Bret Sergeant Hart
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Awards
Bret Hart headlined WrestleMania X in 1994 to win the WWF World Championship, the first of his five reigns. A technical master known as The Excellence of Execution, Hart wrestled for over 20 years without injuring a single opponent. He accepted induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 after initially declining due to the death of his brother Owen Hart.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Bret Hart — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Bret Hart by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Bret Hart — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Bret Hart learned to wrestle in the Stampede Wrestling dungeon alongside his brothers, trained by Stu Hart, Mr. Hito, and Harley Race. He was born on July 2, 1957, in Calgary, Alberta, one of 12 children in the Hart wrestling family. His father, Stu Hart, ran Stampede Wrestling from the family’s basement. Hart attended Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal Collegiate before committing full-time to wrestling.
Bret Hart wrestled the first 60-minute Iron Man match in WWF history against Ric Flair in 1992, winning his first Intercontinental Championship. He had signed with the WWF in 1984 after starting in Stampede Wrestling. Hart first gained attention as part of The Hart Foundation with Jim Neidhart, managed by Jimmy Hart. He later defeated Flair for the WWF World Championship. At WrestleMania X in 1994, Hart pulled double duty, losing to his brother Owen then defeating Yokozuna for the WWF Title in front of Calgary fans. Hart won the WWF World Championship five times and the 1993 King of the Ring. His match against Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series 1997 ended in the Montreal Screwjob. Hart joined WCW in 1997, winning the WCW World Title from Chris Benoit in Toronto and the WCW Tag Team Titles with Bill Goldberg. A severe concussion forced his retirement after his last match in 2000.
Bret Hart married Julie Hart in 1982; they had four children: Jade, Dallas, Alexandra, and Blade. They divorced in 2002. He married Cinzia Rota in 2004, separating in 2007. In 2010, he married Stephanie Washington Hart. Hart was close with his brother Owen, who died in a wrestling accident in 1999. His best friend in wrestling was Curt Hennig, known as Mr. Perfect. Hart helped his sister-in-law Martha Hart establish the Owen Hart Foundation. He owns the junior hockey team Calgary Hitmen and is an avid fan of the Calgary Flames.
Bret Hart never injured a single opponent in over 20 years. His technical mastery earned him the nickname The Excellence of Execution. His matches against Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and Stone Cold Steve Austin are studied by aspiring wrestlers. Hart was the first wrestler inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, though he initially declined due to Owen’s death. He is also enshrined in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Canada’s Walk of Fame. His catchphrase, The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be, is one of wrestling’s most iconic. Hart’s influence is seen in modern wrestlers like Kurt Angle, whom he praised as the one he would most want to face.
The complete filmography of Bret Hart — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Bret Hart — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Bret Hart — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Am the Best There Is, the Best There Was, and the Best There Ever Will Be”
You Scratch My Back and I’ll Stab Yours.
I Don’t Respect You. You Don’t Deserve It.
I Still Take Being a Positive Role Model for Kids Very Seriously, and I Even Enjoy the Responsibility That Goes Along with It.
No One Is More Proud of Being Canadian That I Am.
We Are Never Prepared for What We Expect.
Every Hero Becomes a Bore at Last.
You Really Didn’t Know How Good You Could Wrestle in 1984. It Mattered How Big Your Arms Were and How You Looked Under the Light with Baby Oil All Over You. No One Said You Have to Take Steroids, but the Truth Is That’s What It Was. If You Wanted to Be a Star, You’d Take Steroids Because Everybody Else Is Taking Them. It Kind of Got, Like, If You Want to Keep Your Job You’ve Got to Get Competitive with Everyone Else.
Little-known facts about Bret Hart — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
During a 20-year wrestling career, Hart never injured a single opponent.
He is the only WWF superstar to have appeared on The Simpsons in 1989.
Hart originally wore mirrored shades to conceal his nervousness in the ring.
If he could wrestle any active performer, Hart chose Kurt Angle.
Curt Hennig, known as Mr. Perfect, was Hart’s closest friend in wrestling.
Hart initially turned down the WWE Hall of Fame induction because of Owen Hart’s ring death, but later accepted and was enshrined in 2006.
While traveling with Dwayne Johnson, Hart often gave him tips to improve his matches.
He got the idea for his catchphrase from the Robert Redford movie The Natural.
He was originally considered to play Batman in Batman Triumphant before production was canceled due to Batman & Robin’s box office failure.
As a child, Hart defended his sister Georgia’s honor against a bully, a moment later mirrored at WrestleMania X when other wrestlers hoisted him up after his title win.
He was the first wrestler ever inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Hart defeated Steve Austin in all four of their major televised encounters.
He was voted Most Popular Superstar six times between 1992 and 2000.
A clip of Hart applying the Sharpshooter on Chris Benoit appears in the opening credits of every episode of Malcolm in the Middle.
He has made it clear he will never appear as a character on WWE programming again.
He signs his autograph with four dots symbolizing his children: Jade, Dallas, Alexandra, and Blade.
He is good friends with Roddy Piper, Rob Van Dam, and Mick Foley.
He was the first wrestler to ever pin Roddy Piper in Piper’s WWF career.
His favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption.
He believes Tommy Billington, the Dynamite Kid, is pound-for-pound the greatest wrestler of all time.
In the early 1990s, Hart injured his sternum in a match with Dino Bravo but continued until he intentionally got counted out.
He helped Martha Hart, widow of his brother Owen, set up the Owen Hart Foundation.
He was the leader of the New Hart Foundation, which included Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith, and Brian Pillman; as of 2018, Hart is the only surviving member.
He paid tribute to fallen friends Curt Hennig, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Ray Traylor, Rick Rude, Kerry Von Erich, Brian Pillman, Mike Hegstrand, and Elizabeth Hulette on his 2005 WWE DVD.
He has since patched things up with Vince McMahon over the Montreal Screwjob, but still holds resentment toward Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
Son of Stu Hart, a famous wrestler from the 1940s and 1950s.
Retired from active wrestling on October 26, 2000, after a severe concussion prevented him from wrestling for months.
He and Curt Hennig were both second-generation wrestlers; Hart won his first Intercontinental Championship from Hennig.
Hart’s 1997 Survivor Series match with Shawn Michaels became known as the Montreal Screwjob.
He was once managed by actor William Shatner during Shatner’s brief WWF stint.
He owns a major junior hockey team, the Calgary Hitmen, which plays in the WHL.
He defeated Ric Flair for the WWF Title in front of his home fans.
He is an avid Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen fan.
Brother Owen Hart died from injuries sustained falling from a catwalk at the WWF pay-per-view Over the Edge in 1999.
He helped establish Booker T as a singles wrestler.
First wrestler to capture all six major titles from both WWF and WCW: Tag Team, Intercontinental/United States, and World titles.
His autobiography The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be sold out in North America and was reprinted for European markets.
All of his brothers have been professional wrestlers; all of his sisters have been married to professional wrestlers.
Trained by Mr. Hito, Mr. Sakurada, Stu Hart, and Harley Race.
In a Calgary Sun column, he criticized Ric Flair for disparaging comments about Hart and Mick Foley in Flair’s book.
He never had a disagreement with Jim Neidhart or manager Jimmy Hart.
He took part in the first-ever 60-minute Iron Man match against Ric Flair in 1992, and another against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII in 1996.
He won the WCW World Title by making Chris Benoit submit to the Sharpshooter in Toronto.
He won the WCW Tag Team titles with Bill Goldberg.
His famous WWF entrance music was composed by manager Jimmy Hart.
He trained former WWE superstar Andrew Test Martin.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Bret Hart.
Celebrities similar to Bret Hart — same craft, ranked by reach.
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