[edit] Amateur wrestling
At high school, Hart gained experience and success in the amateur wrestling division, despite being "skin and bones," as Hart refers to his teenage physique.[5] He won significant championships in tournaments throughout Canada, including the 1973 Calgary City Championship.[5] This later offered credibility to his career in professional wrestling as being "legit". Hart considered trying out for the Commonwealth Games during the mid-1970s,[5] but decided to pursue a college degree instead. He enrolled in Mount Royal College.
[edit] Professional wrestling career
[edit] Stampede Wrestling (1976–1984)
At the age of 19, Bret Hart began working for his father's Stampede Wrestling promotion in Calgary, with his father serving as his manager for a time. Hart first began helping the promotion by refereeing matches, but at one fateful event, a wrestler was unable to perform his match. This forced Stu to ask his son to stand in as a replacement, paving the way for Hart's very first match in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Before long, he became a regular contender, eventually partnering with brother Keith to win the Tag Team Championship four times. Earlier on, however, he was still unsure he wanted to make a career of professional wrestling and continually contemplated the idea.
Hart gained some of his most prominent experience with Japanese combatants and real-life trainers Mr. Hito and Mr. Sakurada, later praising them as his most significant teachers. Before long, Hart was amazing crowds with his high-impact matches against the Dynamite Kid. In the midst of wrestling alongside his brothers and even his aging father, Hart made a point not to ride on the shoulders of his elder as other sons of promoters have. 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."[5] 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 the famous Tiger Mask in New Japan Pro Wrestling and remained one of Stampede's most successful performers until the promotion, along with several wrestlers, was acquired by the World Wrestling Federation in August 1984.
[edit] World Wrestling Federation (1984–1997)
[edit] Hart Foundation (1985–1991)
Main article: The Hart Foundation
Hart was asked to start out in the WWF with a cowboy gimmick but refused, citing that where he comes from "if you say you're a cowboy, you'd better be one".[13] He instead requested to be paired with his brother-in-law Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart who was being managed by Jimmy Hart and asked to be called the Hart Foundation. He made his first televised WWF debut in August 1984, in a tag team match where he teamed with his brother-in-law, The Dynamite Kid.[14] In 1985, he was eventually partnered up with another brother-in-law, Neidhart, to build the promotion's tag team division. Originally a heel team, they joined manager Jimmy Hart's Hart Foundation stable but soon the name stuck with the team of Bret and Anvil, due to the similar family names of both team members and their manager.[1] At WrestleMania 2, they participated in a 20-man battle royal which was won by André the Giant.[15] Bret's agile, technical style—which earned him the moniker "The Excellence of Execution" (coined by Gorilla Monsoon)[16]—created an intriguing contrast with his partner Neidhart's strength and brawling skills.
Hart rose to fame in the WWF in the mid 1980s, and the Hart Foundation won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice. Their first reign started on the February 7, 1987 edition of Superstars when they defeated the British Bulldogs to win the title.[17][18] They lost the title to Strike Force on the October 27 edition of Superstars.[17] Eventually, they turned face and adopted the nickname "The Pink and Black Attack."
At SummerSlam, the Hart Foundation began their second reign by defeating Demolition members Crush and Smash in a two out of three falls match with some help from the Legion of Doom.[19][20] On October 30, the Hart Foundation lost the title to The Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels), but a few days later, President Jack Tunney returned the title to the Hart Foundation because the decision had been reversed due to a rope coming off of the turnbuckle during the match and the win was never acknowledged on television. The Hart Foundation's reign lasted from August 27, 1990 to March 24, 1991.[21]
During his time in the Hart Foundation, Hart also competed occasionally as a solo wrestler. At WrestleMania IV he was the last man eliminated in a battle royal, by the winner Bad News Brown.[22] Brown also defeated Hart in a singles match at Wrestlefest 88. In May 1989 Hart won a 16-man battle royal in Hamilton, Ontario.
[edit] Solo success (1991–1992)
Following a loss to The Nasty Boys at WrestleMania VII,[23] the Foundation split and Hart went on to pursue a singles career. He won his first WWF Intercontinental Championship by defeating Mr. Perfect with the Sharpshooter at SummerSlam in 1991.[24][25] Hart was then placed in a feud with the Mountie. This feud came about when the Mountie's manager, Jimmy Hart, threw water on Hart. Then, the Mountie proceeded to shock Hart with a cattle prod. Following the loss, Roddy Piper defeated Mountie with a sleeper hold at the 1992 Royal Rumble,[26] and Bret would later pin Piper for his second Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania VIII later that year.[27][28]
In July 1992, Hart defeated Shawn Michaels in the first ever ladder match in the World Wrestling Federation. While many remember Michaels as the main innovator of the ladder match due to his later success in those matches, it was actually Hart who introduced this match format to the WWF.[29]
[edit] Rise to main event status (1992–1993)
Hart dropped the Intercontinental Championship to his brother-in-law, Davey Boy Smith, in the main event of SummerSlam in 1992 held before over 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. It was his first main event pay-per-view match, and he subsequently maintained main event status, being pushed as a contender to the WWF Championship.[30] He won the WWF Championship from Ric Flair at Saskatchewan Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on October 12 of that year, in a match not originally broadcast on WWF television[31]—the match was instead available on a Coliseum Video release. Hart dislocated one of the fingers on his right hand during the match and popped it back in himself so it would not affect the rest of the match.[5]
Hart defended the title against contenders such as Papa Shango,[32] Shawn Michaels,[33] and Razor Ramon[34] before losing the title to Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX after interference from Mr. Fuji. Mr. Fuji then challenged Hulk Hogan, who had come out to help Hart, to compete for the title; Hogan then won his fifth WWF Championship from Yokozuna.[35] Shortly after, however, Hart won the first pay-per-view King of the Ring tournament in 1993, defeating Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect, and Bam Bam Bigelow (prior King of the Ring tournaments were just house show events).[36] After being crowned as the King of the Ring, Hart was attacked by announcer Jerry "The King" Lawler. Lawler claimed he was the rightful King and began a barrage against Hart and his family. The feud culminated in a match between the two at SummerSlam in 1993, where Hart originally won the match by submission, via the Sharpshooter. Hart, however, would not let go of the hold and the decision was reversed to a Lawler victory by disqualification.[37] According to Hart, the original plan for SummerSlam was to pit WWF Champion Hulk Hogan against Hart in a passing of the torch. Hart also claimed that promotional photos were even taken of the two playing tug of war with the belt before the plans were dropped.[38] Instead, Hogan dropped the belt to Yokozuna in his last WWF appearance at the King of the Ring PPV, which inspired some genuine animosity between the two as Hart felt that Hogan didn't respect him enough to drop the belt and put Bret over as the leader of the "new WWF Generation."
[edit] Family problems (1993–1994)
Hart at a WWF event in 1994It was at this point that Bret Hart entered into a feud with his younger brother, Owen Hart. The storyline involved Owen becoming jealous of Bret. It began at Survivor Series, when the Harts (Bret, Owen, Bruce, and Keith) took on Shawn Michaels (a last-minute substitution for Lawler) and his knights. All of the brothers survived the match except for Owen, the only Hart family member eliminated.[39] Owen blamed Bret for his elimination and in the weeks ahead, blamed Bret for holding him back. Owen demanded a one-on-one match with Bret, which Bret refused to accept. In the storyline, Bret, along with his parents, worked over the Christmas holidays to reunite the family and to settle their rivalry.
At the Royal Rumble in January, Bret and Owen took on The Quebecers for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Referee Tim White stopped the match after he considered Bret unable to continue after he sustained a kayfabe knee injury during the match. After the match, Owen berated his brother for costing him a title opportunity and attacked the injured knee, setting the feud between the two.[40] Later on, Hart managed to participate and win the 1994 Royal Rumble match amid controversy. Hart and Lex Luger were the final two participants and the two were eliminated over the top rope at the same time. Therefore, both men were named co-winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble match and received title shots at WrestleMania X.[41] Luger won the chance to face Yokozuna first, with Hart having to wrestle his brother Owen, who still demanded a match, before receiving his title shot. Owen won the match.[42] Hart lost his match against Owen but went on to defeat Yokozuna for his second WWF Championship.[43][44][45]
Hart continued to feud with his brother Owen while he also started feuding with Diesel. Hart's friend and former tag team partner Jim Neidhart returned to the WWF and reunited with Hart. At King of the Ring, Hart defended the WWF Championship against Diesel. When Hart was winning the match, Shawn Michaels interfered on Diesel's behalf. Diesel appeared close to victory after he delivered a Jackknife Powerbomb yet before he could pin Hart, Neidhart interfered. Diesel won by disqualification but Hart retained his title. Neidhart left when Diesel and Michaels attacked Hart following the match. Neidhart's motivation was made clear when he helped Owen win the tournament that night, so that he could receive a title shot against his brother.[46] At SummerSlam, Hart successfully retained the WWF Championship against Owen in a steel cage match.[47] This match would get a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer.
Hart eventually lost his WWF Championship at Survivor Series in a submission match against Bob Backlund where the manager of either competitor (Davey Boy Smith for Hart, Owen for Backlund) would have to 'throw in the towel' for the wrestler they were representing. When Hart was in Backlund's Crossface Chickenwing and Davey Boy was kayfabe knocked out, Owen persuaded his mother Helen to throw in the towel for Hart, giving Backlund the championship victory.[48] Bret's feud with Backlund would continue at WrestleMania XI where he would defeat Backlund in another submission match.[49]
[edit] Historic rivalries (1995–1997)
Bret would then go after Diesel's WWF Championship in 1995. After their match at the Royal Rumble was continually marred by outside interference, Bret won his third WWF Championship at Survivor Series in a No DQ match against Diesel.[50][51] After Hart's real-life rival Shawn Michaels won the 1996 Royal Rumble,[52] a 60 minute Iron Man match was set up between the two at WrestleMania XII. The wrestler with the most decisions during the 60 minutes would win the match and the WWF Championship. 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. President Gorilla Monsoon ruled that the match would continue in sudden death overtime. Michaels hit a superkick to win the gold.[53]
Hart in 1995Hart left the WWF in March 1996. He would consider offers of employment from both WCW and the WWF, but would ultimately re-sign with the WWF.[54] Over the summer, Steve Austin, who was fresh from winning the 1996 King of the Ring,[55] continually taunted Bret and challenged him to come back and have a match. After an eight-month absence, Bret returned and defeated Austin at Survivor Series.[56] The feud continued at the Royal Rumble, when Hart tossed Austin out of the ring, only for Austin (unbeknownst to the referees) to climb back into the ring and win the Rumble.[57] In order to deal with this controversy, a Fatal Four-Way between Austin and the participants he eliminated after reentering the ring was set up for In Your House 13: Final Four, with the winner becoming the number one contender. After current champion Shawn Michaels relinquished the belt, though, the match officially became one for the WWF Championship. Hart defeated Austin, Vader, and The Undertaker in the Fatal Four-Way.[58][59] However, Austin made sure Hart's reign was short-lived, costing him a match against Sycho Sid the next night on Raw.[60] The two had a steel cage match shortly before WrestleMania 13 (Hart's twelfth consecutive and final WrestleMania), 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.[61]
At WrestleMania 13, Hart and Austin had their rematch in a Submission match that would later get a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. In the end, Hart locked the Sharpshooter on a bloody Austin, who refused to give up. In fact, Austin never quit, but passed out from the blood loss and pain. Ken Shamrock, the special guest referee, awarded Hart the match, after which he continued to assault Austin.[62] This turned Austin face, and Hart became a heel. The original plan for WrestleMania 13 was a Hart versus Michaels championship rematch in which Michaels was slated to drop the belt to Hart. However, Michaels injured his knee two weeks after the Royal Rumble. Rumors immediately began flying that Shawn did not want to drop the belt to Bret. Hart actually came out during the main event at WrestleMania 13 and challenged Michaels to step in the ring and stated (in a shoot promo) that Michaels had a "pussy foot injury." McMahon, commentating at ringside alongside Michaels, immediately got up from his seat and tried to keep Michaels calm. Hart would face Austin once again in the main event of In Your House 14, in which Austin was victorious via disqualification.
[edit] Hart Foundation reunion and Montreal Screwjob (1997)
Main article: Montreal Screwjob
In the ensuing weeks, Bret "The HitMan" Hart denounced American fans, because of their negative reaction to him in the recent weeks in contrast to his continued popularity through the rest of the world, and reunited with brother Owen and brothers-in-law Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart. The family members formed a new Hart Foundation with Brian Pillman; this incarnation was an anti-American stable which was popular within Canada and Europe. During an angle in which it appeared that the Hart Foundation had vandalized the locker room of the African American stable, the Nation of Domination (in the storyline, DX framed the Hart Foundation). As kayfabe retaliation, during a promo with DX, Hart called both Triple H and Shawn Michaels "homos". After leaving the WWF, Hart apologized for the angles and said that he had been pressured into going through with them. He said, "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."[63] Hart's reluctance to use such references was cited on Wrestling with Shadows, where he points out that while Shawn Michaels wanted Bret to use these insults against him to further their on-air feud, Bret was extremely reluctant to do so.
Hart captured his fifth WWF Championship at SummerSlam after spitting in guest referee Shawn Michaels' face; Michaels swung a steel chair in retaliation, which accidentally struck the Undertaker and allowed Hart to get the pin.[64][65]
Around this time, Hart's on-air rivalry with "announcer" 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, McMahon had asked him to talk to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) about possibly taking a second look at their original offer to him, as the WWF was in a rough financial position at the time and could not afford the contract. Hart's final match with the WWF would be a title match against his 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; McMahon agreed to Hart's idea of forfeiting the championship the next night on Raw or losing it a few weeks later.
Although Hart stated to McMahon he would not take the WWF Championship with him to WCW TV (and despite insistence from then-WCW President Eric Bischoff, according to Hart's DVD biography,[66] that Hart would join WCW with a "clean slate"), McMahon was still concerned; this led to him breaking his word in what eventually came to be known as the Montreal Screwjob. Even though Hart did not submit to the Sharpshooter, referee Earl Hebner called for the bell as if he had, on McMahon's orders. This resulted in Hart "losing" the WWF Championship to Michaels.[67] The night ended with an irate Hart spitting in McMahon's face, destroying television equipment, and punching McMahon backstage in front of Gerald Brisco, Pat Patterson, and McMahon's son Shane. Hart also confronted Michaels backstage about the match finish. Many behind-the-scenes events leading up to the Montreal Screwjob were filmed for the documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, released in 1998.
[edit] World Championship Wrestling (1997–2000)
[edit] Early WCW run (1997–1998)
A day after the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Eric Bischoff, while with the New World Order (nWo), announced that Hart was going to be coming to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and joining the nWo. About a month after Survivor Series, Hart joined WCW, the WWF's main competitor. He made his debut on WCW Monday Nitro on December 15, 1997 when it was announced by WCW Chairman of the Board J.J. Dillon that Hart would be the special guest referee for the match between Bischoff and Larry Zbyszko at Starrcade.[68] Bret was involved in the Sting versus Hulk Hogan match at Starrcade, stepping in toward its conclusion as impromptu referee. He attacked referee Nick Patrick, accusing him of making a fast count and shouting he would not let "it happen again" (a reference to the Montreal Screwjob).[69] During Bischoff's period in control of the company, the goodwill towards Hart generated by the Montreal Screwjob resulted in his being pushed as a face; he defeated Ric Flair in his first WCW match at Souled Out in 1998,[70] and beat Curt Hennig at Uncensored.[71]
[edit] Heel turn (1998–1999)
However, Hart's WCW face run was short-lived, and in April 1998 he turned heel in a Nitro main event involving Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage, unofficially joining the nWo. He defeated Savage in singles action at Slamboree, thanks to assistance from Hogan,[72] and then again in a tag team match with Hogan at The Great American Bash in which Savage was partnered with Roddy Piper.[73] At Bash at the Beach, Hart competed in his first championship match in WCW as he faced Booker T for Booker's WCW World Television Championship. He was disqualified after hitting Booker with a steel chair.[74]
Although an established main event level star and five-time world champion in the WWF, Hart had entered WCW amid a struggle for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship among the promotion's top stars.[75] WCW management therefore decided to book Hart to win the promotion's second most prestigious title, the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, instead. Although Hart would later become a two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, some wrestling critics saw WCW's failure to push Hart as a contender to the title for another year—despite previously being one of the WWF's top stars and having signed an estimated $3 million a year contract with WCW—as a mistake.[76] Vince McMahon echoed this sentiment, claiming that WCW had "no idea" what to do with Hart, which McMahon said was "fortunate for me, in terms of my company; unfortunate for Bret personally." Hart himself has expressed the opinion that he was "poorly used" by the company.[5]
On the July 20 edition of Nitro, Hart defeated Diamond Dallas Page for the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, his first championship in WCW. Hart would go on to hold the United States Heavyweight Championship four times—the most reigns in WCW history.[77] Though still not officially a member of the nWo, the faction did support him in the match, as The Giant came out to the ring and chokeslammed Page. A few days later, Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to fellow WWF alumnus Lex Luger.[78] Hart regained the title from Luger, the next night on Thunder.[79] At Fall Brawl, Hart and several other wrestlers lost to Diamond Dallas Page in a WarGames match.[80] During the fall of 1998 Hart also had an intense feud with Sting which ended at Halloween Havoc with Hart controversially defending the title and (kayfabe) injuring Sting. On the October 26 edition of Nitro, Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to Diamond Dallas Page.[81] The two had a rematch at World War 3 for the title which Hart lost.[82] Hart regained the title from Page on the November 30 edition of Nitro in a No Disqualification match with help from nWo member The Giant.[83]
On the February 8 edition of Nitro, Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to family friend Roddy Piper.[84] On the March 29, 1999 edition of Nitro held at Toronto's Air Canada Center, Hart appeared in street clothes and called out Bill Goldberg, verbally coercing Goldberg into tackling him. Hart was wearing a metal breastplate under his Toronto Maple Leafs sweater, which resulted in Goldberg being knocked out. Hart then counted his own pinfall over Goldberg's unconscious body, although there was no match taking place, and left. The incident caused Hart to leave WCW for a short time. When Hart was about ready to return to WCW, his brother Owen Hart died in an accident during a WWF pay-per-view. As a result Hart took time off from WCW to be with his family.
[edit] World Heavyweight Champion (1999–2000)
Bret Hart returned to wrestling on the September 13, 1999 edition of Nitro in a match with Hulk Hogan against Sting and Lex Luger. On the October 4, 1999 edition of Nitro he wrestled in a tribute match for Owen against Chris Benoit—this match took place in Kemper Arena in Kansas City, where Owen had died months earlier.[85] Around this same time, the WWF's top writer Vince Russo "jumped ship" to join 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, ultimately leading to the title being declared vacant. A tournament then took place over several episodes of Nitro. Hart's first round match came against United States Champion Goldberg, with the match being both for a berth in the next round of the tournament and for the U.S. Title. Thanks to outside interference, Hart was able to defeat Goldberg, handing him his second official WCW loss and winning his fourth U.S. Championship.[86]
On the November 8 edition of Nitro, Hart lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to Scott Hall in a ladder match which also involved Sid Vicious and Goldberg.[87] Hart went on to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship tournament by defeating Perry Saturn,[87] Billy Kidman,[88] Sting, and Chris Benoit, giving him his first of two reigns in WCW and his sixth world title overall. On December 7, Hart and Goldberg won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from Creative Control but lost the titles to The Outsiders on the December 13 edition of Nitro.[89] At Starrcade, Hart defended his WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg. During the match, Hart was struck with a mule kick to the head, resulting in a severe concussion. Hart later speculated that he may have suffered up to three additional concussions within matches over the course of that day along with the days immediately following Starrcade, having been unaware of the severity of his injuries.[90] As a part of this, Hart placed Goldberg on the post in a figure-four leg lock which ended with Hart hitting his head on the concrete floor when Goldberg failed to receive the move correctly.[91] The sum total of those injuries left Hart with post-concussion syndrome and ultimately forced his retirement from professional wrestling. Hart wrote a Calgary Sun column in which he said that Goldberg "had a tendency to injure everyone he worked with."[92] As part of his DVD documentary, Hart expressed regret that "someone as good-hearted as Bill Goldberg" was responsible for hurting him.[66]
Hart vacated the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the December 20 edition of Nitro as a result of controversies surrounding his Starrcade match, offering Goldberg a rematch for the title that evening. Hart defeated Goldberg to regain the title with interference from Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Harris Brothers, thus marking the nWo reformation, billed as NWO 2000.[93][94] Overall, Hart was 3-0 against Goldberg, who was noted for his undefeated streak. He successfully defended the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Kevin Nash on the January 10, 2000 edition of Nitro, which would turn out to be his last ever wrestling match. Hart never lost either WCW World Heavyweight Championship he held, but forfeited them instead. The second vacated title came about 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 sporadic appearances on WCW television, with his final WCW appearance occurring on the September 6, 2000 edition of Thunder, where he confronted Bill Goldberg on the injury he sustained nine months prior. Hart was granted a release from his WCW contract in late 2000 and announced his retirement soon afterward.
[edit] Post-retirement appearances (2007-present)
On May 9, 2007, it was announced that Hart would make his first appearance for a professional wrestling event since the 2006 WWE Hall of Fame. Hart signed autographs at "The Legends of Wrestling" show at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.[95] 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." On June 24, 2007, Bret Hart made his first appearance since the Montreal Screwjob at Unison Bar & Billiard in Montreal, Quebec. During this appearance, he signed autographs and spent the evening with over 1,000 fans. During the months of October and November 2008, Bret went on tour with American Wrestling Rampage promotions, touring many places throughout the UK and Ireland, posing for photographs and signing autographs before the show. On the weekend of July 11, 2009, Bret made an appearance at 1pw in Sheffield, 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. He said that if he ever does return to the ring, he'll make sure it happens in New York.
Rumors were abound that Hart may be planning a return to WWE programming however those rumors were dismissed by Hart himself in a interview with Adam Martin and Jose Marrero for Wrestleview.com.[96]
[edit] Honors
Bret Hart accepts his induction into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of FameIn 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. Bret Hart said he's done with professional wrestling following his U.S. book tour. Hart believes his wrestling career will be complete after saying good-bye to his American fans on various book signing tours to promote its release in the States. Hart is content saying good-bye to wrestling through his book and not working for a promotion after spending seven years on the project. "I'd be happy being remembered for really brilliant storytelling in my matches, not for some last chance to snap up some money," Hart said. "I respectfully understand my light in wrestling is fading. I can live with that." Hart said he nearly gave up on the project while trying to fight with the illnesses he faced after suffering a stroke in 2002. However, Hart wanted to bring closure on his wrestling career. "A lot of times, I thought about giving up because it was hard reliving some of these events. But I couldn't say goodbye to my wrestling character until I finished."
On the February 16, 2006, episode of Raw, it was announced that Hart would be a 2006 inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.[97] Hart had also been approached by Vince McMahon for a potential match between the two at WrestleMania 22 but declined the offer.[98] 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."[99]
On July 15, 2006, Bret 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 honor 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 honor for me."[100]
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. At the induction ceremony in Waterloo, Iowa, he ridiculed Slam Wrestling editor Greg Oliver, calling him a "charlatan" and his books on wrestling "fiction" to the standing ovation of some wrestlers in attendance. At the end of the speech, Hart said "Either you go or I go." After Oliver refused to leave, Hart walked out of the ceremony with other wrestlers to scattered applause.[101]
[edit] Media
[edit] Writing
Hart promoting his autobiography in Belfast, Northern IrelandHart co-wrote an illustrated autobiography, entitled Hitman, with Perry Lefko in 2000. He also wrote a weekly column for the Calgary Sun from June 1991 until October 2004.
On October 16, 2007, Hart's second 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. They did not complete the book until eight years later in September 2007 due to Hart suffering 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.
[edit] Acting
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, a role which he reprised in the Canadian Touring production of Aladdin in late 2006. Hart also appeared in episodes of the Honey I Shrunk The Kids TV series (along with his brother), The Adventures of Sinbad, Big Sound, and The Immortal. Hart is also the voice of the Hooded Fang in Jacob Two-Two (TV series)
Hart also guest starred on the sketch comedy series MADtv in 1997 where he acted as enforcer at a fan's house, appearing with his WWF Championship belt. Hart later appeared again on MADtv in 1999 and 2000 in an angle with actor Will Sasso in which the two feuded on the set of MADtv and in World Championship Wrestling; this culminated in a grudge match on WCW Monday Nitro, where Hart decisively defeated Sasso.
[edit] Wrestling-related
Hart was the subject of 1998 documentary, Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, which chronicles the events leading up to his transition from WWF to WCW.
In mid-2005, WWE announced the release of a three disc DVD originally named Screwed: The Bret Hart Story, with the title a reference to the Montreal Screwjob. After he was approached about appearing in the DVD, Hart visited WWE Headquarters on August 3, 2005 and met with Vince McMahon. Hart filmed over seven hours of interview footage for the DVD, which was renamed Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be. The DVD includes a compendium of Hart's favorite matches, including a match against his brother Owen held in White Plains, New York and his first match with Ricky Steamboat. Before the DVD's release, the WWE released a special magazine covering Hart's career. The collection was released on November 15, 2005.
Hart appeared on many talk shows (Larry King Live, Nancy Grace, Hannity & Colmes, On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren, etc.) discussing the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide. Hart is shown putting his finishing hold, the Sharpshooter, on Chris Benoit in the opening credits of Malcolm in the Middle.
[edit] Personal life
[edit] Family
Hart married Julie Smadu-Hart (born March 25, 1960) on July 8, 1982. Bret and Julie have four children[102]: 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). The four hearts located on the right thigh of his tights symbolize his four children, as do the four dots following his signature. Bret and Julie separated in May 1998, and they eventually got divorced on June 24, 2002, just hours before Bret suffered his stroke.[103] Hart married an Italian woman named Cinzia Rota in 2004, but they got divorced in 2007 after failing to agree on where they should live.[103]
When Hart began the controversial "Canada versus America" angle, he was criticized in public, accused of being anti-American 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 holds dual citizenship with Canada and the United States, as his mother is originally from Long Island, New York in the United States.[104]
Hart is a huge Beatles fan, and fashioned his ring attire from the late 1980s till the mid 1990s after the band members' attire on the cover of the classic 1967 hit album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.[105]
On June 24, 2002, Bret Hart suffered 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 suffered 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 suffers from an emotional imbalance and other lasting effects common to stroke survivors. Hart wrote in detail about his stroke in his autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life In The Cartoon World of Wrestling.[106] Hart later became a spokesperson for March of Dimes Canada's Stroke Recovery Canada program.[107]
The Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League took their name from Hart, who was a founder and part-owner.[108]
[edit] Feud with Ric Flair
In 2004, Hart engaged in an off-screen rivalry with Ric Flair. In his autobiography, Flair criticizes Hart for over-exploiting the death of his brother, Owen Hart, and the controversy surrounding the Montreal Screwjob.[109] Flair also claimed in his autobiography that, despite Hart's popularity throughout Canada and Europe, 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.[110] Hart claimed that he drew greater revenue than Flair, citing his headlining performances on consistently sold-out United States tours throughout his WWE 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 WWE stars.[110][111][112] In 2005, Vince McMahon reinforced Hart's drawing power, asserting that any company who hired him could have built their entire franchise around him.[5]
[edit] Return to World Wrestling Entertainment
According to mutiple online wrestling news sources, Bret Hart is considering a return to WWE, most likely as a guest host of Monday Night Raw and later intergrated into the Hart Dynasty storyline.[citation needed]
[edit] In wrestling
Finishing moves
Sharpshooter[3]
Spike piledriver[1]
Signature moves
Bulldog, sometimes from the second rope
Diving crossbody
Dropkick
Enzuigiri
Figure four leglock, sometimes while utilizing the ringpost for extra pressure[1]
Headbutt[1]
Inverted atomic drop[1]
Kip-up
Lariat takedown
Leg drop
Multiple pinning variations
Backwards flip out of chokehold into cover using turnbuckle
Crucifix
Inside cradle
Roll-up
Sunset flip
Victory roll
Multiple suplex variations
Bridging / Release German
Snap[1]
Super[1]
Pendulum backbreaker[1]
Russian legsweep
Seated senton to an opponent's leg draped over the first rope
Second or a top rope dive into either an axe handle elbow drop, a clothesline or a side elbow drop[1]
Sleeper hold
Slingshot crossbody
Stomp to the lower abdominal area[1]
Suicide dive
Sunset flip
Swinging neckbreaker
With Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
Hart Attack[1]
Managers
Jimmy Hart
William Shatner
Debra Wilson
Nicknames
"The Hitman"
"The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be"
"The Excellence of Execution"
"The Pink and Black Attack" (while teaming with Jim Neidhart)
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Class of 2008
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Comeback of the Year (1997)[113]
PWI Feud of the Year (1993)[114] vs. Jerry Lawler
PWI Feud of the Year (1994)[114] vs. Owen Hart
PWI Match of the Year (1992)[115] vs. British Bulldog at SummerSlam
PWI Match of the Year (1996)[115] vs. Shawn Michaels in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII
PWI Match of the Year (1997)[115] vs. Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1997)[116]
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1994)[117]
PWI Stanley Weston Award (2003)[118]
PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1993 and 1994[119][120]
PWI ranked him #4 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003[121]
PWI ranked him #37 of the top 500 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Jim Neidhart in 2003[122]
Stampede Wrestling
NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (5 times)[123] – with Keith Hart (4) and Leo Burke (1)
Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[124]
Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (6 times)[125]
Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame[126]
World Championship Wrestling
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (4 times)[127]
WCW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[128]
WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[129] – with Goldberg
World Wrestling Council
WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship (1 time)[130] – with Smith Hart
World Wrestling Federation
WWE Championship (5 times)[131]
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)[132]
WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times)[21] – with Jim Neidhart
King of the Ring (1991, 1993)
Royal Rumble (1994)1[133]
Second Triple Crown Champion[133]
Slammy Award for Put a Fork in Him, He's Done (1996) The Sharpshooter
Slammy Award for Best Music Video (1996)
Slammy Award for Which WWF champion, past or present, in attendance, is Hall of Fame bound? (1996)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
5 Star Match (1994) vs. Owen Hart in a cage match at SummerSlam
5 Star Match (1997) vs. Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
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
Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Jerry Lawler
Feud of the Year (1997) with Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman vs. Steve Austin
Match of the Year (1997) vs. Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
1Hart co-won the Royal Rumble with Lex Luger after both simultaneously eliminated each other
Famous Quote: " I am the best there is, the best the was, and the best there ever will be."
[edit] References
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http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bret-hart.html. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
^ Hart, Bret (2007). "A trip down memory lane (Saskatoon & Regina)". BretHart.com.
http://www.brethart.com/bio/columns/trip-down-memory-lane-saskatoon-regina. ^ a b c Bret Hart's WWE Profile
^
http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/theirdarkdays/ ^ a b c d e f g h Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be (aka "The Bret Hart Story"), WWE Home Video (2005)
^ Bret Hart Story (2005). Stone Cold Steve Austin: (On their WrestleMania 13 submission match): "Anyone who's been in the ring with Bret knows how talented he is"... "that was the match of the year, that was awesome".
^ Bret Hart Story (2005). Chris Benoit: "The times that I was in the ring with Bret, those matches are up on a pedestal".
^ Bret Hart Story (2005). Road Warrior Animal: (speaking on in-ring opponents): "I put Bret number two or three best of all time".
^ Bret Hart Story (2005). Steve Lombardi: "One of the soundest"... "I've ever worked with in the ring".
^ Off The Record (with Shawn Michaels). TSN. 2003. 20 minutes in. (on their WrestleMania XII Iron Man match) "If it's not number one it's one and a half for sure"... "I loved wrestling him, I really did. You could go out there and just have a wrestling match with him - it was a sheer joy to be in the ring with him." (When asked if he considered Hart an "unbelievable" talent) "I did, yeah. I used to think: 'I'd like to be out there with him'."
^ Bret Hart Story (2005). Roddy Piper: (On their WrestleMania VIII match) "One of the few guys who has a 'total package'"... "I think he's one great man".
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Anasayfa 
Konu: Bret Sergeant Hart 
Cuma Ekim 30, 2009 12:49 pm
