Shining a Spotlight 5.14.09: Owen Hart
Posted by Michael Weyer on 05.14.2009
A decade after his tragic death, a look at the life of the man, what really set him apart from Bret and made him special and the true tragedy of his death and aftermath.
Usually, I do anniversary columns to commemorate memorable events in wrestling. I try to have them be positive ones when I can. This time however, I can't. That's because I'm marking the tenth anniversary of one of the single worst tragedies wrestling has ever known. A horrible accident that cut short a life of a man who truly lived to his fullest. A man who loved wrestling whole-heartedly and gave it his all to entertain. A man respected and beloved by most everyone who knew him.
Owen Hart.
For newer fans, he's just a name they've heard mentioned and the occasional video clips on DVDs. But for many of us, Owen Hart was a true part of wrestling, a familiar face on the scenes, someone we always figured would be around. He may not have been the superstar of brother Bret but was damn close and seemed to have so much potential left to tap. To lose him in such a way…it tore the heart out of a lot of wrestling fans. Some have claimed his death was a sign of the "boom time" of the late ‘90's coming to an end although I think that's mostly hyperbole. But what can't be denied was that Owen's death was a turning point for the business and his loss is still felt by many.
To understand why that loss reverberates, you have to understand what made Owen special. For someone who supposedly didn't want to get into the family business, Owen took to wrestling with ease and in his rookie year, looked like a guy who'd been wrestling for years. Indeed, in terms of pure in-ring ability, it's possible Owen was actually Bret's superior. He was an amazing technician with good selling skills but also could take to the ropes much better than Bret with some terrific high-flying maneuvers. His entry to Stampede in 1986 no doubt helped keep the promotion alive a bit longer and showed everyone what a huge star in the making he was.
It took a while though as when he entered WWF in 1988, it was the cartoonish era and so he was put in a goofy blue costume and mask as the Blue Blazer. He'd come under his real name in 1991, paired with Jim Neidhart as the New Foundation and later Koko B. Ware as High Energy, both times carrying the tag teams despite the goofy baggy pants he wore with both. His singles persona as "the Rocket" failed to connect but he was getting some attention. By late 1993, he and Bret were teaming regularly and had they made a serious goal of it, they probably would have dominated the tag title scene for a while. But of course, WWF had bigger plans in mind.
When Owen finally turned on Bret in early 1994, kicking him in an "injured" leg after losing a tag title match at the Royal Rumble, it would have been enough to get him turned as a heel. But Owen added to it in a post-match interview, berating Bret for holding him back and being so selfish. Instantly, Owen found what he'd been lacking, a character fans could get into: A selfish, immature and arrogant brat who complained about people being against him while boasting of his own greatness. What made it truly click was that he could back up his actions and make him a real threat.
That was proven at Wrestlemania X as Bret and Owen kicked off the show with a classic twenty-minute battle which gave Owen his best chance ever to shine. That he managed to pin Bret clean was a shocking moment to everyone and instantly solidified Owen's stardom. Bret would win the WWF title later in the night which just seemed to increase Owen's drive to succeed. WWF held off on the feud for a bit as Owen would win the King of the Ring tournament thanks to Jim Neidhart's aid, taking on the name of "King of Harts" and saying it was proof he was better than Bret. Of course, since Bret had the belt, Owen was still perceived second-best and the feud was on.
It was no shock the matches were terrific as these were two amazingly gifted athletes who also grew up together and so knew how to gel in the ring. But the bouts also showcased what I've always felt were the key things that set Owen apart. One of the biggest criticisms I've seen of Bret, from both fans and workers, is that the man was way too much in the ring work, even making guys look bad by outwrestling them, putting the ring work above the draw and story of the bout. Owen, on the other hand, while intense, was a bit more fun, truly loving what he did and that energy came out in his matches. Bret would take wrestling as practically a holy endeavor but to Owen, it was the most fun job imaginable. That they were close behind the scenes made things better. In his autobiography, Bret shares a fun story of how he and Owen were in a boat out of gas and spent time joking of how they could work it into the story, that they spent days at sea but still refused to talk to each other. That mix of love and sibling rivalry was the perfect formula for a feud.
That led to great matches, including a good cage match at SummerSlam before Bret finally beat Owen in a "Last Chance" title match on TV. Owen would stick around to help Bob Backlund face Bret, including tricking mother Helen into throwing in the towel for Bret and let Backlund win the belt at the Survivor Series. Owen would seem to drift for a bit afterward but at Wrestlemania, he would bring out Yokozuna as a surprise partner to face the Smoking Guns for the tag titles. The two won and became a surpassingly effective pair, Yoko's size matching with Owen's speed and skill to hold the belts for several months.
When they finally did lose them, Owen would feud with Shawn Michaels, including an incident where he kicked Michaels in the head, supposedly knocking him out which WWF sold as totally real. They'd have a short feud but Owen would soon form a team with his other brother in law, Davey Boy Smith. They'd capture the tag titles in the fall and embark on a long reign, the two matching even better in the ring with Owen carrying their interviews. At the same time, Owen found what would be one his lasting gimmicks. He won a Slammy Award for his attack on Shawn which, of course, he took as a source of pride, crowing about it in his acceptance speech. The next year, he'd steal Bob Backlund's award for "best bowtie" and from there on, would remind everyone of how he was a "two-time Slammy winner," carrying the statues everywhere he went. It was obnoxious as hell and thus perfect for Owen.
Tension between Owen and Davey Boy would be prevalent, everyone assuming WWF was working toward a break-up angle. Davey would oust Owen at the 1997 Royal Rumble and then beat him in the finals of a tournament for the first European championship. They held it together but finally, at an April RAW, they were going at it in a touch match. Just as it looked like both men were going to erupt into dirty play, Bret hit the ring. By this point, Bret had begun to be seen as a heel by fans and giving his anti-American speeches. He broke the two apart and got on the mic, saying this was all the fans' fault for making them fight each other and reminded them of how they were all family and stronger than that. The two brothers tearfully hugged and a new Hart Foundation was born.
Adding Neidhart and Brian Pillman, the five were soon in the unique position of being heels in the States but beloved in Canada. The angle seemed to invigorate Owen who cleanly beat Rocky Mavia for the Intercontinental title while defending the tag belts with Davey Boy. They'd drop them to Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin but would get them back. At an In Your House show in Canada, the Harts were accepted as heroes by a rabid crowd facing Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust and the Legion of Doom with Owen getting the pin on Austin and all celebrating with their family. It was clear Owen and Bret were loving being together again after feuding on-camera for so many years and Owen was getting the big push against Austin as a set-up for the inevitable Bret-Austin WWF title showdown.
This of course set up a match between Owen and Stone Cold at Summerslam with the provision that if Austin lost, he'd have to literally kiss Owen's ass. The match, of course, has become infamous for its botched ending. Originally, Owen was to hit Austin with three piledrivers, waste time celebrating and then eat a Stunner. Instead, Owen botched the first piledriver, literally breaking Austin's neck. Knowing something went wrong but not the severity, Owen showed his smarts by playing to the crowd and arguing with the ref until Austin (God alone knows how) managed to roll him up for the pin.
Needless to say, nearly killing the number one star of the company is not a good way to benefit one's career. With Austin out, the heat for Owen was hot as WWF held off on their return showdown. Austin would actually help Owen win a tournament for the vacant IC belt as he wanted to beat Owen for it but would cost Owen and Davey Boy the tag titles against the Headbangers. The two would finally go at it at the Survivor Series with Austin, despite his poor condition, beating Owen for the belt. Of course, the events of later that night would effect Owen massively.
That Owen decided to stay with WWF after Bret's screw job surprised many. Bret himself was a bit miffed but understood that Owen held some loyalty still to Vince and the company and didn't want to leave the company. Considering how horribly WCW would mismanage Bret, it was probably the right move. Owen had plenty of heat on him as fans were actually sympathetic thanks to the screw job and all and pitting him against Michaels and HHH made sense. HHH would send Goldust dressed as him to lose to Owen in early 1998 but then Commissioner Sgt Slaughter would say the impression was so good that as far as he was concerned, Owen had won the belt. HHH would get it back and they'd fight at Wrestlemania. It was clear by this point that Owen just wasn't as good as a face. He had heat but the guy was just so amazing as a heel, he couldn't give that up.
So turning him heel and having him join the Nation did make a bit of sense even if he obviously didn't fit in. Owen would give them some more skill which was a good thing given the raw talents of Mark Henry and D-Lo. But the most memorable part of his tenure was when DX impersonated the Nation for a classic skit and comedian Jason Sensation (with a very large prosthetic nose) did a dead-on Owen impression that had everyone howling. As the Rock became popular, the Nation would break up, leaving Owen drifting about the midcard once more. He was still respected by the guys for his passion for the business as well as the fact he was quite smart with his finances, always saving money for his future.
The talk has always been that by 1999, Owen was thinking of hanging it up. It does sound like he was interested in becoming a firefighter and spending more time with his family. But it was always clear that Owen loved wrestling, he loved being in that ring no matter what. He was still in the prime of condition and capable of going farther. Whether or not he would have been a good WWF champion can be a bit debatable. He certainly had the skills and heat for it but seemed a bit too nice a guy personally to handle the politics necessary for such a position, not to mention the pressures it would bring. Plus, there was always still that idea that he was in Bret's shadow and fans may not have been that warmed to him being in the main spotlight.
Regardless, Owen bounced around before being put in yet another tag team, this one with Jeff Jarrett. Once more, Owen held the team going as they won a couple of tag titles while manager Debra began rising as well. Reportedly, WWF wanted to do a breakup angle of Owen lusting after Debra but Owen shot that down. He was a dedicated family man (which is something Bret himself admits to not being) and was disliking some of the "attitude" elements coming into play with WWF. The two would split apart as Owen was presented with the idea of bringing back his original WWF persona.
As with so many other angles, Vince had a personal interest in reviving the Blue Blazer. By this point, WWF was being criticized by parent and self-appointed morality groups for the sex and violence on screen. He thought it'd be funny to have Owen become the Blue Blazer and play it as a total over the top superhero of the ‘80's, urging clean cut living and for fans to take vitamins and say his prayers. Topping it off was that the Blazer constantly refused to acknowledge he was Own in interviews. He even went so far as to appear as himself while D-Lo Brown dressed as the Blazer, acting as if no one could notice the difference in skin tone. It was an act that slowly started to catch on, the idea being that Owen would get the IC title as the Blazer but soon drop it for a program with Edge.
The title match was set for May 23rd, 1999 at a PPV with the darkly ironic title of "Over the Edge." Owen was set to face off against the Godfather for the IC title but McMahon and Russo wanted something more fun for the actual show. Their idea was that the Blazer would make a dramatic entrance via a wire from the ceiling but would end up catching himself in the ropes. The problem was that the first time Owen did the stunt, he took a while unhooking himself from the harness. WWF thus brought in Bobby Talbert, a professional who had handled such stunts for WCW. He rigged together a harness with a fast release catch which reportedly Vince himself tested out (just as he'd tested the zip line Shawn Michaels used at Wrestlemania XII). However, Owen apparently wasn't too interested in testing it out himself with accounts stating he was out of the arena grabbing lunch at the time he was supposed to be testing the harness. Given his nervousness doing such a stunt, one would think Owen would want to make sure it went okay so the blame for what happened can be spread around a bit.
Fans were treated to a pre-taped interview with Owen as the Blazer and thus the cameras did not catch the horror of what happened: As Owen prepared for his entrance, something went wrong. Exactly what is still undetermined. Maybe his costume got stuck or he hit the wrong button but the clasp opened and Owen plunged from the ceiling of the Kemper Arena to the ring, striking his head on a turnbuckle and flopping back.
It's important to understand what's been overlooked by many: That no one understood at the time what had happened. Many thought it was a dummy or a stuntman, that it was all part of the show. Even as paramedics raced over and Jerry Lawler left his station to check the situation out, the fans buzzed in concern but many still didn't get this wasn't an act. Owen was raced away, the match canceled and fans were jarred but still sitting with interest for the show. It was an hour later that Jim Ross solemnly spoke to the camera to tell the TV audience (but not the live crowd) that Owen had been declared dead.
To this day, the argument rages over whether or not WWF should have immediately canceled the show. A lot say it seemed wrong to go through with it, that "the show must go on" is a trite defense after such a tragedy. But one has to acknowledge the facts of the time. It was a bizarre situation and no one was sure what to do. The logistics of having to cancel the show early with refunds of admission and PPV buyers were a nightmare and most forget that the fans in the arena had no idea of Owen's condition. It should be pointed out that when Austin was injured at Summerslam, which was quite the obvious injury, that show wasn't canceled. Neither was a WCW show where Marcus Bagwell broke his neck in the ring either. Many fans in the arena afterward said that seeing Owen dying was a shock but many were still inclined to watch the full show. While "Over the Edge" has never been released on DVD or video, those who saw it can tell you that it's not like there was a mass exodus of fans after Owen's fall. Some still thought it was part of the show while others didn't realize the seriousness of the injury and were willing to keep watching. Thus, canceling the show would have been very problematic and hindsight only takes you so far in figuring out the "right" answer.
Of course, the media were all over it, most actually on target citing it as a tragic accident. As with Benoit eight years later, Vince was in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation regarding handling Owen afterward. Ignore it and he'd be accused of being cold-hearted; go too much and some will say he was trying to cover himself and cashing in on the death. The result was that the following night's "RAW" became a two-hour tribute to Owen with the entire roster listening to a ten-bell salute and all storylines thrown out for a week. The matches were short and more notable for what happened around them: Jeff Jarrett won his match not with his standard figure-four but Owen's Sharpshooter; the Rock dedicated his People's Elbow against Val Venis to his former partner; Mankind, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn used mic time to pay tribute; and Road Dogg and the Godfather decided to end their match before it started, electing instead to "go burn one and tell Owen stories." Mixed in between were videos of wrestlers speaking of Owen, sharing stories of him as a prankster, a family man and a great guy. They were truly heartfelt, HHH and Chyna soft, Mark Henry reading a poem and most emotionally, Jarrett sobbing at the loss of one of the best men he'd ever known in the business. The show was topped off by Austin coming out and, as if regretting never making peace with Owen while he was alive, toasting the man who'd almost ended his career with some beers.
The show came off as a heartfelt tribute although there were complaints. One of the most vocal was Scott Keith who spent years blasting it as "not true to the spirit of Owen." That's always bugged me, that Keith, who never even met Owen, seemed to think he knew how to mourn him better than the people who worked with Owen every day. Keith did seem to take Owen's loss personally, even saying in one of his books that he hoped Vince would burn in Hell for taking Owen away. However, that attitude does seem to have softened in the last few years as in his last book, Keith does acknowledge it was an accident and that given all that happened, "no one in his own family could say what Owen was thinking at any time."
That, of course, is a reference to the very ugly aftermath of his death. The funeral was a somber affair with Vince in attendance. Interestingly, Stu and Bruce Hart stated they didn't blame Vince and as promoters themselves actually understood it was an angle gone bad and sympathized with his situation. Bret, who had canceled a Tonight Show appearance, talked to Vince although both men give different accounts of the conversation. But the key was that Owen's widow Martha vowed during her eulogy that there would be a "day of reckoning," a statement she'd take to the utmost level over the next few years.
The legal back and forth lawsuits and accusations are a long and ugly story. Even uglier is how the battle tore the Harts apart. Martha had every right to be hurt and angry, of course, but she began to act like she was on a holy crusade to destroy Vince and damn anyone who wasn't with her. When Martha tried to get everyone to sign an allocation paper blaming Vince totally for Owen's death, Stu, Helen and Elle refused to go along with it and Elle faxed a copy to Vince in warning, which got holy hell from Martha. Bret tried to stay out of it totally, concentrating on wrestling again, he and Chris Benoit doing a terrific match in tribute to Owen in Kansas City (a bout that has sadder implications today). But the mismanagement of WCW combined with Bret's concussion in late ‘99 to drive him out of the business at which point his own personal life fell apart. The Harts always had problems but Martha's public airing of the family's sordid private lives was uncalled for and only drove things further to disaster. One can even argue that the whole thing might have helped Stu and Helen to their graves sooner.
And that's the real tragedy. That in all the chaos and mud-slinging and desire for payback, Owen himself seemed to be forgotten. He's taken on a persona of almost a martyr, often cited as a "casualty" of the Monday Night Wars, the desire of WWF to be number one leading to such stunts. Hell, to hear some of the more fanatical fans tell it, Vince knew for a fact the harness would break and made Owen do it at gunpoint.
But it was Owen's choice not to do as much practice with the harness as he needed. He could have refused the stunt but went along with it because he was a good company guy and loved the show. Vince McMahon is no saint, he can be ruthless but he is not a sociopath. He did like Owen personally, just as he liked Bret, and no sane promoter would actually endanger the life of a worker, any worker, just for a cheap stunt. It was an accident, a horrible, senseless accident. Considering how many times that wire stunt had been used, especially with Sting in WCW, it was probably inevitable something like this would happen and Owen was the unlucky recipient.
It's that senselessness that effects fans. None of us like it when someone so full of life is taken so young and try to find reason for it. For many, that means blaming Vince or the harness guys or even Owen himself. But the fact is, things just happen and we don't like it but they do. As the old saying goes "only the good die young" and Owen was one of the best to fit that statement.
His death has served to eclipse his life and that's another shame. Because Owen Hart was a fantastic performer, a man who loved wrestling and gave it his all. He was also a damn great guy behind the scenes, a man who loved his family and did his best to provide for their future. In the ring, he was amazingly gifted and a charismatic heel, a guy fans loved to hate and he reveled in it. That he was taken from us before he was ready is a tragedy. Even greater is that the family he loved so much suffered so badly afterward, his beloved wife snapping and while she may have the money to provide for her children, it doesn't seem the right price considering how the Harts were torn apart because of it all.
Ten years later, the pain has faded but still there. In the end, it doesn't matter if you blame Vince or Owen or anyone else. What matters is the legacy Owen Hart left behind, one that will live on for a time to come. Watching him makes you happy to be a wrestling fan and while he no doubt wanted to live a long life, you can tell he lived the time he had to its fullest. Whereas his famous brother acted like wrestling was an endeavor, Owen treated it like a fun job and did his best to make it work for fans. Whether you loved him or loved to hate him, Owen Hart remains a part of the hearts of so many wrestling fans. We all still miss him and while I hate to be one of those people who act like they know what the dead want (like, oh, say, Martha), I do believe Owen Hart would prefer people to remember him by his life, not his death. And that's a life a lot of us love to still remember.
Im not going to say what will be or is already be said about what a great man Owen Hart was. Everybody from Mick Foley to Owen's wife to even Triple H have expressed that Owen Hart was one of the most genuine and most beloved guys in wrestling. When you have your older brother's mortal enemy saying in his book (Shawn Michaels) that "you could have a two hour show for Owen and no one would say a bad word about him" and a guy (Scott Hall) saying he would go to jail for beating up the comedian who disrespected his memory with a tasteless joke, you know you made a impact on people's lives.
There will be those who say Owen's in-ring skills are overrated because he is gone but that is DAMN far from the truth. Look at his run in 94 with Bret when they were having the best pro wrestling feud in North America and at that time, maybe the feud of the decade or his tag team with Bulldog, another underrated talent. Owen Hart is a underrated worker who could be funny (Owen Hart made the Slammy awards) or be a great dickhead heel. You don't see that range in many wrestlers today and they get stale.
The fact is Owen Hart was a person that is missed by all. Family, friend or fan and he was taken from us too early but we as WRESTLING fans can take comfort in the lives he touched and also appreciate the guys who bust their asses to entertain us because wrestling is not easy especially the personal part.
RIP King of Harts
I thank you for all the memories and know you are in heaven pulling a rib with Curt Hennig on someone.
Posted By: Josh (Guest) on May 13, 2009 at 11:25 PM
"That Owen decided to stay with WWF after Bret's screw job surprised many. Bret himself was a bit miffed but understood that Owen held some loyalty still to Vince and the company and didn't want to leave the company."
I don't know where you got that from in an otherwise very good article here, but thats not the case at all. Owen went along with Davey and Neidhart trying to get his release from Vince to join his brother and brothers-in-law in WCW, but Vince refused to let him go, and Owen couldn't afford to quit. Martha Hart even tells the story in Owen's A&E biography of Owen trying to get out of his contract and being completely torn when he couldn't.
Posted By: Patrick Mullin (Guest) on May 13, 2009 at 11:29 PM
Owen will always be my favorite wrestler. I miss him to this day.
Posted By: T (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 01:13 PM
"Exactly what is still undetermined. Maybe his costume got stuck or he hit the wrong button but the clasp opened and Owen plunged from the ceiling of the Kemper Arena to the ring, striking his head on a turnbuckle and flopping back."
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Do you even bother to research? The cause of death is not "undeterminded". From Wikipedia:
"In keeping with the Blazer's new "buffoonish superhero" character, he was to begin a dramatic entrance, being lowered to just above ring level, at which time he would act "entangled", then release himself from the safety harness and fall flat on his face for comedic effect – this necessitated the use of a quick release mechanism. It was an elaboration on a Blue Blazer stunt done previously on the Sunday Night Heat before Survivor Series 1998. This time, something went wrong with the stunt harness, apparently triggering the release mechanism early as he was being lowered. Hart fell 78 feet (24 m) into the ring, landing chest-first on the top rope, approximately a foot from the nearest turnbuckle, throwing him into the ring.
Hart had performed the stunt only a few times before and was worried about performing the stunt at the Kemper Arena due to the height involved. Hart's wife Martha has suggested that, by moving around to get comfortable with both the harness and his cape on, Hart unintentionally triggered an early release."
The stunt was wildly dangerous and should never have happened. WWE was massively at fault for Owen's death, hence $18 million settlement that Vince gave Owen's family.
R.I.P. Owen - you may not have the biggest star, but you had the biggest "hart" of them all. Truly a tragic loss.
Posted By: Guest#4355 (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 01:21 PM
"That Owen decided to stay with WWF after Bret's screw job surprised many. Bret himself was a bit miffed but understood that Owen held some loyalty still to Vince and the company and didn't want to leave the company."
"I don't know where you got that from in an otherwise very good article here, but thats not the case at all. Owen went along with Davey and Neidhart trying to get his release from Vince to join his brother and brothers-in-law in WCW, but Vince refused to let him go, and Owen couldn't afford to quit. Martha Hart even tells the story in Owen's A&E biography of Owen trying to get out of his contract and being completely torn when he couldn't.
Posted By: Patrick Mullin (Guest) on May 13, 2009 at 11:29 PM"
Oh, and he might also STILL BE ALIVE!!!
Posted By: zengoth (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Patrick Mullin is right about Owen trying to get out of his WWE contract after Bret left. McMahon's refusao to let him has been well documented.
Posted By: nomark (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 02:41 PM
Owen also hit the ropes chestfirst, not headfirst. And I'd imagine that going to WCW would have been worse for him as a wrestler, but better for him in that he'd probably still be around today.
The entire Over The Edge PPV can be seen on Youtube, broken up into parts. The single most fucked up thing about it, to me, is that later in the show, Vince gets taken out of the arena in an ambulance to sell a match. Incredible.
Posted By: Steve307 (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 02:56 PM
Somebody wrote and claimed that what went wrong was determined, and quotes an article with the following words: This time, something went wrong with the stunt harness
Something went wrong sounds pretty darn undertemined to me.
Posted By: PaulOrndorff (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 03:04 PM
for me wm x bret and owen is the best wm match. owen is in my all time top 5.very entertaining performer. we will never know exactly what happend but i always thought that stunt required at least two lines main line and safety line.such a shame especially for the hart family. gone but not forgotten r.i.p. oje
Posted By: mr. x (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 04:46 PM
Why don't you people just call Vince a murderer among other things and get it over with? There is an article somewhere on this site defending Vince about the whole Owen Hart thing.
It was said that a judge didn't hold WWE responsible but instead held all the parties who supplied Owen's equipment responsible.
But of course Martha held WWE solely responsible which isn't really fair at all.
Posted By: Guest#7350 (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 06:40 PM
Watching Wrestlemania XI when Owen and Yoko win the tag titles is one of my favorite Owen moments. The look of sheer joy on his face which broke character, like a little kid unwrapping a Christmas present that he's been waiting all year for, lets you know that was the true guy. A kid at heart. One of the best in the business both inside and out as his collegues said. RIP Owen.
Posted By: Matt (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 08:31 PM
As the old cliche goes, everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when JFK got shot or the 9/11 attacks.
For wrestling fans of my generation, we remember where we were when Owen Hart died.
I just can't believe it's been 10 years already.
Posted By: Ry (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 09:50 PM
great read.
Posted By: Csonkamaniac III (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 10:48 PM
i remember reading something (maybe someone can help me out here) in (i think) one of mick foley's books where he gives an account of the fall not killing owen on impact, but how owen had brief moment where he tried getting up but then collapsed.
does anyone know the story behind this??
Posted By: Csonkamaniac III (Guest) on May 14, 2009 at 10:55 PM
An interesting read. Owen was taken far too early. His death polarises people even today - from his own family to fans of wrestling.
I think the most sad and touching tribute to Owen on youtube is here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBMP53Td5cs
Posted By: Don't let him be forgotten (Guest) on May 15, 2009 at 06:46 AM
If you are going to have a negative tone about Owen's widow I suggest you not write anything more about Owen. Your lack of research and respect for his family is ignorant. I would guess you either get paid from wwe or are hoping to work for them someday.
The harness used was for sailing..not a grown man. The WWE went with the cheapest rigging company around, no other company would do the stunt with a quick release harness because of the danger and neglagence.
The fact that you took one more dig at Martha in the closing of your article really shows your true colors. You have no right to say half the stuff you wrote, and the problem is you pass it off as if what you say is correct.
If you really want to pay respect to Owen you would never speak of him or his family again.
I'm guessing you are just too lazy to hit a gym and try to be a wrester yourself so instead you write about it.
Then again I'm sure it's hard to proof read your work with your nose up Vince's ass.
Enjoy scanning the messages, you spineless, unprofessional. Can't take critisism?? you need to make sure no says anything bad about your articles? Grow a pair and leave the family alone.
Posted By: Matt (Guest) on May 16, 2009 at 06:33 PM
Great article. I love the Hart brothers and admire them for what they gave every night. I agree with you totally about how disappointing the way his death was handled and how so much fake reporting went out that people (including some of the commentators here) think they know what happened (the sailing rig was a theory that was never proven.)
Always wish Owen was around today. He had so much to offer as a wrestler and as a human being. I've never heard anyone say a bad word against him.
RIP Owen. I'll be keeping my two minutes on the 29th
Posted By: Jonberg (Guest) on May 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Owen would definitely be around today if it would have been planned correctly. I think that Vince was totally wrong in letting him go through with that. He is just as at fault as the manufacturer of the harness and his widow for exploiting her husband's death. I think that he would have been champion finally if he had been and then retired or at least by the end of 99, he would have been finally going into y2k and then retired at the beginning of this current decade. I miss him very much. He died a month and 2 days before I graduated high school (June 25, 1999). If he would have been wrestling now, he would have been champion at least close to the amount of times Triple H or John Cena is champion by now. He just like most wrestlers, that actually also have talent like he did, aren't utilized correctly by Vince. RIP Owen Hart!
Posted By: Andre (Guest) on May 24, 2009 at 01:48 AM
