Bret Hart
- This article refers to the professional wrestler. For the American author, see Bret Harte.
| Bret "The Hitman" Hart | |
|---|---|
| File:BretHartProgram.jpg | |
| Born | July 2, 1957 Calgary, Alberta |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Bret Hart "Cowboy" Bret Hart Bret "The Hitman" Hart |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Billed weight | 234 lb (106 kg) |
| Trained by | Stu Hart Katsui Adachi Kazuo Sakurada |
| Debut | 1976 |
| Retired | October 26, 2000 |
Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957 in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian former professional wrestler, and part of the famous Hart wrestling family. In the course of his career, he was known by several monikers: Bret "The Hitman" Hart, (adopted from boxer Thomas Hearns), "The Excellence of Execution" (originally dubbed as such by the late Gorilla Monsoon) and perhaps the most resounding, "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be" (derived from the 1984 film The Natural, which starred Robert Redford).
Hart justifies his claim to the latter title by citing the fact that he never seriously injured an opponent through any fault of his own. He also claims that, in the course of his career with the World Wrestling Federation, he only ever missed two shows, both as a result of traffic and flight difficulties.
On February 13, 2006 WWE announced Hart as the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2006.
Professional wrestling
Hart was born in Calgary, Alberta; the eighth child of wrestling patriarch, promoter Stu Hart. His seven brothers were either wrestlers or involved backstage with the wrestling business; his four sisters all married professional wrestlers. Three of his brothers-in-law, Davey Boy Smith, Seth Waddoups, and Jim Neidhart, had very successful careers in the business. His youngest brother, Owen Hart, became a prominent wrestler in his own right before his death in 1999 when a wrestling stunt went fatally wrong.
Hart is regarded by many as one of the most technically sound professional wrestlers ever to grace a ring. Once labeled "the greatest storyteller in the history of the business" by Vince McMahon, he was adept at creating tense and entertaining matches. He began his career in his father's Stampede Wrestling promotion in Calgary, with his father serving as his manager for a time. Hart remained in Stampede Wrestling until the promotion, along with several wrestlers, was acquired by the World Wrestling Federation in 1984.
World Wrestling Federation
Hart rose to fame in the WWF in the late-1980s, winning the WWF World Tag Team Championships twice as one half of The Hart Foundation. Hart's technical style created an intriguing contrast with his partner Jim Neidhart's strength and brawling skills. The duo were originally a heel team managed by "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart and actually wore blue and black, as opposed to the more recognisable pink and black colour scheme which they later adopted. Eventually they turned face, adopting the nickname "The Pink and Black Attack." Their most notable feuds were with the British Bulldogs and Demolition.
Following a loss to The Nasty Boys at WrestleMania VII, the Foundation split and Hart went on to pursue a singles career. He won his first of two WWF Intercontinental Championship reigns by defeating Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam 1991. During Hart's unsuccessful WWF Intercontinental Championship title defense against The Mountie, he was supposedly suffering from a fever; however this was a work to protect his character when he lost the title. In reality, Hart was booked to lose the title because his current contract was expiring. Following the loss, Roddy Piper (who is a friend of Bret himself) defeated Mountie at the 1992 Royal Rumble, and Bret would later defeat "The Rowdy One" for the Intercontinental Championship in one of the greatest Intercontinental Championship matches at WrestleMania VIII during the same year.
After dropping the Intercontinental Championship to his brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith in a classic match at SummerSlam 1992 held before over 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Hart was elevated to main-event status and won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Ric Flair at Saskatchewan Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (the hometown of his father, Stu Hart). That same year, Hart wrestled Flair in the first Iron Man match held in the WWF.
He lost the title to Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX, but shortly after won the original televised King of the Ring tournament in 1993. Hart was named the co-winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble when he and Lex Luger were eliminated simultaneously. As a result, both men received title shots at WrestleMania X. Bret reclaimed the World title from Yokozuna at WrestleMania X.
It was at this time that Bret Hart entered into his memorable feud with his younger brother, the late Owen Hart. For the family-friendly WWF of the early 1990s, a brother versus brother feud was edgy and the fans responded well to it. The storyline involved Owen becoming jealous of Bret. The younger Hart actually defeated his brother in the opening match of WrestleMania X and when Bret won the WWF Championship in the event's final match Owen stated he should be champion. The two put on highly technical matches and would feud in some way or another for three years.
Hart dropped the title to Bob Backlund at the 1994 Survivor Series. Continuing his feverish feud with Bob Backlund, they clashed in an "I Quit" match at WrestleMania XI. Hart commented that this was his least favorite match, regarding it as poorly executed. In 1995, he feuded with various WWF undercarders such as Hakushi, Jean-Pierre LaFitte, and Isaac Yankem, DDS. He finally reclaimed the World title with a victory over Diesel at the 1995 Survivor Series. He held the title until dropping it to Shawn Michaels in a 60-minute Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII. The match was not without controversy. Michaels actually won it in a sudden death overtime finish (in most wrestling organizations, when the time limit expires in a title match, if the option to continue the match is elected, the title would normally no longer be in contest and would remain with the title holder, no matter the outcome of the match. However, the title change was granted). This would mark the beginning of a seven-month hiatus from the WWF for Bret. He entertained a lucrative offer from World Championship Wrestling, but eventually signed a 20-year contract with the WWF - the plan being for an initial fraction of this to be spent on wrestling with the remaining period giving him a backstage role.
Return of the Hart Foundation
Hart returned to face off against Stone Cold Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1996. Austin was the new breed of heel (who would soon turn face) and the poster boy of a changing WWF product: a loud-mouthed antihero who drank beer after matches, ignored rules and frequently lashed out at Hart, mocking his pink trunks and old-school attitude. Although Hart defeated Austin at Survivor Series 1996, the fans later did something the WWF and Hart would have never predicted: they began to turn on Hart and support Austin. Hart defeated Austin, Vader, and the Undertaker in a Fatal Four Way Match for the WWF title belt at an In Your House: Final Four in February 1997. But Austin made sure Hart's fourth reign was short-lived, costing him a match against Sycho Sid the next night on RAW. The two would have a steel cage match shortly before WrestleMania 13, which saw Austin actually attempt to help Hart win, in order to make their match at WrestleMania 13 a title match. Concurrently, The Undertaker, who had a scheduled match with Sid at WrestleMania, attempted to help Sid win. Sid ultimately retained, leading to a pure grudge match for Hart and Austin.
At WrestleMania 13, Hart and Austin had their rematch, in what some consider the greatest match in WrestleMania history (alongside Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III). This match, which was a submission match, featured incredible brawling and mat wrestling from two extremely skilled technical wrestlers. In the end, Hart locked the Sharpshooter on a bloody Austin, who refused to submit. In fact, Austin never submitted, but passed out from the blood loss/pain. Ken Shamrock, the special guest referree, was forced to award Hart the match. However, Hart refused to release the hold, continuing to hold it well after he had won the match. This, combined with a bloody Austin's gutsy refusal to submit, turned Austin into a new breed of face, and Hart into a new breed of heel. This was Hart's favorite match with Stone Cold Steve Austin and as of 2005, is Hart's last WrestleMania appearance. According to Austin himself, this match helped Austin become a main event star and a legend in his own right.
In the ensuing weeks, Hart denounced all Americans and reunited with brother Owen and brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith. The trio formed the new Hart Foundation with Brian Pillman and Jim Neidhart, an anti-American stable which was popular within Canada. Hart captured his fifth World title at SummerSlam 1997 after guest-referee Shawn Michaels accidentally struck The Undertaker with a steel chair, allowing Hart to get the pin.
The Montreal Screwjob
At this point in time, the WWF was not doing well financially (mostly due to the popularity of WCW) and Vince McMahon regretted the "lifetime" deal he had signed Hart to. He asked Bret to release the WWF of that contract, to which Bret agreed. (McMahon in fact would use some of that money to lure Mike Tyson to make appearances in early 1998). Hart was to sign with WCW, but there was still the matter of what to do with the WWF Championship. Hart had supposedly struck a deal with McMahon not to lose the belt to Shawn Michaels in Montreal at Survivor Series, but to voluntarily forfeit it the next night on RAW.
However, what actually occurred was a controversial match (known to fans as the Montreal Screwjob or The Double Cross) at Surivivor Series 1997, where Michaels "defeated" Hart in Canada with the Sharpshooter, Hart's own finishing move. This happened when referee Earl Hebner called for the bell after only a few seconds, even though Hart never submitted. Hebner immediately ran out of the ring, and Michaels was escorted to the back with Gerald Brisco, seemingly livid with what just happened. Vince McMahon stayed at ringside, only to be spit in the face by Hart. In his anger, Hart proceeded to destroy equipment ringside, and pretended to write the letters "WCW", with whom he had signed, in the air. Hart reportedly punched McMahon in a dressing room after the affair and McMahon had a visible black eye in the days immediately after the event. To this day, both McMahon and Michaels are disliked by many wrestling fans in Canada, particularly in Montreal.
Hart was so upset over the way things turned out that he stated he would never again return to the WWF. He had also refused to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Eight years later however, in an interview on his 2005 DVD, Bret stated that he wished he had been with the WWF when his brother Owen's tragic accident happened in 1999.
WWE has used images and references to Hart sparingly in recent years because of their fragile relationship. Many consider Chris Benoit's angle with Shawn Michaels in 2004 to be an apology of sorts to Hart. In a triple threat match against Michaels and Triple H in Chris Benoit's hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the ref had been knocked down and instead of there being a period of time for the ref to get back up, the new ref, Earl Hebner ran to the ring as Chris Benoit put Shawn Michaels in the Sharpshooter. The crowd seemed energetic the whole night, but knew the image of a Canadian in the sharpshooter, on Shawn Michaels, in Canada, with Earl Hebner officiating, may have paid tribute to Bret. The bell was not rung early, but only after Michaels tapped out.
World Championship Wrestling
Immediately after Survivor Series, Hart left the WWF and joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He was involved in the Sting versus Hulk Hogan match at StarrCade 1997, making his debut by stepping in toward its conclusion as impromptu referee to declare Sting's victory. During Eric Bischoff's period in control of the company, the goodwill towards Hart generated by the Montreal Screwjob resulted in him being pushed as a face. However, this was short-lived, and in early 1998, Hart turned heel in a WCW Monday Nitro main event involving Sting and Hogan, and unofficially joined the nWo.
As part of the faction, Hart was no longer pushed as a main event superstar, instead competing for the United States Heavyweight Championship, which he won four times.
He remained in the upper mid-card bracket until the WWF's top writer Vince Russo "jumped ship" in 1999 and joined WCW. Russo instigated an angle which involved a controversy over a series of World Heavyweight Championship matches between Sting, Hogan and Goldberg at Halloween Havoc 1999, ultimately leading to the title being declared vacant. A tournament then took place over several episodes of Nitro, with the final rounds taking place at the Mayhem 1999 pay-per-view. The event saw Bret Hart defeat Chris Benoit in the main event, capturing his first of two WCW Championship belts in the process.
He later participated in an nWo reformation with Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and the Harris Brothers. At the 1999 StarrCade pay-per-view event, Hart defended his WCW Championship against Goldberg.During the match Hart was struck with a stiff 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 1999, having been unaware of the severity of his injuries. In one other instance during his match against Goldberg, Hart attempted to place Goldberg in the ringpost figure four leglock, but was not protected by Goldberg when initially applying the move, causing the back of Hart's head to collide into the arena floor. The sum total of those injuries ultimately forced his retirement from professional wrestling.
Hart has stated that he did not hold a grudge against Goldberg for injuring him, attributing the situation to Goldberg's relative inexperience as a wrestler rather than irresponsibility. Nonetheless, Hart felt the nature of his retirement was ironic given that he had worked hard during his career to protect his opponents' well-being.
Hart never lost either WCW Heavyweight Championship he held, but forfeited them instead. The second vacated title came about when he retired from wrestling. He wrestled his last matches in both the WWF and WCW as the World Heavyweight Champion of each respective promotion.
Life after wrestling
In June 2002, Hart suffered a stroke after a bicycle accident. The Calgary Herald reported that Hart hit a pothole, flew over the handbars of the bike and landed on the back of his head. Hart suffered partial paralysis after the stroke, which required months of physical therapy. Hart has since recovered his mobility and is in good health.
The Bret Hart Story
Hart's relationship with Vince McMahon improved throughout the early-2000s, with Hart being featured in WWE video games such as WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE WrestleMania 21, WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW and WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006. In addition, Hart stated on his website that he would have liked to wrestle WWE performer Kurt Angle, and admitted to having watched Chris Benoit's World Heavyweight Championship title win at WrestleMania XX.
In mid-2005, WWE announced the forthcoming release of a three disk DVD originally named Screwed: The Bret Hart Story, with the title a reference to the Montreal Screwjob. After he was approached about appearing in the DVD, Hart visited WWE Headquarters on August 3, 2005 and met with Vince McMahon. In the course of the meeting, Hart agreed to take part in the DVD, but insisted that he retain some editing control, and that the ignominious ending to his WWF career be de-emphasised. He filmed over seven hours of interview footage for the DVD, which was renamed Bret Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be. The DVD includes Hart's favourite match with his brother Owen, held in White Plains, New York and aired on the first episode of the short lived Action Zone series, and his first match with Ricky Steamboat as well as footage of his first match and many more from his days in Stampede Wrestling. Hart's match at WrestleMania XII against Shawn Michaels was supposed to have been included, but was cut out due to time constraints (it appeared only as clips during the documentary itself). The collection was released on November 15, 2005.
Hart appeared on the November 16, 2005, WWE Byte This! webcast, marking his first live WWE appearance since November 9, 1997. The Bret Hart episode of Byte This! had the largest viewer turnout in the history of the show. WWE has alluded on several occasions to the return of Hart to WWE television proper, on one occasion even playing his music, but Hart maintains that he has no interest in returning to the company in an on-screen capacity. However, when asked about the possibility of a farewell speech during the Byte This! interview, he stated, "I don't know. It's a thought anyway."
At an autograph session held in New York City in November 2005, Hart signed autographs alongside WWE employees Jerry Lawler, Carlito and Kurt Angle, his aforementioned "dream opponent". Hart told fans who attended the event that he had forgiven referee Earl Hebner (who was fired from WWE in July 2005 for allegedly selling merchandise without authorization) for his part in the Montreal Screwjob. In addition, he responded to Shawn Michaels's statement that Bret Hart would never compete again in a WWE ring, saying simply, "He's right."
During his career, Bret stated that "every wrestler reaches a point when their memories become more important than their dreams" - an aphorism that has been reflected in his life away from wrestling.
WWE Hall of Fame
On the February 16, 2006 episode of RAW (and, simultaneously, on WWE.com) it was announced that Hart will be a 2006 inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame. Hart had previously stated he had no interest in this whatsoever, but, as with his DVD project, his views changed and he became more receptive to the idea (although still tentative due to the emotional imbalance he still suffers from due to his stroke [1]). He later said he would only want to be inducted if in a city such as New York City, but again relented and agreed to be inducted on April 1, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois on the night before WrestleMania 22. Hart has also been approached by Vince McMahon for a potential match between the two at WrestleMania 22, but Hart has "politely declined" the offer [2]. Ironically, the last WrestleMania Hart attended was also in Chicago (WrestleMania 13). In accordance with his promise never to work for WWE again, Hart will not be paid to be inducted, although WWE will cover the hotel and flight arrangements for Bret and his ex-wife Julie.
In wrestling
Finishing and signature moves
- Sharpshooter
- Spike piledriver (1970s-1980s)
- Ringpost figure four leglock1
- Second rope elbow drop
- Inverted atomic drop
- Russian legsweep
- Side backbreaker
- Snap suplex
- Superplex
- Hart Attack (with Jim Neidhart)
1Bret Hart credits himself with creating the ringpost figure four leg lock, in which first appeared at WrestleMania 13, during his battle with Stone Cold Steve Austin
Hitman props
Perhaps one of Bret's most memorable and distinctive features for fans was the certain props that he featured when he had a non-wrestling role or was on his way to the ring. These props included:
- Mirrored Sunglasses: Throughout his career, Bret always walked down the ring wearing pink or silver mirrored sunglasses which he would give to a young fan (mainly young children) at ringside. Bret confessed in his autobiography that this trademark first came about when he was shooting his first interview with Jim Neidhart and noticed during playback that his eyes were a dead giveaway that he was terribly nervous. Therefore, when Bret was required to reshoot the interview, he pulled out mirrored sunglasses and wore them to conceal his nervousness. Bret also wore the sunglasses on his way to the ring to hide his nervousness, and the fact that he gave his sunglasses to a kid at ringside helped establish his credibility as a face.
- Leather Jacket: During his days in the Hart Foundation, one of their main props was to wear leather jackets in an attempt to make them look rough and mean in appearance (Hart and Neidhart are, in fact, motorcycle riders in their time away from the ring). This prop, however, was still used when Bret wrestled as a "good guy." His leather jackets always varied from having pink tassels on the shoulders and certain designs, from being black and carrying the Hart Foundation logo (the heart, skull and wings) on the back.
- Pink Lighting: Whenever Bret made his way to the ring, his entrances were known to have pink lighting and heart-shaped sillhouettes flashing around the arena. Pyrotechnics would sometimes also go off during his walk down the ring. This was one of the many props that fellow wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin mocked Bret about during their feud.
- Promo Cutting: Bret usually liked saying something logical during his promos before he spoke about the main contention of his promo, which made his style of promo cutting completely different compared to other wrestlers. For example, days before his match against Diesel at the 1995 Royal Rumble, Bret started his promo on Shawn Michaels's Heartbreak Hotel with "Some people mistake a short memory with a clear conscience." Of course, this is just a mere example of Bret's promo-cutting style, although he stated during his Byte This! interview that he wouldn't consider himself to be one of the best orators.
- Entrance Music: Bret's entrance music (in which WWE offically named as Hitman) was perhaps one of the most easily recognized themes in WWE History, beginning with a loud, "screaming" sound of a guitar before heading into the mainstream theme. This would draw either cheers (while a face) or boos (while a heel), yet is nonetheless a recognizable theme. His WWF Entrance music was composed by both Jim Johnston and Jimmy Hart.
Championships and accomplishments
- PWI ranked him # 4 of the best 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- PWI ranked him # 37 of the best Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" (with Jim Neidhart)
- PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler Award (1994)
- PWI Comeback of the Year Award (1997)
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler Award (1997)
- PWI Feud of the Year Award (1993) versus Jerry Lawler
- PWI Feud of the Year Award (1994) versus Owen Hart
- PWI Match of the Year Award (1992) versus Davey Boy Smith
- PWI Match of the Year Award (1996) versus Shawn Michaels
- PWI Match of the Year Award (1997) versus Stone Cold Steve Austin
- PWI Editor's Award (2003)
- 6-time Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Champion
- 2-time Stampede Wrestling British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Champion
- 5-time Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champion (3-time with Keith Hart, 1-time with Jim Neidhart, 1-time with Leo Burke)
- 2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
- 4-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time WCW World Tag Team Champion (with Goldberg)
- First inductee to the "WCW Wall of Fame".
- 1-time WWC Caribbean Tag Team Champion (with Smith Hart)
- 5-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion
- 2-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
- 2-time WWF World Tag Team Champion (with Jim Neidhart)
- 1994 Royal Rumble winner (with Lex Luger)
- 1991 King of the Ring
- 1993 King of the Ring
- 2006 WWE Hall of Fame inductee
- He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 1996)
- 1993 Feud of the Year (vs Jerry Lawler)
- 1997 Feud of the Year (with Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, Davey-Boy Smith and Brian Pillman vs Steve Austin)
- 1997 Match of the Year (vs Steve Austin)
Championship succession
Personal life
Hart has four children—Jade, Dallas, Alexandra and Blade—with his ex-wife, Julie. The four hearts located on the right thigh of his tights symbolizes his four children, as do the four dots following his signature. On September 15, 2004, he married an Italian woman named Cinzia.
When Hart began the controversial "Canada versus America" angle, he was criticised in public, accused of being a racist and often told by angry American fans to "go back where you came from". Hart responded in an interview with the Calgary Sun, stating that "[there is] a difference between a show and reality". In actuality, Hart possesses dual citizenship as a result of his mother having been born in Brooklyn, New York, New York in the United States of America.
He was involved in a similar racial controversy during an angle that saw the Hart Foundation vandalise the locker room of the African American Nation of Domination stable, and was further criticised when he taunted Shawn Michaels and Triple H with homophobic insults. After leaving the WWF, Hart apologised for the angles, claiming that he had been pressured into going through with them and stating that "...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."
From 1995 to 1996 Hart appeared in the Lonesome Dove television series as 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 a stint playing the genie in a theatrical production of Aladdin in 2004.
In 2002, Hart suffered a stroke after falling off his bicycle. He has made considerable progress since then, although he will never fully recover.
Hart co-wrote an illustrated autobiography with Perry Lefko in 2000. The book, entitled Bret "Hitman" Hart, was somewhat concise, and focused primarily on Hart's World Championship Wrestling tenure. Hart regularly wrote a column for the Calgary Sun until October 2004. He is now working on a multi-volume autobiography.
In 2004, Hart was chosen as one of the Greatest Canadians, coming in at number thirty-nine. He was also the advocate for Don Cherry during the televised portion of the competition. Hart was ranked number #32 in Time Magazine's "Greatest Canadians of All Time" article.
The Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League took their name from Hart, who was a founder and part-owner.
References
- Bret Hart Entire match history.
- Bret Hart interview at IGN.com
- Bret Hart on ByteThis!
- SLAM! Wrestling: The Bret Hart Interview