Joe King
Born into the legendary Hart wrestling family in Calgary, Alberta, Bret Hart trained in the infamous “Hart Dungeon” under the watchful eye of his father, Stu Hart, along with Japanese wrestling legends Mr. Hito and Mr. Sakurada. Wrestling was in his blood. Stu and Helen Hart would have 12 children. All of the boys became professional wrestlers and the girls would all marry professional wrestlers. Bret Hart is undoubtedly the most successful of them all.
After a successful amateur career, Bret would find success in his father’s promotion, Stampede Wrestling. Bret would then be signed to the World Wrestling Federation in 1984. Alongside his brother-in-law, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Bret rose to prominence in the 1980s as one half of The Hart Foundation. Managed by Jimmy Hart, the duo captured the WWF Tag Team Championship twice, evolving from cocky heels to beloved fan favorites. Even then, Bret’s smooth technical ability stood out.
By the early 1990s, Bret embarked on a singles run that would change wrestling history. Bret would become a 2-time Intercontinental Champion and engage in classic feuds with Mr. Perfect and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. His SummerSlam 1992 match against his brother-in-law British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith at Wembley Stadium, in front of 80,000+ fans, remains one of the greatest matches ever.
WWF Champion & Face of the New Generation
On October 12, 1992, Bret defeated Ric Flair for his first WWF Championship. In the post-Hogan era, Bret became the face of a new generation of wrestlers focused on athleticism and in-ring skill. He would go on to become a 5-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion, headlining multiple WrestleManias and Pay-Per-Views, delivering classics against Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Diesel, The Undertaker, and his brother, Owen Hart.
The Anti-American Heel Turn
In 1997, Bret reinvented himself in one of wrestling’s most compelling character shifts. He would join forces with Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman as the new version of The Hart Foundation throughout 1997. They would feud with the newly-formed stable D-Generation X. The WrestleMania 13 submission match with Austin, in particular, is considered one of the greatest double-turns in wrestling history. While remaining a hero in Canada and internationally, he became a bitter anti-American figure in the U.S. His feud with Steve Austin elevated both men and blurred the lines between hero and villain. It was layered. It was believable. It was brilliant.
The Montreal Screwjob
November 9th of 1997 at Survivor Series in Montreal would be one of the most controversial moments in wrestling history. Vince McMahon orchestrated a finish that saw Bret lose the WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels without his consent. Bret didn’t want to lose the belt in Canada, but Vince was looking out for his company. Hart had just signed with WCW and McMahon was worried that Bret would take the title with him. The fallout changed the industry forever — launching the Mr. McMahon character and altering wrestling’s direction during the Monday Night War.
WCW Years
Bret’s WCW run never reached its full potential creatively, though he did capture the WCW World Heavyweight Championship(twice), WCW United States Championship(4 times), & WCW Tag Team Championship…becoming WCW’s fifth Triple Crown Champion. He would put on top-tier matches with such stars as Booker T, Chris Benoit, Diamond Dallas Page, and Sting. Tragically, in December of ’99, Bret suffered a severe concussion during a match with Goldberg. The injury, combined with subsequent complications, led to his retirement in 2000.
Stroke & Comeback
In 2002, Bret suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. Through determination and rehabilitation, he regained mobility — a testament to his resilience. In 2010, in a moment many thought impossible, Bret returned to WWE television, reconciling publicly with Shawn Michaels. In his short-tenured return, he would lead The Hart Dynasty(Tyson Kidd & DH Smith) to the WWE World Tag Team Championship and capture the WWE United States Championship by defeating The Miz on an episode of Raw. Bret would even defeat Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XXVI.
In 2019, Bret Hart unveiled the AEW World Championship at their inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing.
Championship Legacy
•5x WWF Champion
•WWE United States Champion
•2x WCW World Heavyweight Champion
•4x WCW United States Champion
•WCW World Tag Team Champion
•2x Intercontinental Champion
•2x WWF Tag Team Champion
•2x King of the Ring (1991, 1993)
•1994 Royal Rumble Winner(w/Luger)
•1996 Middle East Cup Winner
•3x WWE Hall of Fame inductee (solo, Hart Foundation, & WrestleMania 13 match with Steve Austin)
Television & Film Career
In 1994, Hart played a prison inmate in a deleted scene from Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers, restored for the director’s cut. From 1994 to 1995, he 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. He provided the voice of professional wrestler character “The Hooded Fang” in Jacob Two-Two. Hart donned his “Hit Man” singlet, along with additional costume, and executed wrestling maneuvers on villain characters, as part of his performance as the Genie in a 2004 stage production of Aladdin. In 2024, he played himself in the American Dad! episode “Under (and Over, and Beside) the Boardwalk”.
Bret Hart is widely regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. His style influenced generations — from Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, FTR, and CM Punk to countless modern stars who value storytelling inside the ropes. And that’s why Bret “The Hitman” Hart will always be remembered as…The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be.
Shane2Times
Amen! Great summary!