in a tag team match.[4][31]

The team disbanded when Neidhart left the WWF in late 1994, Owen continued with the company and began teaming with Yokozuna, with whom he won two tag team titles.

Jim Neidhart and The Blue Meanie teamed under the New Foundation name in Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW) in 2000 and were the promotion's first Tag Team Champions.[35]

The New Foundation accomplishments

The Hart Family

The Hart Family
Stable
MembersBret Hart (leader)
Owen Hart
Bruce Hart
Keith Hart
DebutNovember 24, 1993

As part of the feud between Bret and Jerry Lawler, at the 1993 Survivor Series Bret and his brothers Keith, Bruce and Owen faced Shawn Michaels and his three masked knights (The Red Knight, The Blue Knight and The Black Knight). The Knights theme was used as the team was supposed to be led by Lawler, who was having legal troubles at the same time as his feud with Bret Hart and was replaced by Michaels. Though Owen was eliminated and Keith's shoulder was injured by a prolonged assault at the hands of Michaels, the Hart brothers were victorious. Owen's failure ignited a lengthy feud between Bret and Owen that would last for several years.

The Hart Foundation (1997 incarnation)

The Hart Foundation (1997 incarnation)
Stable
MembersBret Hart (leader)
Jim Neidhart
Owen Hart
The British Bulldog
Brian Pillman
Name(s)The Hart Foundation
Hart Family
Team Canada
DebutMarch 31, 1997
DisbandedNovember 9, 1997

In 1997, the Hart Foundation re-formed as a pro-Canadian and British/anti-American family-oriented stable that was born after the events of 1997's WrestleMania 13, where Bret Hart defeated his then-nemesis Stone Cold Steve Austin in a submission match.[7] During the match, Austin became a fan favorite and Hart became a villain.[36] After the event, Hart reunited with Jim Neidhart and recruited Owen Hart, The British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith), and Brian Pillman to form the new Hart Foundation.

This stable opposed the

British flags out to their matches by wearing Motorcycle coats with the Hart Foundation Logo and name on the back, and in their promos would talk in disgust about the United States and its inhabitants in general, thus causing fan reactions and making the New Hart Foundation (and Bret Hart in particular) unpopular in the States but highly popular in Canada. Their main feud was with Austin and Shawn Michaels who (as opposed to the Hart Foundation) were booed heavily in Canada and Europe, but cheered on wildly in the United States. At Canadian Stampede, the Hart Foundation took part in a historic 10-man tag team match where the entire Hart Foundation faced the team of Steve Austin, the Legion of Doom, Ken Shamrock, and Goldust
. In the end, Owen Hart pinned Stone Cold Steve Austin. The entire Hart family came into the ring to celebrate afterward.

The first crack in the stable's success came on May 26, 1997, when Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels (who has been rescuing each other from attacks from the Hart Foundation and the then top two babyfaces in the company) defeated Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.

The stable was highly successful, garnering every championship available at the time (WWF Championship,[37] WWF Intercontinental Championship,[38] WWF European Championship,[39] and WWF Tag Team Championship) in the WWF.[30]

Pillman was found dead of an undetected heart condition on October 5, the day of In Your House: Badd Blood.[40] A month later at the Survivor Series, Bret (who was leaving the WWF to join World Championship Wrestling) lost the WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels in the infamous "Montreal Screwjob".[41] After the Survivor Series, the Hart Foundation disbanded, as both Neidhart and Smith left over the incident and eventually joined Bret in WCW, but Owen stayed, feeling that he may have been sued for breach of contract if he left.

Along with Brian Pillman, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Jim Neidhart incurred premature deaths.

The Hart Foundation (1997 incarnation) accomplishments

Hart Foundation 2.0

Hart Foundation 2.0
Tag team
MembersTeddy Hart
Jack Evans
Name(s)Hart Foundation 2.0[42][43]
Hart Foundation
Next Generation Hart Foundation
Debut2003
Disbanded2009

Hart and Evans also wrestled as the Hart Foundation 2003 in November 2003, participating in a

The Carnage Crew, and Special K.[44] Later, Hart, Evans, Smith, and Wilson reformed the group in Major League Wrestling.[44]

In 2005, the original duo of Hart and Evans worked for

The Hart Foundation 2.0 in Mexico's AAA on November 30, 2007. At Centro de Convenciones de Ciudad Madero for the annual Guerra de Titanes event, they participated in and lost a four-way extreme dance for the AAA World Tag Team Championship in a match against champions Crazy Boy and Joe Lider, Charly Manson and Chessman, and Extreme Tiger and Halloween.[46][47]

Hart Foundation 2.0 accomplishments

Next Generation Hart Foundation

Next Generation Hart Foundation
Natalya
  • Teddy Hart
  • Ted DiBiase Jr.
    • Name(s)New Hart Foundation
    Next Generation Hart Foundation
    DebutJune 26, 2007
    Disbanded2008

    The name had originally been used by Teddy Hart and Jack Evans between 2003 and 2005 while in Ring of Honor.

    In 2007,

    Tyler Reks.[48]

    Next Generation Hart Foundation accomplishments

    The Hart Dynasty

    Main article: The Hart Dynasty
    The Hart Dynasty
    Natalya
    Bret Hart
    Name(s)The Hart Dynasty[49]
    Hart Trilogy[50]
    New Hart Foundation
    Debut2008
    DisbandedNovember 15, 2010

    The Hart Dynasty

    World Wrestling Entertainment from 2008 to 2010. The unit consisted of the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith, and Natalya as a manager
    and women's wrestler. They were sometimes managed by Natalya and David's uncle, Bret Hart after his return to WWE in 2010, accompanied by the Keegans, Mark, Josh, and Matt.

    The Hart Dynasty accomplishments

    New Era Hart Foundation

    Main article: New Era Hart Foundation
    New Era Hart Foundation
    Brian Pillman Jr.
    Name(s)New Era Hart Foundation
    The New Hart Foundation
    The Hart Foundation
    Debut2018

    In 2018, a new Hart Foundation group was formed in

    Brian Pillman Jr. as the three members.[51][52][53]

    On October 23, 2019, Teddy Hart announced on his Twitter page that Kenny "Gorilla Blanco" Lester was an official member of the Hart Foundation.[54]

    New Era Hart Foundation accomplishments

    Other versions

    In 2002, Teddy Hart formed a team with his cousin Harry Smith, TJ Wilson, Nattie Neidhart, and Jack Evans in Stampede Wrestling. In 2013 Jim Neidhart and Harry Smith wrestled for an independent promotion under the Hart Foundation name.[55]

    Timeline

    Original group

    Later iterations

    See also

    • Owen Hart Foundation

    References

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    5. ^ Mooneyham, Mike (18 March 2018). "Did you know that this famous duo first wrestled together in Canada?".
    6. Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be
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    7. ^ a b c d e f g "Bret Hart bio". SLAM! Wrestling. May 26, 2006. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved 2009-12-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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    37. ^ a b "WWE Championship official title history". WWE. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
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    41. ^ "WWE Championship Match: Shawn Michaels def. Bret "Hit Man" Hart to become new WWE Champion". WWE. 1997-11-09. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
    42. ^ Martin, Adam (April 7, 2009). "Jack Evans on incident with Juventud". Archived from the original on 2018-08-06.
    43. ^ "La ex187, La exFamilia de Tijuana y La exHart Foundation 2.0 en AAA Triplemanía XX, caerá una cabellera o máscara ｜ Superluchas". Superluchas | WWE, RAW, Lucha Libre, UFC y Box. Archived from the original on 2018-08-06.
    44. ^ a b Clevett, Jason (December 11, 2003). "Jack Evans soars on indy scene". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved 2009-12-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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    53. ^ "411MANIA". MLW News: Matches Set For Friday’s TV, MLW Trying to Trademark The Hart Foundation, Next Live Event Set.
    54. ^ Hart, Teddy (October 23, 2019). "I would like to announce that Kenny Lester is now a part of the Hart Foundation. Me and everyone else welcome him to the team. I am very excited to bring him into the family pic.twitter.com/9OBpNcZOtb".
    55. ^ "Wrestling card in Debert to feature big names". The Truro Daily News. August 13, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-14. Retrieved 2016-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Hart Foundation.
    Wikimedia Commons has media related to TJ Wilson, Harry Smith (wrestler), Natalya Neidhart, Bret Hart, Mike Hart (wrestler), Teddy Hart, Jack Evans, Jimmy Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Owen Hart, Brian Heffron and Joey Valentyne.
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